NASA-wide Specialized Engineering, Evaluation and Test Services (NSEETS)

The National Aeronautics and Space (NASA) has a requirement for a NASA-wide Specialized Engineering, Evaluation and Test Services (NSEETS) contract. The purpose of this contract is to utilize the resources and personnel of the Aerospace Corporation in its role as a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) to provide expertise in support of activities relating to project management, systems, and discipline engineering as well as business and resource management. NASA intends to award a sole source contract to the Aerospace Corporation under the authority of 10 U.S.C 2304(c)(3) and FAR 6.302-3, "Industrial Mobilization; Engineering, Developmental, or Research Capability; or Expert Services." It is extremely valuable to NASA's mission to apply the expertize and full resources of modern science and technology from an organization like the Aerospace Corporation that is objective, non-conflicted, possesses high technical competence, is characterized by permanence and stability and has a deep understanding of the civilian and defense space endeavors both within the U.S. government and among other prominent scientific and industrial organizations in the United States. The scope of work will cover independent assessments (e.g., technical risks, cost estimates, schedules, etc.) of selected NASA programs and projects. These assessments will review all aspects of design and discipline engineering, engineering processes, systems engineering, manufacturing, assembly, test and operational mission capabilities, as well as independent nuclear safety reviews. In addition, Aerospace may provide NASA with highly specialized functional discipline expertise that is not readily available within the Government for service on evaluation panels and boards. This expertise will be used to evaluate proposals and competitive mission concepts, cost evaluations, project and program assessments, studies, and reporting on evaluation panel findings. The cost assessment capability covers technology development, space systems (including instruments), and related ground systems, as well as the life-cycle costs associated with all these elements. The Aerospace Corporation will provide on/off-site project independent multidisciplinary engineering services, testing, consulting, contractor-on-site monitoring, and evaluation of project and/or programs (inclusive of safety and mission assurance); which includes cost and schedule analyses as assurance in any phase of NASA's programmatic life-cycle (Pre-Phase A thru F). The Aerospace Corporation will provide leadership and/or staffing for focused science and technology studies, advanced systems architecture, systems engineering and independent reviews. This procurement will support NASA and its field centers in the following scope of work areas: - Management studies: gathering information and analyzing options for possible management systems; gathering information and analyzing the structure and performance of actual management systems in NASA programs and in similar endeavors; assembling and maintaining an inventory of the content and status of NASA programs. - Scientific studies: gathering information and analyzing systems for handling and analyzing samples of extraterrestrial materials; defining payloads to meet scientific goals; investigating potential science objectives for small, low-cost missions; investigating the applicability of science concepts to particular missions. - Technical studies: analyzing the feasibility of instrument, spacecraft and mission design; investigating mission options and associated performance expectations; analyzing system designs; analyzing technologies needed to accomplish specific goals; analyzing propulsion and mission operations capabilities; analyzing data handling and analysis systems. The Aerospace Corporation possesses the diverse technical and programmatic skills, management skills, unique and unsurpassed corporate memory of data on space systems, broad and deep insight, interaction with industry, substantial technical tools, superior engineering methods, advanced facilities and extensive experience with NASA programs. Aerospace has the specific capabilities and expertise to provide the required services in areas such as: conceptual designs, feasibility studies, analysis, development, qualification testing, flight certification, operations, and sustaining engineering. Additionally, Aerospace has the ability to draw on research and development resources to solve complex and system level problems with extensive unequalled experience and access to a repository of data on both military and civilian space missions. These capabilities allow Aerospace to make independent evaluations for NASA that are not available from any other source. Award to any other source would result in a failure to meet Agency's requirements. The Government does not intend to acquire a commercial item using FAR Part 12. The proposed contract action is for services for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under the authority of FAR 6.302-3. Interested organizations may submit their capabilities and qualifications to perform the effort in writing to the identified point of contact not later than 4:30 p.m. local time on September 7, 2018. Such capabilities/qualifications will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct this procurement on a competitive basis. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed effort on a full and open competition basis, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the government. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice. All responsible sources may submit an offer which shall be considered by the agency. NASA Clause 1852.215-84, Ombudsman, is applicable. The Center Ombudsman for this acquisition can be found at http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/pub/pub_library/Omb.html.