Inactive Total Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 19.5)

AMENDMENT 0001. RESPONSE DATE TO THIS RFI IS EXTENDED TO 28 MARCH 2023 BY 3 PM EST. GOVERNMENT RESPONSES TO INDUSTRY QUESTIONS IS ATTACHED FOR INDUSTRY'S CONSIDERATION. THANKS IN ADVANCE. ------------... AMENDMENT 0001. RESPONSE DATE TO THIS RFI IS EXTENDED TO 28 MARCH 2023 BY 3 PM EST. GOVERNMENT RESPONSES TO INDUSTRY QUESTIONS IS ATTACHED FOR INDUSTRY'S CONSIDERATION. THANKS IN ADVANCE. ------------------------------------------------ TITLE: PPCK NOTICE: This announcement is a follow-on notice to W909MY-22-R-G003 released March 2022 and the Sources Sought Number (SSN) W909MY-22-R-G003A released April 2022 to gauge more market research in anticipation of a potential procurement. This sources sought is for informational purposes only. This is not a “Request for Proposal (RFP)”. It does not constitute a solicitation and shall not be construed as a commitment by the Government. Responses in any form are not offers and the Government is under no obligation to award a contract from this announcement. No funds are available to pay for preparation of responses to this announcement. Therefore, the Government will not be liable for payment of any preparation expenses and information and materials received in response to this SSN W909MY-23-R-G002 and is in no way obligated by the information received. Any costs incurred by interested companies in response to this announcement will not be reimbursed. Any information submitted by respondents to this technical description is strictly voluntary. Responses to this technical description is strictly voluntary. Responses will not be returned to the responder. Not responding to this notice does not preclude participation in any future request for quote (RFQ) or invitation for bid (IFB) or RFP, if any issued. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the Government-wide point of entry (GPE) at SAM.GOV. It is the responsibility of potential offerors to monitor the GPE additional information pertaining to this requirement / SSN. The information provided may be used by the Army in developing a future development and production acquisition strategy, Purchase Description; and Statement of Work, Performance Work Statement, Statement of Objectives and/or Performance Based Specification(s). Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary or competition sensitive information contained in their response. The Government shall not be liable for or suffer any consequential damages for any improperly identified proprietary information. If a solicitation is issued, it will be synopsized on the SAM.Gov. It is the responsibility of the potential interested parties to monitor this site for additional information pertaining to this requirement. NOTE: The use of SSN W909MY-23-R-G002 is for tracking purposes only and shall be referenced in any responses to this subject Solicitation. All interested parties are encouraged to respond by submitting a white paper by the due date specified in this solicitation notice. The Army Contracting Command Aberdeen Proving Ground (ACC-APG) is issuing this sources sought synopsis on behalf of Project Manager Expeditionary Energy and Sustainment Systems (PM E2S2) as a means of conducting market research. The objective is to identify potential industry interest and industry capability to design, manufacture, test, and deliver the primary components for a Prime Power Connection Kit (PPCK). PM E2S2 envisions a phased acquisition strategy. The first phase is the engineering and development manufacturing of First Article Test (FAT) units of the PPCK components. The second phase is envisioned as a production contract. This effort is intended to fulfill prime power (medium-voltage) distribution shortfalls to support Force Provider Expeditionary (FPE) requirements and provide updated power distribution capabilities for the U.S. Army Deployable Power Generation and Distribution System (DPGDS) and the U.S. Air Force Basic Expeditionary Airfield Resources (BEAR) power systems. The PPCK is envisioned to include three primary components: an improved Secondary Distribution Center (iSDC), a Tactical Prime Power Transformer (TPPT), and an improved Primary Switching Center (iPSC). Primary Work Location. Contractor Facility (To Be Determined) Based on the responses to this sources sought notice/market research, this requirement may be set-aside for small businesses (in full or in part) or procured through full and open competition, and multiple awards may be considered. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted or acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided to companies regarding their submissions. PPCK Background. The PPCK components provide an essential interface between initial-entry tactical (low-voltage) power systems and the modular, scalable DPGDS and BEAR power systems. The PPCK components also provide compatibility with commercial/host nation 4160V/13.8kV power systems. These components require transportability and safe, reliable power distribution under a range of environmental conditions for Army or other service deployments. Force Provider Expeditionary (FPE) is an example. FPE is a deployable bare base support system developed by the United States Army to provide a standardized mobile, deployable shelter system for Soldiers. The FPE system is capable of supporting up to 3,600 personnel in 150-person Life Support Module (LSMs) configurations. FPE is employed in reception, reconstitution, humanitarian aid, non-combatant evacuation operations (NEO), and disaster relief, as well as life support capabilities for intermediate staging bases, in theater reception bases, forward operating bases, and convoy support centers. PPCK enables power distribution when the number of LSM exceeds tactical power generation capacity. The technical characteristics, specifications, and capabilities for the PPCK components are listed below: Essential Characteristics for all Components of the Prime Power Connection Kit (PPCK) System Survivability. PPCK components shall not exceed the electromagnetic interference emission and susceptibility standards in accordance with (IAW) MIL-STD-461 and MIL-STD-464. PPCK components will not be armored against direct attack, but shall continue to operate in, or after exposure to, a Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear Explosive (CBRNE) environment. Reliability. The minimum acceptable mean time between essential function failure (MTBEFF) for all PPCK components shall be 750 hours with an 80% lower confidence limit. Operational Environment. PPCK components shall be designed to be fully operational while supporting worldwide military missions under the following climatic designs and operational environments IAW AR 70-38: Climatic Design – Hot; A1 and B3. Climatic Design – Basic; A2, A3, B2, B1, C0, C1. Climatic Design – Cold; C2 PPCK components will be operationally tested under: temperature extremes from -50 °F (-46 oC) to +135 °F (+57 oC); snow/ice accumulation; blowing dust/sand; high humidity (tropical/salt environment); altitude to 10,000 ft.; and rain/driving rain. External power cable connections. Receptacles must meet IP 67 requirements/testing while in use or not in use. Power System Interoperability. PPCK components shall be fully interoperable with U.S. Army Deployable Power Generation and Distribution System (DPGDS), U.S. Air Force Basic Expeditionary Airfield Resources (BEAR) power sources and Power Distribution Illumination System Electric (PDISE) systems. Deployment and Transportability. PPCK components will be certified for surface transport (road and rail), sea transport, and military air transport (rotary and fixed wing). During the transportation and deployment phases of military operations, PPCK components may be subjected to natural and induced environments IAW MIL-STD-810 (except free fall drop and immersion/fording). Safety. PPCK components must comply with OSHA safety requirements and NFPA 70-series requirements. Technical Requirements for the Improved Secondary Distribution Center (iSDC). The Improved Secondary Distribution Center (iSDC) shall meet the performance requirements IAW the Institute of Electronics and Electrical Engineers (IEEE) STD C37.121; IEEE Guide for Switchgear – Unit Substation – Requirements and Underwriters Laboratories (UL) 1062; Standard for Safety – Unit Substations. The iSDC shall meet the following technical requirements and capabilities: Transformer. The iSDC transformer shall be: Dry-type, 150 kilovolt-ampere (kVA) rating, 3-phase, 50/60 Hertz (Hz), 120/208 Volts Alternating Current (VAC) Wye secondary output voltage. Field re-connectable for 4160 VAC or 13,800 VAC Delta primary input. Primary input(s) shall be equipped with appropriate class and sized fuses. Load break elbows on the input connections. Primary (medium-voltage) circuit. The iSDC shall include a 200-amp primary bus with: Three (3) 200-amp input-output circuits to enable radial input and primary loop configurations. Each input-output circuit shall be equipped with three (3) IEEE STD 386 15kV-class 200-amp loadbreak bushing connections (to enable use as an input or output circuit). Low-voltage circuit. The iSDC shall include a 600-amp distribution bus with electronic trip molded case main input circuit breaker overcurrent protection (with padlock lockout capability), and the following