The Center for Aircraft Structural Life Extension (CAStLE)

PRE-SOLICITATION (UPDATED FROM 12 MAY 2020)

Schedule Update:

This acquisition will be solicited as a full and open competition. It is anticipated the solicitation will be issued electronically by early August 2020 on beta.SAM.gov at https://beta.sam.gov/. Due date for receipt of proposal will be indicated in the solicitation document when it is released.  Once the solicitation is posted on beta.SAM.gov, it is incumbent upon the interested parties to review this site frequently for any updates or amendments.  It should be noted that paper copies of documents will not be provided. 

GENERAL INFORMATION

Document Type: Pre-Solicitation

Solicitation Number: FA700020R0002

Acquisition: Full and Open

NAICS: 541715

PSC Code: AJ12

CONTRACTING OFFICE ADDRESS

Department of the Air Force, USAF Academy – 10th Contracting Squadron, 10 CONS/PKC, 8110 Industrial Drive, Suite 200, USAF Academy, CO, 80840-2315

DESCRIPTION

This synopsis in accordance with (IAW) Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 5.2 is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation for proposals (RFP) or a commitment to issue a solicitation in the future. This is a pre-solicitation notice for The Center for Aircraft Structural Life Extension (CAStLE) engineering and research activities support at the U.S. Air Force Academy, CO.

Proposals are not requested at this time. As stated in FAR 15.201(d), special notices of procurement matters may be used to publicize the Government’s requirement or solicit information from industry.  Responses to this notice are not considered offers, shall not be used as a proposal, and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. This special notice does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Respondents are advised that the Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this special notice.  All costs associated with responding to this special notice will be solely at the responding party's expense.

The Center for Aircraft Structural Life Extension (CAStLE) is located in the Department of Mechanical Engineering (DFME) at the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA). The mission of CAStLE is to provide analysis, tools, solutions and expertise to support the safe and economic sustainment of systems and structures. This support is provided to Department of Defense (DoD) as well as non-DoD and non-Government entities through the use of appropriate formal agreements. CAStLE also supports the Dean’s mission by bringing Air Force-relevant research and engineering activities into the classroom.

The contractor shall perform engineering and research activities related to the degradation of systems and materials due to operational use, often referred to as aging, initiated by external customers, or by CAStLE itself. External customers are primarily from the DoD but may also be from other government agencies or non-government entities. In general, the research and engineering activities performed by CAStLE cover a variety of work that follows aircraft and other systems through their life-cycle from “cradle to grave.” CAStLE efforts span a wide range of topics related to the aging of systems, including basic design, development, and characterization of materials; design, analysis, development, and qualification of structural systems; mechanical testing of structure from laboratory specimens to full-scale systems; computer modeling, and finite element analysis; material corrosion susceptibility and mitigation; development and implementation of nondestructive analysis/inspection; flight data acquisition and analysis; structural teardown analysis; life-cycle management; condition based maintenance, including the development and maintenance of associated data management systems; development and execution of certification and force management methods and systems; analysis of damaged, failed and/or degraded structure(s) and systems; development of specifications and standards; preparation of written reports; preparation and delivery of briefings; development and delivery of education and training content and curriculum systems; laboratory facility deployment, maintenance, and update; and other related activities. CAStLE activities may be executed on systems from specimen level up through fully deployable operational systems. The contractor may be required to perform efforts related to the above listed CAStLE activities.

The associated North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is 541715 - Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) and the size standard in number of employees is 1,000. The Product Service Code (PSC) is AJ12.  This acquisition will be solicited as a full and open competition. It is anticipated the solicitation will be issued electronically by mid-June 2020 on beta.SAM.gov at https://beta.sam.gov/. Due date for receipt of proposal will be indicated in the solicitation document when it is released.  Once the solicitation is posted on beta.SAM.gov, it is incumbent upon the interested parties to review this site frequently for any updates or amendments.  It should be noted that paper copies of documents will not be provided. 

Offerors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) or may not be considered for award.  Registration can be accomplished at https://beta.sam.gov/. The FAR requires the use of electronic annual representations and certifications in Federal solicitations as part of the proposal submission process.  Representation and Certification are to be accomplished at https://beta.sam.gov/.  Registration requires applicants to have a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet and can be obtained at http://www.dnb.com/.

