R&D Contracting Directorate, Bldg 7, 2530 C Street, WPAFB, OH 45433-7607

A -- NEXT GENERATION TRANSPARENCY SOL PRDA No 97-01-FIK DUE 030797 POC Contact Helen Myers, Contract Negotiator, WL/FIK, or Douglas Harris, Contracting Officer, (937) 255-4427 INTRODUCTION: Wright Laboratory (WL/FIVE) is interested in receiving proposals (technical and cost) on the research effort described below. Proposals in response to this PRDA shall be submitted by 7 Mar 1997, 1500 hours Eastern Time, addressed to Wright Laboratory, Directorate of R&D Contracting, Building 7, Area B, WL/FIK, 2530 C Street, ATTN: Helen Myers, Wright-Patterson AFB OH 45433-7607. This is an unrestricted solicitation. Small Businesses are encouraged to propose on all or any part of this solicitation. Proposals submitted shall be in accordance with this announcement. Proposal receipt after the cutoff date and time specified herein shall be treated in accordance with restrictions of FAR 52.215-10; copy of this provision may be obtained from the contracting point of contact. There will be no other solicitation issued in regard to this requirement. Offerors should be alert for any PRDA amendments that may permit subsequent proposal submission dates. Offerors should request a copy of theWL guide entitled "PRDA and BAA Guide for Industry" dated November 1992. This guide was specifically designed to assist offerors in understanding the PRDA/BAA proposal process. Copies may be requested from WL/FIKF, Helen Myers, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433-7607, telephone (513) 255-4427. The Guide is also available on the Internet, address: www.wl.wpafb.af.mil/contract. B-REQUIREMENTS: (1) Technical Description: The purpose of this effort is to demonstrate and validate the ability of Injection Molded Frameless Transparency Technology to be incorporated in an affordable, integrated design that meets the future mission requirements for an advanced strike aircraft. Offerors can consider using either GFE computer aided design, engineering, and manufacturing tools; or other available tools. However, if other available tools are proposed, the burden will fall on the offeror to demonstrate how the proposed tools will be validated for this application. Technologies to be integrated into the frameless transparency concept under this program include affordability, advanced abrasion resistant coatings, mission compatible optics, 500 kt bird impact protection, emergency egress, durability, rapid transparency change-out, combat hazard protection, and manufacturing processes. A four year service life is a goal of the Next Generation Transparency (NGT) Program. Requirements for combat hazard protection may include specific needs which will be driven by customers for the technology being demonstrated. Examples of customer driven specific needs for combat hazard protection might be laser hardening and low observability. Costs to qualify a transparency for production will not be included within the scope of the NGT Program; i.e. a reprocurement package will not result from NGT. The products of this program will be: a validated set of design criteria necessary to combine injection molded frameless transparency technology as part of an integrated system; and a full scale injection molded frameless transparency that has demonstrated manufacturing scale-up and the ability to satisfy mission requirements. (2) Deliverable Items: The contractor shall deliver designs for injection molding tools, injection molding processes, full scale injection molded frameless transparency demonstration articles, test data, and supportability data. The following deliverable data items shall be proposed: (a) Status Report, DI-MGMT-80368/T, monthly; (b) Funds and Man-Hour Expenditure Report, DI-FNCL-80331/T, monthly: (c) Presentation Material, DI-ADMN-81373/T, as required; (d) Scientific and Technical Reports, DI-MISC-80711/T, (Draft and Reproducible Final); (e) Test Plan, DI-NDTI-80566/T, Full-scale evaluation; (f) Engineering Drawings, DI-DRPR-80651/T; and (g) Contract Funds Status Report (CFSR), DI-MGMT-81468/T, Quarterly. The CDRL requirements are intended to indicate the types of data item deliverables planned if a contract is awarded to conduct the NGT Program. If instead, a Cooperative Agreement is awarded to conduct NGT, no CDRL requirements will apply but provisions to make the same types of data available to the Government should be proposed. An example of a proposal to provide the same types of data might be the development and maintenance of a World Wide Web site for access by the Government. The contractor will be required to present briefings to both Joint Strike Fighter industry teams at four times during the conduct of the program. (3) Security Requirements: The classification level of work performed under this contract shall be limited to UNCLASSIFIED. Requirements which will be addressed within the scope of the NGT Program will be defined early in the program. If it becomes apparent during requirements