SOLICITATION NOTICE
A -- Tent Network for Technology Implementation (TENTNET) - DSCP
- Notice Date
- 3/14/2005
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 541710
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences
- Contracting Office
- Defense Logistics Agency, Logistics Operations, Defense Supply Center Philadelphia - Local Support, 700 Robbins Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, 19111-5096
- ZIP Code
- 19111-5096
- Solicitation Number
- BAA-05-0002
- Response Due
- 5/4/2005
- Archive Date
- 5/19/2005
- Description
- 1. Background: The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA)/Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP) is seeking interested parties to become partners of the TENTNET I program (herein referred to as TENTNET). The purpose of the TENTNET is to make significant improvements in surge capabilities of military tentage products/systems by reduced lead-time, and improved availability with equal or improved quality and equal or reduced costs. Members of TENTNET will be required to actively participate in scheduled workshops, meetings and short-time collaborative projects for the expressed purposes of arriving at scientific and technical solutions to improve the response of the military tentage industry and its supply chain to meet DLA needs. These projects will improve manufacturing and supply chain logistics capabilities with the objective of enhancing DLA?s capability to provide logistics support to its customers. It is DLA/DSCP?s mission to ensure the combat readiness and sustainment of American?s fighting forces by providing world-class logistical support of goods and services in peace and in war. It is through the efforts of the TENTNET program that we seek to advance these essential shelter services to our war fighters around the globe. The focus of this program is to focus on the manufacturing and supply chain logistics functions associated with military tents/shelters managed by the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP). This focus addresses all aspects of the military tentage supply chain while recognizing that the program success depends on the integration of military tentage suppliers into the military supply chain in terms of both peacetime and surge requirements. To accomplish this TENTNET must develop the tools to assist DLA/DSCP in managing inventories and develop the decision support capability and the methodology to improve the manufacturing surge capability and replenishment process. The focus of this Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) is to build on existing efforts of the various Military Services and DLA/DSCP in military tentage supply chain management and identify and explore expanded manufacturing and supply chain logistics capabilities for military tent and shelters. 2. General Information: The TENTNET program is projected to be a $1.5 million per year DLA Research & Development (R&D) effort focused on improving DLA?s ability to meet operational tentage requirements, now and in the future. The period of performance of the contemplated program is expected to be 7 years with a 3 year base period and two 2-year option periods. Interested parties are required to submit a proposal that consists of a Proposed Short Term Project and a section that separately addresses the factors identified in the proposal evaluation criteria section of this BAA. The Short Term Project should provide information which demonstrates the Offeror?s capabilities to meet the evaluation criteria. The purpose of the proposal is to evaluate the offeror?s ability to plan, perform and implement a Short Term Project. Technical Proposals in response to this BAA shall be no longer than twenty five (25) pages. (Pages should be 8 ? x11? with at least a one-inch margin on all sides, using Times New Roman font on 12 pt. size or larger in body text.) Offeror shall submit 10 copies of their proposal and 2 copies of the Cost Proposal (cost proposal shall be a separate volume). The primary objective of this program is for TENTNET partners to work with government representatives and network with each other to identify, initiate and complete short-term projects that develop and adapt modern manufacturing and supply logistics technologies to be implemented within the industrial base to assure the prompt and sustained availability, quality and affordability of military tentage. Subject to the availability of funds, a total Government investment for about $1.5 million per year for 7 years is planned during Fiscal Years 2005-2011. This investment will be for funding of partnership contracts and future short-term projects (STPs). It is anticipated that partners chosen to participate will be eligible to receive an estimated amount of $15,000 per calendar year for authorized travel and related costs for participation in and attendance of TENTNET workshops. Offerors must submit the hard copies with an electronic file of the full proposal and refer to BAA 05-0002 by 3:00 P.M. local Philadelphia time on May 4, 2005, to DSCP-Business Opportunities Office, Bldg. 36, 2nd floor, 700 Robbins Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111 in order to be considered. No additional information is available, nor will a formal RFP or other solicitation regarding this announcement be issued. The Government reserves the right to select for award all, some, or none of the proposals received. This is an unrestricted acquisition. All responsible sources capable of satisfying the Government?s needs may submit a proposal, which shall be considered by DLA. DSCP encourages industry, educational institutions, small businesses, small disadvantaged business concerns, and historically black colleges and universities and minority institutions to submit proposals under this BAA. However no portion of this BAA will be set-aside for HBCU and MI participation due to the impracticality of reserving discrete or severable areas of research in this technology. For purposes of this acquisition, the small business size standard is 500 employees and