Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) Launch Capability for FY2011-2012

The United States Air Force Space and Missile System Center (SMC), Launch and Range Systems Wing (LRSW), contemplates issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) to United Launch Services, L.L.C., for additional EELV Launch Capability (ELC) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, with options for FY 2012. The ELC support includes requirements for program management, systems engineering, factory support, training, launch vehicle transportation, launch operations, mission integration, mission assurance, and mission-unique design efforts. The RFP will be issued no sooner than 15 days after publication of this Notice of Contract Action (NOCA). The Government may elect not to award any ELC effort (described above) as a result of the solicitation. FAR 6.302-3(a)(2)(i) states, "Full and open competition need not be provided for when it is necessary to award the contract to a particular source or sources in order to maintain a facility, producer, manufacturer, or other supplier available for furnishing supplies or services in case of a national emergency or to achieve industrial mobilization." A Justification and Approval (J&A) may permit Government ELC support to be awarded with less than full and open competition to United Launch Services, L.L.C., consistent with the Competition in Contracting Act. The LRSW has developed a New Entrant Evaluation Plan (NEEP) defining a structured approach by which the Wing will evaluate the ability of a potential new entrant to meet EELV program requirements including launch vehicles and supporting launch capability infrastructure support, hereafter referred to as launch services. A "new entrant" is any contractor other than current providers of EELV launch services. The evaluation plan identifies the business and technical requirements for a new entrant to be eligible for award of launch services. A business evaluation will determine the responsibility of the new entrant, including financial resources, organization and functional expertise, adequacy of production and launch operations facilities, and the ability to obtain necessary construction and environmental permits. A technical evaluation will determine the new entrant's understanding of, and ability to meet, EELV systems requirements, design maturity, adequacy of development and qualification activities, manufacturing process quality, and demonstrated system flight worthiness. The result of the new entrant evaluation process will be a formal determination by the Commander, LRSW, submitted to and approved by the Commander, Space and Missile Center, regarding the ability of the new entrant to compete for EELV launch services. The intent of this plan is to ensure new entrants are provided an opportunity to demonstrate their abilities (at their own expense), while protecting the Government's need to acquire systems that meet requirements. The capability required to provide ELC requires the same expertise and experience required to provide EELV launch services. Any interested parties or new entrants may contact the Contracting Officer (address below) to request a copy of the NEEP. Responses from Small Businesses are encouraged. The NAICS Code is 336414, and the small business size standard is 1,000 employees. Interested parties (or new entrants) must be: (1) U.S. manufacturers as defined in the in the 2005 Buy 3 Request for Proposal; (2) have successfully demonstrated two missions (intermediate or larger) that inserted payloads into their intended orbits; (3) meet the system requirements identified in the Operational Requirements Document (ORD II) as presented in the March 2005 System Performance Requirements Document (SPRD) for Buy 3; and (4) successfully completed the new entrant evaluation criteria (described above), at their own expense. Firms that did not perform under the Low Cost Concept Validation, Engineering and Manufacturing Development, and Initial Launch Services contracts, yet believe they can satisfy technical requirements and solicitation provisions as contractors for the EELV launch services, including ELC, are encouraged to submit a Statement of Capability and qualifications (limited to four (4) pages) addressing the above criteria within seven (7) calendar days of this synopsis to: LRSW/PK, 483 N Aviation Blvd, El Segundo, CA 90245, Attn: Charles Briggs. Prior EELV experience has shown that the new entrant certification time period may be longer than the acquisition timeline for the effort identified in this NOCA. Therefore, other interested parties are welcome to use this NOCA and the described New Entrant Evaluation Plan to initiate activity towards qualifying their launch system for future EELV launch services. This synopsis is not a formal solicitation. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this synopsis, nor otherwise pay for the information requested herein.