This is expected to be a best value source selection conducted IAW FAR Subpart 15.3, Source Selection, as supplemented by the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS), DoD Source Selection Procedures (Dated 31Mar 2016) and the Air Force Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (AFFARS).  These regulations are available electronically at the Air Force (AF) FAR Site at https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far.  The Government will select the best overall offer, based upon an integrated assessment of Technical and Cost/Price factors.  A contract may be awarded to the offeror who is deemed responsible in accordance with the FAR, as supplemented, whose proposal conforms to the solicitation’s requirements (to include all stated terms, conditions, representations, certifications, and all other information required by Section L of this solicitation) and is judged, based on the evaluation factors and subfactors to represent the best value to the Government. 

5352.201-9101 OMBUDSMAN (JUN 2016)

(a) An ombudsman has been appointed to hear and facilitate the resolution of concerns from offerors, potential offerors, and others for this acquisition. When requested, the ombudsman will maintain strict confidentiality as to the source of the concern. The existence of the ombudsman does not affect the authority of the program manager, contracting officer, or source selection official. Further, the ombudsman does not participate in the evaluation of proposals, the source selection process, or the adjudication of protests or formal contract disputes. The ombudsman may refer the interested party to another official who can resolve the concern.

(b) Before consulting with an ombudsman, interested parties must first address their concerns, issues, disagreements, and/or recommendations to the contracting officer for resolution. Consulting an ombudsman does not alter or postpone the timelines for any other processes (e.g., agency level bid protests, GAO bid protests, requests for debriefings, employee-employer actions, contests of OMB Circular A-76 competition performance decisions).

(c) If resolution cannot be made by the contracting officer, the interested party may contact the ombudsman,

James Anderson

8110 Industrial Drive, STE 103

USAFA, CO 80840

Telephone number 719-333-3829

FAX 719-333-9018

Email:  james.anderson.72@us.af.mil

Concerns, issues, disagreements, and recommendations that cannot be resolved at the Center/MAJCOM/DRU/SMC ombudsman level, may be brought by the interested party for further consideration to the Air Force ombudsman, Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary (ADAS) (Contracting), SAF/AQC, 1060 Air Force Pentagon, Washington DC 20330-1060, phone number (571) 256-2395, facsimile number (571) 256-2431.

(d) The ombudsman has no authority to render a decision that binds the agency.

(e) Do not contact the ombudsman to request copies of the solicitation, verify offer due date, or clarify technical requirements. Such inquiries shall be directed to the Contracting Officer.

(End of clause)

POINT OF CONTACT

Questions and responses should be addressed to the primary contact, Doris Jeffers, Contracting Specialist, at doris.jeffers@us.af.mil, or the alternate point of contact, Sarah Vollbracht, Contract Officer, at sarah.vollbracht@us.af.mil.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Document Type: Pre-Solicitation

Solicitation Number: FA700020R0002

Acquisition: Full and Open

NAICS: 541715

PSC Code: AJ12

CONTRACTING OFFICE ADDRESS

Department of the Air Force, USAF Academy – 10th Contracting Squadron, 10 CONS/PKC, 8110 Industrial Drive, Suite 200, USAF Academy, CO, 80840-2315

DESCRIPTION

This synopsis in accordance with (IAW) Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 5.2 is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation for proposals (RFP) or a commitment to issue a solicitation in the future. This is a pre-solicitation notice for The Center for Aircraft Structural Life Extension (CAStLE) engineering and research activities support at the U.S. Air Force Academy, CO.

Proposals are not requested at this time. As stated in FAR 15.201(d), special notices of procurement matters may be used to publicize the Government’s requirement or solicit information from industry.  Responses to this notice are not considered offers, shall not be used as a proposal, and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. This special notice does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Respondents are advised that the Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this special notice.  All costs associated with responding to this special notice will be solely at the responding party's expense.

The Center for Aircraft Structural Life Extension (CAStLE) is located in the Department of Mechanical Engineering (DFME) at the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA). The mission of CAStLE is to provide analysis, tools, solutions and expertise to support the safe and economic sustainment of systems and structures. This support is provided to Department of Defense (DoD) as well as non-DoD and non-Government entities through the use of appropriate formal agreements. CAStLE also supports the Dean’s mission by bringing Air Force-relevant research and engineering activities into the classroom.

