P-8 ARMS and NGTSSC COTS Spares - RAAF

The Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD), Orlando, FL, is seeking information for potential sources to supply commercial off the shelf (COTS) spare parts to support the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) P-8 training system.

This procurement is partially brand name restrictive, limited to specific components, where deemed necessary.  Any vendor capable of supplying all the commercial parts will be considered an acceptable source, see Attachment 1 – ARMS and NGTSSC Material List.

The result of this market research will contribute to determining the method of procurement, if a requirement materializes. Based on the responses to this Sources Sought Notice (market research), this requirement may be set-aside for small businesses (in full or in part) or procured through full and open competition. Multiple awards may be made. All small business set-aside categories will be considered. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted or acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided to companies regarding submissions.

DISCLAIMER: THIS SOURCES SOUGHT IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. IT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION AND SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT. RESPONSES IN ANY FORM ARE NOT OFFERS AND THE GOVERNMENT IS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO AWARD A CONTRACT AS A RESULT OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. NO FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE TO PAY FOR PREPARATION OF RESPONSES TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. ANY INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY RESPONDENTS TO THIS TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION IS STRICTLY VOLUNTARY. 

DELIVERY LOCATION: ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE (RAAF), EDINBURGH, SA. 5111

PROGRAM BACKGROUND: These spares will support training systems for the RAAF P-8 aircraft platforms, providing realistic training events and qualification exercises for pilots, aircrew and maintainers. P-8A Training Systems devices will be modified with Increment 3 specific capabilities while maintaining baseline P-8A functionality to properly train the entire set of configurations of P-8A aircraft.

NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) & PSC: The applicable NAICS code for this requirement is 334111 (Electronic Computer Manufacturing) and a small business size standard of 1,250 employees based on SBA Table of Size Standards.  The Product Service Code (PSC) is 6910.  Companies must identify their size status, the results of which will be utilized as guidance to determine any potential set-aside basis.

SUBMISSION DETAILS: Interested businesses shall submit responses by email to Charon Whiteman, at charon.e.whiteman.civ@us.navy.mil, and copy Michael Davis, at michael.c.davis315.civ@us.navy.mil.  Please submit all written questions by email to Charon Whiteman and Michael Davis.  No phone or email solicitations with regards to the status of any subsequent RFP will be accepted prior to its release.

One electronically submitted response shall be received no later than 2:00pm Eastern Time on 09 September 2026 and reference: ARMS & NGTSSC COTS Spares – Sources Sought. 

Written responses shall be no more than ten (10) 8.5 x 11 inch pages, font no smaller than 10 point, and single spaced. Documentation should be organized into the following sections: Capabilities, Experience, Schedule, Small Business Participation, Cost. All responses shall include Company Name, Company Address, Company Business Size, Points-of-Contact (POC) including name(s), phone number, and email address.

Responses shall be in sufficient detail for the Government to determine that your business possesses the necessary functional area expertise and experience to compete for this acquisition.  Information and materials submitted in response to this request WILL NOT be returned.  All information/materials received in response to this Sources Sought Notice that is marked or designated as corporate or proprietary will be fully protected from any release outside the Government.  DO NOT SUBMIT CLASSIFIED MATERIAL. 

Responses should demonstrate the ability to fulfill the detailed supply requirements identified in the Materials List associated with this Sources Sought, and address the following:  

COMPANY INFORMATION: Identify your company’s SAM.gov registered name, CAGE code, Unique Entity ID, and POC information (telephone and email address).  Identify if your company is considered “small business” or “large business” under the size standard associated with the NAICS code listed within this announcement.  If considered “small business,” identify your company’s socio-economic status [i.e., HUBZone, SDVOSB, 8(a), or WOSB].

CAPABILITIES: Interested parties should provide a brief company introduction and details on the company/organization, including any potential teaming approach. A discussion of any customary business practices that might affect the firm’s fulfillment of the requirement or its relationship with the Navy customer. 

EXPERIENCE: Companies should provide details articulating their ability to deliver the required items.

SCHEDULE: The Government anticipates the effort to require less than 4 months for completion. Companies should provide comments as to their likelihood of satisfying the requirements within 4 months.

SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION: Discuss any potential participation by Small Business, HUBZone Small Business, Serviced-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), 8(a) Small Business, or Women-owned Small Business (WOSB) concerns.

OTHER CONTRACT VEHICLES: If applicable, please identify other contract vehicles the Government should consider for this requirement for which your company is an awardee [e.g., Government-Wide Acquisition Contracts (GWAC), Multi-Agency Contracts, Other Indefinite Delivery Contracts (IDC), Federal Supply Schedules (FSS), Basic Ordering Agreements (BOA), Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPA), Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program Awards].

NONMANUFACTURER RULE (NMR):  In order to determine if your firm qualifies as a small business concern that provides the requested items within the Materials List associated with this Sources Sought Notice, as a “Nonmanufacturer,” please respond to the following: 

(1) Does your firm have more than 500 employees?

(2) Are you primarily engaged in the retail or wholesale trade and normally sell the type of items being supplied within the Materials List? 

(3) Do you typically take ownership or possession of the types of items being supplied within the Materials List with your personnel, equipment, or facilities in a manner consistent with industry practices? 

(4) Are the items being supplied within the Materials List the end items of small business manufacturers, processors, or producers, and made in the United States?

Please keep the following in mind when addressing the questions, 13 C.F.R. 121.406 (b)(2) states in reference to Nonmanufacturers: 

“For size purposes, there can be only one manufacturer of the end item being acquired. The manufacturer is the concern which, with its own facilities, performs the primary activities in transforming inorganic or organic substances, including the assembly of parts and components, into the end item being acquired. The end item must possess characteristics which, as a result of mechanical, chemical or human action, it did not possess before the original substances, parts or components were assembled or transformed. The end item may be finished and ready for utilization or consumption, or it may be semi-finished as a raw material to be used in further manufacturing. Firms which perform only minimal operations upon the item being procured do not qualify as manufacturers of the end item. Firms that add substances, parts, or components to an existing end item to modify its performance will not be considered the end item manufacturer where those identical modifications can be performed by and are available from the manufacturer of the existing end item.”

LIMITATIONS ON SUBCONTRACTING: If you are a small business interested in being the prime contractor for this effort, please be advised that the FAR 52.219-14, “Limitations on Subcontracting,” Class Deviation 2021-O0008, Revision 1, is now in effect which includes the definition of “Similarly Situated Entity” and provides a methodology for the 50% calculation for compliance with the clause.  Small business primes may count “first-tier subcontracted” work performed by Similarly Situated Entities as if it were performed by the prime itself.  Please read the full text of Class Deviation 2021-O0008, Revision 1 - Limitations on Subcontracting for Small Business, dated 15 February 2023, at [https://www.acq.osd.mil/dpap/policy/policyvault/USA000277-23-DPC.pdf].

To assist in our market research and determination for this effort, if you are a small business interested in priming this effort and plan to utilize “Similarly Situated Entities” to meet the Limitations on Subcontracting, please identify the name, Unique Entity ID, and CAGE Code of the specific company(s) you intend to partner/subcontract with to meet the requirements as well as their small business size status under the NAICS Code that you as the prime would assign for their workshare. Information regarding any planned “Similarly Situated Entity” should be included in answering any questions outlined in the SSN in order to assist the Government’s capability determination.