Fixed Submarine Broadcast System (FSBS) Fixed Very Low Frequency/Low Frequency (FVLF/LF) Engineering Services

Pre-Solicitation Notice with Draft RFP and attachments

Naval Information Warfare Center, Atlantic intends to award a single award Indefinite
Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee and/or Firm-Fixed-Price contract,
utilizing the competitive procedures under FAR 15 for engineering, maintenance, and
repair of FSBS FVLF/LF antenna and transmitter sites.

THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT INTEND TO AWARD A CONTRACT ON THE BASIS OF THIS
DRAFT RFP OR TO OTHERWISE PAY FOR THE INFORMATION SOLICITED. This draft RFP is
for planning purposes only and shall not be considered as an Invitation for Bid, Request
for Quotation, or RFP or as an obligation on the part of the Government to acquire any
products or services.

02 March 2021

The response date to this Market Research request has been extended to 10 March 2021
@ 1300 ET.

The change has been made to "Market Survey Request_N65236-20-R-0024 Rev 1.docx"
attached.

********************************************************************
16 February 2021

Sources Sought Notice (Market Survey) document is now posted. Response to this
Market Research request is due 03 March 2021 @ 1300 ET.

********************************************************************
27 January 2021 Industry Day slides, attendee list, and updated answers have been
uploaded to this announcement.

********************************************************************
25 January 2021

Answer attached for recent question concerning the Draft RFP. See Attachments.

********************************************************************
13 January 2021

A virtual Pre-Solicitation Conference for the Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC)
Atlantic for Fixed Submarine Broadcast System (FSBS) maintenance, repair, and
modernization is scheduled to take place Wednesday, 27 January 2021, at 10:00am
Eastern Time using Zoom.

The purpose of this conference is to solicit feedback on the draft performance work
statement (PWS), facilitate competition with companies capable of managing multiple
subcontractors and solicit feedback on potential/appropriate evaluation criteria that will
allow for maximum participation by companies capable of managing the various work
performed by multiple subcontractors.

Registration is required to attend and the link can be found at:

https://ati.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_lrOC6F6SS7Kga8TNq95utQ

The draft PWS is provided below. Any questions pertaining to the draft PWS shall be
emailed to Richard.hobson@navy.mil no later than Wednesday, 20 January 2021, at
3:00pm Eastern Time. The Government will provide answers under this solicitation
announcement, via e-Commerce and SAM.gov, before the day of the Conference.

16 February 2021

Sources Sought Notice (Market Survey) document is now posted. Response to this
Market Research request is due 03 March 2021 @ 1300 ET.

********************************************************************
27 January 2021 Industry Day slides, attendee list, and updated answers have been
uploaded to this announcement.

********************************************************************
25 January 2021

Answer attached for recent question concerning the Draft RFP. See Attachments.

********************************************************************
13 January 2021

A virtual Pre-Solicitation Conference for the Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC)
Atlantic for Fixed Submarine Broadcast System (FSBS) maintenance, repair, and
modernization is scheduled to take place Wednesday, 27 January 2021, at 10:00am
Eastern Time using Zoom.

The purpose of this conference is to solicit feedback on the draft performance work
statement (PWS), facilitate competition with companies capable of managing multiple
subcontractors and solicit feedback on potential/appropriate evaluation criteria that will
allow for maximum participation by companies capable of managing the various work
performed by multiple subcontractors.

Registration is required to attend and the link can be found at:

https://ati.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_lrOC6F6SS7Kga8TNq95utQ

The draft PWS is provided below. Any questions pertaining to the draft PWS shall be
emailed to Richard.hobson@navy.mil no later than Wednesday, 20 January 2021, at
3:00pm Eastern Time. The Government will provide answers under this solicitation
announcement, via e-Commerce and SAM.gov, before the day of the Conference.

28 January 2021

27 January 2021 Industry Day slides, attendee list, and updated answers have been
uploaded to this announcement.

********************************************************************
25 January 2021

Answer attached for recent question concerning the Draft RFP. See Attachments.

********************************************************************
13 January 2021

A virtual Pre-Solicitation Conference for the Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC)
Atlantic for Fixed Submarine Broadcast System (FSBS) maintenance, repair, and
modernization is scheduled to take place Wednesday, 27 January 2021, at 10:00am
Eastern Time using Zoom.

The purpose of this conference is to solicit feedback on the draft performance work
statement (PWS), facilitate competition with companies capable of managing multiple
subcontractors and solicit feedback on potential/appropriate evaluation criteria that will
allow for maximum participation by companies capable of managing the various work
performed by multiple subcontractors.

Registration is required to attend and the link can be found at:

https://ati.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_lrOC6F6SS7Kga8TNq95utQ

The draft PWS is provided below. Any questions pertaining to the draft PWS shall be
emailed to Richard.hobson@navy.mil no later than Wednesday, 20 January 2021, at
3:00pm Eastern Time. The Government will provide answers under this solicitation
announcement, via e-Commerce and SAM.gov, before the day of the Conference.

