Air Force Applications Center (AFTAC) Metis Project

1.0 Description 1.1 The Air Force Applications Center (AFTAC) Metis Project and AMIC Det 2 OL/PKA are conducting Market Research for non-personal services to provide expert technical services. This sources sought is one of the elements of our Market Research, and it will be used to determine the acquisition approach. 1.2 This Sources Sought Notice does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP), Request for Quote (RFQ) or an Invitation for Bid (IFB). The Government may use the information obtained from responses to this notice in determining its acquisition approach, but the issuance of this notice does not restrict the Government's acquisition approach. The Government contemplates award of an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract with a 5-year ordering period. 1.3 Interested firms should submit information as to the capabilities, capacity, and experience to perform the tasks set forth in the draft Performance Work Statement (PWS), you must state if you are interested in participating as a prime contractor or as subcontractor. The subcontracting information is very important because it will assist the Government, if needed, to determine subcontracting goals. The PWS for this acquisition is classified; please contact Maria Vasile at (321) 494-8349 or maria.vasile.3@us.af.mil for instruction on obtaining a copy. 1.4 The capabilities package should describe relevant contract experience offered to Government and commercial customers. Include a reference to the contract number, magnitude, place of performance, and points of contact for each example provided (name of the point of contact, address, e-mail, telephone number, fax number, and the company's web page, if applicable). Submitted information shall be UNCLASSFIED. If your technical approach (capabilities) includes a teaming arrangement, please provide information on your teaming possibilities. If you are a small business, please keep in mind limitations on subcontracting. Briefly provide information regarding your past performance in all requested areas. Please only provide information of commensurate size and scope. 1.5 The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code is 541715 Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences. The small business size standard is $25.5M (annual average gross revenue for the last three fiscal years not to exceed $25.5M). 2.0 Background 2.1 Overview: Metis is a knowledge discovery and management web-based application that integrates various Commercial-of-the-Shelf (COTS), Government off the shelf (GOTS) and open source software, and hardware components into a single program. The Metis program provides a flexible data processing pipeline for conversion and enrichment of the systems, indexes and catalogs content for rapid search and retrieval, controls access through user permissions, and provides personnel the ability to automate, create and manage metadata. The Metis program consists of two efforts; document conversion to digital format and the development and maintenance of software tools and applications for file display, data research and analysis. 3.0 Requirements 3.1 Document Digitization: The conversion portion includes converting paper, microfiche, and microfilm products into an electronic format including performing automated and human optical character recognition and the addition of metadata to each digitized file to allow for rapid and thorough retrieval of relevant information. Describe the level of expertise with document digitization hardware used for paper, microfiche, and microfilm. 3.1.1 AFTAC Nuclear Terminology and Mission: The conversion process requires 100 percent human review of scanned documents to ensure mission related information and terms are properly identified in the metadata for later retrieval and use by analysts. Some original documents are of very poor quality and require review by knowledgeable personnel in order to recognize and flag key terms. Personnel performing the conversion and optical character recognition must have significant experience with and knowledge of the AFTAC organization, its history, nuclear terminology, and its nuclear monitoring mission. Describe the number of personnel and level of experience with nuclear terminology and the AFTAC mission. Explain your plan to meet the requirements of the AFTAC mission knowledge and nuclear terminology. Briefly describe how your company could meet these requirements. 3.1.2 On-Site Personnel: Conversion will be performed at AFTAC using Government furnished equipment including five high-speed scanners, two microfiche scanner, and standard desktop computers. The contractor shall perform software installations at AFTAC. The contractor shall have the ability to have personnel with the appropriate skills and clearances locally available for on-site support and maintenance. Expertise with the following hardware will be required: Cannon DR 5010C, Hewlett Packard Scanjet 5590, and NextScan FlexScan microfiche & microfilm scanner. Expertise with the following document digitization software will be required: Kofax VRS, and Nuance OmniPage Professional. Describe expertise with the aforementioned equipment. Briefly describe how your company could meet these requirements. 