Hq Electronic System Center, Directorate of Contracting, R&D Contracting,(ESC/PKR), 104 Barksdale St, Hanscom AFB, MA 01731-1806

A -- OPERARATION OF THE GOOSEBAY IONOSPHERIC OBSERVATORY AT GOOSE BAY, LABRADOR, CANADA SOL F19628-96-R-0012 POC Karen M. Stone, Contracting Officer, 617-377-5914; POC: Patricia J. Forest, Contract Specialist, 617-377-4019. Notice of Contract Action for the purpose of issuing a full and open competitive solicitation to continue the operation and maintenance of the Goose Bay Ionospheric Observatory (GBIO) currently provided by FRONTEC under a subcontract from Canadian Commercial Corporation (Contract F19628-93-C-0215). The Ionospheric Effects Division, Phillips Laboratory Geophysics Directorate, Hanscom AFB, MA operates GBIO at Goose Bay, Labrador, Canada, for the study of the high latitude ionosphere. A contract will be negotiated for a continuation of the operation. The contractor will provide manpower, services, technical and administrative support to operate GBIO, operate and maintain instrumentation systems for the geophysical measurements on site for real time transmission to the Air Force 50th Weather Squadron (50WS). Instrumentation systems such as Digital Ionosonde AN/FMQ12, HF Backscatter radar, all sky photometer, ionospheric scientillation measuring receivers, and microprocessor based data acquisition systems will be operated and maintained. The work load is estimated to be one manyear per year with occasional night duty. Station experiences severe Arctic winter. Transportation and housing will be the responsibility of the contractor. Period of performance is estimated to be thirty-six (36) months to begin in the 4th quarter of FY96. Offerors interested in receiving a copy of the Request for Proposal should reference RFP No. F19628-96-R-0012 when submitting a letter request to the Electronic Systems Center (PKRC), ATTN: Patricia J. Forest, 104 Barksdale St, Hanscom AFB, MA 01731-1806. This acquisition was previously published in the Commerce Business Daily on 7 December 1995, referencing PR No. FY712196PL3034. Each offeror responding to this synopsis is requested to submit with its reply a name and telephone number for a point of contact. Any offeror who was initially judged to be unqualified in response to the Sources Sought will be provided a copy of the solicitation upon request and any offer such a firm might submit will be evaluated without prejudice. All responsible sources may submit a proposal which shall be considered by the agency. An Ombudsman has been appointed to hear concerns from offerors or potential offerors during the proposal development phase of this acquisition. The purpose of the Ombudsman is not to diminish the authority of the program director or contracting officer, but to communicate offeror concerns, issues, disagreements, and recommendations to the appropriate government personnel. When requested, the Ombudsman will maintain strict confidentiality as to the source of the concern. The Ombudsman does not participate in the evaluation of proposals or in the source selection process. Interested parties are invited to call Colonel Claude E. Messamore, Jr., ESC/IG, at (617) 377-5106. The Ombudsman should only be contacted with issues or problems that have previously been brought to the attention of the program manager and/or the contracting officer and could not be satisfactorily resolved at that level. This synopsis does not constitute an IFB or RFP, and is not to be construed as a commitment by the government. The offeror should indicate its status as socially or economically disadvantaged. Organizations interested in receiving an RFP should respond in writing within fifteen (15) days from the publication of this notice. RFP release will be in March 1996 and proposals will be due thirty (30) days after release of RFP. (0044)

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