Questions and Answers

Added: Jun 17, 2010 5:18 pm Modified: Jul 15, 2010 5:00 pmTrack Changes Questions will be accepted by the Government until 23 July 2010 on this Draft Request for Proposal. Answers to the Questions will be posted no later than 30 July 2010. No proposals will be accepted at this time. All questions should be sent to the Contract Specialist: Sandra Privett at sandra.a.privett@us.army.mil

Please see the following URL for the documents: https://www3.natick.army.mil

Added: Jun 17, 2010 5:18 pm Description: Sources Sought Notice-Market Research.

This is not a solicitation for bids/proposals, but a Request for Information to conduct market re-search IAW FAR Part 10. The Product Manager, Force Protection Systems (PM-FPS) proposes to acquire inside-the-wire and outside-the-wire Force Protection and early warning systems. The intended scope is for a single, all-inclusive domain addressing the full range of requirements that fall within this lead descriptor.

Statement of Objectives
Integrated Base Defense Omnibus
1. Background.

The United States Army has an ongoing requirement to provide Integrated Base Defense (IBD) Force Protection capabilities at temporary and permanent, nuclear and non-nuclear at CONUS and OCONUS sites around the world. The ultimate goal is to provide forces with the capability to See First, Understand First, and Act First. Keys to achieving this goal are the application of capabilities that enhance security, surveillance and reconnaissance, resulting in the integration of security systems into an IBD common architecture configured to provide timely detection and quantification of potential threats, allowing the rapid application of appropriate, effective response to mitigate or eliminate verified threats.

To meet the growing demand and complexity of the IBD requirement, the Army will make multiple awards under this Request for Proposal (RFP). Awards may be made to up to 20-30 Large and Small businesses awards in the Full and Open Lot, and 10-15 awards in the Partial Small Business Set-Aside Lot. The multiple contracts provide a rapid, flexible methodology to access the range and depth of capabilities necessary to protect Soldiers and other personnel around the globe.

These contracts will provide access to force protection capabilities with modular systems, equipment, and components that can be used as stand-alone or integrated systems to protect a range of installation sizes from small units and assets to large base-wide mission areas. IBD system components will consist of Commercial-Off-The Shelf (COTS) and Non-Development Items (NDI). Additionally the Government will procurement of the products will include a sustainment warranty for installed and deployed IBD systems. The sustainment warranty will include training and initial sustainment.

Site tailored requirements will be provided in Delivery Orders (DO) that will include Site Survey Packages. Performance of multiple DOs may overlap, requiring concurrent installation and warranty support sat many installations in different locations including quick reaction support to temporary and permanent fixed site deployments around the world, especially during Overseas Contingency Operations.

The intent of this acquisition is to provide personnel with integrated security systems significantly reduce the time required to detect, assess, and neutralize or mitigate anticipated threats while re-ducing manpower levels (or staffing requirements) wherever possible. IBD provides a line of defense for all critical assets (fixed, temporary or mobile) through electronic detection; alarm assessment; access control; communications; and command, control, and display capabilities.

2. Program Objectives.

The mission of the Product Manager Force Protection Systems (PM-FPS) is to acquire physical security systems, sensors, and related hardware to provide surveillance, security and safety for Warfighters and other personnel at military installations worldwide including Forward Operating Bases (FOB). Integral to the success of this mission is the ability to compete requirements among qualified contractors in an efficient and timely manner. Acquisition Reform initiatives have made available avenues intended to increase the efficiency and timeliness of the acquisition process. One of the central Acquisition Reform initiatives is the creation of Multiple Award Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts that allow competition of individual DOs. PM-FPSs objective is to establish long-term, competitively awarded, contract vehicles which include a pre-qualified group of contractors to compete for delivery orders under this IDIQ contract. PM-FPSs intent is to allow each selected contractor a fair opportunity to be considered for all subsequent DO level requirements within the contracts statement of objectives, supporting the range and depth of the required capabilities.
Companies awarded contracts must possess management capability to provide materiel solutions relevant to the mission of PM-FPS with specific expertise in the systems, equipment and compo-nents required under the contracts at the DO level. The Government intends to procure products that have been tested and fielded under previous US Government contracts. Further, these companies must be able to form and credibly manage teams prior to contract award, or on a DO basis. This statement of objectives includes the assembly; integration; delivery; testing; fielding; training; and initial sustainment of Force Protection systems and equipment including the hardware/software required for effective force protection.
3. Contract Objectives.

