SPECIAL NOTICE
59 -- Commericial Satellite Communications (COMSATCOM) Pathfinder #2 RFI
- Notice Date
- 3/23/2016
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- NAICS
- 334220
— Radio and Television Broadcasting and Wireless Communications Equipment Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Air Force, Air Force Space Command, SMC - Space and Missile Systems Center, 483 North Aviation Blvd, El Segundo, California, 90245-2808
- ZIP Code
- 90245-2808
- Solicitation Number
- FA8808-16-R-0001
- Archive Date
- 4/22/2016
- Point of Contact
- Andrew Donlin, Phone: 310-653-9167, Angela Walker, Phone: 310-653-9664
- E-Mail Address
-
andrew.donlin.1@us.af.mil, angela.walker.15@us.af.mil
(andrew.donlin.1@us.af.mil, angela.walker.15@us.af.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- The US Government is seeking to conduct additional market research and solicit industry feedback in regards to Pathfinder #2 through a Request for Information (RFI). 1.0 COMSATCOM Pathfinder #2 (PF#2): The basic COMSATCOM Pathfinder #2 acquisition is a FAR Part 12, Firm Fixed Price competitive acquisition of two pre-launch, Ku-band, offeror-selected transponders. The government will then trade the value of the two transponders for immediate access to the Commercial Satellite (COMSAT) provider's constellation of COMSAT "pooled bandwidth." U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM) will be the primary manager of the pooled bandwidth. 1.1 Investment Approach: The purchase involves an offeror-selected transponder to increase the range of competitive product choice that can best incorporate transponder/satellite system design change. Purchase of the transponder affords multiple purposes. It demonstrates a long term investment within a constellation, it provides a platform for transponder component demonstration, and it provides a commercial capability to trade for pooled global bandwidth across an operator's fleet. 1. 2 Buy and Trade Affordability Concept: The primary goals of Pathfinder #2 are to achieve affordability and flexibility of satellite communications for the U.S. Government (USG). The USAF will purchase two pre-launch transponders and trade their value for access to the COMSAT provider's bandwidth pool. This will result in affordability and flexibility for the USG. 1. 3 Execution of Bandwidth Allocation: Once the contract is awarded, STRATCOM will manage the bandwidth and will determine which users will have access to the bandwidth. SMC will initially manage the contract and may transfer the contract to DISA after one year. 1. 4 Enhancements: The USAF will require companies that are bidding for the Pathfinder #2 contract to implement CNSSP-12 compliance and an anti-burnout enhancement on a future satellite in their constellation. The purpose of including these enhancements to the Pathfinder #2 contract award is to influence industry to meet government standards. The end goal is to influence industry to include these enhancements on all future satellites in order to meet military resilience communications needs. The USAF is seeking feedback on the following questions regarding the enhancements: 1) Is the burnout resistance to a 130 dBW Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP) ground transmitter requirement feasible? If not, what recommendations does industry have for acceptable EIRP requirement? 2) What are your budget estimates or Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) to implement this requirement at 130dBW or an alternate level of performance? Additionally, are there any Non-Recurring Engineering (NRE) versus Recurring Engineering (RE) differences? 2.0 Pooled Bandwidth: The Total Bandwidth Pool of operator-controlled on-orbit transponder assets is a construct that bounds the available bandwidth, coverage area, and duration that the USG can access the offered COMSATCOM services. The amount (in MHz-Months) of the Total Bandwidth Pool is determined by each Offeror in the response to the Request for Proposal (RFP). Total Bandwidth Pool size will most likely be based on each Offeror's unique business case and strategy. The Total Bandwidth Pool consists of the sum of the Reserved Bandwidth Pool and the Subject to Availability (STA) Bandwidth Pool. The Reserved Bandwidth Pool is dedicated to USG for the contract period of performance, whose coverage area is a subset of Continental United States (CONUS). The STA Bandwidth Pool is bandwidth that is allocated to USG on an as-needed and as-available basis over the Offeror's fleet. Accounting of the Reserved Bandwidth Pool is straightforward. Since the proposed amount of Reserved bandwidth in MHz will be fixed over the contractual period, as time progresses, the Reserved Bandwidth Pool will expire linearly with time. For example, if the Offeror proposes 132 MHz per month of Reserved Bandwidth for 60 calendar months, then