outputs: Ten (10) each 60-amp circuits with MIL-C-22992 connectors and individual hydraulic or electronic trip molded case circuit breaker overcurrent protection. Two (2) each 100-amp circuits with MIL-C-22992 connectors and individual hydraulic or electronic trip molded case circuit breaker overcurrent protection. One (1) each 400-amp bulk power outlet with five UL 1691 Series-16 400-amp single pole output connectors and electronic trip molded case circuit breaker overcurrent protection. Low-voltage auxiliary input circuit. The iSDC shall include an auxiliary input circuit equipped with: 400-amp electronic-trip molded case circuit breaker overcurrent protection with padlock lockout capability. Five (5) UL 1691 Series-16 400-amp single pole input connectors. Grounding. The iSDC shall include a grounding circuit IAW National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 70 standards. Power meter. The iSDC shall include a power meter that monitors parameters on the distribution bus, provides remote monitoring capabilities, and includes an alarm panel. Enclosure. The iSDC enclosure shall: Meet or exceed Ingress Protection (IP) 56 environmental requirements and testing, and be constructed of corrosion resistant material or include corrosion-resistant coating. Include lift points or eyes, tie-down points, and be equipped with forklift slots or openings accessible from all four sides which are compatible with Army material handling equipment. Be skid-mounted, and sized to enable shipping and storing inside an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Standard Tricon cargo container. Overall weight. The overall weight of the iSDC shall not exceed 7,000 lbs. Technical Requirements for the Tactical Prime Power Transformer (TPPT). The Tactical Prime Power Transformer (TPPT) shall meet the performance requirements IAW IEEE STD C37.121; IEEE Guide for Switchgear – Unit Substation – Requirements and Underwriters Laboratories (UL) 1062; Standard for Safety – Unit Substations. The TPPT shall meet the following technical requirements and capabilities: Transformer. The TPPT transformer shall be: Dry-type, 500 kilovolt-ampere (kVA) rating, 3-phase, 50/60 Hertz (Hz) Field re-connectable for 4160 VAC or 13,800 VAC Delta primary input Primary input(s) shall be equipped with appropriate class and sized fuses. Load break elbows on the input connections Field re-connectable for 120/208 VAC or 277/480 VAC Wye secondary output voltage Primary (medium-voltage) circuit. The TPPT shall include a 200-amp primary bus with: Three (3) 200-amp input-output circuits to enable radial input and primary loop configurations. Each input-output circuit shall be equipped with three (3) IEEE STD 386 15kV-class 200-amp loadbreak bushing connections (to enable use as an input or output circuit). Low-voltage circuit. The TPPT shall include a 1600-amp distribution bus with electronic trip molded case main input circuit breaker overcurrent protection (with padlock lockout capability), and the following outputs: Four 400A low voltage circuits with electronic-trip circuit breaker overcurrent protection (with padlock lockout capability) Each 400A LV circuit will have five UL 1691 Series-16 400-amp cam-type single pole input connectors and five series-16 single pole output connectors (to enable use as step-up or step-down transformer) Grounding. The TPPT shall include a grounding circuit IAW National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 70 standards. Enclosure. The TPPT transformer and buswork will be permanently mounted in ISO standard Tri Con shipping container and used with the TriCon doors closed. In-use power cable connections will be routed through access panels in TriCon door(s). Overall weight. The overall weight of the TPPT shall not exceed 9,500 lb. Technical Requirements for the Improved Primary Switching Center (iPSC). The improved Primary Switching Center (iPSC) shall be a three phase Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6) gas-insulated pad-mounted switchgear device, meeting the performance requirements IAW the Institute of Electronics and Electrical Engineers (IEEE) Standard (STD) C37.74; IEEE Standard Requirements for Subsurface, Vault, and Pad-mounted Load-Interrupter Switchgear and Fused Load-Interrupter Switchgear for Alternating Current Systems up to 38 kV (kilovolts). The iPSC shall meet the following technical requirements and capabilities: Voltage. The iPSC shall be rated for 15.5 kV, at 50/60 Hertz (Hz). Bus Capacity. The iPSC shall include a copper bus rated at 600 Amps continuous duty. Input/Output Circuits. The iPSC shall include six (6) input/output circuits (ways): Two (2) ways shall be 600-amp load-interrupter