The mission of PM-FPS is to acquire inside-the-wire and outside-the-wire Force Protection and early warning systems. The intended objective is for a single, all-inclusive domain addressing the full range of requirements that fall within this lead descriptor. Integral to the success of this mission is the ability to compete requirements amongst qualified contractors in the most efficient and timely manner possible. PM-FPS objective is to establish a long-term, competitively awarded, IDIQ contract vehicle with a select group of highly qualified contractors. PM-FPS intent is to then allow each selected contractor a fair opportunity to be considered for all subsequent DO level re-quirements within the statement of objectives, supporting the breadth and depth of the applicable Warfighter Force Protection requirements. US agencies and NATO partners may procure the re-quirements and have them delivered to CONUS and/or OCONUS sites.
A company must (as a Prime contractor) be able to provide stand alone or integrated solutions with proven capabilities to support the PM-FPS mission. Further, these companies must be able to form and effectively manage teams, under a DO, capable of providing innovative and creative solutions, potentially across the breadth and depth of the PM-FPS mission area. This objectives include:

" Intrusion Detection capabilities to scan and / or determine the safety risk of people and vehicles, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) materials. The types of systems capable of providing the information needed to make safety determinations include but are not limited to, Ground Surveillance Radar, Unattended Ground Systems, Cameras and Imagers, and Subterranean / Subsurface remotely controlled scanners, biometric and CBRN sensors. Mountings include, but are not limited to, surface and sub-surface; air vehicle; water vehicle; ground vehicle; or tower placements.


" Explosive Materials detection capabilities that provide remote non-intrusive inspections, close up inspections using hand held detectors, swipe and swab vapor and particle detectors and other comparable equipment.

" Entry Denial capabilities including Active-Barriers-Popup-Drop Down, High Frequency Sound emission, Passive Bollards, Grab Systems, and personnel identification

" Acoustic Hailing Devices capabilities for notification

" Autonomous Unmanned Systems with capabilities to detect, assess, and respond. Examples of the types of systems providing these capabilities include Unmanned Air Vehicles, Unmanned Ground Vehicles, and Remotely Operated Weapons

" Ancillary capabilities to be included with the delivered systems and equipment shipments, i.e., installation tools, test equipment, packaging.
4. Performance Objectives

Equipment functions may include, but are not limited to command and control, mission planning, and product integration support.

System, equipment and component performance minimums include two overarching objectives:

" Interface capabilities that meet the applicable Security Equipment Integration Working Group (SEIWG) standards contained in Appendix A (Interface Specifications for the DoD Base and Installation Security Systems (BISS), SEIWG 005B of 31 March 2005) and Appendix B (SEIWG Interface Control Document SEIWG ICD-0100XML Information Exchange of 27 October 2006)

" Performance capabilities that meet or exceed the IBD Omnibus Contract System and Equip-ment Performance Criteria.

IBD capabilities are the underpinning of Integrated, Base, Unit and Installation Protection whose capabilities include detect, assess, warn, defend, and recover.

" Detect. The ability to collect timely and accurate data/information about adversary capabilities.
" Assess. The capability to develop an understanding of the situation and accurately identify ad-versary capabilities that can be used against friendly personnel, physical assets, and information and precisely derive adversary courses of action, planned or employed, with the intent to destroy, or disrupt, operational readiness. Additionally, begin development of a course (or courses) of action, and orders for execution.
" Warn. The development of a course (s) of action, and orders for execution that will allow re-sponse to actionable intelligence and information.
" Defend. The ability to execute a selected course of action to resist hostile actions directed against friendly personnel, physical assets, and information in order to preserve operational capabilities. Once a commander makes a decision, the commander puts the decision into action or instructs others to act in support of the chosen course of action.
" Recover. Actions taken during, or after a hostile attack to restore friendly personnel, physical assets, and information to full operational readiness.

5. Management Objectives.

The NAICS Code for this effort is 423610 Security Systems Merchant Wholesalers (Size standard is 100 employees). The planned acquisition approach is to award between 20-30 contracts to Large and Small businesses in the Full and Open Lot, and 10-15 contracts in the Partial Small Business Set-Aside Lot to companies who provide best value with demonstrated performance and experience to provide stand-alone systems and integrated system-solutions that meet the required capabilities. However, the Government reserves the right to award more or less awards in each Lot dependent upon the quality of the proposals in response to the Request for Proposal for this effort. Once the contracts are awarded, the Government will compete delivery orders among the appropriate Lot, but reserves the right to make awards on an Exception to Fair Opportunity basis due to Government requirements. The IDIQ contracts are available to US agencies and NATO partners, which may centrally procure Delivery Orders through RDECOM to fulfill their requirements with delivery to CONUS and/or OCONUS sites. The total funding and contract ceiling is estimated at $997M for this effort.

