Procurement of Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) Reusable, Pressurized, Metal Shipping Containers for Shipping and Storage of Propeller Gearbox (PGB)

This is not a solicitation announcement. This is a sources sought synopsis only. This is NOT a request for proposals and in no way obligates the Government to award any contract. The purpose of this sources sought synopsis is to gain knowledge of commercially available products that may be of interest to the United States Coast Guard (USCG). The USCG Aviation Logistics Center is conducting market research to determine available sources described as follows: BACKGROUND: The USCG operates eighteen (18) HC-144 Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA), each equipped with two (2) CT7-9C3 turbo prop engines, and eighteen (18) off-wing spares manufactured by General Electric Company (GE). The purpose of this sources sought synopsis is to gain knowledge of Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) shipping/storage containers for the Propeller Gearbox (PGB) installed on the GE CT7-9C3 turbo prop engine. This notice is to assist the USCG in determining the potential sources capable of providing new shipping containers for the CT7-9C3 PGB. The shipping/storage containers must meet the minimum criteria listed below: SCOPE: The scope of this sources sought is to procure Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) reusable, pressurized, metal shipping containers for shipping and storage of the Propeller Gearbox (PGB), P/N 5074T51G16. The vendor shall provide documentation of an available production shipping container that will meet the requirements in section 1.0 below. The USCG will not fund design, development, or fabrication costs. 1.0 REQUIREMENTS 1.1 The contractor shall show documented evidence of availability of a COTS container, and past sales and performance of pressurized metal shipping/storage containers meeting the requirements for aircraft engines, and components, The shipping container shall be in its final, complete configuration for installation of the PGB and subsequent quality testing. The shipping container shall be certified by vendor Certificate of Conformance (COC). INSTALLED EQUIPMENT: The equipment and accessories below are required to be installed as part of the design and fabrication of each shipping container. This equipment will allow shipping, storage, preservation, handling, and inspection of the PGB's. 1. Holder, records, external 2. Closure latch or bolt/nut assemblies 3. Desiccator SAE AS5135 6212868 4.15.4.4, or equivalent 4. Plug, humidity indicator SAE AS26860 5166628 4.15.4.5, or equivalent 5. Fitting, pressurizing SAE AS5017 4.15.4.6, or equivalent 6. Valve, breather SAE AS27166 6212863 4.15.4.11, or equivalent 7. Observation window 6212706 4.15.4.13, or equivalent 8. Designed to be lifted and transported by light or medium forklift equipment in an industrial warehouse environment. 9. Internal shock/vibration absorbing mounts for PGB, P/N 5074T51G16 1.2 Replacement Parts: 1.2.1 Vendor shall provide an illustrated list of parts illustrating all field replaceable parts for maintenance and minor repair of shipping containers. This list shall include part numbers, National Stock Number (NSN) if applicable, and source information such as CAGE codes for the USCG to procure spare parts for the purpose of maintaining these containers. 2.0 PAINTING, MARKING, AND STENCILING: All surfaces, exterior and interior of the shipping container shall be painted IAW MIL-STD-648D, section 4.19.1 or equivalent commercial standard. Container is to be stenciled and marked IAW section 4.19.2, or a stencil/mark plan presented and accepted by the USCG. Basic instructional markings. Markings on shipping containers will be permanent and legible for the life of the container in the defined logistics environments and will include all basic instructional and operating caution markings required for safe, expeditious handling, and use of the container. Markings will include, but will not be limited to, as applicable: - Forklift and stacking points - Identification of any special sling needed - Records receptacle - Desiccant receptacle - Pressure relief valve(s) - Humidity indicator - Hoisting and tiedown attachment points - Warning notes - Instructions for opening, closing, and repressurizing the container - Cover lift - FWD - Observation window - Reusable container'do not destroy - Part Number and NSN (if assigned) - Empty weight of each container REPLIES: Responses to this notice should include company name, address, and telephone number, point of contact (POC), details on company quality systems and include documentation that provides traceability to the OEM for each part, complete product details, brochures, etc., which will allow the USCG to understand your product, configurations, auxiliary equipment and options. Please state the approximate lead-time for acquiring your product and the details and terms of any standard warranty included with the product. Please provide the details and terms of any standard warranty included with the product. Please respond to the following questions: (1) Is your business a large or small business and how many employees? (2) If small, does your firm qualify as a small, emergent business, or a small, disadvantaged business? (3) If disadvantaged, specify under which disadvantaged group and is your firm certified under Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act? (4) Is your firm a certified hub zone firm? (5) Is your firm a woman-owned or operated business? (6) Is your firm a certified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned? (7) Is your product listed on a GSA schedule? (8) Do you have other government agencies using the product, and if so which agencies, POCs and contract numbers? (9) If possible, any POCs for civilian users for general usage of product questions. After the review of the responses to this sources sought announcement, and if the USCG still plans to proceed with the acquisition, a solicitation announcement will be published on Sam.gov Insert "70Z03825IL0000008 Response" in the subject line of the email. After review of the responses to this sources sought announcement, and if the USCG decides to proceed with an acquisition, a solicitation announcement will be published on Sam.gov. Again, this is not a request for proposals and in no way obligates the Government to award any contract. Responses to this sources notice shall be emailed to steven.a.goodwin@uscg.mil. TELEPHONE RESPONSES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Responses must be received no later than 20 May 2025 at 4:00PM EST. Firms responding to this announcement that fail to provide all of the required information cannot be used to help the USCG make the appropriate acquisition decisions which is the intent of this sources sought notice. This notice is to assist the USCG in identifying potential sources only. All firms responding to this sources sought notice are advised that their response to this notice is not a request to be considered for a contract award. All interested parties must respond to any subsequent solicitation announcement separately from the responses to this announcement. Responses to this sources sought notice are NOT a request to be added to a prospective offerors list or to receive a copy of the solicitation. THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT INTEND TO AWARD A CONTRACT ON THE BASIS OF THIS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE OR TO OTHERWISE PAY FOR THE INFORMATION SOLICITED. This request for information is for planning purposes only and shall not be considered as an Invitation for Bid (IFB), Request for Quotation (RFQ), or Request for Proposal (RFP), or as an obligation on the part of the Government to acquire any products or services. Your responses to this sources sought will be treated as informational only. No entitlement to payment or direct or indirect costs or charges by the Government will arise as a result of contractor submission of responses to this sources sought or Government use of such information. The Government reserves the right to reject, in whole or part, any contractor input resulting from this sources sought. The information resulting from this sources sought may be included in one or more RFP's, which may be released via the Sam.gov portal.