Nuclear-Powered Submarine Material Harvesting and Refurbishment

This is a sources sought in accordance with FAR 15.201 and in anticipation of a potential future procurement program.

The Navy is conducting market research to determine industry capability and interest in performing material harvesting and refurbishment of systems, components and subcomponents from nuclear-powered submarines including critical hull, mechanical and electrical (HM&E), Non-propulsion Electronic Systems (NPES), Strategic Weapon Systems Support Equipment (SWSS), and Selected Ship Systems (SSS) components removed from nuclear-powered class submarines. Harvesting may take place at  take place during applicable availabilities at Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY), Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (PSNS), Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard (PHNSY), Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY), the Trident Refit Facilities at Kings Bay and Bangor (TRFKB and TRFB), Naval Submarine Base New London (SUBASE New London), and Naval Base Point Loma (NBPL), with refurbishment taking place at the contractor’s facilities.  Harvested material will be provided to the awardee as Government Furnished Material (GFM) and the contractor shall be responsible for its traceability and accountability until delivery of the refurbished harvested material to the Government. 

The contractor shall be accountable for GFM provided for repair and is responsible for providing all necessary support for the receiving, inspection, packaging, marking, and shipping information. The contractor must have an approved and maintained property management system determined to be in compliance by the contract administrator as per FAR 45.105. All property must be accounted for in the Navy’s Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment (PIEE) system as provided in DFARS 252.245-7005 Management and Reporting of Government Property.

The Navy  is considering a Multiple-Award Contract  Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (MAC IDIQ) to cover these requirements. . The specific requirements will be defined at the delivery order level.  Work would be performed under delivery orders anticipated to be  competed among MAC IDIQ awardees over five-year base ordering period and five additional option years. The Navy  will include rolling admissions provisions enabling the Navy to annually announce an interim competition for the purpose of adding additional contractors to the MAC IDIQ. 

The Navy has categorized the requirements to be procured under the MAC IDIQ into two tiers: Critical (Lot 1) and Non-Critical (Lot 2), as defined as follows:  

LOT 1: Critical Systems

Lot 1 encompasses all critical work performed under the stringent requirements of NAVSEA Note 5000. This work is defined as any task on a system or component where a single failure could lead to the loss of a nuclear-powered submarine and its crew.

• NAVSEA Note 5000 governs systems requiring the highest levels of quality control and material traceability. This includes, but is not limited to, programs such as: Submarine Safety (SUBSAFE), Submarine Flight Safety (SFCC), Fly-By-Wire Ship Control Systems (FBW SCS) and Deep Submergence Systems-Scope of Certification (DSS-SOC).
• Critical systems include but are not necessarily limited to the following: Vertical Launch System (VLS); Ship control system components; Torpedo tubes; Bow planes; Sonar dome; Large Vertical Array; Shipboard hydraulics systems; Normal fuel oil tank and systems; Lube oil systems.
• All work must be performed in strict compliance with the SUBSAFE manual, NAVSEA 250-1500-1, and other applicable critical system directives.
• Due to the critical nature of these systems onboard the nuclear-powered submarines, the Navy will require contractors to possess the capability and capacity to meet technical requirements for critical systems to be eligible for Lot 1 scope.  To complete this work, awardees are expected to have the knowledge, skills, workforce, and experience necessary to comply with Navy SUBSAFE requirements, in accordance with NAVSEA Note 5000.

LOT 2: Non-Critical

Lot 2 includes all work not covered under the NAVSEA Note 5000 or otherwise determined to be critical systems under Lot 1.  Work may include, but is not limited to, habitability spaces, non-propulsion auxiliary systems, general structural repairs, top-side equipment, and various electrical and mechanical systems that do not require the stringent controls of Lot 1.  To complete this work, MAC IDIQ holders are expected to have the knowledge, skills, workforce, and experience necessary to complete work scope in accordance with applicable NAVSEA technical requirements, NAVSEA Standard Items (NSI), and other requirement defined at the delivery order level. 

Scope

The potential future requirements expected to be covered by this notice include the following scope of work:

Reutilization

Clean, inspect, re-configure, and re-certify harvested material from nuclear-powered submarines, which may include full-up units, modules, or any other component down to the Lowest Replaceable Units (LRU) level, in accordance with applicable  maintenance standards, Joint Fleet Maintenance Manual (JFMM)  and  applicable SUBSAFE requirements, which includes but is not limited to, the following specific tasks:

• Cleaning and Inspection: Clean and thoroughly inspect all harvested material to assess its condition and identify and document any defects, damage, or missing components.
• Re-configuration: The systematic and controlled process of modifying harvested submarine material (units, modules, or LRUs) to meet the same form, fit and function unless otherwise specified, or an updated configuration as directed by the Government. Ensure that the harvested material, after modification, meets or exceeds the required performance standards, safety regulations, and operational needs of its intended application, while maintaining full traceability and accountability.
  • Analysis: Identifying and documenting the differences between the current as-is/as-arrived condition and the desired to-be configuration.
  • Component Modification: Replacing, upgrading, or altering hardware and software elements (including calibration) to align with the new configuration's specifications. This includes, but is not limited to mechanical adjustment, firmware update or replacement.
  • Testing: Continuous testing and validation throughout the process to verify functionality and performance.
  • Documentation: Meticulous record-keeping of all changes, parts used, and testing results to ensure traceability and maintain configuration control.
  • The contractor shall notify the Government of any identified reconfiguration requirements for review, validation, documentation and approval. The contractor, upon the request of the Government shall participate in any Government configuration control board.

