SPECIAL NOTICE
A -- ACC-O_TRMC_UAV-TETHER
- Notice Date
- 5/3/2024 12:13:39 PM
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- NAICS
- 541330
— Engineering Services
- Contracting Office
- W6QK ACC-ORLANDO ORLANDO FL 32826-3224 USA
- ZIP Code
- 32826-3224
- Response Due
- 6/3/2024 9:00:00 AM
- Archive Date
- 06/18/2024
- Point of Contact
- Troy Darling, Phone: 4073843760, Christopher L. Crouch, Phone: 4072083320
- E-Mail Address
-
troy.d.darling.civ@army.mil, christopher.l.crouch.civ@mail.mil
(troy.d.darling.civ@army.mil, christopher.l.crouch.civ@mail.mil)
- Description
- SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE INTRODUCTION: The U.S. Army Contracting Command - Orlando (ACC-Orlando) is issuing this Sources Sought Notice (SSN) on behalf of the Test Resource Management Center (TRMC), Test and Evaluation/Science and Technology (T&E/S&T) Program as a means of conducting market research to identify potential sources having an interest and industry technologies available to provide a proof of concept demonstrator for a tethered payload deployment system hosted on a an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of deploying/retrieving a sensor payload to/from the surface of the open ocean. The results of this market research activity will contribute to determining the method of procurement. Based on the responses to this Sources Sought Notice (market research), this requirement may be set-aside for small businesses (in full or in part) or procured through full and open competition. Multiple awards may be made. All small business set-aside categories will be considered. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted or acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided to companies regarding submissions. DISCLAIMER:� THIS SOURCES SOUGHT IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) TO BE SUBMITTED. IT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION AND SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT. RESPONSES IN ANY FORM ARE NOT OFFERS AND THE GOVERNMENT IS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO AWARD A CONTRACT AS A RESULT OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. NO FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE TO PAY FOR PREPARATION OF RESPONSES TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. ANY INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY RESPONDENTS TO THIS TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION IS STRICTLY VOLUNTARY. PROGRAM BACKGROUND:� The Government requires the ability to transmit and receive acoustic signals to enable command and control (C2) and geospatial survey of seabed sensor nodes deployed at abyssal depths in a pattern spanning several kilometers in breadth.� In order to decouple these C2 and survey tasks from large, crewed surface vessel support, the Government requires the ability to shift these tasks to a long endurance UAV capable of independent operation. �In this UAV-hosted scenario, the acoustic transducer payload must remain relatively stationary during a transmit/receive cycle and must have its position precisely measured in real time.� Additionally, the host UAV must be able to relocate the transducer payload to multiple points within the footprint of the seabed sensor nodes in order to complete the multilateration survey of the sensor nodes. The Government is seeking sources who have demonstrated capabilities directly related to: Designing and building tethered payload management systems for fixed wing UAVs Developing modeling and simulation (M&S) tools to predict the aerodynamic performance of tethers deploying from UAVs, to include: turbulence, drag, windshear, tether elasticity, etc. Developing flight control software for fixed wing UAVs deploying tethers REQUIRED CAPABILITIES: The Government requires prototype test technology to demonstrate the viability of deploying and retrieving a tethered payload from a fixed wing UAV to the surface of the ocean.� While a functional surrogate host UAV and a dummy mass surrogate acoustic transducer will be necessary for a demonstration of the capability, neither the UAV nor the transducer payload are within the design space of the effort.� The core deliverable is the tether subsystem itself, including the necessary control software and its integration with the host UAV autopilot. �The overall system must enable precise survey of the seabed sensor nodes by way of minimized payload motion at the surface of the ocean.� The Government will consider sources with the following attributes to be most compelling: Concise past performance summary relevant to the bullets listed in the Program Background section above Phased plan of action to move from M&S to rapid sub-scale prototype demonstration with potential continuation to full-scale implementation Modular and scalable design approach to facilitate host-UAV agnostic integration Trade space discussion of integrated payload power and data with the mechanical tether M&S approach for assessing payload stability and sea state induced loads on the tether ACQUISITION STRATEGY - PLANNING INFORMATION: Contract Vehicle: The determination of Contract Vehicle and Small Business Set Aside or Full and Open Competition will not be established until market research has been completed and the Acquisition Strategy has been approved. North American Industry Classification System (NAICS): The applicable NAICS and Product Service Code (PSC) entries for this requirement are shown below in Table 1 and Table 2. Table 1. Applicable NAICS Entries. Code Description 334511 Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing 336413 Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing 541330 Engineering Services 541715 Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) Table 2. Applicable PSC Entries. Code Description AC12 National Defense R&D Services; Department of Defense - Military; Applied Research AC13 National Defense R&D Services; Department of Defense - Military; Experimental Development 1670 Parachutes; Aerial Pick Up, Delivery, Recovery Systems; and Cargo Tie Down Equipment 1680 Miscellaneous Aircraft Accessories and Components *NOTE 01:� The current SBA Table of Small Business Size Standards was updated 17 March 2023; since the beginning of 2022, the SBA has regularly updated the table to account for inflation.