DHS Wide Body Armor Level IIIA

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), through Customs and Border Protection (CBP), is in the process of re-competing the requirement for personal body armor for agencies under its aegis. CBP is interested in incorporating commercial and industry practices that support this type of procurement. To accomplish this, CBP intends to make industry a partner in all facets of the acquisition process, specifically by considering existing market capabilities, strengths and weaknesses for the acquisition of this commodity. Responses to this (Request for Information) RFI will allow CBP to incorporate industry input into the initial stages of the procurement. Note: RFI responses will NOT be shared with other industry suppliers and will solely be used as part of the procurement 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 a competitive process. Please reference the question number with each response as follows: 1. Company Name, Company Address, Manufacturing Location(s), Point of Contact, Telephone Number, e-mail Address, and Size of your Organization (i.e. Large Business, Small Business) using FSC Code 8470 and NAICS 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 Attachment 1 to this RFI. All references to National Institute of Justice (NIJ) certification shall pertain to the current NIJ Standard 0101.06. 3. Do you manufacture body armor that is currently certified by the NIJ? If not, are you in the process of having body armor certified by the NIJ. 4. Please provide your manufacturing capacity for vests on a monthly basis and what quantity could be devoted to DHS. 5. What is the normal lead-time for delivery of vests once an order is received? 6. Are you able to produce multiple carrier configurations for various agencies (i.e. concealable vs. outer tactical carriers, differences in terms of colors, pouches, etc...)? 7. Do you manufacture body armor that is NIJ Certified both separately as Male and Female (not gender Neutral)? 8. For both Male and Female specific NIJ Certified body armor, are you able to meet C-1 to C-5 sizing within a single model type, or do you require more that (change to than) one model to meet the complete sizing range? 9. Do you use a sizing matrix to address core sizing? If so, how many sizes are in your core matrix? What are your sizing increments with regards to panel length and width? 10. Do you test your armor against fragmentation? If so, do you use RCC or FSP in your test methodology? What grain projectiles do you use for testing? 11. Can serial numbers be bar-coded and printed on the NIJ Certification Label? 12. Can RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) chips be integrated into your body armor to include the following information: manufacturer, model, serial number and manufacture date? 13. Are you capable of developing a dedicated web based order/tracking system for use solely by DHS? 14. Do you have the capability of producing instructional videos pertaining to care/maintenance and measuring/sizing? 15. Do you allow for Government Purchase Cards as a payment mechanism? 16. Indicate your current compliance with the Kissel Amendment inherent to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (aka. Stimulus Package)? 17. Responses should identify any current or potential future environmental, regulatory, or manufacturing concerns. The second attachment to this RFI is a draft Statement of Work (SOW) that is being considered for use in the acquisition. Responses to this RFI shall include discussions regarding the attached SOW as follows: 18. Identify any unduly restrictive elements by paragraph number within the SOW and potential remedies. 19. Identify any areas of the SOW that are unclear or require potential alteration and remedies. 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. Contact Information The Point of Contact (POC) for this RFI is as follows: Rick Travis Contract Officer Customs and Border Protection, 6650 Telecom Dr., Indianapolis, IN, 46278, Please submit electronic responses (via email) to the POC above no later than 7 December 2010.