3.1.3 Software Development: The contractor shall develop software to improve and expand evaluation and analysis support activities to include quality control protocol, an expert system, data publishing, database integration and automation of data analysis and visualization. This will include the development of innovative methods for integrating quality control, database management, statistical analysis, evaluation, pattern recognition, expert system, and reporting tools to create state of the art analysis and visualization capabilities. Briefly describe how your company could meet these requirements. 3.1.4 Application Development: The software tools and applications portion includes integration of the electronic archive into current analyst tools and databases to include the commercial cloud and developing robust web-based interfaces for customers to search and visualize the information using a Mark Logic XML server, Net Owl entity extraction software, temporal application and Google MapsTM software. Describe expertise with the systems and languages defined in this paragraph. Briefly describe how your company could meet these requirements. 3.1.5 Computer Hardware, Software and LAN integration/Maintenance: The contractor shall integrate, maintain, and upgrade the computer system for database management, statistical analysis, quality control, evaluation, and publishing. The current suite of tools that will be maintained are an amalgamation of different languages and systems. Briefly describe how your company could meet these requirements. 3.1.6 Systems and Languages: Experience in the following systems and languages will be required: MarkLogic XML server, NoSQL & SQL Databases, Java, Java Script, XPath, XQuery, XSLT, HTML, CSS, NewOwl Entity Extraction, RedHat, VMWare, Sun Coolstack Tomcat, and Adobe Flash. The contractor must be knowledgeable on Federal Cloud Computing Strategy and Standards to include the Commercial Cloud Services (C2S) program and their publishing requirements. Additionally, the contractor will be required to develop and monitor a quality assurance program to ensure information is accurately digitized, indexed, and integrated. Describe expertise with the systems and languages defined in this paragraph. Briefly describe how your company could meet these requirements. 3.1.7 User Personalization: The contractor shall maintain and enhance the Metis user personalization or "myMetis" to include (but not limited to): User Favorite Documents, User Saved Queries, User Tagging of Documents, User Ingesting Documents, and User Sharing Personal Libraries with other users. Briefly describe how your company could meet these requirements. 3.1.8 User Access: Maintain and enhance the capability to provide secure access to the repository for external partners. The system shall verify user credentials and only grant access to information the recipient is cleared to view. Briefly describe how your company could meet these requirements. 3.1.9 Program Improvements: Assist AFTAC personnel on selecting and developing hardware and software techniques for automated data handling, data analysis, data publishing and evaluation techniques, with emphasis on potential program improvements and associated costs. Briefly describe how your company could meet these requirements. 3.1.10 Training: The contractor shall provide documentation, certifications, and on the job training to Metis COR. This task includes training on the current systems, programming languages (i.e. XQuery certificates), hardware (NextScan FlexScan equipment) and future systems that are developed. Briefly describe how your company could meet these requirements. 3.1.11 Off-Site Personnel: The contractor shall conduct most of the software development work at the contractor's off-base facility on a replica of the software environment (i.e. MarkLogic server) to which the software will be delivered. The contractor shall provide all equipment, software, and security for satisfying requirements in support of this work. Briefly describe how your company could meet these requirements. 3.1.12 Estimated Period of Performance: A Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF) IDIQ contract is contemplated with a 5-year ordering period. 3.1.13 Security Requirements: Personnel working on the contract must have Top Secret/SSBI/SSPR dates and a current DCID 6/4 at start of contract. 4.0 Requested Information 4.1 Your capability statement shall provide administrative information, and shall include the following as a minimum: 4.2 Name, mailing address, phone number, and e-mail of designated point of contact. 4.3 All potential sources responding must state whether they are a Small Business (SB), Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), HUBZone Small Business (HSB), Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB), Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB), Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Business (EDWOSB) Historically Black College or University or Minority Institution (HBCU/MI), an 8(a) firm, an Indian Tribe or Alaskan Native Corporation, or a large business based on the size standard in paragraph 1.5 above. In addition, you must state if your company is able to perform at least 50% of the work required under this acquisition. 