North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is 541710, Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering and Life Sciences. All correspondence and questions on this solicitation, including request for information on how to submit a proposal to this BAA, should be directed to the point of contact listed in the synopsis; email or fax is preferred. Proposals MAY NOT BE submitted by fax or EMAIL; any so sent will be disregarded. It is the Government?s intention to award ?partner? contracts based upon the short term project task proposed that demonstrate knowledge, experience, and expertise in the technical areas of interest identified below. The offeror?s proposal must demonstrate an understanding in one or more of those technical areas of interest, or an area directly related to but not listed. Proposals must provide information on past performance, which reflects related efforts and/or achievements, technological aptitude, management support, and potential contribution and relevance to DLA?s mission. The submitted STP will be used for evaluation purposes only and may or may not be awarded. Future STP?s submitted by selected partners will be evaluated using the same evaluation criteria listed in this BAA. 3. Areas of Interest: The potential technical areas of interest include, but are not limited to, supply chain integration, asset visibility, (quality and quantity recognition), materials, systems, manufacturing methods and procedures, software tools, operations processes, equipment, devices, and quality assurance for military tents and tent systems. Successful offerors will be required to develop Short Term Projects (STPs) to address all, or selected aspects, of one or more of the above areas of and the DLA integrated supply chain for Military Tentage. The vision of this R&D effort encompasses manufacturing, system integration and process management of all aspects of the military tentage supply chain. Please note that another DLA sponsored program, the Apparel Research Network (ARN), has ongoing major initiatives in the area of supply chain management in the capture of accurate consumption data, asset visibility for management of supply chain inventories, and automation of supplier processes. Offerors should not propose any STP which would duplicate or overlap the efforts already underway and results achieved under the ARN. ARN will expand its scope to incorporate all tentage and related items to its existing and developing systems. (For further details please go the ARN web site: ARN2.com) The initial award under the TENTNET will be a core Partner contract, which provides opportunities for Partners to further interact with government representatives and to work with other Partners to develop and further refine valid STPs for future awards. Each organization participating in the performance of this program is a partner in the TENTNET. The collection of these partners is known as the TENTNET. The Government?s preference for partner prior experience is in domestic manufacturing capability for military and/or commercial tentage and related products. Each partner is required to bring specific technical expertise that lends itself to significant improvements of the military tent industry?s ability to meet DLA tentage needs. The focus of TENTNET is for all partners to actively and continuously assist DLA in improving its ability to meet/exceed a varying range of military requirements through research, development and technology transfer efforts as they apply to the tentage and related industries. All TENTNET research and development efforts are expected to improve manufacturing and supply chain logistics capabilities by identifying targets for improvement, with the final goal being shorter lead times, higher throughput, reduced inventory and overhead costs, and improved quality. Improved production methods for military and civilian products that enhance producer flexibility are desirable. Proposed research and development should investigate innovative approaches that enable significant advances in manufacturing technology, devices or systems and then describe a path for implementation in the manufacturing facilities and its supply chain of tent and related items producers. The program and this call for proposals consist of a Tent Network for Technology Implementation (TENTNET) partnerships. The TENTNET consists of a group of individual organizations participating in the program, each of which is a partner in the TENTNET. The network of organizations includes, but is not limited to, universities, tent manufacturers, equipment manufacturers, equipment suppliers, material suppliers, and software developers. Each potential TENTNET partner is required to bring a specific tent and related product manufacturing/operations technical expertise to advance the state-of-the-art of technology and to facilitate its implementation into the military tent industry and supply chain that supports the military needs. Primary consideration in the selection of a TENTNET partner will be the relevancy of the offeror?s past and present manufacturing and logistics related experience and technical expertise as it relates to the potential for significantly improving the military tent industry?s ability to meet DLA requirements. Each year the TENTNET partners will be required to attend Government sponsored workshops for the purpose of participating in the TENTNET process of 1)planning technical strategy; 2)identifying, developing and performing STPs and; 3)reporting to the government program management of the TENTNET. Each partner will be reimbursed for their attendance at these workshops and other related TENTNET meetings. Allowable and allocable reimbursable costs will include airfare, direct labor, car rentals/taxis/shuttles and a per diem for food and incidentals in accordance with the Federal Joint Travel Regulations. As part of the contract performance requirements, partners will be required to submit research ideas for implementation of short-term projects. A short-term project is defined as a collaborative applied research