Inactive

SYNOPSIS: Product Manager Soldier Clothing and Individual Equipment (PM SCIE) is seeking information for industry interest and capability to support a limited production of a government designed proto... SYNOPSIS: Product Manager Soldier Clothing and Individual Equipment (PM SCIE) is seeking information for industry interest and capability to support a limited production of a government designed prototype of a cold weather face and head protection system that meets military requirements for operating in cold to intense cold weather conditions (+20°F to -25°F). The system will consist of a balaclava and removable facemask for additional face protection and goggle integration. The RFI is issued solely for information gathering and planning purposes. The RFI does not constitute a formal solicitation for proposals and will not directly lead to any contract awards. The following sections of this announcement contain details of the scope of technical efforts of interest as well as instructions for the submission of responses. Background & Scope: In winter 2018-2019, PM SCIE evaluated Commercial-Off-The-Shelf cold weather balaclavas and head/face protection systems. These evaluations identified capability gaps in the current COTS market offerings relative to dismounted and mounted Soldier training and operational needs for cold and extreme cold environmental conditions. As a result, PM SCIE has worked with Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center (CCDC SC) to develop Government designed solutions and is seeking manufacturers to produce prototypes for evaluation in winter 2019-2020. The prototype system is designed to be compatible with current and future clothing and equipment to include the Advanced Combat Helmet (ACH), the Extended Cold Weather Clothing System (ECWCS) garments, and cold weather goggles authorized through the Army Approved Product List (APL). The system is expected to be easily donned and doffed. The system shall be able to transition between cold-wet (i.e. +20°F) to the intense cold (i.e. -25°F). The system is expected to have a service life of at least 120-days under combat/field use. The system shall be subdued in shade, so as to be compatible with current camouflage patterns. Illustrations, patterns, and pictures will be provided by the Government prior to any award or order. Government patterns shall be provided in electronic format in a recent Gerber AccuMark version. For contractors without access to compatible AccuMark CAD and/or plotting capabilities utilizing a 2nd party pattern service for pattern conversion and/or plotting is recommended. Materials and Quantities 300 each Balaclava hoods: Water-repellant, breathable synthetic shell fabric; knitted insulation fabric; elastic binding; and hook-and-loop attachment points 300 each Facemasks (design 1): Neoprene fabric; elastic binding; 0.15" diameter PTFE rods or similar; malleable 16G wire; and elastic webbing 300 each Facemasks (design 2): Neoprene fabric; elastic binding; 0.15" diameter PTFE rods or similar; malleable 16G wire; and hook-and-loop attachment points Responses shall have the following: a. Company address, telephone number, primary contact(s) with e-mail address(es) and CAGE code, if available. b. Brief statement of capability demonstrating background, relevant past experience, technical skills, and available production capacity to fulfill the Government's requirements described herein. This statement may also include current or past performance of providing this or similar products to the Government. c. All assumptions, including any assumed/required Government support. d. Estimated hourly labor cost and estimated unit pricing for each item listed above. Additional Information: 1. Responses may be written only (i.e. paper or electronic) and are not required to include a physical sample (e.g. end items or component materials). 2. All properly marked proprietary information will be appropriately handled. 3. Submitted material will not be returned. Interested parties are invited to submit a response to this Sources Sought Announcement. THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUNCEMENT ONLY This Sources Sought Announcement is issued solely for information and planning purposes and to identify interested sources. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION. No contract will be awarded from this announcement. This Sources Sought does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. It is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. Further, unsolicited proposals will not be accepted. Funding is not available at this time. The United States Army has not made a commitment to procure any of the items/services discussed, and release of this Sources Sought Announcement should not be construed as such a commitment or as authorization to incur cost for which reimbursement would be required or sought. Response to this Sources Sought Announcement is voluntary and no reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this and any follow-on information requests. All submissions become Government property and will not be returned. All information received in response to this request for concept papers that is marked proprietary will be handled accordingly. Capability Statements, including attachments, are limited to ten (10) pages. Responses should be submitted in MS WORD and/or MS Excel or PDF, including attachments. Interested sources shall include information regarding a firm's experience, personnel, and facilities. Any information/samples submitted will not be returned, and no payment will be made by the government for such information/samples. Any testing results will be controlled and used for governmental purposes only. Not responding to this Sources Sought Announcement does not preclude participation in any future RFP if any is issued. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized in the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOps) website. It is the responsibility of the potential responders to monitor this site for additional information pertaining to this subject. RESPONSES: Interested parties may identify their interest and capability by sending responses regarding this requirement to Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center (CCDC-SC) via e-mail ONLY to james.a.murdock28.civ@mail.mil and mary.k.prebensen.civ@mail.mil by October 18, 2019 by 5pm EST. The U.S. Government will not pay for any information or administrative cost incurred in response to this Notice. All costs associated with responding to this Notice will be solely at the expense of the interested party. Please provide business size (indicate your socioeconomic status), applicable NAICS code, and CAGE code. If you hold a GSA Federal Supply Schedule contract, please identify your contract number. QUESTIONS: Any questions for clarification may be emailed to james.a.murdock28.civ@mail.mil and mary.k.prebensen.civ@mail.mil by October 14, 2019 by 5pm EST. Verbal questions will NOT be accepted. Questions shall NOT contain proprietary or classified information. An unattributed list of questions and answers will be published at the same web location of this Sources Sought Announcement.