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Request for Information - Market Research to support Qualified Products List (QPL) of the RA-1 Personnel Parachute System 1. This is not a solicitation for bids/proposals but a Request for Information... Request for Information - Market Research to support Qualified Products List (QPL) of the RA-1 Personnel Parachute System 1. This is not a solicitation for bids/proposals but a Request for Information (RFI). This RFI is not a commercial solicitation per FAR Part 12. 2. This svnopsis is issued for the sole purpose of the Product Manager- Soldier Clothing & Individual Equipment (PM SCIE), through the U.S. Army Contracting Command -Aberdeen Proving Ground (ACC-APG), Natick Division, to conduct Market Research in accordance with FAR Part 10 to begin PreAward Qualifications for the RA-1 Personnel Parachute System in accordance with FAR Subpart 9.2. 3. To be considered for this requirement, respondents are required to submit a Technical and Management Proposal which will be reviewed by the Government. After approval of this proposal, respondents shall submit two (2) complete QPL samples of either the RA-1 system or any components and assemblies they wish to qualify. Both of these submissions are at the respondent's expense. Manufacturers who have previously been on the RA-1 QPL may request a waiver on the parts for which they were previously qualified. Information concerning these submittals is found in the INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARATION OF QPL SAMPLE SUBMISSION of this proposal, and in MIL-DTL-6645, paragraph 3.2, Qualification Requirements. QPL sample waiver sample criteria is found in paragraph 2.f of INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARATION OF QPL SAMPLE SUBMISSION. 4. Patterns required for the manufacture of the components are available in electronic format (CAD) and will be distributed to all respondents who have a signed Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) on file with the Contracting Officer. Requests for the CAD drawings may be submitted to Mr. Jeffrey Campbell at jeffrey.m.campbell18.civ@army.mil Non-Disclosure Agreements may be requested from Michael Quinlan, Contracting Officer, at michael.j.quinlan3.civ@army.mil. 5. Respondents must submit their QPL samples in accordance with the Technical Data Package (TDP) and the instructions attached herein. The TDP will be sent upon receipt of the Non-Disclosure Agreement by the Point of Contact (POC). 6. The evaluation of the QPL samples, documentation, and a site inspection is forecast to take up to 8 months per manufacturer. This time frame is dependent on the accuracy and completeness of contractor's proposal and sample submissions. 7. Prospective Manufacturers shall notify the primary POC listed below before shipping any documentation or QPL samples for qualification. To aid in the traceability, timeliness, documentation, and processing of the QPL submission, anufacturers should also include the method of shipment and any relevant tracking information. 8. Only manufacturers who are recertified or added to the QPL for the entire system at the time of an anticipated contract award can be considered for award of future Government acquisitions for the RA-1 Personnel Parachute System. 9. Prospective manufacturers are allowed to submit QPL samples for evaluation at any time. For consideration of complete RA-1 system qualification, the samples will not be reviewed until the technical and management proposal is submitted and accepted by the Government. Sample evaluations will occur on a first-delivered, first- served basis. 10. The Government intends to recertify all manufacturers on the QPL for the RA-1 Personnel Parachute Systems every four (4) years. Previously qualified contractors are required to requalify for consideration of future contract awards. 11. PM SCIE is forecasting the award of a Multiple Award Indefinite DeliveryIndefinite Quantity Firm Fixed Price contract for systems; however, this is subject to change. 12. The POC for questions concerning this RFI is: Mr. Jeffrey Campbell Jeffrey.m.campbelll8.civ@army.mil INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARATION OF QPL SAMPLE SUBMISSION 1. Administrative Instructions. a. All submissions in response to this request should be sent to: US ARMY Natick Soldier System Center PM SCIE Personnel Airdrop Systems ATTN: SFAE-SDR-SCIE, Jeff Campbell 10 General Greene Ave., Natick, MA 01760-5011 b. All samples and associated data delivered in response to this Market Research - Request For Information shall include the following on the address label: Market Research Number: W911QY-23-RA1QPL c. The legend "TO BE DELIVERED UNOPENED TO Jeffrey Campbell" i. The volume and copy number contained in each box ii. Company Name iii. Point(s) of contact (include telephone number & email address) 2. General Instructions: a. These instructions provide guidance in preparing the samples and associated data and describe the approach for development and presentation of the data in response to this market survey. FAILURE TO FULLY COMPLY WITH THESE INSTRUCTIONS WILL BE CAUSE FOR REJECTION OF THE QPL SAMPLE. b. The samples and associated data shall include all information requested in these instructions. Incomplete submissions will cause a delay in the Government evaluation. c. The prospective manufacturer shall clearly describe how they will accomplish tasks associated with future production contracts of the RA-1 Personnel Parachute System. Mere acknowledgment or restatement of a requirement is not acceptable. d. The information in the QPL sample submission shall be presented in a clear, coherent, and concise manner. Vague or terse statements such as "will comply", "noted and understood", etc. are not acceptable. The information provided shall be limited to that necessary to convey a point and