The contractor shall perform engineering and research activities related to the degradation of systems and materials due to operational use, often referred to as aging, initiated by external customers, or by CAStLE itself. External customers are primarily from the DoD but may also be from other government agencies or non-government entities. In general, the research and engineering activities performed by CAStLE cover a variety of work that follows aircraft and other systems through their life-cycle from “cradle to grave.” CAStLE efforts span a wide range of topics related to the aging of systems, including basic design, development, and characterization of materials; design, analysis, development, and qualification of structural systems; mechanical testing of structure from laboratory specimens to full-scale systems; computer modeling, and finite element analysis; material corrosion susceptibility and mitigation; development and implementation of nondestructive analysis/inspection; flight data acquisition and analysis; structural teardown analysis; life-cycle management; condition based maintenance, including the development and maintenance of associated data management systems; development and execution of certification and force management methods and systems; analysis of damaged, failed and/or degraded structure(s) and systems; development of specifications and standards; preparation of written reports; preparation and delivery of briefings; development and delivery of education and training content and curriculum systems; laboratory facility deployment, maintenance, and update; and other related activities. CAStLE activities may be executed on systems from specimen level up through fully deployable operational systems. The contractor may be required to perform efforts related to the above listed CAStLE activities.

The associated North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is 541715 - Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) and the size standard in number of employees is 1,000. The Product Service Code (PSC) is AJ12.  This acquisition will be solicited as a full and open competition. It is anticipated the solicitation will be issued electronically by mid-June 2020 on beta.SAM.gov at https://beta.sam.gov/. Due date for receipt of proposal will be indicated in the solicitation document when it is released.  Once the solicitation is posted on beta.SAM.gov, it is incumbent upon the interested parties to review this site frequently for any updates or amendments.  It should be noted that paper copies of documents will not be provided. 

Offerors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) or may not be considered for award.  Registration can be accomplished at https://beta.sam.gov/. The FAR requires the use of electronic annual representations and certifications in Federal solicitations as part of the proposal submission process.  Representation and Certification are to be accomplished at https://beta.sam.gov/.  Registration requires applicants to have a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet and can be obtained at http://www.dnb.com/.

This is expected to be a best value source selection conducted IAW FAR Subpart 15.3, Source Selection, as supplemented by the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS), DoD Source Selection Procedures (Dated 31Mar 2016) and the Air Force Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (AFFARS).  These regulations are available electronically at the Air Force (AF) FAR Site at https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far.  The Government will select the best overall offer, based upon an integrated assessment of Technical and Cost/Price factors.  A contract may be awarded to the offeror who is deemed responsible in accordance with the FAR, as supplemented, whose proposal conforms to the solicitation’s requirements (to include all stated terms, conditions, representations, certifications, and all other information required by Section L of this solicitation) and is judged, based on the evaluation factors and subfactors to represent the best value to the Government. 

5352.201-9101 OMBUDSMAN (JUN 2016)

(a) An ombudsman has been appointed to hear and facilitate the resolution of concerns from offerors, potential offerors, and others for this acquisition. When requested, the ombudsman will maintain strict confidentiality as to the source of the concern. The existence of the ombudsman does not affect the authority of the program manager, contracting officer, or source selection official. Further, the ombudsman does not participate in the evaluation of proposals, the source selection process, or the adjudication of protests or formal contract disputes. The ombudsman may refer the interested party to another official who can resolve the concern.

(b) Before consulting with an ombudsman, interested parties must first address their concerns, issues, disagreements, and/or recommendations to the contracting officer for resolution. Consulting an ombudsman does not alter or postpone the timelines for any other processes (e.g., agency level bid protests, GAO bid protests, requests for debriefings, employee-employer actions, contests of OMB Circular A-76 competition performance decisions).

(c) If resolution cannot be made by the contracting officer, the interested party may contact the ombudsman,

James Anderson

8110 Industrial Drive, STE 103

USAFA, CO 80840

Telephone number 719-333-3829

FAX 719-333-9018

Email:  james.anderson.72@us.af.mil

Concerns, issues, disagreements, and recommendations that cannot be resolved at the Center/MAJCOM/DRU/SMC ombudsman level, may be brought by the interested party for further consideration to the Air Force ombudsman, Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary (ADAS) (Contracting), SAF/AQC, 1060 Air Force Pentagon, Washington DC 20330-1060, phone number (571) 256-2395, facsimile number (571) 256-2431.

(d) The ombudsman has no authority to render a decision that binds the agency.

(e) Do not contact the ombudsman to request copies of the solicitation, verify offer due date, or clarify technical requirements. Such inquiries shall be directed to the Contracting Officer.

(End of clause)

POINT OF CONTACT

Questions and responses should be addressed to the primary contact, Doris Jeffers, Contracting Specialist, at doris.jeffers@us.af.mil, or the alternate point of contact, Sarah Vollbracht, Contract Officer, at sarah.vollbracht@us.af.mil.