84 -- Personal Body Armor - Request for Information (RFI)

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is in the process of developing a requirement for personal body armor for all agencies under their aegis. The DHS team is interested in incorporating commercial and industry practices that support this type of procurement. To accomplish this, DHS intends to make industry a partner in all facets of the acquisition process, specifically by providing existing market capabilities, including strengths and weaknesses for the acquisition of this commodity. Responses to this RFI will allow the DHS team to incorporate industry input into overall acquisition plan for body armor. Note: RFI responses will NOT be shared with other industry suppliers and will solely be used as part of the contract planning process.Disclaimer: The following requested information to be provided is for planning purposes only and does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) nor does it restrict the Government as to the ultimate acquisition approach. The government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this RFI or to otherwise pay for the information solicited. Any contract that might be awarded based on information received or derived from this RFI will be the outcome of the competitive process. Please reference the appropriate questions numbers below when responding to this RFI. 1. Company Name, Company Address, Point of Contact, Telephone Number, e-mail Address, and Size of your Organization (i.e. Large Business, Small Business) using FSC Code 8470 and SIC Code 315999 as the basis for your response. In addition, identify whether your company is ISO certified and to what level. 2. Responses should identify your organization's experience with and capability for manufacturing body armor. This data should be representative for any vests you currently manufacture. This data should be provided in accordance with the matrix, which is listed as an attachment to this RFI. This data should include whether the vests are National Institute of Justice (NIJ) certified. 3. Please provide your manufacturing capacity for vests on a monthly basis and what quantity could be devoted to DHS. 4. What is the normal lead-time for delivery of vests once an order is received? 5. Are you able to produce multiple carrier configurations for various agencies (i.e. differing in terms of colors, pouches, etc)? 6. Do you produce/sell stab resistant items (i.e. Correctional Kevlar)? 7. Do you produce/sell floatation devices (active and passive)? 8. Can serial numbers be bar-coded and printed on the NIJ Certification Labels, or otherwise permanently affixed to the outside panel cover? 9. Can RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) chips be integrated into your body armor to include the following information: manufacturer, model, serial number and manufacture date? 10. Do you currently maintain or develop a secure web based (i.e. - point and click) ordering system that can service multiple agencies/locations? 11. Do you allow for Government Purchase Cards as a payment mechanism? 12. Responses should identify any current or potential future environmental, regulatory, or manufacturing concerns. Structure of Responses Contractors should respond to this RFI by e-mail (only) to contact@example.gov. Limit response to a maximum of 20 pages. The Point of Contact (POC) for this RFI is as follows: Rick Travis Contract Specialist Customs and Border Protection, National Acquisition Center, 6026 Lakeside Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN, 46278-1998, Phone +1 (555) 000-0000 Please submit electronic responses (via email) to the POC above no later than April 15, 2005