A -- AIR SUPERIORITY TARGET (AST) PROGRAM

Notice Date

July 10, 2001

Contracting Office

Department of the Air Force, Air Force Materiel Command, AAC -- Air Armament Center, AAC/PK 205 West D Avenue, Suite 433, Eglin AFB, FL, 32542-6864

ZIP Code

32542-6864

Solicitation Number

PRDA-WMRAK-01-0001

Response Due

August 24, 2001

Point of Contact

Margaret Naylor, Contract Specialist, Phone 850-882-9307x5057, Fax 850-882-9306, Email margaret.naylor@eglin.af.mil -- Jaciel Robbins, Contracting Officer, Phone 850-882-9391x5059, Fax 850-882-3130, Email jaciel.robbins@eglin.af.mil

Description

The Air Armament Center, Aerial Targets System Program Office (AAC/WMRA) hereby requests proposals for an Air Superiority Target (AST) Program Alternatives Study effort. Results of this study effort will complement internal Government investigations in support of a projected FY03 decision leading to issuance of competitive procurement for an AST development program commencing in FY04. Award(s), under this solicitation, will follow the general guidelines and methodology used for a Program Research and Development Announcement (PRDA), in accordance with procedures in AFMC FAR Sup Part 5335. Since this is a PRDA, there will be no formal request for proposal or other solicitation other than this announcement. Offeror(s) should be alert for any PRDA amendments that may be published. The Government reserves the right to amend the due date to allow for subsequent proposal submission dates. If sufficient proposals are selected to satisfy the PRDA objectives as a result of the first submission, subsequent opportunities for proposal submission will not be available. =20 All responsible sources may submit a proposal. Small businesses are encouraged to submit proposals. Proposals in response to this announcement must be received no later than 3:00 p.m., CDT, on 24 August 2001 (earlier submittal is highly encouraged). If using Federal Express, United Parcel Service, or if hand carrying, deliver to AAC/WMRAK, Building 11, 3rd Floor, Attn: Ms. Margaret Naylor, Eglin AFB FL 32542-6808. If mailing, send to AAC/WMRAK, Attn: Ms. Margaret Naylor, 102 West D Avenue, Suite 300, Eglin AFB FL 32542-6808. This solicitation is restricted to U.S. firms only. Foreign owned firms or businesses may not participate in this procurement. Proposals submitted after the cut-off date and time specified herein (unless adjusted by PRDA amendment) shall be treated in accordance with FAR 52-214-7, "Late Submissions, Modifications, and Withdrawal of Bids (Nov 99)." The Government will hold an industry day on 25 July 2001 at Eglin AFB FL to provide additional information and/or clarification for the proposal effort. The general session will be followed by an opportunity for one-on-one sessions between each contractor and AAC/WMRA to allow industry an opportunity to discuss any aspect(s) of their proposed concept(s) prior to finalization of proposal(s) to be submitted by 24 August 2001. Scheduling of the one-on-ones (tentatively planned for remainder of 25 July through 26 July, as required) will be on a ?first requested, first scheduled? basis. Detailed information regarding Industry Day will be posted on the Aerial Targets Information Management System (ATIMS) AST website (see below for more information on how to access this website). Travel associated with the industry day or any site visits are the sole expense of the potential offeror(s). The Draft Operational Requirements Document CAF (AFMC)-USN-USA 001-93-I-A for the Air Superiority Target (AST) and supplemental technical information is available via the AST ATIMS website. Access to ATIMS can be obtained by submitting a current DD 2345, Military Critical Technical Data Agreement with facility classification level annotated and the name, phone number, and E-mail address of the company representative who will be accessing the website to Ms. Margaret Naylor, (850) 882-9307 extension 5057. DD2345 certification and registration can be obtained from the Defense Logistics Service Center (DLSC), Federal Center, 74 North Washington, Battle Creek MI 49016-3412 (telephone number is 1-800-352-3572). Upon approval for access, instructions for accessing ATIMS will be sent to the designated company representative. In accordance with FAR 5.102(a)(7), interested parties are advised that availability of this PRDA is limited to this electronic medium and DISTRIBUTION WILL NOT BE MADE VIA DISKETTE NOR IN PAPER COPY. Offerors are advised that the Air Force has entered into contracts with support contractors for services to provide technical, engineering, evaluation, and acquisition management support for AAC/WMRA activities. These individuals have signed Non-Disclosure Statements and will be authorized access to only those portions of the proposal data and discussions that are necessary to enable them to perform their respective duties. By submission of your proposal, you agree that your proposal information may be disclosed to those selected