SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- NEUTRAL BUOYANCY LABORATORY NBL SPACE VEHICLE MOCKUP FACILITY SVMFPROCUREMENT
- Notice Date
- 4/10/2009
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541712
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
- Contracting Office
- NASA/Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston Texas, 77058-3696, Mail Code: BH
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- NNJ09040809I
- Response Due
- 5/4/2009
- Archive Date
- 4/10/2010
- Point of Contact
- Cynthia W. Maclean, Contract Officer, Phone 281-244-5903, Fax 281-483-4066, - Michael W Duckworth, Contract Specialist, Phone 281-483-0937, Fax 281-483-4066, />
- E-Mail Address
-
cynthia.w.maclean@nasa.gov, michael.w.duckworth@nasa.gov<br
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- The NASA Johnson Space Center is planning to recompete the contract requirementsfor the current Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) Space Vehicle Mockup Facility (SVMF)Operations Contract (NSOC, NAS9-02102). The NBL and SVMF are key Agency assets thatsupport human space flight training and operations. Both facilities support the SpaceShuttle, International Space Station (ISS) and other future space programs. Both areoperated by JSCs Mission Operations Directorate (MOD). The current NAICS Code and SizeStandard are 541712 and 1,000 employees. The current NSOC contract is mainly completionform (cost-plus-award-fee), with an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ)feature that represents ~10 - 15% of the contract value. The NBL provides a unique environment to simulate micro-gravity using underwater neutralbuoyancy techniques. It provides capabilities for astronaut training, real-time missiontrouble-shooting, extravehicular activity (EVA) procedure development and verification,flight hardware development and verification, water survival training, and support ofexternal customers. Because of the NBLs importance to NASAs mission, and the highlyhazardous operations performed there, the NBL has high-visibility to Agency Managementand the general public. The NBL also includes a Logistics & Mockup Facility (LMF) thatprovides fabrication, repair, and upgrade of mockups for both the NBL and SVMF. The SVMF uses full-scale vehicle mockups, flight-like trainers, engineering test articlesand environmental simulators to provide a unique environment that closely emulates thephysical characteristics of crewed spacecraft. It provides capabilities for astronauttraining, real-time mission trouble-shooting, mission development, flight proceduresdevelopment and verification, flight vehicle sustaining engineering, developmentalengineering analysis, and support to external customers. The SVMF also has visibility toNASA management, the media and the general public. Both the NBL and SVMF support external customers; i.e., those from organizations outsideof MOD. These include other JSC Directorates (e.g., Engineering, Space Life Sciences, andPublic Affairs), other NASA field centers (e.g., KSC, MSFC), other government agencies(e.g., U.S. Coast Guard) or commercial companies. The support provided includes use ofthe NBL for submerged operations or water survival training, use of the SVMF for KSCground crew proficiency training, and the use of both facilities for media andeducational events. The mockups used in the NBL and SVMF are full-scale (1:1) models of spacecraft orspacecraft components. Depending on their purpose, mockups can vary from low fidelity,which models the basic volume and shape of the spacecraft/component, to high fidelitywhich very closely matches the look and feel of the spacecraft/component. Mockups canbe built to last briefly (e.g., for short-term engineering evaluations) or for manyyears. NBL mockups are usually made from stainless steel, composites and plastics. SVMFmockups often use steel and aluminum in addition to composites and plastics. The intent of this RFI is to solicit comments from industry and to solicit capabilitystatements from qualified companies. The current NSOC Statement of Work and otherpertinent documents are located in the technical library on the procurement websitehttp://procurement.jsc.nasa.gov/nsoc/index.htm. These documents are for informationand planning purposes and to allow industry the opportunity to verify reasonableness andfeasibility of the requirement, as well as promote competition.Industry is invited to provide inputs in the following specific areas:1. Identify barriers to competition that could be mitigated to foster a morecompetitive environment for this procurement. 2.Contract Type and Performance: Please provide your view regarding what type ofcontract provides the best approach for this type of work.How should the risks versus rewards be shared by the Government and contractor?How does the proposed contract type incentivize the contractor to perform high qualitywork at a reasonable price? Discuss your views specific to this contract regardingincentive fees, award fee, award term and/or other appropriate incentives for contractorperformance in terms of: 1) fixed price requirements; 2) cost type requirements. 