Inactive Total Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 19.5)

SOURCES SOUGHT – Army Integrated Consulting Services The Army Contracting Command- Aberdeen Proving Ground (6515 Integrity Court, APG, MD) is issuing this sources sought synopsis on behalf of the Head... SOURCES SOUGHT – Army Integrated Consulting Services The Army Contracting Command- Aberdeen Proving Ground (6515 Integrity Court, APG, MD) is issuing this sources sought synopsis on behalf of the Headquarters Department of the Army G-3/5/7 Fires and Joint small-Counter Unmanned Aircraft Organization (JCO) as a means of conducting market research to identify parties having an interest in and the resources to support a requirement for real-time deliverables on Army acquisition programs effected by the Army Budget Requests under the current FY23 Continuing Resolution (CR), future Army Budget Requests and subsequent Program Objective Memorandum (POM) cycles. The Joint C-sUAS Office leads and directs Department of Defense C-sUAS Doctrine, Requirements, Materiel, and Training efforts and establishes Joint solutions within a common architecture to address current and future small UAS threats and enhance warfighter capabilities to deploy, fight, and win against any threat at home or abroad. The deliverables under this contract will be Key areas to be supported include Group 1-3 Small Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Operations for the Department of Defense and Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD), space, space superiority, high-altitude, and cyberspace operations. Analysis will include, but is not limited to, performing force-on-force operational analyses; military utility analyses (MUA); effectiveness analyses; systems analyses; military assessment studies; process and process flow analyses; business case analyses; knowledge management analyses; analyses of alternatives (AoA); cost analyses; and cost-benefit analyses (CBA). The contractor shall also conduct all phases of studies and analysis, to include Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDS), concept development and participate in externally generated Army and Joint analysis; small- Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and IAMD intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) M&S support includes use of tools such as Extended Air Defense Simulation (EADSIM), System Effectiveness Analysis Simulation (SEAS). Joint Conflict and Tactical Simulation (JCATS), Reconfigurable Tactical Operations Simulator (RI OS), Command and Control, Battle Management and Communications (C2BMC) Planner, Systems Toolkit, Satellite Orbit Analysis Program, One-Semi Automated Forces (OneSAF) and extend. Additional requirements include operational analysis and research and development support to be provided in the analysis areas of UAV, IAMD, space, space superiority, high -altitude and cyberspace. The contractor shall execute/utilize qualitative analysis techniques to include, but not limited to, tabletop exercises, exercises, war games and training. Analysis will include, but is not limited to, support of Joint Integrated Air and Missile Defense Organization (JIAMDO), Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), Combatant Commands (CCMDs), Headquarters Department of the Army (HQDA), Fires Center of Excellence (FCOE), Joint Functional Component Command Integrated Missile Defense, Center for Army Analysis; Army Modeling and Simulation Office (AMSO), Training and Doctrine Command, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Agencies of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology, Program Executive Office (PEO) Missiles and Space, PEO Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors; Air Force Space Command; Air Force Space and Missile Center; U.S. Strategic Command; U.S. Army Forces Command; and others. The contractor shall also conduct Government directed special access studies, analyses, and operator-in-the-loop exercise/experimentation support. In addition, the contractor shall also provide technical assistance and analysis in support of the Quadrennial Defense Review process and other Joint level studies. These efforts directly support the analysis required by the Commander USASMDC/ARSTRAT as USASMDC/ARSTRAT interacts with the Army Staff, various PEOs, other Services, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, OSD agencies, and others by providing relevant, current analysis tailored to mission needs. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: 2521 Crystal Drive, Suite 900.Arlington, VA 22202 Contractor employees will be required to travel. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS OR BIDS. This source sought is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute a solicitation and shall not be construed as a commitment by the Government for any purpose. Responses in any form are not offers and the government is under no obligation to award a contract because of this announcement. No funds are available to pay for preparation of responses to this announcement. Any information submitted by respondents to this notice is strictly voluntary. Responses will not be returned to the responder. Not responding to this notice does not preclude participation in any future solicitation if one is issued. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the Government-wide Point of Entry (GPE). It is the responsibility of potential offerors to monitor the GPE for additional information pertaining to this requirement. PROGRAM BACKGROUND 1. DAMO Fires: On 30 August 2018, the HQDA G-3/5/7 directed the establishment of DAMO-Fires, a Directorate-level organization. The VCSA-approved tenets have been modified from solely an Air and Missile Defense (AMO) focus to a Fires construct and incorporate the directed C-UAS role: a. Lead integration for Fires (AMO/FA) issues for HQDA Staff and Army Senior Leadership. b. Synchronize Fires (AMO/FA) policy, requirements, fiscal priorities, resource implementation strategies, and program execution. c. Serve as HQDA Fires (AMO/FA) focal point for Field Commanders, Missile Defense Agency (MDA), Joint Staff, Secretary of the Army, Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) and Congress. d. Facilitate Integration of the Army Fires (AMO/FA) Transformation and Modernization efforts. e. Serve as the HQDA C-UAS mission area lead integrator, to synchronize Army efforts across Departmental processes. Additionally, serve as HQDA lead in support of OSD C-UAS Senior Steering Group. The DAMO-Fires team will cover the following ten mission areas: (1) Defensive Fires (Six Mission Areas): Global Missile Defense, Ballistic Missile Defense, Cruise Missile Defense, Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense, C-UAS, Counter-Rocket, Artillery and Mortar. (2) Offensive Fires (Three Mission Areas): Strategic Fires, Operational Fires, and Tactical Fires. (3) Both Offensive and Defensive Fires (One Mission Area): Mission Command. 2. The Joint small- Counter Unmanned Aircraft Organization (JCO) The Secretary of the Army serves as the DoD Executive Agent (DoD EA) for Counter Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems for Unmanned Aircraft Groups 1, 2, and 3 (C-sUAS) in accordance with DoD Directive 5101.01. The JCO establishes policy and assigns responsibilities and authorities to lead and synchronize DoD efforts to counter the small- unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) threat, while minimizing unnecessary duplication and redundancy. The exponential growth of small-unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) creates new risks for the Department of Defense (DoD). Technology trends are dramatically transforming legitimate applications of sUAS while simultaneously making them increasingly capable weapons in the hands of state actors, non-state actors, and criminals. When controlled by negligent or reckless operators, sUAS also pose potential hazards to DoD operations in air, land, maritime, and space domains, and the information environment (which includes cyberspace). Using a risk-based approach, DoD must take appropriate steps to protect and defend personnel, facilities, and assets in an environment where increasing numbers of sUAS will share the skies with DoD aircraft, operate in the airspace over DoD installations, and be employed by our Nation’s adversaries. To successfully address the sUAS challenge, stakeholders across the Department will work to accomplish the following three strategic objectives: (1) Enhance the Joint Force through innovation and collaboration to protect DoD personnel, assets, and facilities in the homeland, host nations, and contingency locations. (2) develop materiel and non-materiel solutions that facilitate the safe and secure execution of DoD missions and deny adversaries the ability to impede our objectives. (3) build and broaden our relationships with allies and partners to protect our interests at home and abroad. REQUIRED CAPABILITIES The contractor shall provide real-time deliverables on Army JCO and IAMD program developments, under the current FY Continuing Resolution (CR), future Army budget requests, and subsequent Program Objective Memorandum (POM) cycles, plus execution of Army programs under previous Omnibus/RAA/Mini-bus Appropriations Acts and activities, including various annual Reprogramming Requests. The deliverables under this contract will support the Decision Support Directorate of the U.S. HQDA G-3/5/7 JCO and Fires, in the areas of operational analysis execution to include data mining and assessment; exercise, experimentation and wargaming preparation, participation and data assessment; and campaign/theater-level modeling and simulation (M&S) development, sustainment, and execution. Key areas to be supported include Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD), space, space superiority, high-altitude and cyberspace operations. Analysis will include, but is not limited to, performing force-on-force operational analyses; military utility analyses (MUA); effectiveness analyses; systems analyses; military assessment studies; process and process flow analyses; business case analyses; knowledge management analyses; analyses of alternatives (AoA); cost analyses; and cost-benefit analyses (CBA). The contractor shall also conduct all phases of studies and analysis, to include Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDS), concept development and participate in externally generated Army and Joint analysis; IAMD intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) M&S support includes use of tools such as Extended Air Defense Simulation (EADSIM), System Effectiveness Analysis Simulation (SEAS), Joint Conflict and Tactical Simulation (JCATS), Reconfigurable Tactical Operations Simulator (RTOS), Command and Control, Battle Management and Communications (C2BMC) Planner, Systems Toolkit, Satellite Orbit Analysis Program, One-Semi Automated Forces (OneSAF) and Extend. The contractor shall also provide formal in person briefings to Army Leadership, (estimated every 2-3 months during the period of performance), to provide latest actionable real-time insights to support Secretary of Defense & Under Secretary; Chief of Staff & Vice Chief of Staff; Army Futures Command; Army Materiel Command; and any other Department of Defense Leadership. Further detail is provided in the draft Performance Work Statement (PWS) attached to this announcement (Attachment 1). If your organization has the potential capacity to perform these contract services, please provide the following information: 1) Organization name, address, email address, Web site address, telephone number, and size and type of ownership for the organization; and 2) Tailored capability statement addressing the particulars of this effort, with appropriate documentation supporting claims of organizational and staff capability, as detailed below. If significant subcontracting or teaming is anticipated in order to deliver technical capability, organizations should address the administrative and management structure of such arrangements. 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 and otherwise anticipated; 2) secure and apply the full range of corporate financial, human capital, and technical resources required to successfully perform similar requirements; 3) implement a successful project management plan that includes: compliance with tight program schedules; cost containment; meeting and tracking performance; hiring and retention of key personnel and risk mitigation; and 4) provide services under a performance based service acquisition contract. ELIGIBILITY This Sources Sought is open to valid small businesses only. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND SUBMISSION DETAILS (CAPABILITIES STATEMENT) Interested parties are requested to submit a capabilities statement of no more than fifteen (15) pages in length in Times New Roman font of not less than 10 pitch. The deadline for response to this request is no later than 01 June 2023 at 11:00 AM EST. All responses under this Sources Sought Notice must be e-mailed to nicholas.p.charles.civ@army.mil and ethan.l.hall.mil@army.mil. This documentation must address at a minimum the following items: 1. Vendor’s business name, point of contact, address, and DUNS number. 2. A statement or explanation of the company's background, technical expertise, experience, and other capabilities that demonstrate the company's ability to perform the required services identified in the PWS. 3. What type of work has your company performed in the past in support of the same or similar requirement? 4. Can or has your company managed a task of this nature? If so, please provide details. 5. What specific technical skills does your company possess which ensure capability to perform the tasks? 6. Please note that under a Small-Business Set-Aside, in accordance with FAR 19-505(b)(1) regarding Limitations on Subcontracting. In addition, the vendor’s capabilities statements should answer the following questions: A. From a personnel resource stance, does your company have sufficient human capital assets in the area of business process transformation to support a project of this size and scope? B. Does your company believe a different NAICS code should be considered for this PWS? If so, please provide recommendations with supporting rationale. C. Does your company have interest as a prime or subcontractor? D. What contract type does your company believe would be the best fit for this requirement, based on the contents of the PWS? E. Which elements or proportions of the PWS would your company subcontract rather than perform with your own resources? F. Does this Performance Work Statement (PWS) provide sufficient information for you to submit a proposal? If not, what additional information is required? G. Are there any ambiguities that require clarification? H. Are the standards of performance clear? I. Are there additional standards that should be incorporated? J. Is the vendor aware of any General Services Administration (GSA) Schedules or Government-wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs) that could satisfy this requirement? Specifics regarding the period of performance will be provided in the solicitation. Your response to this Sources Sought, including any capabilities statement, shall be submitted VIA E-MAIL ONLY to nicholas.p.charles.civ@army.mil, ethan.l.hall.mil@army.mil and marc.p.beckage.mil@army.mil. 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. All questions must be submitted to the point of contact identified above. The Government is not committed nor obligated to pay for the information provided, and no basis for claims against the Government shall arise as a result of a response to this Sources Sought.