Notice of Intent to Award a Sole Source Award

This notice announces the intent by the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA) in support of the U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory (USAARL) Flight System Division to procure a firm fixed price contract as a follow on sole source action to replace an existing subscription with a permanent one-time purchase of a perpetual license to CATI’s San Francisco (SFO) Database (Day Scene) virtual simulation database which is compatible with their existing NUH-60 and CAPTE-VCS modules on the Fort Rucker, Alabama virtual simulation database without competition as prescribed in FAR 13.501(a)(1)(i).  Specifically, the Government will procure the San Francisco Database (Option 1 Day Scene) manufactured by CATI Inc.  The database can only be purchased from CATI Inc.; the company has no authorized licensed resellers.

Minimum Essential Characteristics are:

• Database shall be compiled with X-IG® runtime format
• Database shall be 2010 imagery
• Database shall be comprised of high-fidelity (10cm imagery)
• Database shall provide a high-density urban environment not less than 141 sq km
• Database shall present no less than 85,000 geo-specific buildings and structures
• The database shall render a Day scene

Only One Source Reasonably Available:  USAARL currently has two simulation devices that use X-IG® Image Generation System rendered databases.  All initial database procurement must be tenderable by X-IG® runtime format.  Previous SFO database was on loan through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) company named PLW Modelworks. This CRADA expired 31 December 2020. Subsequently, USAARL leased the same database by subscription.  The current leased database has established helicopter flight profiles for past, current, and future research protocols at USAARL.  The Technical Reports and Memorandums from these protocols may be used to add to or re-create additional new research in support of future vertical lift science and technology research.

CATI, Inc. is the only company capable of compiling a visual database from any source into the X-IG® runtime format compatible with both the NUH-60 and CAPTE simulators.  Only CATI, Inc. offers the SFO database compatible with the IGS already operating on the NUH-60 Black Hawk and CAPT-E Black Hawk simulators.  A sole source award is a logical follow-on.

The proposed solicitation number: W81XWH-22-Q-0060.

This announcement fulfills the synopsis requirements under FAR 5.102(a)(6) and 5.203(a). USAMRAA intends to publish a solicitation no sooner than 15 days after publishing this synopsis. This Special Notice of Intent is not a request for competitive quotes. Information received in response to this notice will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether a competitive procurement is in the best interest of the Government. If no written responses are received by the date listed below, which reflects at least fifteen (15) days after the publication of this notice, the solicitation will be issued as sole source.

All questions and responses concerning this notice shall be emailed to Jeff Flook at jeffrey.l.flook.civ@mail.mil.
 
Interested concerns must identify their capability in writing to the email address listed above no later than 10:00 AM EST, 14 April 2022.