� Businesses must update their SAM.gov profiles in order to have their small business status reflects the most current small business size standards.� Until updated, the SAM profiles will continue to display the small business status under outdated size standards. *NOTE 02: In accordance with 13 C.F.R. 121.104, the current calculation for dollar (monetary) value based NAICS codes is average total receipts over the last five (5) completed fiscal years *NOTE 03:� In accordance with 13 C.F.R. 121.106, the current calculation for employee based NAICS codes is average number of employees used for each pay period for the preceding completed 24 calendar months.� Contract Type: The determination of Contract Type will not be established until market research has been completed and the Acquisition Strategy has been approved. SUBMISSION DETAILS: Interested businesses shall submit a capability statement (10 pages maximum) that demonstrating their ability to fulfill the functions and tasks described herein.� Your response to this Sources Sought Notice shall be electronically submitted to the Contract Specialist via email, troy.d.darling.civ@army.mil, with a copy (Cc) to the Technical Point of Contract (TPOC) via email, laura.k.crowley.civ@us.navy.mil, no later than 4:00 p.m. (EST) on 3 June 2024 and reference the System for Award management (SAM) notice number and title in the subject line of the e-mail and on all enclosed documents. �Responses shall either use most current Microsoft Office compatible format (.xlsx, .docx or .pptx) or Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro (.pdf) formats.� Responses shall be in sufficient detail for the Government to determine that your business possesses the necessary functional area expertise and experience to compete for this acquisition.� Information and materials submitted in response to this request WILL NOT be returned. �All information/materials received in response to this Sources Sought Notice that is marked or designated as corporate or proprietary will be fully protected from any release outside the Government.� DO NOT SUBMIT CLASSIFIED MATERIAL. Written responses to this Sources Sought Notice should consist of the following: Your firm's degree of familiarity and specific experience with development of tethered payload deployment systems (see Program Background and Required Capabilities sections above). Provide a tailored capability statements addressing the requirements of this notice, with appropriate documentation supporting claims of organizational and staff capability. A statement indicating if your firm is a large or small business under one of the NAICS codes listed above in Table 1; if small business, please indicate any applicable socio-economic status [i.e., 8a, Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB), HUBZone, Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), or Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB)]. If you plan on subcontracting to other companies in order to deliver technical capability, please provide details on exactly which tasks will be assigned to those subcontractors; in addition, provide the names of those anticipated subcontractors, and list the anticipated percentage of small business subcontracting.� An itemized Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) cost for each requirement listed above. Proof of fixed wing host platform tethered payload deployment system development is required (i.e., contract number and customer POC information or peer reviewed research paper, host platform information, number of tether deployments executed, payload attributes, etc.). *NOTE (LIMITATIONS ON SUBCONTRACTING):� If you are a small business interested in being the prime contractor for this effort, please be advised that FAR clause 52.219-14 (Limitations on Subcontracting) (DEVIATION 2021-O0008) was updated in September 2021.� The current clause adds the definition of �Similarly Situated Entity� and the 50% calculation for compliance with the clause.� Small business prime contractors may now count �first tier subcontractor� work performed by a �Similarly Situated Entity� as if it were performed by the prime contractor itself.� To assist in our market research and set-aside determination for this effort, if you are a small business interested in priming this effort and plan to utilize a �Similarly Situated Entity� to meet the Limitations on Subcontracting requirements, please identify the name & Unique Entity ID/CAGE Code of the specific firm(s) you intend to partner/subcontract with to meet the requirements as well as their SB size status under the NAICS that you as the prime would assign for their workshare. �Information regarding any planned �Similarly Situated Entity� should be included in answering any questions outlined in the SSN in order to assist the Government's capability determination.
- Web Link
-
SAM.gov Permalink
(https://sam.gov/opp/e12346dd3ec847b68b954c650a76ed1c/view)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Orlando, FL, USA
- Country: USA
- Country: USA
- Record
- SN07052427-F 20240505/240503230036 (samdaily.us)
- Source
-
SAM.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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