shall not be overly elaborate. e. Prospective manufacturers will be required to initially submit the administrative portion of the QPL sample submission for review and evaluation. Specific details are addressed in paragraph 3, Special Instructions for the Preparation of the Administrative Portion of the QPL Sample Submission. f. After approval of the administrative portion of the QPL submission, prospective manufacturers shall submit for examination and evaluation two (2) complete QPL samples of either the RA-1 system or any components and assemblies they wish to qualify. Samples of the raw materials and hardware used in the manufacture of the QPL articles, with all required documentation, shall also be submitted in quantities and manner in compliance with MIL- DTL-6645. Specific details are addressed in paragraph 4, Special Instructions for the Preparation of the Physical Articles of the QPL Sample Submission, of this document. The prospective manufacturer may request a waiver to submit specific assemblies, and components if are currently manufacturing or are on the RA-1 QPL. In memorandum format, the waiver shall include the part number or national stock number and its nomenclature. Each part shall include the last qualification date, any awarded, contract number(s) for current or past production, and last delivery date for that part. The Government will accept or deny the request for each requested part based upon past performance ratings found in Government reporting resources, such as, but not limited to, the Product Data Reporting and Evaluation Program (POREP), the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS), request for waivers/deviations/variances, corrective action reports (CARs), DCMA reporting System, and other Government records. g. The Acquisition Streamlining and Standardization Information System (ASSIST) shall be used to determine effective dates for specifications and standards listed therein, except where this market survey specifically identifies a specification or standard by title, number and date. (https://assist.daps.dla.mil/online/start/) and the attached Specification Conversion Table. 3. Special Instructions for the Preparation of the Administrative Portion of the QPL Sample Submission: a. Format Instructions: i. Requested Information/Data shall be submitted in loose leaf, three-ring binders. ii. Prospective manufacturers shall submit one original, clearly marked as the original, and one copy, clearly marked as the copy. Each binder shall have a cover sheet marked with the title, Market Research identification, business size classification and prospective manufacturer's name. Each page shall be marked "For Official Use Only" and "Procurement Sensitive." iii. Shipping cartons shall be numbered and packaged in such a manner as to allow a complete inventory after opening without removing any binders or documents. iv. QPL submissions shall be physically delivered and received at the location specified in paragraph l.b., Administrative Instructions. v. Volume Content: Technical and Management information shall be submitted in a single volume. This volume shall be a stand-alone document and shall clearly and completely describe the efforts of the prospective manufacturer in support of future production contracts and shall not contain any price proposal information. b. Page Limitations: The Technical and Management information volume shall consist of a maximum of 50 pages of which 25 pages (maximum) are dedicated to Technical and 25 pages (maximum) are dedicated to Management. c. Submission shall be limited to the number of pages specified, inclusive of any drawings, charts, etc. Type shall be no smaller than a font size of ten and shall be single spaced or greater. Page size shall not exceed 8 ½ X 11 inches. Fold out illustrations required for reader-ease are allowed, however, illustration shall be counted in 8 ½ X 11-inch increments. The evaluators will read and evaluate only up to the maximum number of pages specified in the instructions above. d. Volume Content- The prospective manufacturer's submission shall include the following content for each volume: VOLUME I AREA I -TECHNICAL: The technical information/data shall describe the prospective manufacturer's approach to meeting the requirements of this market research as shown below. FACTOR A- PRODUCTION CAPACITY: Potential manufacturers must describe how they meet the requirements listed in MIL-DTL-6645, and Department of Defense Standardization Document - 6 (SD-6). These documents can be found at http://assist.daps.dla.mil/quicksearch/. An on-site plant visits/surveys may also be conducted at the Government's discretion prior to contract award. The Prospective manufacturer must describe the following in detail: 1. Complete documentation clearly identifying that the firm complies with the following (a simple restatement of the fact is not adequate): a. Their facility(ies) is(are) physically located within the borders of the United States of America, its possessions and territories. b. The prospective manufacturer fully understands and is compliant with 10 U.S.C. 2533a a.k.a. "the Berry Amendment" and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) 225.7002. (http://www.acq.osd.mil/dpap/dars/dfars/doc/tocdoc.htm) i. Prospective manufacturers are responsible for verification of domestic sources of all materials covered by this requirement. ii. Prospective manufacturers are responsible ensuring their subcontractors and suppliers understand and comply with the requirements of the Berry Amendment and the Buy America Act. iii. The Berry Amendment and the Buy America Act are NOT the same. It is possible for a manufacturer, subcontractor, and/or supplier to be compliant with the Buy America Act and be Non-Compliant with the Berry Amendment. iv. The Berry Amendment also applies to Foreign Military Sales. 