and development effort aimed at improving specific elements of the military tentage production cycle with a clear technological application and implementation process. The duration of a typical STP is under 24 months. Prior to initiating performance of STPs, all research ideas/proposals that may be submitted by any partner may be presented at a Government sponsored workshop for review and approval. In response to the research idea presented, and at the Government?s discretion, a funded delivery order or modification may be awarded under the TENTNET core partner contract for the execution of the STP with emphasis on implementation of results. Partners who are conducting STPs will be required to submit monthly progress and financial reports and a final technical report. The statement of work and resulting contract modification will specify requirements, including Contract Data Requirements. The following format (Paragraph 1 through 6) ? outlines the offeror?s minimal requirements for submitting research short term projects (STPs). Each proposed STP will include the following: (1) Degree to which proposed new and creative solutions to technical issues are important to the DSCP/DLA Tent Industrial Base program and can be implemented in the supply chain (see potential technical areas of interests identified above). (2) Feasibility and the offeror's understanding of the technical objectives and proposed approach. (3) The offeror's ability to achieve and implement results with the proposed approach, as demonstrated by earlier specific contractor accomplishments in the technical fields involved, by availability of qualified personnel, and by availability of appropriate facilities. Additionally, explain how the project will be managed, how results will be demonstrated, and how success will be measured. Address management organization, tools, controls, methodologies, milestone events and performance duration and describe suitable alternatives to establish a pathway for technology transfer. (4) The degree to which technical data and/or computer software (where applicable) will need to be developed under the proposed STP, and the processes to monitor and control new process devices and equipment. (All technical data and/or computer software developed under the proposed contract are to be delivered to the Government with unrestricted rights.) CAUTION: Any development of software is subject to review and approval by DLA against the BSM program for compatibility (e.g. duplication of effort, functionality and operability.) Address technical methodologies and technology transfer mechanisms that will be utilized to solve the problem and demonstrate the realism of the timetable and risks (time, cost, risk of failure) associated with the approach. In the technical proposal of your STP identify the portions that you intend to perform in house and the portions that you intend to subcontract, if any. (5) Proposed estimated cost and duration. Costs of actual STPs will be viewed not only in relation to the prospective value of the proposal, but also to the availability and level of Government funding for the TENTNET program. (If the submitted proposal?s dollar value is estimated to be over $500,000, large business concerns are required to submit a Small Business/Small Disadvantaged Business Subcontracting Plan.) (6) Inclusion of a tangible or intangible cost/benefits for the proposed effort. PROPOSAL EVALUATION This section identifies the evaluation criteria for TENTNET proposals. The selection of multiple sources for contract awards will be based on a technical review by designated Government representatives of all proposals submitted in response to this BAA. Proposals will not be evaluated against each other since they are not submitted in accordance with a common work statement. The major purpose of the evaluation will be to determine relevancy of the offeror?s past performance, relative technical merit, management approach, and the probability of implementing results for the benefit of DLA. The Government will evaluate all proposals in accordance with the following criteria set forth below. It is the Government?s intent to make multiple awards to TENTNET partners, among industry and academia. The actual number of contract awards will be commensurate with all evaluation results; and consideration of those respondents which provide the most promising and beneficial proposals within the technical areas of consideration, and as funding will permit. PROPOSAL EVALUATION CRITERIA Evaluation of proposals will be accomplished through a detailed review of each proposal using the following criteria. THESE CRITERIA ARE LISTED IN DESCENDING ORDER OF RELATIVE IMPORTANCE WITH THE FIRST BEING THE MOST IMPORTANT AND THE LAST BEING THE LEAST IMPORTANT. (1) Experience and Past Performance in or supporting the tent and related product industry. (2) Scientific/technical approach and related experience (3) RELATED EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES (4) ORGANIZATIONAL AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT (1) Experience and Past Performance in or Supporting the Tent and Related Product Industry: Offerors must have experience in manufacturing or supply chain logistics in or supporting the tent and related product industry. This experience can be with either commercial or Government products. Offerors shall describe their track record in dealing with the tentage industry (manufacturers, suppliers, government agencies, etc.) or other similarly complex research, development and acquisition activity. Offerors must provide at least three and up to five of their largest accounts/contracts within the last three years for which they have provided services and/or supplies of a nature consistent with this program and the needs of the military tent industry. Offerors shall include at least two (2) points of contact and a telephone number for each account/contract, a description of the service or supply which was provided as well as a brief performance history on each of those accounts/contracts. Where related work was