switches. Four (4) ways shall be 600-amp microprocessor-controlled fault interrupters. Each way shall terminate with 600-amp bushing wells. Each way shall include a grounding feature with padlock lockout/tagout circuit isolation. Power meter. The iPSC shall include power metering to monitor operating parameters on each of the ways and provides remote monitoring capabilities. Construction. The iPSC tank shall be constructed of stainless steel. Grounding. The iPSC shall include a grounding circuit IAW NFPA 70 and IEEE C2 standards. Enclosure. The iPSC enclosure shall: Meet or exceed IP 56 environmental requirements and testing, and be constructed of corrosion resistant material or include corrosion-resistant coating. Include lift points or eyes, tie-down points, and be equipped with forklift slots or openings compatible with Army material-handling equipment. Be skid-mounted, and sized to enable shipping on a 463L military aircraft cargo pallet. Include provisions for stacking two-high and securing for shipment. Overall weight. The overall weight of the iPSC shall not exceed 7000 lbs. Preparation and Submission Instructions. The Government requires two (2) documents; Cover Letter and Technical Narrative as part of your response. A. Cover Letter. As described in the SSN a brief summary of interest and other requested company information (not to exceed 3 pages). Cover Letter shall be submitted as a .pdf file B. Questions. Answer 1-7 with concise answers (no page limit indicated, but as a guide please answer in one or two sentences). C. Technical Narrative Submitted in both Word and *.pdf file (both files should be identical. Technical Narrative shall not exceed 15 pages. Please do not exceed 25 pages for complete submission of numbers 1-3 above ( A, B, and C). Also note any additional preparation instructions for the SSN. A. COVER LETTER: The cover letter shall include the following information: Brief Summary of the company Company name, Address and Country of Business Mailing address Company Website address Company CAGE Code / NAICS Code (Business Size) Company DUNS Number. Date of incorporation Number of years in business Number of employees The point of contact of the SSN response: Name, Title, Phone Number, Email Address Company Socioeconomic Classification: Please identify your company's business size standard based on the primary North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code of 221121. For more information, refer to Http://www.sba.gov/content/tablesmall-businesssize-standards: Small Business (SB), (8) (a), Woman-Owned (WOSB), Economically-Disadvantaged Women-Owned (EDWOSB), Veteran-Owned and Operated (VOSB), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned (SDVOSB), or Historically Underutilized Small Business-Zone (HUB Zone), Historically Black College and Universities/ Minority Institutions (HBCU/MI). B. QUESTIONS: In addition to the body of the Cover Letter listed above, respondents shall provide concise answers to the following questions (NOT included in the 3-page limit of the Cover Letter): 1. Existing technology or technology concept 2. If you identify your company as a Small Business or any of the SB subcategories above, then is your company interested in a prime contract? If so, does your company possess the capabilities to provide the entire range of these requirements? If not, please list which requirements your company can provide? 3. Under the current SB recertification regulations, do you anticipate your company remaining a small business, under primary stated NAICS code 221121? 4. If a small business, indicate if your company would be capable and intend for at least 50 percent of the amount paid by the Government for contract performance to be performed by your company and any similarly situated subcontractors (See FAR 52.219-14 (DEVIATION 2019-O0003)). 5. If you are a small business and plan to be prime contractor on this effort please inform how you will meet the limitations on subcontracting Clause 52.219-14? 6. If you are a small business does your company have experience as a prime contractor administering Contracts? If you answered yes, please provide as an example with Contract number(s) and Dollar value that is relevant to this requirement effort. 