2. The manufacturing plant/facility has the following resources necessary to produce the RA-1 Personnel Parachute System: a. Adequate capacity b. Adequate facilities c. Associated machinery including but not limited to cutting tables, sewing 3. Production Rates: a. Maximum monthly production rate of the entire facility b. Maximum monthly production rate of RA-1 Personnel Parachute Systems. c. Time required to achieve the maximum output 4. A description of the heating/cooling systems to adequately maintain a range of temperatures between 60 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit (F). 5. A description of the production area floor construction and how it prevents textile materials from snagging and/or ripping. (Typical floors are made of wood and sealed with a smooth finish, concrete floated to a smooth finish and sealed or industrial carpet). 6. A description of textile material storage and the dry climate control that ensures the temperature does not exceed 90 degrees F and that all material is stored at least 6 feet from any heating unit. 7. A diagram/description of the production facilities lay-out. Sewing machine maintenance shall be conducted in an area separate from the production area; shipping and receiving areas shall be separate from the production floor; machine facilities shall be adequately partitioned from the textiles production area; training facilities that are on site and how they are separated from the production floor; clearly identified quarantine area separate from the production area for nonconforming materials and product. FACTOR B- SUBCONTRACTORS & SUPPLIERS - Prospective manufacturers shall: 1. Identify their major subcontractors and suppliers 2. Explain how quality assurance requirements are conveyed to subcontractors and suppliers. 3. Explain how they ensure all current and future subcontractors and suppliers are cognizant of and compliant with the Berry Amendment (10 U.S.C. 2533a) and DFARS 225.7002. 4. How traceability records, including all relevant material and production records, of the assemblies and/or parts produced by the subcontractor(s) are maintained. AREA II - MANAGEMENT: The Management portion shall describe the prospective manufacturer's approach to meeting the Quality Assurance and Schedule requirements of future solicitations and shall describe the qualifications of the personnel proposed to perform the tasks required by any future solicitations. FACTOR A- QUALITY MANAGEMENT - Prospective manufacturers shall describe their approach to quality assurance from incoming material compliance to final inspection and item acceptance testing and to include their status with regard to ISO 9001:2008 or higher compliance. Sampling and acceptance for inspection shall be conducted IAW ANZI/ASQ Zl.4 with an inspection level of S-2 and an AQL of 1.5. Responses shall include the Quality Assurance plan that is in place (International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Certifications or other quality plans), how the plan is implemented throughout the organization and how those plans address the following: 1. Management review of the system a. Guidelines b. Frequency c. Agenda d. Metrics e. Examples of meeting minutes, action items and verification of action completion. 2. Document and Data Control a. Guidelines i. Frequency of review ii. Management responsibilities b. Quality Manual c. Quality procedures d. Work Instructions e. Forms and Data f. Provide examples of Controlled Documents and Records Log 3. Internal Audit a. Guidelines for internal audits b. Guidelines for internal auditors, including training/certifications and responsibilities. c. Audit plan (frequency and content d. Guidelines for internal auditors, including results and corrective actions from the last two years. 4. Corrective Action a. Guidelines b. Implementation c. Verification/Validation d. Examples of Corrective actions from the last two years 5. Employee Training a. Training requirements for each job description b. Record requirements for employee training c. Responsible entity for control of employee records d. Provide examples of employee training records 6. Inspections a. Guidelines b. In-process Inspections c. Inspection of Component Parts d. Final Inspections e. Testing / Validation Methods - explain internal testing and validation methods, including, but not limited to methodologies, requirements, test equipment and facilities. 7. Process Improvement a. Identification of opportunities b. Evaluation of opportunities c. Methodologies employed succ as Lean or Six Sigma d. Implementing solutions e. Evaluation of effectiveness f. Examples of Continuous Improvement opportunities and their outcome from the last two year period. 8. Control of Supplies and Suppliers a. Approved sources of supply b. Rating system for suppliers c. Guidelines for supplier qualification / de-qualification d. Supplier oversight plan 9. Material Controls a. Inventory control b. Control and disposition of non-conforming Material c. Traceability i. Production ii. Material iii. Operator d. Guidelines for notifying customer of materials issues 10. Notification of Changes - guidelines for Government notification of changes in design, material, manufacturing processes (including quality assurance), key personnel and plant location. Guidelines shall include an explanation of how the manufacturer determines the impact of any changes to the product 11. Product Acceptance-Rejection Criteria including identification of responsible personnel 12. Calibration Plan for testing, measurement, and diagnostic equipment used in the manufacture of parachute assemblies. 13. Process Control Methodology - Explanation of the system in place to ensure a quality product is produced. Examples include, but are not limited to, Statistical Process Controls (SPC) and in-line measuring/verification equipment. 