Included in the solicitation is a partial small business set-aside competition language IAW FAR Clause 52.219-7 Notice of Partial Small Business Set-Aside that will allow a number of awards to be made to small businesses including Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned & 8a companies contingent upon receipt of acceptable proposals from responsible and qualified Small Business Offerors. As such, contracts to be awarded under this solicitation will be made in two 2 separate Lots - 1 Full & Open Lot and 2 Small Business Set-Aside Lot. The small business set-aside award decision will be made after consideration of all proposals received from both large and small business for award in the Full & Open Lot. After consideration of all proposals in the Full & Open Lot, the Government will then consider ONLY those proposals from Small Business Offerors for award un-der the Small Business Set-Aside Lot. It is possible that a small business may be selected for award in both Lots. In such case, the small business will be awarded a contract in the Full & Open Lot and a separate contract in the Small Business Set-Aside Lot. Small Business Offerors that receive an award on a small business set-aside basis will be subject to FAR Clause 52.219-14 Limitations in Subcontracting over the life of the contract. Small Business Offerors that receive an award in the Full & Open Lot will not be subject to this clause for orders issued under this Lot.

Scheduled for contract award in the third quarter FY11, this acquisition will result in multiple com-petitively awarded contracts to a cadre of best qualified contractors possessing the business prac-tices and capability to provide the required products and ancillary services required for fielding, training and initially sustaining the force protection products. The proposed approach is to award multiple, five-year, Firm Fixed Price FFP IDIQ contracts with a thirty six -month base period and one twenty four month option. Delivery orders will be competed among the selected contractors within an appropriate Lot over the period of performance of the contracts based on Government requirements and funding availability. For each capability, the Government plans to procure a sustainment warranty which includes New Equipment Training NET, sustainment training and scheduled and unscheduled sustainment maintenance.

The Government intends to award contracts to the Offerors whose proposal represents the best value to the Government. Best value means the expected outcome of an acquisition that, in the Governments estimation, provides the greatest overall benefit in response to the requirement.

The objective of the contracts is to ensure rapid, cost effective and streamlined contracting for delivery of high quality products at fair and reasonable prices. PM-FPS desires to minimize pre-award acquisition costs at both the IDIQ and DO levels for the Government and industry. PM-FPS intends to achieve this with an inclusive, broadbase of Prime contractor teams and small businesses. This approach provides PM-FPS and its customers with direct access to a broad array of potential providers. The emphasis on selecting capable large business, prime contractor teams and small businesses at the IDIQ contract level allows access to numerous small businesses which pos-sess innovative, creative and often niche solutions that might otherwise be precluded from competing if relegated to a subcontractor role.

6. Definitions.

" Integrated Base Defense (IBD) is the integrated application of offensive and defensive actions, both active and passive, taken across the ground dimension of the Force Protection battle space to achieve local and area dominance.

" Force Protection Battle space. This battle space consists of the following areas and battle spaces where the objective is dominance and increased situational understanding by security forces through the integration of manpower, training, technology, tactics, techniques, and procedures including, but not limited to:

" Outside the Wire. The area beyond the base perimeter to include the man-portable surface-to-air missile launch footprint and other areas of interest as designated by the commander.

" Base Perimeter. The legal boundary of the installation, site, or facility being protected, wherein the commander exercises area control and influence.

" Protection Level (PL) Resources. Resources and assets that, due to their unique tactical, strategic or monetary value, require definitive, robust Force Protection measures. Some ex-amples of PL resources are:
- Command, control, communications, and computer systems critical to the success of active nuclear missions
- Non-nuclear alert forces
- Expensive, few in number, or one of a kind systems
- Weapons systems not on alert but that can be programmed for alert status
- Selected command, control, and communications facilities
- Non-nuclear weapons storage areas
- Parking and alert areas containing mission ready aircraft
- Maintenance and storage areas necessary to operate aircraft (e.g., Petroleum, Oils and
- Lubricants storage
Critical infrastructure e.g., railways, rail yards, bridges, ports, water supplies, power generating facilities and distribution terminals

" Flight line. The area of an installation typically defined by the runway(s), taxiways, aircraft parking areas, hangars, etc.