3.Suggest any portions of this procurement for which fixed price contracting couldbe utilized. Discuss your rationale for each and your thoughts on the feasibility ofeach. In addition, how can NASA design/structure the fixed price portions of the contract to:1) ensure outstanding facility safety and operations safety are maintained; 2) protectthe ability of the contractor to respond rapidly and effectively to facility oroperational anomalies; 3) maintain the flexibility needed to handle unplanned workwithout invoking excessive cost or contracting delays (the duration of such unplannedwork may vary from a few hours to several days); and 4) ensure that small business goalsare met or exceeded. Discuss all alternatives you would like NASA to consider.4.Discuss any factors that should be considered when determining contract lengthand any resulting contract duration recommendations. 5. What metrics could NASA use to monitor the contractors performance on: 1) the fixedprice portions; 2) the portions that are not fixed price? 6.Discuss ways in which NASA could design/structure this procurement to maximizecost control during the design and fabrication of mockups, while retaining theflexibility to make affordable requirements changes as required. Discuss allalternatives you would like NASA to consider.7.Discuss ways in which NASA could design/structure this procurement to maximizesynergy by combining similar work at both facilities; e.g., processes, labor resources,mockup design and fabrication skills. Discuss all alternatives you would like NASA toconsider.8.NASA is considering ways to increase the use of the NBL and SVMF by externalcustomers, on a mission non-interference basis, as a potential means of reducinglong-term costs. Discuss any changes that NASA might need in processes, procedures and operatingstandards to successfully attract more external customers. What industry standards shouldNASA adopt? What special terms or conditions would NASA need to accept? Discuss ideas andincentives to encourage the contractors efforts to find additional external customersfor the NBL. 9.Recommend process improvements and efficiencies, both in the acquisition phaseand the performance phase, along with identification of non-value-added steps. NASA/JSC is also soliciting information about potential offerors including largebusinesses, Small Businesses (SBs), Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SDBs) 8(a), HUBZones,Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSBs), Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSBs),Service-DisabledVeteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs), and Historically Black Collegesand Universities/Minority Institutions (HBCU/MIs) that are potential sources for thisrequirement. Interested organizations are requested to submit their capabilities andqualifications to perform the effort. Responses must include the following: name andaddress of firm, size of business; average annual revenue for past 3 years and number ofemployees; ownership; whether they are large,SB, SDB, 8(a), HubZone, WOSB, VOSB, SDVOSB,and HBCU/MI; number of years in business; affiliate information such as parent company or joint venture partners; list of customers covering the past five years (highlightrelevant work performed, contract numbers, contract type, dollar value of eachprocurement; and point of contact - address and phone number). Specific engineeringexamples of relevant experience, including detailed descriptions, are recommended. Weintend to release the names, addresses, and points of contact of all respondents unlessspecifically requested not to do so by the respondent. Questions should be directed byemail to the Contracting Officer.In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot beaccepted by the Government to form a binding contract.The Government is under noobligation to issue a solicitation or to award any contract on the basis of this RFI. The Government will not pay for any information solicited. No evaluation letters and/orresults will be issued to the respondents. You are requested to provide electronicresponses via e-mail to the Contracting Officer listed at the end of this synopsis. Yourresponse is required by 4:00 p.m. CDT on May 4, 2009. No solicitation exists; therefore,do not request a copy of the solicitation. If a solicitation is released it will besynopsized in FedBizOpps and on the NASA Acquisition Internet Service. It is thepotential offerors responsibility to monitor these sites for the release of anysolicitation or synopsis. The Government intends to review the responses submitted byIndustry. This data will not be shared outside the Government. The Government may usethis data to refine requirements. Data that is submitted as part of Industrys responsethat is marked Proprietary will not be reviewed.
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