4.4 Identify if your company or personnel within your company ever held a security clearance and the time frame. 5.0 Responses 5.1 Please submit your capabilities packages in accordance with paragraphs 3.0 through 4.4 and applicable PWS to Contract Specialist, Lori Greene at lori.greene.2@us.af.mil and Contracting Officer, Duane Frey at duane.frey.1@us.af.mil. Questions may be directed to the Contract Specialist and the Contracting Officer, at the above listed e-mail addresses. Responses must be submitted no later than 1:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on 22 Nov 2019. No facsimile responses will be accepted. The Government will not award a contract solely on the basis of this Sources Sought, nor will it reimburse the contractor for any costs associated with preparing or submitting a response to this notice. 5.2 Responses shall be limited to 10 pages. Proprietary information or trade secrets, if any, should be minimized and MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED. Be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned. All information received that is marked Proprietary will be handled accordingly. Be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned. All government and contractor personal reviewing sources sought responses will have signed non-disclosure agreements and understand their responsibility for proper use and protection from unauthorized disclosure of proprietary information as described 41 USC 423. The Government shall not be held liable for any damages incurred if proprietary information is not properly identified. 5.3 The submitter is solely responsible for verifying the package was delivered or the e-file was received and can be viewed. 6.0 Air Force Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (AFFARS) Clause 5352.201-9101 Ombudsman (Apr 2014) (a) An ombudsman has been appointed to hear and facilitate the resolution of concerns from offerors, potential offerors, and others for this acquisition. When requested, the ombudsman will maintain strict confidentiality as to the source of the concern. The existence of the ombudsman does not affect the authority of the program manager, contracting officer, or source selection official. Further, the ombudsman does not participate in the evaluation of proposals, the source selection process, or the adjudication of protests or formal contract disputes. The ombudsman may refer the interested party to another official who can resolve the concern. (b) Before consulting with an ombudsman, interested parties must first address their concerns, issues, disagreements, and/or recommendations to the contracting officer for resolution. Consulting an ombudsman does not alter or postpone the timelines for any other processes (e.g., agency level bid protests, GAO bid protests, requests for debriefings, employee-employer actions, contests of OMB Circular A-76 competition performance decisions). (c) If resolution cannot be made by the contracting officer, the interested party may contact the ombudsman, KC AFICC, 129 Andrews Street, Suite 102, Langley AFB, VA 23665-2769, Telephone: (757)764-2769, FAX: (757)764-6512. Concerns, issues, disagreements, and recommendations that cannot be resolved at the Center/MAJCOM/DRU/HQ AFICA/AFISRA/SMC ombudsman level, may be brought by the interested party for further consideration to the Air Force ombudsman, Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary (ADAS) (Contracting), SAF/AQC, 1060 Air Force Pentagon, Washington DC 20330-1060, phone number (571) 256-2395, facsimile number (571) 256-2431. (d) The ombudsman has no authority to render a decision that binds the agency. (e) Do not contact the ombudsman to request copies of the solicitation, verify offer due date, or clarify technical requirements. Such inquiries shall be directed to the Contracting Officer. (End of clause) 7.0 Questions Questions regarding this announcement shall be submitted in writing by e-mail to the Contract Specialist and Contracting Officer's, e-mail addresses identified in paragraph 5.0. Verbal questions will NOT be accepted. Questions will be addressed by posting responses to the FedBizOpps website; accordingly, questions shall NOT contain proprietary or classified information. The Government does not guarantee that questions received after 1:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on 15 Nov 2019 will be answered. 8.0 Disclaimer THIS SOURCES SOUGHT IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP). IT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION AND SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT. RESPONSES IN ANY FORM ARE NOT OFFERS AND THE GOVERNMENT IS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO AWARD A CONTRACT AS A RESULT OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. NO FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE TO PAY FOR PREPARATION OF RESPONSES TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. ANY INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY RESPONDENTS TO THIS TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION IS STRICTLY VOLUNTARY.