Inactive

The Government requests that responses be submitted electronically to mary.k.prebensen.civ@mail.mil and Michelle.L.Markey.civ@mail.mil by September 6, 2019 by 5pm EST. Background: The US Army Combat C... The Government requests that responses be submitted electronically to mary.k.prebensen.civ@mail.mil and Michelle.L.Markey.civ@mail.mil by September 6, 2019 by 5pm EST. Background: The US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center (CCDC-SC), Natick, MA is conducting market research to identify current state of the art technologies that will extend the wear life of lenses used in protective eyewear. Technologies can be under development, or in production. Technologies of interest are those that, when applied to an optical quality impact resistant lens, will not adversely affect the ability of the lens to a) meet military ballistic fragmentation protection and other MIL-PRF-32432A requirements, and b) meet the optical, impact, and other characteristics required for ANSI Z87.1 compliance. Technologies of interest include, but are not limited to, the following: 1) Sacrificial films capable of being applied to the lens by the user, and replaced as needed 2) Advanced scratch resistant coatings/films/treatments that outperform hard coatings used in currently fielded eye protection 3) Self-healing films/coatings/materials/treatments that allow a lens to recover from scratching and other damage to the lens surface 4) Other materials and/or techniques that will extend the wear life of a lens The information received will be used to help guide future procurements for supplies and/or services related to this market research. The information received will not be disclosed outside of the government. No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information or samples in response to this announcement or any follow-up information requests. Submissions, to include samples (if any), will not influence whether or not a submitter receives a contract for any future acquisitions. This announcement does not constitute a Request for Proposal. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the market research. Interested parties are invited to respond to this announcement prior to the deadline with the following information. 1) Company Information (limit 3 pages), to include: a. Name of company, and physical address b. Primary point of contact(s) and their contact information (name/email/telephone number). c. A complete description of the interested party's capabilities, related experience, techniques or unique combinations of these factors that are clearly related to the Government's specific needs for this requirement. d. Past experience providing similar work e. CAGE code f. Company business type(s) and percentages (e.g. manufacturing, research and development, etc.) g. Business size (i.e. large business, small business, SBA certified HUBZone Business, Economically Disadvantaged Small Business, Woman-Owned Business, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business). For the purposes of this announcement, please indicate size relative to NAICS 339115 Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing, which has a size standard of 1,000 employees. 2) Description of the capability (limit 7 pages), to include: a. Description of the technology and how it works. b. The extent to which the technology is expected to extend the wear life of a lens, and on what basis the extended wear life was derived c. Method(s) used for applying the technology to an optical quality lens. This shall include whether the intent is to have the technology applied by the user, or in a manufacturing setting. d. What lens geometries (i.e., cylindrical, spherical, and/or more complex curvatures) the technology can successfully be applied to without compromising the ability of the lens to meet ANSI Z87.1 optical requirements for resolving power, refractive power/astigmatism, prism power, and overall optical quality. e. What lens substrates (i.e., polycarbonate, nylon, and/or other impact resistant material) the technology can successfully be applied to without compromising the ability of the lens to provide ballistic fragmentation protection f. The likelihood that the technology can be successfully applied to electronically based lenses, such as those that electronically switch between clear and sunglass states, those that electronically control lens fogging, etc., without compromising lens functionality g. Any anticipated trade-offs, special considerations, or noteworthy points associated with the technology h. Whether the technology is currently in production or, if under development, when it is expected to be production ready 3) Any supporting documentation demonstrating product performance, such as test reports, photos, literature, etc. Supporting product samples (optional) may also be provided to help demonstrate the product. All samples shall be clearly identified as to what they are, and include company name, point of contact, and reference to this notice. Samples may be sent to: US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center, Attn: FCDD-SCP-WI (Michelle Markey), 10 General Greene Avenue, Natick, MA, 01760-5019. Samples will be at no charge to the government, and 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. 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 the CCDC SC via e-mail ONLY to mary.k.prebensen.civ@mail.mil and Michelle.L.Markey.civ@mail.mil no later than September 6, 2019 by 5:00 p.m. 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. Please include your company name and "Lens Life Market Survey Response" as part of the subject title. QUESTIONS: Any questions for clarification may be emailed to mary.k.prebensen.civ@mail.mil and Michelle.L.Markey.civ@mail.mil no later than August 30, 2019 by 5:00 p.m. 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.