individuals for the limited purpose stated above. Any information not intended for limited release to these individuals must be clearly marked and submitted segregated from other proposal material. It is the policy of AAC/WMRA to treat all proposals as privileged information prior to award, and to disclose the contents only for the purposes of evaluation and negotiation. The Offeror must indicate any limitation to be placed on disclosure of information contained in the proposal. Offerors must mark their proposals with the restrictive data language in FAR 15.609(1). The U.S. Air Force reserves the right to select for award one, several, or none of the proposals received in response to this announcement. Phase I will be an unfunded activity extending from publication of announcement through 24 August 2001, during which offeror(s) should submit their proposed concept solutions (more than one is acceptable) for satisfying the AST requirement. Earlier proposal submittal is highly encouraged. Based on the results of the Phase I concept proposals, a down-selection is contemplated and only selected offeror(s) will be asked to participate in Phase II, which will be a study effort to provide more detailed technical and cost trade-off information for the offeror?s proposed concept(s). Phase II is planned to extend from on/about September 2001 through September 2002. See Section D, Proposal Preparation Instructions, below for further details concerning Phases I and II. Offerors may contact the individuals assigned to the respective functional areas listed herein to obtain generally available clarification of technical/contractual concerns and cost proposal format or pricing information. Points of contact at AAC/WMRA, 102 West D Avenue Suite 300, Eglin AFB, FL 32542-6808 are: Contracting: Ms.. Margaret Naylor, Contract Specialist, (850) 882-9307, extension 5057 or Ms. Kim Jones, Contract Specialist, (850) 882-9307 extension 5206; Technical: Mr. John Deep, (850) 882-9307, extension 5176; and Program Management/Cost: Ms Martha Williams, (850) 882-9307, extension 5119. The fax number for these points of contact is (850) 882-7950. An Ombudsman has been appointed to hear serious concerns from offerors or potential offerors during the proposal development phase of this acquisition. The Ombudsman does not diminish the authority of the program director or Contracting Officer, but communicates Contractor concerns, issues, disagreements and recommendations to the appropriate Government personnel. When requested, the Ombudsman shall 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. Matters of a routine or administrative nature concerning this acquisition should not be addressed to the Ombudsman but rather to the Contract Specialist or the Program Manager identified above. Potential offerors should communicate first with the Procuring Contract Specialists (Margaret A. Naylor, AAC/WMRAK, at (850) 882-9307 extension 5057 or Ms. Kim Jones at (850) 882-9307 extension 5206) to request information, pose questions and voice concerns before contacting the Ombudsman. In those instances where potential offerors(s) cannot obtain resolution from the Procuring Contract Specialists, they are invited to contact the Air Armament Center Ombudsman, Dr. Mario J. Caluda (AAC/CD) at 101 West D Avenue, Suite 123, Eglin AFB FL 32425-5495 or at (850) 882-5558 (e-mail: caluda@eglin.af.mil). B -- REQUIREMENTS: (1) Technical Description: The purpose of this program is to investigate creative and unique concepts for meeting the requirements defined in the Air Superiority Target (AST) Operational Requirements Document (ORD). The ORD is available via the AST ATIMS website. The AST will be a tri-service target that will replace the current Air Force/Army and Navy QF-4 Targets. The Government is interested in receiving and exploring a wide variety of solutions to include, but not limited to, existing retired/in-storage military aircraft, unmanned/combat air vehicles (UAVs/UCAVs); foreign aircraft, and new air vehicles that can be operated under the following operational concepts: ground/air launched, manned and/or unmanned, mobile range control capability that supports deployments to new range sites, easily re-configurable (by component swap-out) to provide variable radar cross section/infra-red signature environments. The Government is particularly interested in industry?s ideas for reducing the cost of ownership of aerial targets programs and your thoughts/ideas regarding offerors providing target presentations to the Government (in lieu of providing only target airframes). The primary mission of the AST will be to support Test and Evaluation (T&E) of air-to-air and surface-to-air munitions, T&E of aircraft missile warning and fire control systems, live-fire lethality testing, and aerial attack proficiency training. The AST will have the performance and signature characteristics of anticipated threat fighter aircraft (year 2010 through 2025) and will include the