every month will result in a deduction of 132 MHz-Months from the Reserved Bandwidth Pool. The STA Bandwidth Pool will have a starting balance of exactly 1200 MHz-Months, with usable bandwidth as defined by typical commercial specifications and performance. The accounting of the use of the STA Bandwidth Pool is similar to balancing a bank account and shall be planned for completions within the same 60 calendar month window as the Reserved Bandwidth. As the USG utilizes the available COMSATCOM services from the chosen Offeror, the balance of the STA Bandwidth Pool will be drawn down on a per use basis. COMSATCOM services via STA bandwidth will be available to the USG until either the contract period of performance expires or the balance of the STA Bandwidth Pool is zero. The USAF requests specific feedback to several questions regarding the proposed bandwidth pool concept: 1) What feedback does industry have on the overall STA bandwidth concept? 2) How does industry think the STA request process should work? 3) Can industry meet a Reserved coverage area over CONUS? 4) Does industry have any additional feedback in regards to the coverage areas? 5) At least 120 MHz-Mo of Reserved Bandwidth is the baseline requirement. Is this reasonable? if not, what does industry suggest? 3.0 Bidder's Library: In preparation for the Draft Request for Proposal (RFP), a Bidder's Library will be established by the USAF. Details regarding access to the Bidder's Library is forthcoming. This library will be a consolidated database for documents related to the Pathfinder #2 RFP. The purpose is to keep the potential bidders up to date on any new information regarding the project. This information will be easy to access by industry to allow them to prepare for the RFP. 4.0 White Paper Classification : Respondents shall provide an unclassified response to this RFI. If the respondents wish for their responses to be treated as proprietary, then the respondents shall indicate whether their responses contain proprietary information. 5.0 White Paper Format : Responses shall not exceed ten (10) pages. Information contained in the previous PF#2 RFI response need not be repeated. The Government will not consider pages in excess of ten (10) pages. Page size shall be 8.5 x 11; text font size shall be no smaller than 11pt; font size within graphics and tables shall be no smaller than 8 pt. The White Paper front matter such as transmittal letter, cover page, and table of contents will not count against the page limit. The Government will not accept company literature or marketing materials in response to this RFI. 6.0 Small Business Consideration: The NAICS code for this project is 334220 - Satellite Communications Equipment Manufacturing. The Applicable Classification Code is "59- Electrical and Electronic Components". The small business size standard is 750 employees. However, only companies able to meet the stringent schedule and technical requirements as satellite operators (holders of spectrum filings) should respond to this RFI. Small Business companies with the capability to perform this requirement are encouraged to participate. If you are interested only in subcontracting opportunities please indicate this fact clearly in your submission. If you have an alternate NAICS code that you believe is applicable to this request, please indicate this in your response. 7.0 Group and Individual Teleconferences: In addition to the White Paper response, Industry is encouraged to set up a one on one teleconference with the Pathfinder #2 team. Please contact Lt Donlin to schedule a time. 8.0 Response Due Date: 1600 PDT, 7 April 2016. 9.0 Submission Instructions: Submit an electronic copy in either PDF format or Microsoft Word format to Lt Andrew Donlin, at andrew.donlin.1@us.af.mil by the Response Due Date. 10.0 Questions: All communication associated with this RFI shall be submitted via email to Lt Andrew Donlin, at andrew.donlin.1@us.af.mil. 11.0 Points of Contact: 11.1 Primary : Lt Andrew Donlin, andrew.donlin.1@us.af.mil or (310) 633-9167 11.2 Contracting : Ms. Angela Walker, angela.walker.15@us.af.mil or (310) 633-9664 12.0 DECLARATION: This synopsis is not a formal solicitation. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this synopsis, or to otherwise pay for the information solicited herein. Responses will be used by the Government for informational purposes only as part of its acquisition planning. Information obtained from responses to this RFI will not be used to exclude potential future bidders on the COMSATCOM acquisition.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/USAF/AFSC/SMCSMSC/FA8808-16-R-0001/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: N/A, N/A, United States
- Record
- SN04059889-W 20160325/160323235251-f8dcdfb6a38ea01a5f8882f8ab7a9484 (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 |