MSC Operations and Maintenance Multiple Award Contract IDIQ

The Commander, Military Sealift Command is conducting market research to establish a single, comprehensive Multiple Award Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract vehicle to replace approximately 13 existing vessel operations and maintenance contracts covering more than 50 government-owned, contractor-operated vessels. This new IDIQ contract will have a 10-year ordering period, spanning from September 2028 through September 2038, with one base year and nine option years, and is structured into three distinct pools to accommodate varying vessel capabilities and contractor expertise. Pool 1 is reserved exclusively for certified small businesses, while Pools 2 and 3 are open to all sizes, with each pool focusing on specific vessel classes and operational requirements, including DP2-certified vessels and Maritime Prepositioning Force vessels. The successful contractor(s) will be responsible for providing all personnel, equipment, tools, and management support—both ashore and afloat—to ensure vessels maintain MSC standards of material readiness, appearance, and mission readiness at all times, including crewing with qualified U.S. Contract Mariners, managing planned and unplanned maintenance, executing dry-dock availabilities, and ensuring compliance with U.S. Coast Guard and American Bureau of Shipping regulations. Specialized requirements include maintaining Dynamic Positioning 2 certification, possessing a SECRET Facility Security Clearance, and ensuring designated personnel hold SECRET clearances and CMS custodian certification for vessels carrying classified systems. Contractors must demonstrate financial viability to sustain 60 days of operating costs for multiple vessels in full status and fund two major availabilities exceeding $20 million annually. Task orders under the IDIQ will be primarily Firm-Fixed Price with potential award fee provisions and pass-through elements for travel, port charges, and repairs. Offerors must submit corporate information including their CAGE code, business size status, narrative evidence of experience managing similar fleets, security clearance documentation, proof of financial capacity, and a commerciality justification per FAR 2.101. Responses are due by May 28, 2026, via email to designated points of contact, with no formal page or file type restrictions specified. The solicitation number is N32205-SS-N105-26-001, issued by the Department of Defense through the Navy’s Norfolk office, and no contract value is disclosed as this is a pre-solicitation market research effort to inform future procurement strategy.