Joint Primary Aircraft Training System Post Production Sustaining Engineering and Program Management Services

Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Training Aircraft Division, intends to award a sole source Firm-Fixed Price contract for up to fifty (50) months of Post Production Sustaining Engineering and Program Management (SEPM) services to Beechcraft Defense Company (BDC), LLC, 201 S. Greenwich, Wichita, KS 67207-1402. Market research was conducted and it has been determined this effort is a sole source requirement IAW FAR 6.302-1, Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements. The Post Production SEPM contract will provide program management and engineering services to support the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS) fleet of 744 T-6 A/B/D aircraft at nine (9) locations for up to fifty (50) months. The JPATS users include United States Air Force (USAF), United States Navy (USN), and United States Army (USA) and foreign customers participating in JPATS Foreign Military Sales (FMS). SEPM services include but are not limited to: systems engineering support, program management support, integrated logistics support, field service representative support, Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Sources (DMSMS) management, study and analysis of aircraft deficiencies, as needed operation of a depot-level aircraft modification line, contractor field team activities, aircraft crash damage repair, individual aircraft tracking, aircraft structural integrity and engine structural integrity efforts, configuration and data management, technical manual updates, and design, development, testing, and supplemental military or Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification of engineering changes necessary to correct component deficiencies or to introduce product enhancements into the aircraft fleets via retrofit. The contractor will also provide required FAA serviceability documentation and management of Government Furnished Property (GFP) supplied during the performance of this contract. BDC, as the OEM, provides highly specialized support as they own the T-6 engineering data and drawings. BDC designed and developed the T-6 platform and is the only source for all historical and current proprietary data, such as: developmental design and approval data, prototype data, and qualification and test data. These data are required to perform the sustaining engineering function for the T-6 program including damage assessment, occasional prototype of the repair, and development of repair instructions, when the extent of damage is unknown and/or needed repairs are non-standard. As ascertained through market research, other companies did not define a methodology that allowed them to obtain/recreate the engineering data necessary to support the program. The breadth of these data would include engineering drawings, stress analyses, durability and damage tolerance analysis, thermal and electrical margins, or other required documentation. BDC's refusal to sell/lease data combined with other sources lack of mitigation strategies to obtain the technical data required to perform the specifications contained herein would create unacceptable delays in fulfilling the agency's needs. Additionally, BDC owns the FAA type certificate on the T-6 aircraft. Their responsibilities as the type certificate owner include supporting the aircraft in the field by supplying parts and engineering services. The T-6 Program Office must have a relationship with BDC based on continued operation of the fleet. If someone other than BDC was to attempt to perform SEPM services that organization would need to have access to BDC data for repairs outside of the Structural Repair Manual, ADs, SBs, etc. A sole source award for more than one year is required to ensure there is no interruption in critical sustaining engineering services and program management support. If support services are interrupted, there will be a break in the training pipeline of pilots for the USAF and USN, severely impacting the ability of those services to provide required trained pilots into the mobility and combat aircraft pilot training pipelines. USA test and evaluation activities would be equally impacted if engineering services necessary to keep the T-6D aircraft in the air were suddenly removed. This is a notice of intent, not a solicitation. Responsible sources, however, may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation which shall be considered by the Air Force if received within fifteen (15) calendar days of the posting of this notice. Any respondent is to specify in its response whether it is a large business, small business, small disadvantaged business, 8(a) concern, women-owned small business, HUBZone small business, veteran-owned small business or service disabled veteran-owned small business. Respondents should also specify whether they are a U.S. or foreign-owned firm. Any responses will be considered by this office before a final decision is made to solicit and negotiate with only one source in accordance with FAR 6.3012-1. "Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements." The Government is not responsible for any costs incurred by responding to this notice. A determination by the Government not to compete this action is based on responses received is solely within the discretion of the Government. Any questions regarding this acquisition should be directed to the Contract Negotiator, Sara Gebhard, at (937) 904-4247 or email: sara.gebhard@us.af.mil or the Contracting Officer, Joseph Fountain at (937) 904-4609 or email: joseph.fountain@us.af.mil. Ms. Jill Willingham-Allen, AFLCMC/AQP, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433, has been appointed as Ombudsman to hear concerns from offerors, or potential offerors. The purpose of the Ombudsman is to communicate contractor concerns, issues, disagreements and recommendations to the appropriate government personnel. Existence of the Ombudsman does not diminish the authority of the Program Director or the Contracting Officer. Accordingly, the Ombudsman does not participate in the preparation of solicitations, the evaluation of proposals or the source selection process and, therefore, for routine matters on individual solicitations, please contact the buyer at the telephone number listed herein. When requested, the Ombudsman, Ms. Jill Willingham-Allen can be reached at (937) 255-5472, or email: jill.willinghamallen.1@us.af.mil.