SOURCES SOUGHT
K -- This RFI is to conduct market research used to support procurement of Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) technology for the refinement of, and eventual use in, the Water in a Box (WiaB) sustainable tactical water prototype.
- Notice Date
- 12/23/2014
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541330
— Engineering Services
- Contracting Office
- ACC-APG - Aberdeen Division D, ATTN: AMSSB-ACC-A, 4118 Susquehanna Avenue, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21005-3013
- ZIP Code
- 21005-3013
- Solicitation Number
- REF01-R-15-WIAB
- Response Due
- 2/9/2015
- Archive Date
- 3/11/2015
- Point of Contact
- stanford williams, 703-704-7025
- E-Mail Address
-
ACC-APG - Aberdeen Division D
(stanford.williams.civ@mail.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Notice This Sources Sought Notice(SS)/Request for information (RFI) is for planning purposes, and is not to be considered an invitation for bid, request for quotation, or as an obligation on the part of the Government to acquire any products or services. No reimbursement will be a made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this SS/RFI or any follow up information request. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation of the information they provide. No questions will be taken on the SS/RFI. No contract award will be made on the basis of responses received. The information will be used in a Market Research Report assessment of sources capable of providing professional support services in support of the Rapid Equipping Force (REF). Therefore, no late submissions will be considered in the development of the Market Research Report. Response Instructions Responses should be emailed to Mr. Joseph Rozmeski, joseph.j.rozmeski.civ@mail.mil, at the REF by the response date listed above. Description Military action conducted by units in Afghanistan and other contingency areas often requires operations by small, specialized units in austere, remote outposts. As part of its Water to the Tactical Edge initiative, the REF has developed a WiaB integrated system prototype. The purpose of WiaB is to mitigate the logistical challenges and costs associated with providing water for the Army's small units in remote locations while diminishing the impact on local populations and the environment. This integrated, modular system is comprised of Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) and Government-Off-The-Shelf (GOTS) components and will reduce the logistical challenges associated with water delivery by purifying, monitoring, and packaging locally available fresh, brackish, and/or sea water. The WiaB prototype currently provides the deployed company commander with an integrated system capable of producing the daily requirement of potable water from fresh, brackish or seawater sources. After both ultraviolet and chlorine disinfection, the drinking water can be distributed in bulk for in-camp use (cooking, hygiene, etc) or packaged into 3-liter CamelBak inserts for personal consumption. The current WiaB system has completed its first developmental spiral. This spiral included component ruggedization and integration, technical demonstration, performance/safety testing and certification, operational demonstration, and initial operational assessment. WiaB is currently undergoing a long-term (one year) user assessment by equipped U.S. Army units. Continued input from the operators will be assessed and included as appropriate in a second developmental spiral, WiaB Spiral II. For WiaB Spiral II, the REF is seeking to improve upon the initial capability by identifying commercial solutions that can meet the following capabilities, tasks, and attributes: Water Production oWater purification to meet Army Technical Bulletin Medical 577 (TB MED 577) and National Science Foundation (NSF) Protocol 248 Conversion of fresh, brackish, and seawater to potable water meeting water quality standards in accordance with (IAW) TB MED 577 and NSF Protocol 248 Capable of producing a minimum of one-day supply of potable water for up to 150 personnel IAW the Force Development Directorate, U.S. Army Combined Arms Support Command Water Planning Guidelines (minimum of 1,100 gallons within 20 hours) oWater disinfection to meet TB MED 577 standards Automatic chlorination post-purification to meet TB MED 577 standards Manual chlorination during potable water storage oPackaging and bulk distribution Support TB MED 577 requirements for potability Capable of minimizing airborne contamination Capable of producing a minimum of one-day supply of packaged potable water for up to 150 personnel IAW the Force Development Directorate, U.S. Army Combined Arms Support Command Water Planning Guidelines (7.27 gallons per day (gpd) per soldier) Interim holding tank capable of supporting the production and distribution of potable water Water Pouching oVariable pouch sizing Bag design/sizing that facilitates use during military operations oAbility to de-chlorinate/re-chlorinate Provide baseline water for pouching Provide adequate shelf life IAW TB MED 577 and short-term Military Field Water Standards (MFWS) oAutomatic date stamp per pouch Ability to track production date throughout shelf life to ensure short term potability (STP) standards are met oMinimum production rate must support daily potable water requirement Meet required individual consumption rates IAW Water Planning Guidelines oPouch durability The containerized water bags shall meet a four-foot drop testing without degradation to the container structure. Water Quality Oversight oReal time monitoring capability for water parameters required by TB MED 577 As a minimum, monitoring for Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), pH, and Free & Available Chlorine (FAC) Ability to monitor parameters at points post-disinfection and during storage oCapability to display and download water quality parameters Data display with the ability to interface with existing U.S. Army data transmission systems/processes and the ability to download data to accepted data storage devices oAbility to monitor water quality parameters regardless of flow rate Potential for in-line sensors oFailsafe to alert operators to water parameters outside acceptable potability standards Universal Use oUsability System components and procedures designed to ensure ease of operations MOS agnostic Requires only basic training for operations and routine maintenance Semi-autonomous operations Siting and setup in less than three hours Preparation and repack in less than two hours oMission Flexibility Ability to support expeditionary military logistics, Foreign Humanitarian, and Defense Support to Civil Authorities (DSCA) operations Operate