Inactive

The Government is issuing this Sources Sought Synopsis (SSS) to industry for the identification of potential sources of supply/services to provide non-personal engineering and technical tasks/services... The Government is issuing this Sources Sought Synopsis (SSS) to industry for the identification of potential sources of supply/services to provide non-personal engineering and technical tasks/services support to the E-3 AWACS. This SSS is in support of market research being conducted by the United States Air Force (USAF) to identify capable potential sources. The USAF, through the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) is conducting market research to identify potential business sources interested in providing non-personal engineering and technical tasks/services support of E-3 AWACS avionics, software, and associated training equipment manufactured by Rockwell Collins. The Contractor shall provide avionics support to the E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) Division. Furthermore, United States Air Force (USAF) AWACS Engineering Branch at Tinker Air Force Base (AFB), OK will generate technical requirements for the USAF. E-3/707 International Branch at Tinker AFB, OK, referred to as the “Technical Coordination Group (TCG)”, will facilitate technical requirements for all TCG customers on this contract. The only TCG customer will be the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The PWS describes types of recurring and non-recurring engineering support, services and tasks to be furnished or performed by the Contractor in support of USAF and NATO AWACS avionics systems. The Contractor shall provide engineering services for the following aircraft models: United States Air Force (USAF): E-3B, E-3C, E-3G North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO): E-3A The scope of engineering services shall include: avionics, software, and associated training equipment. The support will involve providing non-personal engineering and technical tasks/services that directly impacts the efficiency of aircraft operations, flight safety, airworthiness, and mission performance capability for the avionics system of USAF and NATO E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS), which is a highly modified Boeing 707 commercial derivative airframe. Interested parties must possess or be able to obtain the necessary engineering data, data rights, manufacturing, software source code, and knowledge and expertise to perform and manage multiple major subsystem developments, hardware/software programs, and related integration activities. Additionally, the source must possess any necessary license agreements with the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to obtain rights to all required data, including military specific modifications. The Government does not have access to the technical data. The support will require analyzing, categorizing, and reporting E-3 avionics system/subsystem/support system engineering and technical recommendations to include detailed design engineering, maintenance engineering and repair development, systems engineering, technical analyses, drawing and source data maintenance/updates, flight safety analyses, reliability/maintainability analyses, liaison engineering support, accident investigation, engineering feasibility studies and Diminishing Manufacturing Sources (DMS) susceptibility issues. The information in this notice is based on current information available to date. This information is subject to change and is not binding to the Government. Industry responses to this SSS will be utilized pursuant to FAR Part 15.201 in support of Market Research to identify potential sources. The proposed North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code is 541330, which has a corresponding size standard of $38.5 Million for Military and Aerospace Equipment and Military Weapons. The Government will use this information to determine the best acquisition strategy for this procurement. The Government is interested in all businesses to include: Small Businesses, Small Disadvantaged Businesses 8(a), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses, Hubzone Businesses, and Women-Owned Small Businesses. Prospective sources are also requested to identify if they are a certified approved source on the GSA OASIS contract. Each vendor responding to this SSS, must be able to demonstrate its capability to provide non-personal engineering and technical tasks/services to the E-3 AWACS avionics platform. EXAMPLE CAPABILITIES STATEMENT: Companies interested in responding may submit a capability statement to include the following information and/or documentation that demonstrate technical capability in the 16 areas listed below. These areas are considered critical for achieving successful technical performance. Include in your company’s description/documentation (for each area below), whether your company has performed as a prime or as a subcontractor; and identify the projected personnel planned/proposed to work this project have at least three years of recent experience. (CRITICAL) Describe your company’s experience to include technical expertise, financial capability, equipment and infrastructure, and personnel resources that are required in providing non-personal engineering and technical tasks/services support to the E-3 AWACS avionics platform or similar new air traffic architecture that takes advantage of current and emerging technologies in communication, navigation, and surveillance that improves air traffic management implemented by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and other Civil Aviation Authorities (CAA). (CRITICAL) Describe your company’s knowledge and ability to gather, compile, and analyze data by providing avionics engineering expertise to engineering inquiries relating to basic design information, flight test data, original qualification tasks, performance, reliability, survivability and vulnerability, information assurance, electrical/electronic systems, and other potential problem areas where Contractor engineering experience and/or information is required for sustaining engineering initiatives performed by the Government. (CRITICAL) Describe your company’s knowledge and ability to perform data queries which provide sufficient Reliability and Maintainability (R&M) and failure data to allow Government Engineers and Equipment Specialists to perform assigned tasks. (CRITICAL) Describe your company’s ability to prepare, deliver and follow a Systems Engineering Management Plan (SEMP) for use in the performance of requirements for all Engineering Service Task’s (ESTs) initiated under this contract as outlined in the Draft PWS. (CRITICAL) Describe your company’s knowledge and ability to review and evaluate commercial service reports, service bulletins, avionics OEM service reports, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)/European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Directives to recommend