25 January 2021

Answer attached for recent question concerning the Draft RFP. See Attachments.

********************************************************************
13 January 2021

A virtual Pre-Solicitation Conference for the Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC)
Atlantic for Fixed Submarine Broadcast System (FSBS) maintenance, repair, and
modernization is scheduled to take place Wednesday, 27 January 2021, at 10:00am
Eastern Time using Zoom.

The purpose of this conference is to solicit feedback on the draft performance work
statement (PWS), facilitate competition with companies capable of managing multiple
subcontractors and solicit feedback on potential/appropriate evaluation criteria that will
allow for maximum participation by companies capable of managing the various work
performed by multiple subcontractors.

Registration is required to attend and the link can be found at:

https://ati.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_lrOC6F6SS7Kga8TNq95utQ

The draft PWS is provided below. Any questions pertaining to the draft PWS shall be
emailed to Richard.hobson@navy.mil no later than Wednesday, 20 January 2021, at
3:00pm Eastern Time. The Government will provide answers under this solicitation
announcement, via e-Commerce and SAM.gov, before the day of the Conference.

13 January 2021

A virtual Pre-Solicitation Conference for the Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC)
Atlantic for Fixed Submarine Broadcast System (FSBS) maintenance, repair, and
modernization is scheduled to take place Wednesday, 27 January 2021, at 10:00am
Eastern Time using Zoom.

The purpose of this conference is to solicit feedback on the draft performance work
statement (PWS), facilitate competition with companies capable of managing multiple
subcontractors and solicit feedback on potential/appropriate evaluation criteria that will
allow for maximum participation by companies capable of managing the various work
performed by multiple subcontractors.

Registration is required to attend and the link can be found at:

https://ati.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_lrOC6F6SS7Kga8TNq95utQ

The draft PWS is provided below. Any questions pertaining to the draft PWS shall be
emailed to Richard.hobson@navy.mil no later than Wednesday, 20 January 2021, at
3:00pm Eastern Time. The Government will provide answers under this solicitation
announcement, via e-Commerce and SAM.gov, before the day of the Conference.

Notice of Intent: The Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC), Atlantic intends to

award a sole-source contract to Hi-Q Engineering, Inc. located at 13200 Kirkham Way,

Suite 110, Poway, CA for professional broadcast transmitter fleet engineering support

services. The sole-source contract requires the contractor to provide engineering,

maintenance, and repair of Fixed Very Low Frequency/Low Frequency (FVLF/LF)

transmitters and antenna systems. The FVLF and LF equipment is comprised of twelve

transmitters located at ten globally positioned sites operating in the LF and VLF Radio

Frequency (RF) bands. These transmitters vary in age, technology, power rating, and

state of condition. The earliest of which was installed in the 1950's and last one installed

in the 2000's. These transmitters range in power ratings from 50kW (kilowatt) to 2MW

(megawatt) and span solid-state to tube type power amplifier technology. Hi-Q possess

specialized intimate knowledge of the overall broadcast communications system and is

familiar with the individual sites that house the transmitter equipment. The services

defined within this contract are essential to ensure that there is no downtime and that

the fleet commanders are never without critical radio broadcast communication as

provided by the FVLF and LF transmitters. As part of these services, rapid response to

casualty reports (CASREP) is vital to repair the communication between fleet assets

performing Navy missions necessary to support normal day-to-day operations and to

perform immediate upgrades required to repair and restore communication capabilities.

These repairs included solid state power amplifiers, dummy loads, a RF transfer switch,

summing transformer cabinet modifications, a TCC/ACC, instrument control, alternating

current (AC) power equipment at the various transmitter sites world-wide. These repairs

are essential to ensure there was no downtime and that the fleet commanders are not

without critical radio broadcast communication as provided by FVLF and LF transmitters.

Utilizing Hi-Q Engineering eliminates a direct negative impact to the planned engineering

services, maintenance, sustainment, technical, and logistics services to support the FVLF

and LF transmitters. Any other contractor would require significant time to become

familiar with the FVLF and LF transmitter equipment, which would have dire and

immediate adverse consequences of critical modernization and engineering support of

FVLF and LF transmitter sites. Furthermore, any gap in service would have detrimental

effects to the short and long term planning by diminishing communications capabilities

between submarine fleet assets. The Government anticipates the award of a cost plus

fixed fee (CPFF), indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract; NAICS Code

541330 Engineering Services. Interested firms may identify their interest and capability

to respond to the requirement. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive

proposals. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract

based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government.

Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining

whether to conduct a competitive procurement. Responses and/or questions should be

directed to Contract Specialist Richard Hobson at richard.hobson@navy.mil. This notice is

also posted on the Naval Warfare (NAVWAR) e- Commerce website at

https://ecommerce.sscno.nmci.navy.mil.