" Transients. In bound/out bound aircraft and convoys conveying personnel or resources.

" Cantonment Area. The area of the base containing organizations and facilities essential to operations.

" Site Survey Package. Each DO for installation of an IBD system will include a Government furnished site survey package for each installation site specified in the DO. Site survey packages will be supplied in one of three possible levels of detail.

" Detailed. Detailed survey packages will include 3D terrain databases, photographs and/or drawings detailing locations of end item components to be installed. Typical components will include, but will not be limited to optical, acoustic, vibration, photo electric, x-ray, and radar sensors; fixed and movable barriers, gates, turnstiles, hailing devices; traffic control and signaling devices; portable and fixed sensor, lighting, and personnel towers; modems, routers, communications hubs, recorders, computers, desks, displays operator consoles and other operator interfaces. Each component location description will include a list of relevant available utilities and infrastructure, such as electrical power, telephone, network, and other communications resources, fencing and accessibility.

" Reduced Detail. Reduced detail survey packages may be provided for smaller installations having less demanding Force Protection requirements. These packages will include 3D terrain databases, photographs and/or drawings detailing general locations of end item compo-nent locations and performance oriented sensor requirements such as range, resolution, field of view, description of the anticipated threat to be monitored and mitigated, and other relevant information. The contractor shall propose the best value mix of sensors and components to meet the IBD Force Protection performance requirement. Typical components will include, but will not be limited to optical, acoustic, vibration, photo electric, x-ray, and ra-dar sensors; fixed and movable barriers, gates, turnstiles; hailing devices, traffic control and signaling devices; portable and fixed sensor, lighting, and personnel towers; modems, routers, communications hubs, recorders, computers, desks, displays operator consoles and other operator interfaces. Each component location description will include a list of relevant available utilities and infrastructure, such as electrical power, telephone, network, and other communications resources, fencing and accessibility.

" Limited Detail. Limited detail survey packages may be provided for very small installations such as a single building, small group of buildings or small compound where the entire pe-rimeter can be viewed from 1 to 4 vantage points. Terrain information may be limited to drawings and/or photographs, or types and numbers of components may be specified along with approximate distances between component locations and the operator location. Limited detail surveys will typically be associated with portable or relocatable IBD suites. Limited detail surveys may also be used to specify components purchased for installation or use by third party entities and/or to purchase non-integrated standalone Force Protection hard-ware.

" Transformational security technologies are those that will provide a leap in capability over todays traditional security systems. Examples of transformational security technology areas include, but are not limited to:

- Wide area intrusion detection and tracking
- Long range assessment 1-5 km and 5-10 km per the Integrated Base Defense Security System IBDSS draft Operational Requirements Document ORD
- Integrated C2 -- Situational Awareness
- Wireless, secure communications
- Identification friend or foe
- Robotics unmanned, remotely operated, air or ground equipment
- Rapid, positive base access control
- Remotely operated weapons lethal and non-lethal
- Integration of smart sensors e.g., sensors that not only detect and track, but assess and characterize the target as well
- Stand-off explosives detection
- Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear detection
- Non-Lethal denial systems
- Remote sensing e.g., aerostat, unmanned air vehicles UAV
- Fly-away security systems i.e., turn-key systems capable of immediate use by the intended user

Interested persons or companies may identify their interest and capability, including any available systems on hand, to respond to this requirement with a short description and time necessary to fully meet the require-ment. Also, please include company size relative to NAICS 423610 and social economic classification if applicable. This SSN is neither a Request for Proposal, nor an Invitation to Bid, nor a Request for Quotation. Therefore, this SSN is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to enter into a contract nor will the Government pay for information provided in response to this SSN. No RFP will be posted to Army Single Face to Industry ASFI as a result of this announcement. Submit via e-mail to Sandra Privett at sandra.privett@us.army.mil within ten (10)calendar days of publication of this synopsis.

Points of Contact:

Contract Specialist: Sandra A. Privett, sandra.privett@us.army.mil

Contracting officer: Brian P. Murphy, brian.murphy3@us.army.mil

Address: US Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, RDECOM Natick Acquisition Center, ATTN: Sandra A. Privett, 13501 Ingenuity Drive, Orlando, Fl 32826