U.S. Army Materiel Command, Natick Contracting Division, Attn: AMSSB-ACN, Natick, MA 01760-5011

84 -- COLD WEATHER CANTEENS SOL DAAD16-99-R-1017 DUE 082699 POC Peggy Dube WEB: Click here to download a copy of the RFP, http://www3.natick.army.mil. E-MAIL: To contact Contrac Specialist, pdube@natick-notes02-army.mil. The purpose of this modification is to respond to questions asked on Solicatation Number DAAD16-99-R-1017. Question 1: Delivery requirements of the RFP appear to restrict any innovation in canteen design because of the tooling lead-times necessary in a new design. Answer 1: Delete the last paragraph in F2 REQUIRED DELIVERY SCHEDULE and replace with the following: When an offeror offers an earlier delivery schedule than that called for above, the Government reserves the right to award either in accordance with the DESIRED schedule or in accordance with the schedule offered. If no other delivery schedule is offered, the delivery schedule stated above shall apply. In the event the desired delivery schedule cannot be satisfied, the offeror shall specify below the best possible delivery schedule which he is able to meet. Question 2: Can the Proposed Design/ Product Samples, required as submittals with the proposal, be interpreted as weld samples on the material proposed for the canteen? Answer 2: The product sample submitted with the proposal is an item which the offeror currently (or recently) manufactures for another market; it is not intended to be a finished Cold Weather Canteen. The product sample should demonstrate all of the critical manufacturing processes which the manufacturer intends to use in the formation and final assembly of the finished Cold Weather Canteen that he is proposing to furnish under the contract. Question 3: Is it acceptable to manufacture the 50 CLIN 0001 items using different tooling than the CLIN 0101 items, if the same material and welding techniques are used for both? Answer 3: The contract is focused on consistent item configuration through all contract CLIN's. The item design, materials and workmanship (i.e., fabrication methods, materials, and quality) approved in the Basic Ordering Period shall not be changed in subsequent ordering periods. Tooling (i.e., stamping dies, molds) is an issue related to manufacturing. Different tooling (i.e., short run dies vs. more durable, long run dies) is not considered to be an issue unless deviation occurs in item design, materials or workmanship of product delivered to the Government. Question 4: Paragraph 3.4.7 Temperature Stability, in both of the Performance Specifications, requires that the canteen withstand a temperature range from -- 40 F to + 100 F. The verification of this requirement (Paragraph 4.4.10) subjects the canteen to totally freezing the contents and then thawing at 600 F. In a non-heatable canteen design, this verification would subject the canteen to potential damage by environments outside the Requirements section of the specification. Can this verification procedure be modified for the non-heatable design? Answer 4: Paragraph 3.4.7 Temperature Stability applies to both types of canteen (i.e., heatable or non-heatable) over the "normal" use temperature range. Although there is no detailed, quantitative verification procedure established at this time for this requirement, its conformance is qualitative. This will also be a property evaluated during field testing. The verification test procedure of Paragraph 4.4.10 applies to the provision/requirement for rapid thawing (15 minutes) of the "heatable" canteen only; thus, Paragraph 4.4.10 should be further labeled "(Heatable canteen only)". Question 5: Can the Management, Past Performance and Subcontracting Volumes of the proposal be submitted in one 3-ring binder? Answer 5: Yes. Question 6. Paragraph 4.2.1 of both Performance Specifications requires First Article Inspection on the "first five items produced". Does this mean the first five items produced for the program or only for the CLIN 0201 7000 quantity referred to on page 21 of the solicitation? Answer 6: The provision for first article testing shall apply to CLIN 0201, only. Question 7: Can First Article Inspection be waived for CLIN 0201 deliveries if procurement is within a reasonable timeframe following successful CLIN 0101 performance? Answer 7: The performance of First Article Testing is always at the discresion ofthe government.Question 8: There appears to be a conflict between Section 3 requirements and Section 4 verification. Paragraph 3.4.3 Weight, states that the canteen, without cap, strap and adapter, shall weigh no more than 16 ounces. Section 4.4.6 requires weighing with cap and adapter installed. Answer 8: A conflict for Weight of the canteen does exist in the Performance Descriptions for Cold Weather Canteen (1 Mar 99) and Cold Weather Canteen (12 Mar 99). Correction in each of the performance descriptions shall be as follows: In paragraph 4.4.6 Weight of each of the performance descriptions, delete "with cap (with adapter, if used)" and substitute "(without cap, strap and adapter(s), if used)". Question 9: Section 4.4.5 verifies the liquid capacity with the canteen filled to the "Fill Line". Calculation shows that the fill line on the canteen built from the supplied drawings gives less than 1 liter capacity. Is it the government's intention that the required canteen is larger than that defined by the supplied drawings. Answer 9: The Liquid Capacity of the canteen shall be 1.0 + 0.1 Liter. The "fill line" is positioned at a capacity less than the full liquid capacity of the canteen in order that the soldier not overfill the canteen. The "fill line" provides an air gap within the canteen intended to retard water freezing while the canteen is being carried and to accommodate ice expansion without damaging the NBC cap should the water contents freeze. Correction in each of the performance descriptionsfor Cold Weather Canteen (1 Mar 99) and Cold Weather Canteen (12 Mar 99) shall be as follows: In paragraph 3.5 Markings, line 3, delete "required capacity" and substitute "approximately 90 percent of the actual capacity". In paragraph 4.4.5 Liquid capacity, delete "its marked "fill line"." and substitute "the base of the canteen neck". Posted 08/13/99 (W-SN367731). (0225)

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