capability to dispense (or simulate) threat-representative countermeasures including (but not necessarily limited to) chaff, flares, and Electronic Attack (EA)/Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) systems. Minimal use of proprietary data and markings is preferred. The Government envisions that the final study phase results will become fully releasable information to DOD and DOD contractors. There are two deliverable items: (1) For Phase I ? A proposal for a Phase II funded study effort that develops the Offeror?s proposed concept solution(s) for satisfying the AST requirement into defined program approach and rough order of magnitude (ROM) cost estimate for a program which implements your concept. Proposal(s) must be sufficiently detailed to enable the Government to thoroughly understand the proposed solution and to make a study contract award decision. The Phase II effort will include a minimal amount of effort in FY01 followed by a contract option formal study effort in FY02 and a contract option for extending the investigation effort into FY03. A level-of-effort option provision (variable one to six months) should be included for FY03 that would provide for more detailed investigation into selected proposed program elements (extension of effort will be subject to need and availability of funds). (2) For Phase II ? A study report that details the proposed program for satisfying the AST requirement. Include anticipated schedule and cost information that would be required to develop detailed cost estimates to implement the proposed alternative(s). For preparing this deliverable, use DI-MISC-80508/T, Technical Report -- Study/Services (see AST ATIMS website for preparation and delivery instructions). Informal monthly telephonic reporting (expended labor-hours, charges accumulated, nature of activities completed, ?interim? conclusions, etc.) and quarterly teleconferences/site visits will be required in order to support OSD reporting requirements. C -- ADDITIONAL PHASE I AND PHASE II INFORMATION: (1) Anticipated award: September 2001. (2) Anticipated Period of Performance: Contract award through September 2002. (3) Funding Estimate: No funding will be provided for Phase I. The total funding to be provided for Phase II is $875K ($150K for FY 01 and $625K for FY02). That amount will be divided among the offerors selected for award. Additional funds may be available in FY03. (4) Government Furnished Information (GFI). It is the Offeror's responsibility to identify any information/data bases required to complete the study effort, whether Contractor-owned/furnished or Government-owned/furnished. The Program Office will assist in providing Government-owned information as appropriate and if available. Applicable NAICS code is 541710 with a 1500 employee size standard. This acquisition is being procured using full and open competitive procedures. D -- PROPOSAL PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS: Submitted proposals must be in accordance with the requirements of this announcement and the additional proposal preparation instructions posted on the ATIMS AST web-site. Responses should reference the PRDA number WMRAK-01-0001. The cost of preparing proposals in response to this announcement is not considered an allowable direct charge to any resulting contract or any other contract, but may be an allowable expense to the normal bid and proposal indirect cost as referenced in FAR 21.205-18. E -- PROPOSAL EVALUATION: The selection of none, one, or more sources for contract award shall be based on a technical evaluation of the proposals received in response to this PRDA. Proposals will be evaluated using the factors given below. Each proposal will be evaluated by the Government as to whether or not the proposal meets the minimum government expectations, or exceeds government expectations in cases where innovative ideas and concepts are proposed. Basis for Phase II award rests on how well the proposed concept program addresses the following factors:=20 TECHNICAL FACTORS: The technical aspect shall be evaluated based on the following sub factors: (1) The soundness of the approach, including the proper definition and arrangement of tasks, concept verification techniques, and the probability of meeting the Government?s technical goals. (2) Understanding of the problem: Does the offeror demonstrate an understanding of the AST requirement. (3) Soundness of Management Approach: Does the offeror demonstrate a clear, logical, and efficient approach to conduct all aspects of the program? (4) Does the offeror propose a systems engineering approach that demonstrates an understanding of the various target control and test range participant system components? Does the offeror describe an architecture that minimizes the requirements for hardware and/or software modifications to existing target ground control system. (5) Does the offeror provide/describe an innovative system design concept, which is well defined and