Inactive

THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY. This is not a solicitation or a request for proposal and no contract will be awarded from this notice. No solicitation or specifications are available at this tim... THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY. This is not a solicitation or a request for proposal and no contract will be awarded from this notice. No solicitation or specifications are available at this time. Please monitor www.Beta.SAM.gov, this sources sought notice will not be linked to the solicitation. The Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center) is conducting market research to determine if any Small Business sources have the current relevant qualifications, experience, personnel, and capability to perform the work described herein under a program entitled “Aircraft Performance Assessment Subject Matter Expert.” The primary NAICS code for this sources sought notice is 541330, Engineering Consulting Services. The ability to quantify and mitigate aviation environmental effects such as aircraft noise and emissions is crucial to the success of aviation as a mode of transportation. Volpe Center has provided technical expertise and support to the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Office of Environment and Energy (AEE) for several decades in the area of aircraft noise measurement, analysis and modeling and has initiated similar efforts in the fields of aircraft emissions and ambient air quality modeling. Also, the Volpe Center has supported the FAA in analyzing aviation data to provide a thorough assessment of the environmental effects of aircraft. Under a proposed project over the next three years (FY21-FY23), the Volpe Center and FAA AEE are tasked with facilitating the integration of eight (8) Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) into the National Airspace System (NAS). The Volpe Center is seeking an expert analyst on aircraft performance and flight test design who is qualified to support UAS data collection. Therefore, the Volpe Center is seeking qualified potential contractors to provide the following aircraft performance assessment subject matter expert support required under this potential work: Task 1: Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) National Airspace Integration Pilot Program (IPP) support Task 1A. Flight test planning support The Volpe Center and FAA are working to facilitate the integration of UAS into the National Airspace System (NAS). Several organizations have been selected by FAA to participate in a pilot program which allows these operators to be exempt from some existing limitations on the use of UAS. As part of the agreement between FAA and these operators, Volpe will perform noise measurements and recordings of these aircraft at the individual Integration Pilot Program (IPP) sites around the U.S. The Contractor shall plan and develop noise flight tests at FAA-designated IPP sites. The Contractor shall use experience with manned and unmanned flight tests to develop flight test plan reports. This may include participation in up to eight (8) site scoping visits. The deliverable for this task will be flight test plan reporting within each Monthly Status Report and Final Report associated with each UAS Measurement. Travel may be required under this task to up to eight (8) site scoping visits within the continental US, for a duration of one (1) day. Task 1B. Flight test support The Contractor shall support up to eight (8) UAS noise flight tests at FAA-designated IPP sites. The Contractor shall act as Flight Test Director and use experience with manned and unmanned flight tests to assist Volpe staff in performing the flight testing, data collection, and reporting of results. The Contractor shall lead and assist with noise flight tests, analyses of the test results, and documentation of results in the Monthly Status Reports and Final Reports associated with each UAS Measurement. Travel may be required for this task to up to eight (8) noise flight test locations within the continental US, for a duration of three (3) days per test. Task 2: UAS Noise Certification support Task 2A. Data analysis support The Volpe Center is supporting FAA’s work on integrating UAS operations into the NAS. Much of this work is focused on assisting FAA with the development of appropriate noise certification standards. The Contractor shall support Volpe staff by providing data analysis services. The Contractor shall use its experience with operations in the NAS as both a licensed pilot and a remote pilot to inform the data analysis process. The deliverable for this task will be technical input to Monthly Status Reports in MS Word format. Task 2B. UAS noise certification standards development support The Contractor shall support development of recommendations for UAS noise certification standards. Any development of such recommendations for standards will be coordinated with the Volpe Center and FAA. The deliverable for this task will be technical input to Monthly Status Reports, specifically UAS noise certification material including noise certification standards. Task 2C. UAS noise metric development and evaluation support The contractor shall assist Volpe staff with the development of candidates for UAS noise certification metrics. Any development of such candidate metrics will be coordinated with the Volpe Center and FAA. The deliverable for this task will be technical input to Monthly Status Reports, specifically discussion of UAS noise certification metrics being developed. Please respond to the following questions by 8 August 2020. Failure to address any of these questions will result in your firm not being considered as part of this market research. Can you briefly discuss your approach to providing the support required in Tasks 1 and 2 above? Briefly, identify past experience which demonstrates that your firm is qualified to perform work under the two (2) support tasks identified above. Please include points of contact and telephone numbers. Does your firm qualify to compete under a total small business set-aside under NAICS 541330, Engineering Consulting Services, and if a total small business set-aside is conducted will your firm compete? Is your firm registered in System for Award Management (SAM)? You must be registered in SAM to do business with the government. Please make sure your Reps and Certs are up to date in SAM. https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/ INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONENTS. Please address the two (2) support requirements and how they will be achieved, the 4 questions listed above and your qualifications to perform this work in your response. Your responses should be limited to five (5) pages in total and should be emailed into the Volpe Center. No hard copies will be accepted for this Sources Sought Notification. All inquiries on this Sources Sought Notification should be emailed to David Berger at david.berger@dot.gov. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS. This is for planning purposes only and is a market research tool to determine availability and capability of potential Small Business Sources. This is not a solicitation and in no way obligates the Government to award any contract. Additionally, any response to this sources sought notice is not a request to be added to a prospective bidders list or to receive a copy of any forthcoming solicitation. Please monitor www.Beta.SAM.gov for any modifications, changes and/or solicitation regarding this Sources Sought Notification. The Government will not reimburse responders for the cost of the submittals. Statements of Capability, your response, should be sent David Berger, Contracting Officer and Small Business Specialist by email only to david.berger@dot.gov.