R -- A&AS in support of clinical and research for the Aerospace Ophthalmology Branch to the USAF Aviation Corneal Refractive Surgery Surveillance Program and Aerospace Ophthalmology Branch activities

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT A NOTICE OF SOLICITATION ISSUANCE. THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) FOR PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY. This RFI is issued for the purpose of developing a viable solicitation that will best communicate the Government's requirements to industry. Response to this RFI is strictly voluntary and will not affect any corporation's ability to submit an offer if, or when, a solicitation is released. The requested information is for planning purposes only and does not constitute a commitment, implied or otherwise, that a procurement action will be issued. No entitlement to payment by the Government of direct or indirect costs or charges will arise as a result of the submission of information in response to this RFI. The Government shall not be liable for or suffer any consequential damages for any improperly identified proprietary information. Proprietary information will be safeguarded in accordance with the applicable Government regulations.GENERAL INFORMATION. The 311th Human Systems Wing (HSW)/ United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine (USAFSAM), Aerospace Ophthalmology Branch is planning to contract for Aeromedical Consultation Services to support the USAF Aviation Corneal Refractive Surgery (CRS) Surveillance Program and other Aerospace Ophthalmology Branch activities. The primary focus of any resultant contract will be to provide Aerospace Ophthalmology support services for the USAF Aviation CRS as defined in the attached Performance Work Statement (Attachment 1). The HSW anticipates the award of Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract using NAICS code 541990. The small business size standard associated with this NAICS code is $6,500,000. Responses from all business sizes are welcome. Large business and all sub-categories of small businesses are being looked at during our market research phase. At this time, the HSW is only considering a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) arrangement for inclusion under any resultant contracts. Additionally, we currently anticipate the contract will have a basic ordering period of five years with one additional year for performance. Central Contract Registration (CCR) will be mandatory for these contracts (see CCR website at www.ccr.gov). BACKGROUND AND PROGRAM INFORMATION. This IDIQ contract will address the Aerospace Ophthalmology support services as outlined in the Performance Work Statement, dated 07 December 2007. The HSW requests comments from interested parties to the following questions: 1. Would you be interested in submitting a proposal considering the anticipated scope of the program addressed above? If not, please explain why? 2. Given the scope addressed above, do you have sufficient experience with these services such that an evaluator could assess your capability? If yes, please provide examples of your experience to include potential labor categories and reach-back capability. If not, please explain why. 3. What is the minimum and maximum dollar value project on which your firm would routinely consider submitting a proposal? 4. What maximum capacity of work can your firm reasonably manage while assuring effective program/project implementation and maintaining quality products? What is the minimum time frame you anticipate to be fully operational if your company was awarded a contract? What training requirements do you anticipate for your employees prior to initiation of a contract? 5. What percentage of the total work, based on estimated dollar value, would you anticipate requiring a teaming partner/subcontractor arrangement to accomplish? Please explain the type of teaming/subcontractor arrangement your company anticipates utilizing for this effort. 6. What does your company consider an appropriate timeline for hiring new, qualified employees to fulfill the requirements of this effort? Do you have procedures in place to ensure that personnel hired for this effort possess or can obtain the appropriate clearance levels to work in a government facility and/or with sensitive documents? If yes, please expound on those procedures. If not, please explain why. 7. Are you aware of any DoD contracts dealing with similar tasks as those identified the draft PWS? If so, provide the following: government POC, organization, phone number, email address, and contract number. 8. What is your business size? If you are a small business, do you also qualify under any of the sub-categories (8(a), small disadvantaged business, woman-owned small business, veteran-owned small business, HUBZone small business, service disabled veteran-owned small business, and HBCU/MI)? 9. If you are a small business, would you consider submitting a proposal as a prime contractor? 10. In what socio-economic programs do you now participate (e.g. Mentor Protege, Indian Incentive, etc.)? What is the extent of your participation in these programs? 11. Should it be determined that a total set-aside for 8(a) small business or other small business subcategories is not feasible, the HPW requires feedback on small business goals pertaining to large business. Please provide your thoughts on whether the following subcontracting goals, calculated on the basis of total subcontracting dollars, would be realistic: - Small Business 28% (total awarded or obligated dollars) - Small Disadvantaged Business 5% - Woman Owned Small Business 5% - HUBZone Small Business 3% - Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business 3% - Veteran Owned Small Business 3% If you do not feel these goals are appropriate, request your input as to what goals would be appropriate and include supporting rationale. 12. In your view, what criteria would distinguish one firm?s capabilities from another? Please explain. 13. The HSW is contemplating a 5-year ordering period with 1 additional year for project completion. What are your thoughts regarding the adequacy of this contract length for the outlined requirements? 14. Any resultant contract may be re-located to the Dayton, OH area as a result of the requiring organizations moving to Wright-Patterson AFB, OH under the Base-Realignment and Closure (BRAC) initiative. Would your company be able to provide continued support throughout BRAC transition from Brooks City-Base and continue to provide support once the mission has moved to Wright-Patterson AFB? If yes, please provide explanation of transition support plan. If not, please provide an explanation of any barriers precluding your company from providing the transition support. 15. In your view, how many simultaneous, geographically dispersed task orders should a firm need to show to demonstrate the ability to effectively manage the depth of services required for this effort? How can capacity be most effectively demonstrated to the Government under a solicitation (e.g. scope/dollar value, numbers of task orders, both, etc.)? 16. In your view, how should the issues of fair opportunity to be considered at the task order level? Would you support a down-selection mechanism? How would you recommend any down-selection be handled? 17. Do you see any issues/problems with the tasks outlined in the attached draft PWS? 18. Identify risks and provide risk mitigation strategies to the tasks identified in the PWS? 19. Do you have any other comments or suggestions that you would like to share with us? Please include the following with your response: name and address of firm; size of business; point of contact and telephone number, average annual revenue for past three years and number of employees, classification standard - i.e., large, small, small disadvantaged, 8(a), woman-owned, veteran-owned, service disabled veteran owned, HUBZone, etc., affiliate information: parent company, joint venture partners, and potential teaming partners. Please e-mail responses to Kim.Walton@brooks.af.mil no later than 19 December 2007. Since this is an RFI to be used in planning a future acquisition, please do not send in any proposals. Request for proposals, if and when issued, will be available on the Internet at FedBizOpps.gov. As such, it is the potential offeror?s responsibility to monitor this site for the release of any additional information. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT A NOTICE OF SOLICITATION ISSUANCE. THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) FOR PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY. Please note that official information will be provided only by the Contracting Officer or the Contract Specialist. Any information received from other sources should not be relied upon as official. Points of Contact Kim Walton, Supervisory Contracting Officer, Phone (210) 536-4421, Fax 210-536-3380, Email: kim.walton@brooks.af.mil and Kathleen Islas, Contract Specialist, Phone 210-536-4887, Fax 210-536-3380, Email: kathleen.islas@brooks.af.mil.