7. Has your Company performed this type of effort or similar type effort (to include size and complexity) in the past? so provide Contract Number, Point of Contact (POC), e-mail address, phone number, and a brief description of your direct support of the effort. Include whether your company was the prime or a subcontractor. C. TECHNICAL NARRATIVE: The Technical Narrative shall be submitted as two files. The content of each file shall be identical. The primary submission shall be MS Word*.docx format. A copy in Adobe *.PDF is also required. The Technical Narrative shall NOT exceed 15 pages. Technical Narrative is limited to 15 pages of the Technical Technical Narrative responses shall include: 1. Company Interest and Experience. a. Brief company history. b. Does your company have any previous experience working with the government supporting the same or similar products/services? If so, please provide contract number, values, agency, period of performance, and scope of contract. c. Provide past performance within the past 5 years of similar work. d. What knowledge or experience does your company have with specified military testing requirements to meet a performance/ technical specification? 2. Company Capabilities. a. Describe your corporate capacity and capability (e.g. facility, equipment, personnel, resources, and manufacturing/production quality control) to handle this type of effort? b. Does your company have an existing project management plan in place to control cost, schedule, and Performance on development and or production contracts? c. What experience or knowledge does your company have with developing Technical Data Packages (TDPs), which include manufacturing drawings/blueprints and digital modeling, component source and provisioning information, and other manufacturing management information? d. Does your company have experience developing military logistics support packages such as operating manuals, maintenance manuals, repair parts and special tools lists (RPSTL), provisioning data, and training packages? 3. Estimated Project Timeframe and Cost. a. What is your estimated timeframe to conduct research, design, and manufacture and deliver the two First Article Test (FAT) of each PPCK component? a.1. What basic stages are necessary for development? a.2. How long will each stage take? b. What is the estimated cost for this effort? c. Do you anticipate any long lead-time or supply chain management issues? Eligibility. The applicable NAICS code for this requirement is 221121. Businesses of all sizes are encouraged to respond. Additional Information and Submission Details. Please note that if a characteristic or capability is not addressed the Government will assume the respondent does not or cannot meet the salient characteristics of this market survey. Based on all the above, the Government will evaluate market information to ascertain potential market capacity to: 1) provide services consistent, in scope and scale, with those described in this notice; 2) secure and apply the full range of corporate financial, human capital, and technical resources required to successfully perform the requirement; 3) implement a successful project management plan that includes: compliance with program schedules; cost containment; meeting and tracking performance, hiring and retention of key personnel, and risk mitigation. Responses shall be electronically submitted to the Contract Specialist, Tony D. Adams, as both Microsoft Word and Portable Document Format (PDF) and shall not exceed a total length of twenty-five (25) pages. The following formats shall be used for all submitted documents: Page Size: 8.5 x 11.0 inches Margins: 1 inch all around Line Spacing: Single Font: Times New Roman Font Size: 12 point Tables may use 10-point font. Illustrations such as flowcharts, organizational charts, and similar graphics may use smaller fonts provided they are legible and readable. All questions must be submitted to the contract specialist and KO identified above NLT 9 March 2023 by 3:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST). For your questions refer to the attached file entitled B08 Format_Questions and Responses and list the section of concern, description, and specific question(s) that the Government should address. All data received in response to this Sources Sought that is marked or designated as corporate or proprietary will be fully protected from any release outside the Government. No phone calls will be accepted. The point of contact telephone numbers are NOT active and email-only questions or responses are encouraged as specified with the emails above, Contract Specialist and KO listed above. The Government is not committed nor obligated to pay for the information provided, and no basis for claims against the Government shall arise from your response(s) to this Sources Sought. The deadline for response to this request is no later than (NLT) 21 March 2023 by 3:00 PM EST. All responses under this Sources Sought must be e-mailed to the Contract Specialist at Tony Adams, email: tony.d.adams10.civ@army.mil and the Contracting Officer Danny Lester at his email: danny.w.lester.civ@army.mil.