across a wide variety of austere terrain Can be stored, transported, and operated across a range of weather, temperature, and humidity conditions oTransportability Towable by Modified Table of Organization & Equipment (MTOE) equipment within infantry companies Highly durable Air transportable via military air (MILAIR) or commercial air transport Sling loadable and air droppable Sea and land transportable via military or commercial road and rail No special cargo handling requirements oOperational Safety Compliant with DoD safety requirements Electromagnetic interference (EMI) IAW MIL-STD 461F oOperational Maintenance Ability to perform operational servicing and minor repair under field conditions No special tools required for servicing and minor repair oLogistical Support Ability to operate for three week periods in required operating environments with minimal logistical support Minimal proprietary technology No special tools required for setup, operation, and preparation for storage User friendly parts replacement with basic training Maximize wash and reuse of consumables Minimize hazardous materials (HAZMAT) and waste disposal oTrainability Minimal training required MOS-agnostic Train-the-trainer Onsite training User manual supported oPortability IAW MIL-STD 1472G oPower Requirements Capable of using multiple power sources (e.g., NATO compliant, etc.) Minimize power requirements (surge and steady-state) Requested Information: The submitted documentation and content becomes the property of the U.S. Government and will not be returned. The Government will not reimburse costs associated with the documentation submitted under this request. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this inquiry. Although solicitation terminology may appear in this inquiry, your response will be treated as information only and will not be used as a proposal. This notice is part of Government market research. Information received as a result of this request will be considered as sensitive and will be protected as such. Any company or industry proprietary information contained in responses should be clearly marked as such, by paragraph, such that publicly releasable and proprietary information are clearly distinguished. Any proprietary information received in response to this request will be properly protected from unauthorized disclosure. The Government will not use proprietary information submitted from any one source to establish the capability and requirements for any future acquisition, so as to inadvertently restrict competition. All information should be submitted by email to addresses provided above. If unable, please advise us by email and then forward paper copies/material to: Joseph Rozmeski 10236 Burbeck Road Ft. Belvoir, VA. 22060-5852 Responses which do not clearly and completely address the below requested information and series of questions will be considered as submitted for general informational purposes only, and not considered a demonstration of intent to submit a proposal to any eventual Request for Proposal (RFP). A lack of Small Business responses to this RFI must be treated as evidence of disinterest/incapability of Small Businesses to submit a proposal to any eventual RFP. Business Name: Business Address and webpage (if applicable): CAGE Code: Point of Contact: Description of the specific product/technology being offered for consideration including: oDescription of overarching vision for the effort oTable comparing vendor capabilities against all requested capabilities and specifications (even if not able to meet all specifications) provided within this RFI; include discussion of system integration capabilities; prefer table format for comparison against desired capabilities and specifications oHas your company performed this type of effort or similar effort (to include size and complexity) either currently or in the past to another Government agency or Non-Government customer? YES or NO oDescription of similar efforts ongoing or completed as such efforts map to the requested capabilities and specifications within this RFI; include identification of the associated government sponsor(s) oReferences with POC information to include name, organization, contract number, phone, and email of customers (preferably government) using comparable products oAvailability of spare parts and support services oPrice Size status(es) under this RFI's identified size standard (SB, 8a, SDVOSB, etc) If a different NAICS code appears more appropriate for this action, please provide the suggested code with an explanation as to why it is more appropriate. Note, your organization does not currently need to be registered under the NAICS to provide capabilities information in response to this RFI. Please estimate the maximum percentage of the overall requirement which your organization could perform with in-house resources. Consider the language at FAR Clause 52.219-14(c) -- Limitations on Subcontracting in your response. Upon any eventual release of a Request for Proposals, is your organization's intent to issue a proposal as Prime Contractor for this effort, or as a Subcontractor? Valid Accounting System 1. Since it is anticipated that any RFP and resulting award that would be made based on responses to this RFI will be a cost reimbursable type contract, the offeror would be required to provide documentation necessary to demonstrate that their accounting system is adequate in accordance with the requirement in FAR 16.301-3(a) with respect to cost type contracts. This requirement also applies to subcontractors if subcontractor costs are proposed on a cost reimbursable basis. (a) Please state whether your accounting system has been verified as adequate by the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) within the last three years? Yes or no. (b) If you answered quote mark Yes quote mark to question 4(a), you do not need to complete 4(b). If an offeror's accounting system has not been found adequate by DCAA or has NOT been examined by DCAA, the offeror will need to be in compliance with FAR 16.301-3(a). Guidance for providing documentary evidence regarding this requirement may be found on Standard Form (SF) 1408-14. Would your company be able to meet these minimum requirements? If so, how?
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/notices/e21865ee4e77c433b500c8cdd9a63bec)
- Place of Performance
- Address: ACC-APG - Aberdeen Division D ATTN: AMSSB-ACC-A, 4118 Susquehanna Avenue Aberdeen Proving Ground MD
- Zip Code: 21005-3013
- Zip Code: 21005-3013
- Record
- SN03603880-W 20141225/141223234941-e21865ee4e77c433b500c8cdd9a63bec (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
| FSG Index | This Issue's Index | Today's FBO Daily Index Page |