Inactive

1.0 Description 1.1 The United States Air Force (USAF), Test Pilot School (TPS), is seeking information from interested vendors with the capability to support the development, instruction, and sustain... 1.0 Description 1.1 The United States Air Force (USAF), Test Pilot School (TPS), is seeking information from interested vendors with the capability to support the development, instruction, and sustainment of curriculum focused on preparing USAF TPS graduates to test autonomous aircraft and data-driven mission systems. The curriculum would focus on the following areas: (1) Data-Analysis and Controls for Flight Sciences, (2) Data-Driven Analysis and Decision Making for Mission Systems, and (3) Practical capstone exercises in simulation and testing autonomous aircraft. The content must be prepared for instruction in January 2025. 1.2 THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes – it does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. This request for information does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Further, the Government is not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. Responders are advised that the Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI; all costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested party’s expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on https://sam.gov/. It is the responsibility of the potential offerors to monitor these sites for additional information pertaining to this requirement. 2.0 Background The USAF TPS mission is to “Create Highly Adaptive Critical-Thinking Test Leaders to Accelerate Multi-Domain Capabilities for the Warfighter.” USAF TPS prepares mid-career aviates, satellite operators, and engineers to test and evaluate highly complex systems in conditions of significant risk, time pressure, senior leadership/Congressional oversight, and resource constraints. For graduates to effectively participate in the design and test of modern capabilities, it is imperative that they gain fluency in the principles of data collection, data analysis and data-driven techniques like machine learning/AI, in addition to mastering conventional flight and space test techniques. 2.1 Planned Production: Development of the Data-Driven Test course would begin no later than November 2024. 2.2 Delivery Period: Delivery of the course content and prepared instruction materials is required to begin January 2025 with the option to continue instruction on an annual basis after content evaluation. 2.3 Limitations: Instruction would be offered in person at USAF TPS, Edwards AFB, CA. Instruction at Patuxent River, MD for the United States Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS) may be required. 2.4 Security Requirements: The developed curriculum will require instruction in a Top Secret environment as well as Secret and Unclassified environments. 3.0 Requested Information 3.1 The USAF TPS is seeking companies that have the capability to develop, instruct, and sustain curriculum focused on preparing USAF TPS graduates, and potentially USNTPS to test autonomous aircraft and data-driven mission systems. Interested vendors are requested to respond of this RFI with a position paper addressing the following questions: 3.2 General Capabilities: 3.2.1 What experience does your company have in the development and test of autonomy algorithms for military aircraft? 3.2.2 What experience in deploying autonomy algorithms both in simulation and in hardware does your company have? 3.2.3 Does your company have knowledge of the USAF TPS and/or the USNTPS curriculum? 3.2.4 What understanding and application of data-driven approaches for perception, navigation, networking, sensor fusion and management, and electronic warfare does your company have? 3.2.5 How would your company design and coordinate practical capstone exercises with the intent to mimic real developmental flight test and data analysis utilizing the USAF TPS X-62 VISTA, the Joint Simulation Environment, or other suitable systems? 3.2.6 What techniques for collecting, curating, and drawing insights from large amounts of unstructured or structured data would your company suggest? 3.2.7 Which learning-based approaches for classifying, localizing, and filtering sensor data would your company suggest? 3.2.8 Which learning-based approaches to develop control algorithms for autonomous aircraft would your company suggest? 3.2.9 How much contact time would your company recommend that an instructor spends with one or more students not to include homework/exams? 3.2.10 Would your company be capable of developing an online version of the requested content as a mitigation if an in-person environment became unavailable? 3.2.11 How would you company suggest at establishing curriculum and transitioning it to other locations within the US for a Federal environment? 4.0 Responses 4.1 Interested vendors are requested to respond to this RFI with a position paper due no later than 31 July 2024, 15:30 PDT. 4.2 Submitted position papers will consist of two sections and follow the format of a position paper, identified on page 228 of the Department of the Air Force Handbook 33-337, The Tongue and Quill, dated 13 December 2023. All responses must be Microsoft Word for Office 2000 compatible format. Responses shall be limited to 2 pages for Section 2 and submitted via e-mail only to Cole Staron, Contract Specialist, cole.staron@us.af.mil and Jenny L. Meadlin Contracting Officer, jenny.meadlin@us.af.mil. Proprietary information, if any, should be minimized and MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED. To aid the Government, do not submit proprietary information. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned. 4.3. Section 1: The number of pages in Section 1 of the position paper shall not be included in the 2-page limitation, which applies only to Section 2 of the position paper. The position paper shall provide administrative information, and include the following as a minimum: 4.3.1. Name, mailing address, overnight delivery address (if different from mailing address), phone number, fax number, and e-mail of designated point of contact. 4.3.2. Recommended contracting strategy. 4.3.3. Business type (large business, small business (SB), small disadvantaged business (SDB), 8(a)-certified small (8a), HUBZone small business (HUBZone), woman-owned small business (WOSB), economically disadvantaged woman owned small business (EDWOSB), veteran-owned small business (VOSB), and/or a service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) based upon North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 541715 Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences. “Small business concern” means a concern, including its affiliates, that is independently owned and operated, not dominant in the field of operation in which it is bidding on Government contracts, and qualified as a small business under the criteria and size standards in 13 CFR part 121. A small business concern for the purposes of this procurement is generally defined as a business, including its affiliates, averaging no more than ________ million dollars in annual receipts. Annual receipts of a concern that has been in business for 3 or more complete fiscal years means the annual average gross revenue of the concern taken for the last 3 fiscal years. Annual receipts of a concern that has been in business for less than 3 complete fiscal years means its total receipts for the period it has been in business, divided by the number of weeks including fractions of a week that it has been in business, and multiplied by 52. Respondents are cautioned, however, that this is a general description only. Additional standards and conditions apply. Please refer to U.S. Small Business Administration for additional detailed information on Small Business Size Standards. The FAR is available at https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far. 4.3.4 The facility security clearance of the offeror. 4.4. Section 2: The number of pages in Section 2 of the position paper of the position paper must address all the requested information in Paragraph 3 of this RFI and are be limited to 2 pages. 5.0 Industry Discussions Government representatives may or may not choose to meet with potential vendors. Such discussions would only be intended to get further clarification of potential capability to meet the requirements, review the draft performance work statement, obtain feedback on the draft performance work state, and any development and certification risks. 6.0 Questions Questions regarding this announcement shall be submitted in writing by e-mailing both the Contract Specialist and the Contracting Officer, email addresses. Verbal questions will NOT be accepted. 7.0 Summary THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY to identify sources that can provide the Data-Driven Test course. The information provided in the RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. The Government has not made a commitment to procure any of the items discussed, and the release of this RFI should not be construed as such a commitment or as authorization to incur cost for which reimbursement would be required or sought. All submissions become Government property and will not be returned.