Professional, Administrative and Management Support Services

 In accordance with FAR 5.202(a)(10), "The proposed contract action is made under conditions described in 6.302-3..." and a synopsis is not required for this requirement as it is to: "To establish or maintain an essential engineering, research, or development capability to be provided by an educational or other nonprofit institution or a federally funded research and development center..." [FAR 6.302-3 (a)(2)(ii)]

The proposed contract action is for supplies or services for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under the authority of FAR 6.302.  This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals.  A determination by the Government not to compete with 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.

In accordance with FAR 5.206, Notice of Subcontracting Opportunities, the information regarding this effort is posted below.  Interested sources should contact Mercer Engineering Research Center for subcontracting possibilities.  Any other questions should be directed to the buyer/PCO identified below.  If your concerns are not satisfied by the Contracting Officer, an Ombudsman has been appointed to hear serious concerns that are not resolved through established channels.  The purpose of the Ombudsman is not to diminish the authority of the contracting officer, but to communicate serious contractor concerns, issues, disagreements and recommendations to the appropriate government personnel.  When requested, the Ombudsman will maintain strict confidentiality as to the source of the concern.  The Ombudsman does not participate in the evaluation of proposals in the source selection process.  When appropriate, potential offerors may contact the Ombudsman, Crystal Hollifield, at 478-926-2183. 

The purpose of this requirement is to have the contractor provide continuing analytical engineering studies and structural testing to support the AC-130, MC-130, HC-130, and EC-130 as a part of the overall Aging Aircraft sustainment effort supporting the Aircraft Structural Integrity Program (ASIP) as a part of the overall Aging Aircraft sustainment effort.. This program will benefit the Air Force by addressing structural concerns that are unique to the configuration and missions of the Special Operations Forces C-130 aircraft.  It will provide essential analysis of Special Operations-specific aircraft problems, and will focus on identifying and solving AC-130, MC-130, HC-130 and EC-130- specific structural integrity issues. It directly supports the FY 2009 SOF structural program.  Existing aircraft structural models and usage databases will be updated and improved to reflect the current mission profiles, hardware configurations, and usage. The Contractor will also continue the analysis of several known problematic areas on SOF C-130 aircraft.  The Contractor conduct studies and data acquisition as tasked by the government.  Finally, the contractor will provide for the study and analysis of other as yet unknown structural problems found during routine maintenance and operations of Special Operations forces.