Lifecycle Support of USS WASP (LHD 1) Class Amphibious Assault Ships Steam Propulsion and Auxiliary Systems

INTRODUCTION

This is a sources sought announcement in accordance with FAR 15.201 and in anticipation of a potential future procurement program.  The Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), Washington DC, is conducting market research and seeking information from potential sources able to provide qualified technical services from original equipment manufacturers (OEM) or authorized providers for the inspection, overhaul, repairs and lifecycle support of USS WASP (LHD 1) Class Amphibious Assault Ships steam propulsion and auxiliary systems.

The results of this Sources Sought will be utilized to determine whether any Small Business set-aside opportunities exist.  All Small Business set-aside categories will be considered. In accordance with FAR 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting, Small Businesses concerns are reminded that in the performance of contracts awarded under small business set-aside procedures, at least 50 percent of the cost of contract performance incurred for personnel shall be expended for employees of the concern or similarly situated entities.

BACKGROUND

The NAVSEA Surface Warfare Directorate, SEA 21, is responsible for life-cycle management for all non-nuclear surface ship classes of the US Navy including Surface Combatant Warfare Class Ships.  In-service life cycle support of these ships comprises: integrated planning, programming, and execution of the maintenance and fleet modernization program, including the provision of all technical and logistics support required to maintain, modernize, and improve performance of these ships.

REQUIREMENT

NAVSEA is seeking contractors capable of completing expert services on steam propulsion plant and auxiliary equipment, including but are not limited to:

• propulsion turbines,
• boilers,
• steam condensers,
• auxiliary steam turbine driven rotating machinery (forced draft blowers, main feed pumps),
• turbine generators,
• main circulating pumps,
• main feedwater booster pumps, emergency feed pumps, main condensate pumps, and auxiliary condensate pumps,
• distilling plants,
• P1 or Level I Material high pressure/high temperature steam piping systems, and
• steam plant automation, instrumentation. and control systems.

Expert services involve engineering and technical services required for inspection, testing, installation, and repairs of steam propulsion plant and auxiliary equipment for amphibious Class ships. Minimum requirements for these services are as follows:  

• Conduct operational testing, cleaning, disassembly, and inspections of steam propulsion plant and auxiliary equipment to determine equipment condition and required corrections, in compliance with Navy maintenance and repair requirement documents. Examples of Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) inspections to accomplish include ultrasonic and/or magnetic inspections of turbine driven rotor assemblies; eddy current inspection of condenser tubing; ultrasonic inspection of piping and plate; liquid penetrant testing of welds and blowers; and test and inspections involving Level I Material.  
• Perform installation, overhaul, and repairs of steam propulsion plant and auxiliary equipment in accordance with manufacturer’s requirements, Navy technical manual requirements, and repair procedures. Examples of potential work include boilers overhaul and repairs; condenser cleaning and repairs; machining repairs to steam driven rotating machinery and post-repair alignment and balancing if required; welding of P1 piping systems within steam propulsion plant;  and repairs to hydraulic-mechanical governors. 

This contract is expected to require a highly capable contractor with capacity to provide expert services for multiple concurrent projects distributed across multiple amphibious ships and homeports. The places of performance are expected to primarily be in each vessel’s respective homeport in San Diego, CA, and Norfolk, VA. The places of performance may include other locations in the United States if work is required to be completed during a CNO Availability awarded to a shipyard outside the vessel’s homeport, or work is required to be completed overseas at worldwide locations in the case of voyage repairs.

ACQUISITION STRATEGY

The Government is contemplating procuring these efforts utilizing a single Cost-Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) Level of Effort (LOE) type contract, with a contract duration of one 12-month base year and two 12-month option years. However, the Government is seeking industry input for the best acquisition approach. 

CAPABILITIES AND CAPACITY STATEMENT

Interested parties shall submit a comprehensive Capabilities and Capacity statement that describes the firm’s capabilities and capacity to meet the Government’s requirements description provided in Enclosure (1).  Note: Enclosure (1) will be provided upon request to authorized U.S. DoD contractors. 

This statement should include the following:

1. Positive statement of intent to bid as a prime contractor for the requirement.
2. Past Performance: Describe your company’s experience completing work on the same or similar systems outlined in Enclosure (1) or briefly describe how your company would be capable of meeting these requirements as of contract award.
3. Personnel Capability and Capacity – Describe the extent that your company has the certified/authorized program management, quality management, engineering (Naval Architecture, Mechanical, Electrical, Controls Engineering, etc.), and trades (Boilermakers, Turbine Mechanics, Pipefitters/Steamfitters, Welders, Machinists, non-destructive testers, etc.) in the numbers and in the locations necessary to complete the requirements included in Enclosure (1)
4. 1. Identify the OEM certifications or authorizations your company holds or plans to hold relevant to the OEM/vendor list provided as Enclosure (1).
   2. Identify the safety, quality, and environmental certifications your company maintains?
   3. Describe any teaming agreements, resource sharing agreements or other methods that your company may employ to provide the certified/authorized personnel resources necessary to complete the requirements included in Enclosure (1)
5. Facilities Capability and Capacity – Describe the extent that your company has access to the production, technical equipment, and support facilities with the capacity and in the locations necessary to complete the requirements included in Enclosure (1)
6. Overseas and Voyage Repairs - Describe the extent that your company and its team of partners can support overseas repairs, including repairs in forward areas and conflict zones, including:
7. 1. Can you support 24/7 emergency maintenance worldwide? What is your global technician deployment capability, e.g., how quickly can you get a team to remote locations?
   2. To what extent do you have service hubs or partnerships in ports within the eastern Atlantic (from the Mediterranean Sea down to the west coast of Africa); the western Pacific, and the Indo-Pacific?
8. Feedback – The Navy currently procures most of its steam propulsion plant maintenance and repair during depot level availabilities. The intent of the Navy’s acquisition strategy is to enter into a long-term contract with a steam propulsion plant contractor in order to maintain and expand capacity (where necessary), while utilizing the time between depot level availabilities to improve material procurement, requirement planning, preparation, and workload distribution. Provide any feedback you may have regarding this acquisition strategy. For example:
9. 1. What recommendations does your company have on how the Navy could maximize the benefit of this continuous long-term contractual relationship?
   2. What scope could the Navy task between depot level availabilities to smooth workload and remove schedule and technical risk from depot level availabilities?
   3. What concerns does your company have on your ability and willingness to fund/maintain staffing to support both workload peaks and across workload slumps
   4. What general concerns does your company have on this acquisition strategy?

The Government is not requesting interested parties to provide brochures and/or generalized sales-pitch language.  Capability and Capacity state,emt shall be specific (quantified as appropriate) and not theoretical in nature to the greatest extent practicable.  For instance, a notification of intent to partner with numerous firms to acquire appropriate resources should be supported with formal agreements and/or letters of intent as well as a provision of projects where the parties have successfully teamed together in the past. 

Specifically, parties are requested to provide the following information (as applicable):

1. Company name,
2. Company address,
3. Primary company contacts (s) and associated email addresses,
4. Company website,
5. Business size (small or large) for NAICS code (336611)
6.  Company’s socioeconomic status (Woman-Owned, Veteran-Owned, HUBZone, etc.),
7. Company CAGE Code and UEI number, and
8. Any other information deemed applicable by the interested party.

A PARTY’S SUBMISSION SHALL NOT EXCEED MORE THAN 20 DOC (MS Word) OR PDF PAGES IN LENGTH AND BE NO LARGER THAN 7.5GB.

Parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary and/or competition sensitive information that is contained within their submission.

Before the Navy will consider providing a party with a copy of “Enclosure (1),” which is marked as Export Controlled Data, a party shall email NAVSEA contract specialist, Kevin Becker, at kevin.r.becker2.civ@us.navy.mil and NAVSEA contracting officer, Kathryn Corvello, at kathryn.f.corvello.civ@us.navy.mil and therein provide the company’s name and company’s CAGE Code. Upon the Navy’s receipt of the party’s information, the Navy will perform a vetting of the company for operational security purposes and determine, at its own discretion, if it will or will not release Enclosure (1) to the party. If the Navy chooses to release Enclosure (1), the Navy will coordinate via email with the party and provide the party with Enclosure (1) via an electronic drop on DOD SAFE.

A party’s submission shall be delivered electronically either via encrypted email to Kevin Becker and Kathryn Corvello or via drop on DOD SAFE. If a party chooses the drop on DOD SAFE option, the party shall coordinate the “drop” with Kevin Becker and Kathryn Corvello, whereby one of them will provide a DOD SAFE link for the drop.

The due date for submission is 16 JUNE 2025 from submission at 1500 EST.

Disclaimer:

This RFI is for Navy informational/planning purposes only. This announcement is not a request for proposal; it does not constitute any form of solicitation and shall not be construed as a commitment by the Navy. A party submission is not an offer nor proposal and the Navy is under no obligation to make any form of award as a result of this announcement. No funds will be provided by the Navy to pay for preparation of submissions in response to this announcement. All responses to this RFI are strictly voluntary.

All submitted materials will be designated for Government Use Only. Third party support contractors providing support to NAVSEA Surface Warfare Directorate, SEA 21, will have access to the submitted material. These contractors have executed non-disclosure agreements with SEA 21. Submission of material requested in this sources sought announcement shall constitute consent to allow access to the material/information by any relevant third-party support contractor supporting SEA 21. Submitted material/information will be safeguarded in accordance with the applicable Government regulations.