definition that classified information needs to be handled, an implementation plan will be developed to meet the need to protect classified information. (4) Other Special Requirements: International Traffic in Arms Regulations apply. C ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: (1) Anticipated Period of Performance: The total length of the technical effort is estimated to be 30 months. The contractor shall also provide for an additional 3 months for processing/completion of the final report. The proposed program schedule could be different from what is anticipated by the Government. (2) Expected Award Date: April FY97. (3) Government Estimate: The Government funding profile is estimated to be as follows: FY97 -- $813K, FY98 -- $1361K, FY99 -- $500K for a total of $2674K. The Government is pursuing an additional $1709K funding which would increase the Government share to $4383K. This funding profile is an estimate only and is not a promise for funding as all funding is subject to change due to Government discretion and availability. (4) Type of contract: Cost Sharing, Grant, or Cooperative Agreement. (5) Government Furnished Property: A transportable heating and cooling plant to provide thermal control of low pressure injection molds large enough for one piece frameless aircraft canopies; a segmented core P-20 steel injection mold for Confirmation Frameless Transparencies; two welded aluminum injection molds for conical and flat plates with thickened edges; a computer controlled Optical Test Fixture for large one piece frameless aircraft canopies; and an integrated computer aided design, engineering, and manufacturing software system called the Analytical Design Package (ADP). The ADP can be made available to multiple offerors if necessary. The three injection molds can also be made available to multiple offerors if necessary. The heating and cooling plant, and the Optical Test Fixture can only be made available to one offeror at a time. (6) Size Status: For the purpose of this acquisition, the size standard is 1500 employees (SIC 8731). (7) Notice to Foreign-Owned Firms: Foreign sources will be excluded as prime contractors, but can participate as subcontractors if desired. D -- PROPOSAL PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS: (1) General Instructions: Offerors should apply the restrictive notice prescribed in the provision at FAR 52.215-12, Restrictionon Disclosure and Use of Data, to trade secrets or privileged commercial and financial information contained in their proposals. Proposal questions should be directed to one of the points of contact listed elsewhere herein. Offerors should consider instructions contained in the WL PRDA and BAA Guide for Industry referenced in Section A of this announcement. Technical and cost proposals, submitted in separate volumes, are required and must be valid for 180 days. Proposals must reference the above PRDA number. In an effort to move toward paperless contracting, you are encouraged to submit your cost and technical proposals via electronic means on computer disk or CD ROM. Please note that classified information shall NOT be submitted on disk. If proposals are not submitted on computer disk or CD ROM by electronic means, they shall be submitted in an original and five copies. If proposals will be submitted by electronic means, submit 2 paper copies and 4 electronic copies. The disks shall be 3 inch high density disks, MS-DOS formatted and virus free. It is acceptable to supply graphics/exhibits in a separate hard copy or as part of the electronic file. Providing the Technical Proposal on floppy disk is voluntary and will not affect proposal evaluation. All responsible sources may submit a proposal which shall be considered against the criteria set forth herein. Offerors are advised that only contracting officers are legally authorized to contractually bind or otherwise commit the Government. (2) Cost Proposal: Adequate price competition is anticipated. Therefore, to permit a cost realism analysis, the submission of a SF 1448, available from the contracting point of contact, is required in lieu of a SF 1411. A suggested format for submission of cost information is available from the contracting point of contact. Contractors are urged to use this format (which may be tailored as needed) in the submission of cost proposals. Offerors are encouraged to bid their estimated total cost of the NGT Program. The costs should be broken down by task to facilitate partial award of separate tasks if appropriate. (3) Technical Proposal: The technical proposal shall include a discussion of the nature and scope of the research and the technical approach. Additional information on prior work in this area, descriptions of available equipment, data and facilities, and resumes of personnel who will be participating in this effort should also be included as attachments to the technical proposal. The technical proposal shall include a Statement of Work (SOW) detailing the technical tasks proposed