performed with teaming partners, provide points of contact of teaming members to include company name, individuals and phone numbers. If no past performance related to the military tentage industry is available, offerors shall describe their track record in dealing with their comparable major customers and shall include similar supplemental information to that requested above for the military tentage industry. The offerors must demonstrate a direct relationship between their capability and the Defense Logistics Agency?s ability to supply the needed items in a timely and cost effective manner. (2) Scientific/Technical Approach and Related Experience: Offerors must provide information on their technical approach within the proposed STP. STPs will be in any of the listed or related technical areas of interest and will include all of the requirements for submitting research Short Term Projects (see above) including information pertaining to prior significant and related work experience that directly supports the proposed approach. (3) Related Equipment and Facilities: Offerors must include a summary of all equipment and facilities (e.g., manufacturing equipment, packaging, quality assurance, testing, modeling/simulation) which may contribute to the capabilities of the TENTNET should the offeror be selected as a partner. (4) Organizational and Program Management: Offerors must provide evidence of how the contract will be managed and that its organizational structure will ensure performance stability and reliable customer service and commitment to DLA and TENTNET for the duration of the contract performance period. Specifically, offerors must address those positions that would directly impact on contract performance and customer support, by naming key personnel to be made available during the contract and describing the duties of said key personnel. Offerors shall also identify a project coordinator that will be assigned and committed to the contract through the contract performance period, and include the detailed qualifications of that project coordinator. Offerors must address how this management structure will relate to the future submission and performance of STPs. Offerors should provide a direct labor charge for that individual(s) who is expected to be the primary representative to attend meetings, workshops or other related TENTNET functions. The contract will include a ?key personnel clause?. For a copy of the key personnel clause, please contact the point of contact as listed in this notice. An offeror?s proposal must clearly address how its core competency will result in its success as a TENTNET partner and in advancing the primary objective of the TENTNET program, which targets reduced lead time, increased throughput, improved performance/quality, asset visibility, and expedited delivery with equal or reduced costs. The relevance of the offeror's core competency and capability must demonstrate an understanding of the operational tentage environment, including the level/depth of interaction with relevant Government agencies. General Information To be eligible for award of a contract, all prospective offerors, with the exception of other government agencies, including state and local government agencies, must meet certain minimum standards pertaining to financial resources, adequacy of accounting systems, ability to comply with performance schedules, prior record of past performance, integrity, organization structure, experience, operational controls, technical skills, facilities and equipment. For additional information and guidance concerning qualifications and standards for responsibility of prospective contractors, please refer to Part 9 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). As soon as the proposal evaluation is completed, the offeror will be notified of selectability or non-selectability. Selectable proposals will be considered for funding; non-selectable proposals will be destroyed. (One copy of non-selectable proposals may be retained for file purposes). Not all proposals deemed selectable will be funded. Decisions to fund selectable proposals will be based on funds availability and merits of the proposal. Proposals may be considered for funding for a period of up to one year. The Government reserves the right to select for award all, some, or none of the proposals received. The Government contemplates award of cost reimbursement, or cost-plus-fixed-fee types of contracts under this BAA. Proposals based on a type of contract other than that contemplated will NOT be considered. A Pre-Proposal Conference will be held in the Philadelphia area and anticipate holding this meeting during the week of April 4th to explain and clarify the requirements of this solicitation and to respond to general questions raised by prospective offerors. Interested firms are encouraged to attend. If you plan to attend the pre-proposal conference, please send email to kathleen.arabia@dla.mil or fax Kathleen Arabia/DSCP-PBA at 215-737-7942 with the following information and you will be notified once the arrangements have been finalized with the date and location of the pre-proposal conference. (1) Name of Firm (2) Name and Title of Representative(s) who will attend (3) Address of Firm (4) Phone, Fax number and E-mail address Those needing room accommodations must contact the hotel directly. Prospective offerors are requested to submit questions in writing to the contracting officer, Kathleen Arabia at the address shown above by 15 days after the date of this announcement to allow for inclusion and discussion during the pre-proposal conference. Questions will be considered at any time prior to or during the conference. Responses to some questions may be incorporated in an amendment to the solicitation. The Government will not be liable for expenses incurred by an offeror prior to contract award. Offerors are cautioned that remarks and explanations provided at the conference shall not change the terms of this BAA unless the change(s) is amended in writing.
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