a course of action to the Government by preparing and delivering an “Engineering Evaluation Summary” when any of the above mentioned service advisories are applicable to E-3 AWACS avionics. (CRITICAL) Describe you company’s ability to generate and provide formal written notification to the Government for E-3 AWACS avionics when problems are identified during new product development, production, when a situation is known only within the engineering community, or a safety issue is identified, specifying the problem statement and a recommended course of action. (CRITICAL) Describe your company’s knowledge and experience in coordinating submittals, projects, and initiatives with other 707 aircraft users including E-8, E-6, and E-3 Foreign Military Sale (FMS) users to identify commonality, cost savings, and advocate joint ventures to capitalize on project savings for all users. (CRITICAL) Describe your company’s ability for transfer of authorized Defense Services under the FMS program as outlined in the Draft PWS. (CRITICAL) Describe your company’s knowledge and ability to participate and support by providing detailed analysis summaries of activities and issues regarding the E-3 AWACS avionics platform similar to the E-3 Product Improvement Working Group (PIWG), System Safety Group (SSG), and 707 Users Group meetings. (CRITICAL) Describe your company’s knowledge and ability to conduct Program Management Review (PMR) and monthly status review meetings to examine the status of the contract to include detailed information (such as individual EST spend plans, current cost and schedule status, potential problem areas, etc.) to allow a thorough understanding of the overall status of contracted services and to gather briefings from meeting speakers and compile into a format in compliance with a Government approved template. (CRITICAL) Describe your company’s ability to support Aircraft Mishap and Incident Investigations by providing engineering and technical support, review analyses and evaluate causes, and formulate recommendations for the elimination of avionic conditions responsible for such occurrences. (CRITICAL) Describe your company’s ability to develop and deliver software updates to the Government for use in the E-3 AWACS avionics for the continued use, performance, deficiency resolution, or improvement of the system. Software shall be delivered in the correct media and configuration for direct use on the E-3 AWACS system, laboratory, simulators, and repair facilities and will follow correct CPIN requirements as outlined in Draft PWS. (CRITICAL) Describe your company’s knowledge and experience providing engineering/technical support to assist the E-3 Program Manager in maintaining a proactive and effective Avionics Integrity Program (AVIP) for all electrical, communications and avionics systems, subsystems, equipment and components of the aircraft related to E-3 AWACS avionics component hardware/ software/ firmware in investigating an air vehicle and its mission equipment groups for Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortages (DMSMS) susceptibility issues to include suitable substitutes, recommendations for redesign, and suggested life-of-type buy quantities. (CRITICAL) Describe your company’s knowledge and ability to provide predictive forecast strategies, parts list screening to the Line Replaceable Unit (LRU) part level, parts list monitoring, matching of parts to the weapons systems’ environment across the vendor chain, methodologies for tracking, reporting, and mitigating DMSMS cases to avoid costly solutions. (CRITICAL) Describe your company’s knowledge and ability to provide estimated costs for the recommended Diminishing Manufacturing Sources (DMS) resolution alternative. (CRITICAL) Describe your company’s experience and method(s) of analysis to assess whether a USAF air vehicle’s DMSMS issue will hinder system performance if not mitigated. (CRITICAL) Describe your company’s ability to develop and submit a Quality Control Plan (QCP) to ensure the requirements of the contract are performed in accordance with established standards by developing and implementing procedures to identify, prevent, correct and ensure non-recurrence of defective services. (CRITICAL) Describe your company’s knowledge of and ability comply with all applicable federal, state, European (i.e. REACH), and local laws, regulations, and requirements regarding environmental protection and safety requirements. (CRITICAL) Describe your company’s knowledge and ability to acquire and maintain the required Facility Clearance for the protection and storage of classified information. This includes having to have access to classified information only at another contractor’s facility or a Government activity. (CRITICAL) Describe your company’s ability to provide technical support of Engineering Change Proposals (ECP) to review and assess proposed use of substitute parts and provide formal notification to identify the Change Proposal if a substitute part is identified and detect and update associated technical data and drawings that are impacted by the change proposal. (CRITICAL) Describe your company’s proprietary and limited rights information agreements with the Original Equipment Manufacturers for all design, engineering, qualification, test and reliability and configuration data to include the avionics systems, subsystems, their related components, and ground/flight software code installed in the E-3 AWACS aircraft. (CRITICAL) Describe your company’s ability to prepare and deliver OEM technical data to include printed pages of data, Joint Engineering Data Management Information & Control System (JEDMICS) compatible formats, and digitally calibrated un-dimensioned drawings. (CRITICAL) Describe your company’s ability to maintain a data, document, and file repository that contains all avionics “as delivered” drawings, all avionics commodity item drawings for items supplied, copies of applicable aircraft drawings, and all Time Compliance Technical Orders (TCTOs), modifications, and technical analysis documents, reports, specifications, and all approved Notices of Revision (NOR) developed and used during the execution of this contract. (CRITICAL) Describe your company’s ability to provide liaison and remote Depot and Field-level support to troubleshoot and mitigate issues by analyzing and assisting in the disposition of Engineering Technical Assistance Request (ETAR) (AFMC Form 202), Non-Conformance Report (NCR) or method to disposition technical issues outside of available technical data generated during aircraft maintenance activities. (CRITICAL) List RELEVANT Government and/or commercial contracts that demonstrate the capabilities described in this RFI, with the following information: a. Contract number and description of services. b. Contracting officers' names, addresses, and telephone numbers. c. Program managers', project leads', and/or technical leads' names, addresses, telephone numbers and lists of tasks performed for these personnel.