Repair

Perform all necessary actions to repair identified defects from harvested material in accordance with the applicable maintenance standards, JFMM and applicable nuclear and SUBSAFE requirements, which include but are not limited to the following specific tasks:

• Fault Isolation and Diagnosis: Accurately identify the root cause of equipment failures and malfunctions using appropriate diagnostic tools and techniques.
• Component Removal and Replacement: Remove and replace failed modules, LRUs, and/or Circuit Card Assemblies (CCAs) as required. Replacement components shall meet or exceed original equipment manufacturer (OEM) specifications or as otherwise approved by the Government.
• Mechanical Repair: Identify and repair mechanical defects, including but not limited to damaged housings, connectors, wiring, and structural components. This may involve fabrication of minor parts or modification of existing parts as approved by the Government.
• Module Repair (Component Level): Repair modules removed from equipment to restore them to a serviceable condition for future use as replacements for in-service nuclear-powered submarines. This includes component-level troubleshooting, repair, and testing. Component Level is the individual electronic, electrical, and mechanical parts that make up the module.
• Reassembly and Alignment: Reassemble repaired equipment and perform necessary alignments and calibrations, to ensure proper functionality and performance according to Government specifications.

Refurbishment

Perform all necessary actions to refurbish damaged but repairable full-up units, modules, and LRUs to Ready for Issue (RFI) serviceable operating condition, in accordance with the applicable maintenance standards, JFMM and applicable nuclear and SUBSAFE requirements, which include but is not limited to, the following specific tasks

• Cleaning: Thoroughly clean all units, modules, and LRUs to remove dirt, debris, and contaminants, in accordance with cleaning standards MIL-STD-105E or NAVSEA approved equivalent.
• Damage Assessment: Conduct and document a detailed inspection to identify all physical damage and defects.
• Component Refurbishment/Replacement:
  • Remove and replace failed LRUs, Circuit Card Assemblies (CCAs), and other components.
  • Refurbish LRUs removed for future use as repair replacements, restoring them to serviceable condition.
• Mechanical: Refurbish or replace damaged housings, connectors, wiring, and other mechanical components.
• Reassembly and Alignment: Reassemble repaired units and perform necessary alignments and calibrations to meet OEM specifications.
• Painting: Apply paint, where applicable, to restore the appearance of the units, adhering to painting standards MIL-PRF-24635 or NAVSEA approved equivalent.

Following all refurbishments, the contractor shall inspect and certify all components in accordance with applicable maintenance standards and Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) to ensure equipment meets performance standards and operational requirements. Provide test reports documenting these results and ensure optimum reliability for its intended use.

All harvested material will be returned to the RFI serviceable operating condition as specified in Defense Logistics Agency’s Defense Logistics Management System (DLA/DLMS), and as outlined below:

• Condition Code A
  • Description: Serviceable (Issuable Without Qualification)
  • Condition: New, used, repaired, or reconditioned materiel which is serviceable and issuable to all customers without limitation or restriction.  Includes material with more than 6 months shelf-life remaining.

• Condition Code B
  • Description: Serviceable (Issuable With Qualification)
  • Condition: New, used, repaired, or reconditioned material, which is serviceable and issuable for its intended purpose, but which is restricted from issue to specific units, activities, or geographical areas by reason of its limited usefulness or short service life expectancy.  Includes material with 3 through 6 months shelf-life remaining.

Obsolescence Management

Prospective contractor(s) shall provide obsolescence management, including reverse engineering of obsolete components, where allowable.  This includes, but is not limited to, the following actions:

• Technical report detailing the change to the component including labor cost data, material cost data
• Technical data package of the proposed component
• Engineering Change Proposal (ECP) data
• Delivery of one manufactured component that is form, fit, and function compatible

Government approval is required to begin the manufacturing (Build) phase. After the reverse engineering is complete, all technical data and analyses must be submitted for Government review. Contractors are prohibited from starting any production work until they receive formal, written authorization. The Government reserves the right to approve, modify, or deny the transition to the Build phase.

