Homeland Security Cutter - Light Icebreaker

The United States Coast Guard is seeking information regarding icebreaker designs capable of recapitalizing the existing 65-foot WYTL fleet in the Northeast through this Request for Information (RFI) issued on October 28, 2025. The Coast Guard is soliciting available icebreaker designs from the U.S. and allied nation maritime industrial bases to understand design maturity and industry capability to produce icebreaking-capable vessels. Key requirements for the Homeland Security Cutter - Light Icebreaker include a vessel length of 70 feet or less, draft of 7 feet or less, capability to break 12-inch freshwater ice at 3 knots, endurance for three days with a crew of six, and a mission equipment crane with 4,500 pounds lifting capacity for navigation buoy handling. Responses must address vendor type, business categorization, design characteristics, design maturity, shipyard capabilities, execution strategy, and potential contract considerations, with submissions limited to five pages per design in searchable PDF format. The deadline for responses is November 10, 2025, at 12:00 PM EDT, with submissions directed to William "Bill" Lewis via email, and a potential contract award is anticipated for mid-2026.

This RFI is market research pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 10 and does not constitute a promise to issue a future Request for Proposal, nor does it preclude participation in subsequent RFPs for those who do not respond. No set-aside designation has been applied to this opportunity, and no incumbent contractors or award values have been identified at this pre-solicitation stage. The procurement falls under NAICS code 336612 (Boat Building) and PSC code 1925 (Special Service Vessels), indicating the vessel construction classification. Interested parties should note that all costs associated with responding to this RFI are the responsibility of the respondent, and the government will not reimburse any information or administrative expenses. While the RFI does not guarantee future contract action, it represents the Coast Guard's initial market assessment phase prior to formal solicitation development, with anticipated contract execution targeted for mid-2026.