US Army ARDEC, AMSTA-AR-PC, Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey 07806-5000

99 -- BUSINESS CASE ON PRODUCTION BASE READINESS SUPPORT SOL DAAE30-99-Q-0802 DUE 080699 POC MAGDA SZYMANSKI, CONTRACT SPECIALIST, (973) 724-3066 WEB: US ARMY TACOM-ARDEC Procurement Network, http://procnet.pica.army.mil/cbd/RFP/99Q0802/99Q0802.htm. E-MAIL: Magda M. Szymanski, mszyman@pica.army.mil. This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This solicitation is issued as a Request for Quotation (RFQ) number DAAE30-99-Q-0802. This solicitation document, and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 90-38. The Army is requesting responsible offerors to submit proposals to prepare business case analyses that identify and evaluate specific opportunities to manufacture military energetics (explosives, propellants, and pyrotechnics) for the Army. The proposals must specifically address and evaluate the use of a commercial facility to establish a military production capability or the use of a military facility for commercial production. A business case may also evaluate the situation where a primarily military production facility is converted to or leased for the manufacture of commercial products while its capability to produce military energetics is retained. This solicitation is primarily seeking commercial sources and capabilities to manufacture military energetics. It s purpose is to foster the integration of military and commercial manufacturing capabilities. This solicitation is not seeking proposals to modernize military production capabilities. The Army has interest in proposals that identify and evaluate business opportunities to use one or more of the following energetics processing technologies: Totally Integrated Munitions Enterprise (TIME), Model Based Control Systems (MBCSs), and Twin Screw manufacturing. Offerors may propose these opportunities separately or with other business opportunities. TIME is a manufacturing methodology that enables cost effective, agile, rapidly reconfigurable, readily transferable, and distributed control technologies for munitions manufacture. This includes establishing integrated seamless interaction among discrete and distributed design, production, and administration units over a high speed communication network, with a backbone environment and operating system for real time process data acquisition and model based remote control. TIME is extendible to energetics, assemblies, electronics, and composites. MBCS is a methodology that uses mathematical models to optimize processes, operating conditions, and products. The models are developed from the first principle conservation equations for mass, momentum, and energy, and from constitutive equations of fully characterized raw materials, in-process materials, and final products. The models are predictive and use real time data to establish real time feedback/feedforward loops to readily address new situations without a prolonged and costly learning period. This is unlike other control methodologies proposed, such as smart and neuro-network systems, which are based only on past experiences. MBCS for energetics is readily adaptable to TIME manufacturing systems. There has been a worldwide trend toward using Twin Screw Processorsto manufacture energetics. Twin Screw technology has been applied to compounding and extruding energetics and, in some cases, compounding and extruding have been combined into one operation. Benefits include lower labor costs, less solvent loss to the environment, better product uniformity, and safety. Offerors are welcomed to propose other energetics processing technologies for business case evaluation. BACKGROUND: The Army is concerned that the shrinking military budget will result in military energetics producers leaving this sector or going out of business. This would result in the Army losing its ability to meet annual production needs at an affordable price and losing its ability to rapidly increase production of military energetics (in times of national emergencies) to replenish its stockpile. The Army is also interested in the future direction of the commercial energetics sector and will use these business cases as part of an overall program to evaluate how the commercial energetics production sectoris evolving and determine how the Army can economically establish a customer presence. It is recognized that it may not be possible to completely integrate the Army s annual production and replenishment requirements into the commercial sector and that it may be necessary to retain an Army owned production capability. However, in light of current economic conditions facing the military energetics sector, it is necessary to identify ways to minimize the cost of maintaining the existing military energetics base and partner with industry, wherever possible, for mutual benefit. REQUIREMENTS: Interested firms shall submit proposals of business opportunities for possible joint efforts with the Army in one or more of the following areas: using a commercial manufacturing capability to produce military energetics to meet annual production needs and/or replenishment requirements; producing new military energetics in existing commercial facilities; converting a commercial production capability to support manufacture of both commercial and military items; converting a military production capability to support manufacture of both commercial and military items; using a commercial production capability and manufacturing processes to supplement replenishment; applying a new energetic processing technology (TIME, MBCS, Twin Screw) to manufacture commercial items; SELECTION CRITERIA: As a part of the proposal, each offeror shall provide the following: (1) description of business opportunity; (2) a description of how it plans to implement the business opportunity being proposed;(3) an explanation of benefits to the Army; (4) its long-range commercial plan; (5) plans to develop and incorporate new commercial technologies; (6) an explanation of how the Army s annual production needs and replenishment requirements can be adapted to its long range goals; and (7) the percentage of its production capability (or production line being evaluated) that is used to produce commercial items. An offeror may submit one or more proposals. However,only one proposal from each offeror will be selected for each of the three product areas (explosives, propellants, pyrotechnics). A proposal may cover multiple product areas. The Government will award a purchase order resulting from this solicitation to the offeror whose offer conforms to this solicitation and is the most advantageous to the Government. The acceptable, responsible offer is not to exceed $40,000. Up to seven purchase orders may be awarded. Proposals may lead to follow-on work or production contracts. Any resulting purchase order will contain appropriate FAR and DOD FAR Supplement clauses (and any implementations thereof) for commercial items. Two (2) complete copies of each proposal shall be sent to Mrs. Magda Szymanski, AMSTA-AR- PC-H, Building 9, TACOM-ARDEC, Picatinny Arsenal, NJ 07806-5000 by 4:00pm ET, 6 August 1999. Telephone and/or written requests are not necessary, as this announcement constitutes the technical requirement in full text. Information about past annual production quantities and replenishment requirements, and additional information on the above listed technologies are available on the TACOM-ARDEC acquisition website. All proposals should be received by the date and time stated above. Posted 07/07/99 (D-SN351190). (0188)

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