14. Other documented evidence showing the quality management system is active and improving. Only manufacturers who submit documented evidence of an on-going quality management system will be credited with having an active and improving system. A copy of the quality manual and/or third-party registration certificate without back up documentation is not sufficient. 15. The Government reserves me ngnt to vIsIt me manuracturers racumes to verify any submitted documentation. FACTOR B- SCHEDULE - Prospective manufacturers shall provide a timeline for all events needed to meet the requirements of a full rate production contract. At a minimum, schedule shall identify the following critical paths/major milestones. 1. Pre-Production Activities in support of a production contract/delivery orders to include ordering of materials, tooling, receipt of materials. 2. Ramp-up time to production quantities 3. Production capability at full rate production FACTOR C- KEY PERSONNEL - The prospective manufacturer shall: 1. Identify and describe the qualification of the key personnel who will be involved with the efforts described in the Technical and Management Areas. 2. Provide an organizational chart accurately depicting the business structure. The chart shall include the names and titles of all key management personnel including but not limited to, President, Vice-Presidents, Quality Assurance Representative, Purchasing Agents, Production Management, and Human Resources. 3. Special Instructions for the Preparation of the Physical Articles of the QPL Sample Submission: a. Guidelines in Support of the RA-1 Personnel Parachute Systems QPL: Prospective manufacturers are encouraged to obtain all references from the following website (free of charge): https://assist.daps.dla.mil/quicksearch/. SD-6 01 FEB 09 Provisions Governing Qualification MIL-DTL-6645J 31 AUG 01 Parachutes, Personnel, General Specification for MIL-STD-129P (4) 19 SEP 07 DoD Standard Practice, Military Marking for Shipment and Storage MIL-STD-BON 12 DEC 07 DoD Standard Practice, Identification Marking of U.S. Military Property b. After receiving written approval of the administrative portion of the QPL submission, prospective manufacturers will be required to submit two samples of each item in accordance with the TDP RA-1 Personnel Parachute System, NSN: 1670-01-527-7537, associated drawings, patterns, specifications, and standards. A portion of the tests will be destructive in nature and the samples will not be returned to the manufacturer. c. The manufacturer is required to submit their samples along with the following items listed below to the POC identified in Lb of this document: i. A copy of the request for qualification, and a copy of the data package obtained from SFAE-SDR-SCIE. ii. A list of all authorized deviations to the part number (see paragraph d. below). iii. The samples of materials specified in MIL-DTL-6645J, paragraph 3.2.3. iv. Test reports and certifications for all materials used in the QPL sample. Reference applicable hardware and textile specification, standards and drawings for certification requirements. v. QPL sample test report consisting of recorded dimensional measurements and the results and/or certifications of any proof load testing on the parachute assemblies. Any format is acceptable including drawings marked up showing the results of the recorded dimensions. d. Exceptions to MIL-DTL-6645J for qualification requirements: i. Materials requested Paragraph 3.3.2 which meet the 3.5 year restriction and color requirements may be hard to obtain. Individual deviation approvals to the data package, including Certificate of Compliances, may be approved on a caseby-case basis. Obtain any deviations in writing from the POC and submit them with the sample (see section "INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARATION OF QPL SAMPLE SUBMISSION 1.c of this document). OD, OG, CG-483, FG-504, and COY-498 colors may be interchanged without prior authorization as long as appropriately noted in the documentation. e. The Government will: i. Evaluate and notify the manufacturer of the results of the administrative portion of the QPL submission within 30 days after submittal. If additional or missing information is required, these materials must be received within 15 days. The final approval of the administrative portion will provide authorization to submit the physical articles specified in paragraph 4. ii. Examine the physical articles and the associated data submitted for QPL and notify manufacturer of the results of the inspection within 180 days after submittal. If any additional or missing information or materials are required, these materials must be received within 30 days of being requested. At present there is no charge for qualification testing, but this is subject to change without notice. Successful completion of the QPL Inspection will allow the manufacturer to be considered for award of future production contracts for the RA-1 Personnel Parachute System for a four-year period, at which time the manufacturer will be re-qualified. The Air Force will send out a formal notification letter to the manufacturer and update the Air Force QPL standardization document. f. The QPL sample, materials and all documentation will not be returned to the applicant and becomes the property of the Government. g. Before the QPL sample is examined, an onsite visit may be conducted so clarifications to the data package or general questions may be addressed. Clarifications to the TDP may be requested at any time during the qualification without the need for an onsite visit h. An on-site plant survey may be requested at any time during the qualification process. The survey is designed to inform the government as to the manufacturing capability of the applicant. The survey typically takes 4-6 hours to complete. ISO certificates and other surveys are not substitutes for this survey.