sound, embracing the latest state-of-the-art technology and common industry standards. (6) Does the initial study proposal describe the capabilities and relevant technical experience of the offeror(s), with a summary of the reasons why the offeror(s) is(are) technically qualified to participate in studying and reporting on the interface standards for the AST concept solution? (7) The extent of participation of SDB concerns in performance of the contract, in the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Major Groups as determined by the Department of Commerce, and to the extent authorized by law, shall be evaluated consistent with this section. Participation in performance of the contract includes joint ventures, teaming arrangements and subcontracts. The offeror shall include in their subcontracting plan submitted with their proposal how the SDB goals will be met. The subcontracting plan shall include targets, expressed as dollars and percentages of total proposed value and a total target for SDB participation by the offeror, including joint ventures partners, and team members, and a total target for SDB participation by subcontractors. Offerors with SDB participation targets shall be required to report SDB participation. For any SDB goals exceeding 5.0%, the offeror must sign up to that goal being enforceable and provide verification of attainability. All small businesses responding to this solicitation must adhere to the requirement of this paragraph as well. The SDB evaluation sub factor will be evaluated to the extent of commitment to use SDB concerns. If the offeror will not utilize subcontracting efforts, the proposal must state that this evaluation factor is not applicable. The technical evaluation will rank proposals into three categories as defined and required by AFMC FAR Supplement 35.016(d): (1) Category I proposals must be well-conceived, scientifically and technically sound, pertinent to program goals and objectives, and offered by a responsible contractor with the scientific and technical staff and supporting resources needed to ensure satisfactory program results. Category I proposals are recommended for acceptance and normally will be displaced only by other Category I proposals. (2) Category II proposals are scientifically or technically sound but may require further development. They can be recommended for acceptance, but are a lower priority than Category I. Proposals in this category are not usually funded. (3) Category III proposals are not recommended for award. PAST PERFORMANCE FACTOR: The government will evaluate your present and past performance as an overall assessment of your capability to perform as you proposed. This evaluation will consider the information provided in your proposal Past Performance Section and any other information that is available. The currency and relevance of the information, source of the information, context of the data, and the general trends in your performance will be evaluated. In addition to evaluating the extent to which the offeror?s performance meets mission requirements, the assessment will consider information such as the offeror?s history of forecasting and controlling costs, adhering to schedules (including the administrative aspects of performance), reasonable and cooperative behavior and commitment to customer satisfaction, and generally, the contractor?s business-like concern for the interest of the customer. Pursuant to DFARS 215.305(a)(2), the assessment will consider the extent to which the offeror?s past performance demonstrates compliance with FAR 52.219-8, Utilization of Small, Small Disadvantaged, and Women-Owned Small Business Concerns and FAR 52.219-9, Small, Small Disadvantaged, and Women-Owned Small Business Subcontracting Plan in accordance with FAR 19.708(b). A Small Business subcontracting plan is required by all offerors who are not Small Business. =20 COST FACTOR: Costs will be negotiated with selected offerors ranked in Category I technical rating. Offerors must divide their proposed Statement of Work into severable tasks in order to facilitate the Government negotiating a price for part, or all, of their proposal. =20 F -- REPORTING REQUIREMENTS CONCLUSION OF PHASE I: At the conclusion of the Phase I, the contractor shall provide a concept proposal with supporting cost information to accomplish an associated Phase II effort.=20 CONCLUSION OF PHASE II: At the conclusion of Phase II, the contractor must provide a summary report that documents the offeror?s technical concept for meeting the AST requirements, defines a program approach and projected schedule for executing a resultant development program, and best available cost estimate for implementing the proposed concept(s)/program(s) (Ref: DI-MISC-80508/T).=20

Web Link

Visit this URL for the latest information about this (http://www.eps.gov/spg/USAF/AFMC/AAC/PRDA-WMRAK-01-0001/listing.htm l)

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010712/ASOL003.HTM (D-191 SN50R3Z4)