to be accomplished under the proposed effort and suitable for contract incorporation. Offerors should refer to the WL PRDA & BAA Guide referenced in Section A to assist in SOW preparation. Public Law 98-94, withholding of unclassified technical data from public disclosure applies. Offerors must submit an approved DD Form 2345, Export-Controlled DOD Technical Agreement with their proposal. Any questions concerning the technical proposal orSOW preparation shall be referred to the Technical Point of Contact cited in this announcement. (4) Page Limitations: The technical proposal shall be limited to 50 pages (12 pitch or larger type), double-spaced, single-sided, 8.5 by 11 inches. If electronic means are used, it shall be readable by Microsoft Word for Windows, version 6.0. The double spacing requirement shall be satisfied by Microsoft Word's double spacing method and the 12 pitch or larger requirement shall be satisfied by setting the Microsoft Word for windows type size (point) at 10 or smaller. The page limitation includes all information, i.e., indexes, photographs, foldouts, appendices, attachments, etc. Pages in excess of this limitation will not be considered by the Government. Cost proposals have no limitations; however, offerors are requested to keep cost proposals to 20 pages as a goal. If electronic means are used, it shall be readable by Microsoft Excel for Windows version 5.0. (5) Preparation Cost: If selected for negotiations, qualifying offerors will be required to submit a subcontracting plan. This announcement does not commit the Government to pay for any response preparation cost. The cost of preparing proposals in response to this PRDA is not considered an allowable direct charge to any resulting or any other contract. However, it may be an allowable expense to the normal bid and proposal indirect cost as specified in FAR 31.205-18. E BASIS FOR AWARD: The selection of one or more sources for award will be based on an evaluation of an offeror's response (both technical and cost aspects) to determine the overall merit of the proposal in response to this announcement. The technical aspect, which is ranked as the first order of priority, shall be evaluated based on the following criteria which are of equal importance: (a) new and creative solutions; (b) the offeror's understanding of the scope of the technical effort; (c) the soundness of the offeror's technical approach; (d) the availability of qualified technical personnel andtheir experience with applicable technologies; (e) the offeror's past experience with integration of aircraft transparency technologies including affordability, coatings, optics, bird impact resistance, emergency egress, durability, rapid change-out, combat hazard protection, and manufacturing processes to meet mission requirements of advanced strike aircraft; and (f) viability of technology transition with emphasis on the affordability, performance, and supportability of the technology. Cost and/or price, which includes consideration of proposed budgets and funding profiles, is a substantial factor, but is ranked as the second order of priority. No other evaluation criteria will be used. The technical and cost information will be evaluated at the same time. The Government reserves the right to select for award of a contract, grant or cooperative agreement any, all, part, or none of the proposals received. Award of a grant to universities or nonprofit institutions or cooperative agreement, in lieu of a contract, will be considered and will be subject to the mutual agreement of the parties. F POINTS OF CONTACT: (1) Technical Point of Contact: Program Manager, Robert McCarty, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH 45433-7542, (937) 255-2516. (2) An Ombudsman has been appointed to hear concern from offerors and potential offerors during the proposal development phase of this acquisition. The purpose of the Ombudsman is not to diminish the authority of the Contracting Officer, but to communicate contractor concerns, issues, disagreements and recommendations to the appropriate Government personnel. All potential offerors should use established channels to voice concerns before resorting to use of the Ombudsman. 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 selection decision. Interested parties should direct all routine communication concerning this acquisition to Helen Myers, Contract Negotiator, WL/FIK, Bldg 7, 2530 C Street, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433-7607, telephone (937) 255-4427. The Ombudsman should only be contacted with issues or problems that have been previously brought to the attention of the contracting officer and could not be satisfactorily resolved at that level. These serious concerns only may be directed to the Ombudsman, Daniel L. Kugel, ASC/SY Bldg 52, 2475 K Street, Ste 1, WPAFB, OH 45433-7642, E-Mail kugeldl@sy.wpafb.af.mil, phone (937) 255-3855. See Numbered Note 26. ***** (0006)

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