Industrial Base Extension (IBex) Program Industry Capability and Capacity Determination Support for Arctic PACE

The Industrial Base Extension (IBex) Program is soliciting industry support to determine capability and capacity for the Arctic PACE region, which includes the State of Alaska (notably Attu Island and Eareckson Air Station), Canada north of 55° latitude, Greenland’s eastern coast, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands. This effort aims to enhance the Department of Defense’s ability to respond to contingency operations in remote and hostile environments by identifying and mapping commercial sector assets such as ports, airports, warehouses, fuel depots, and critical logistics routes. The contractor will deliver a comprehensive final research report in PDF format, a geospatial data package detailing infrastructure and choke points, and a logistics partner matrix in Microsoft Excel featuring profiles of commercial entities. Data collection must rely on methodical processes with preference for primary sources, and the vendor must demonstrate existing operational presence in these regions through offices and representatives. The contract is issued as a Request for Quotation under solicitation SP4701-26-Q-0116, classified under NAICS code 541614, and is intended as a commercial item procurement without set-aside. The place of performance is Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with delivery terms set at FOB Destination. The contract includes comprehensive compliance requirements tied to the Federal Acquisition Regulation and Defense FAR supplements, mandating adherence to cybersecurity standards, supply chain risk mitigation, cloud computing safeguards, and prohibitions on covered telecommunications equipment. Offerors must be registered in the System for Award Management with current representations and certifications, including disclosure of any provision of covered defense telecommunications equipment, and must provide a Unique Entity Identifier. Subcontracting flow-downs require inclusion of ethics, labor standards, small business utilization, and whistleblower protections from FAR and DFARS. Evaluation will use a tradeoff process where technical and project management capability are significantly more important than past performance, which in turn outweighs price. Performance must begin within 90 days of award, with payment and invoicing handled through the Wide Area Workflow system using specified DoDAAC codes. The Government intends to evaluate proposals without discussions and may award one or more contracts based on the tradeoff analysis. Compliance with Buy American, privacy training, combating human trafficking, and accelerated payments to small business subcontractors is mandatory, with all proposals due electronically by June 22, 2026, to the designated point of contact.