Submission Instructions

The Government invites all interested potential sources to submit written information sufficient to demonstrate the respondent’s ability to accomplish the requirements described in this notice. The Government is especially interested in determining small business capability and interest. Responses must be submitted electronically via email to the points of contact listed in this notice by the prescribed response date. All information received bearing proprietary markings will be handled in accordance with applicable statutes and regulations. Please ensure that the subject line of any emails containing responses or questions related to this notice includes the name of your firm and Nuclear-Powered-Submarines  Material Harvesting and Refurbishment.  Responses shall not exceed 10 pages, inclusive of attachments and exhibits, and responses to this notice will not be returned. An acknowledgement of receipt will be provided for all responses received. If you do not receive an acknowledgement within two working days, please notify the points of contacts listed in this notice.

Content of Responses

Responses to this notice must provide the following basic information:

1. (Lot 1 and Lot 2) Company Information:
   
   1. Legal company name, address, and primary point(s) of contact
   2. Business size and socio-economic status (e.g., Small Business, SDVOSB, HUBZone, etc.)
   3. CAGE code and UEI number
   4. Applicable NAICS code(s)
2. (Lot 1) Core Capabilities, Facilities, Equipment, and Workforce:
   1. Lot 1: Critical Systems Qualification (NAVSEA Note 5000): Detail your firm's experience with critical systems governed by NAVSEA Note 5000, including high-consequence programs such as SUBSAFE, Fly-By-Wire Ship Control Systems (FBW SCS), and/or Deep Submergence Systems-Scope of Certification (DSS-SOC). Your response must:
      1. Confirm your firm possesses the necessary certifications and qualifications.
      2. Provide evidence of established, auditable processes for inspection, testing, and material traceability sufficient to generate the Objective Quality Evidence (OQE) required for material certification.
3. (Lot 1 and Lot 2) Harvesting, Reutilization, and Repair Capabilities: Provide experience with harvesting, inspection, and repair of complex components. 
4. (Lot 1 and Lot 2) Obsolescence Management and Reverse Engineering:  Provide experience with obsolescence management to mitigate supply chain risks and in reverse engineering to recreate technical data for unavailable components, ensuring long-term system sustainment.
5. (Lot 1 and Lot 2) Testing, Recertification, and Qualification: Provide experience performing functional testing, non-destructive testing, and/or environmental testing as applicable. Include processes used to inspect, test, and certify or recertify harvested or repaired items for continued service
6. (Lot 1 and Lot 2) Technical Data:  Provide experience working with government technical data packages or similar controlled documentation. Familiarity with applicable military standards, technical manuals, drawings, or certification requirements
7. (Lot 1 and Lot 2) Quality: Provide  any relevant quality management certifications. Include processes for material traceability, counterfeit material prevention, and control of GFM.
8. (Lot 1 and Lot 2) Facilities: Description of facilities, specialized equipment, and tooling used for harvesting, repair, and testing
9. (Lot 1 and Lot 2) Workforce: Provide a brief narrative describing the qualifications, certifications, and experience of your key personnel. This narrative must be tailored to demonstrate your firm's capability to staff each Lot appropriately. Do not submit full resumes.

1. (Lot 1 and Lot 2) Past Performance & Experience:
   
   1. Provide up to three (3) examples of similar harvesting, reuse, repair, reverse engineering, obsolescence management, or recertification projects performed in the last 5 years
   2. For each example, briefly describe the system or components involved and the customer (government or commercial)
2. (Lot 1 and Lot 2) Data Rights and Limitations:
   1. Statement identifying any data rights restrictions or proprietary processes related to response content
   2. Ability to provide deliverables with Government Purpose Rights or Unlimited Rights, as applicable
3. (Lot 1 and Lot 2) Teaming and Small Business Participation: To establish a baseline for subcontracting opportunities and overall small business participation, all respondents shall provide answers to the following specific questions:  
   1. Do you intend on proposing as a prime? If not, what area(s) of this acquisition do you believe you can fulfill as a subcontractor.  
   2. Do you intend to utilize subcontracting in support of this effort? If so, can you provide an estimated percentage of how much you intend to subcontract with large and/or small? 
   3. In what areas of work within the acquisition do you intend to provide subcontracting opportunities?
   4. If you intend to team for this acquisition provide a description of the teaming arrangement (inclusive of joint ventures).

Disclaimer

This notice is not a request for proposals. Per FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice do not constitute offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. This notice is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a solicitation or obligation on the part of the Government. The Government makes no representations that a solicitation for the requirements described in this notice will be issued. Respondents are wholly responsible for any costs or expenses associated with submitting a response. No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this notice or any further requests for information relating to a response. Respondents will not be notified of the results of this notice. The information obtained from submitted responses may be used by the Government in the development of a procurement strategy. Information submitted in response to this notice will become the property of the United States Government. Respondents should mark any materials submitted with the appropriate restrictive markings. Information that is proprietary or competition-sensitive may be protected from disclosure under the public records statutes only if properly labeled as such.