R--RFI to do market research for Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Services to Support

Please note this notice has been amendment for the following reason: -The due date for responses has been extended to 12/17/2021 at 10AM EST. -No additional changes have been made from the original posting. SPECIAL NOTICE - REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)-SOURCES SOUGHT: The Department of the Interior (DOI), Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) as part of a market survey for an upcoming procurement 'Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Services to Support an Investigation of the Blake Plateau'. The purpose of the RFI is to: -Determine the availability and technical capability of industry. -Receive industry feedback (comments, questions, and suggestions) from vendors on a draft request for a proposal terms and conditions (T&Cs). The input can be in the form of comments, questions or suggestions. This Request for Information / Sources Sought Synopsis does not constitute an Invitation for Bids (IFB), a Request for Quote (RFQ), or a Request for Proposal (RFP) and it should not be construed as a commitment of any kind by the Government to issue a formal solicitation or ultimately award a contract. The U.S. Government is in no way liable to pay for or reimburse any companies or entities that respond to this announcement. Any costs incurred by interested vendors in response to this announcement or incurred for participation in the Market Survey will NOT be reimbursed. All information marked as proprietary information will be safeguarded to prevent disclosures to non-Government personnel and entities. There is no bid package or solicitation document associated with this announcement. Response to this RFI is strictly voluntary. The results of this market research will contribute to determining the method of procurement and requirement development. BSEE is seeking information from vendors that have the capability of performing the work described in the attached draft Statement of Work (SOW) within the draft RFP T&Cs. Responses must be identified by RFI No. DOIMFBO220002 and must be written in 12-point, Times New Roman font with margins of one inch or greater on all sides, consist of five pages or less, and include the following business information: 1. Company name 2. DUNS number 3. Mailing address 4. E-mail address 5. Telephone number 6. Web site address (if available) 7. Business Size and Eligibility under U.S. Government socio-economic programs (i.e., type of business - large, small, small-disadvantaged, Woman-owned, veteran-owned, or 8(a)) under North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code associated with the project. 8. Confirm if your company is registered in the System for Award Management (SAM). 9. Any comments, questions, or suggestions related to the draft SOW within the draft RFP Questionnaire: Offerors who are able to meet the requirements of this survey, have the potential capacity and capability to meet the requirements based on the information provided, and who would be interested in competing for any potential contracts, please take the time to respond to the following questions: 1. What potential ambiguities exist in the draft SOW that would necessitate further details in order to solicit proposes for these services? 2. Please provide a brief description (no more than 5 pages) of your organization's experience, capabilities and limitations to meet the requirements identified in the draft SOW. 3. Provide the recommended NAICS code associated with the draft SOW. 4. Recommended contract type. 5. Any additional input or questions related to the draft request for proposal. All responses under this RFI Notice must be submitted via email to contact@example.gov no later than 10:00 A.M. Eastern Time, on December 17, 2021. Please include the RFI number in your email subject line. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted or acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided to companies regarding their submissions. Based upon responses received, BSEE representatives may choose to meet (virtually) with potential Offerors and hold one-on-one discussions. Such discussions will be considered further Market Research intended to obtain clarifications of potential capability and/or experience to assist BSEE in defining and developing its requirements. Additionally, BSEE is considering hosting an 'Industry Day' to further articulate our objectives from this solicitation and elicit industry feedback. If such an Industry Day is to be held, its timing and location will be announced at a later date. In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.215-3 - Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes (Oct 1997): (a) The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this solicitation or to otherwise pay for the information solicited except as an allowable cost under other contracts as provided in subsection 31.205-18, Bid and proposal costs, of the Federal Acquisition Regulation. (b) Although "proposal" and "offeror" are used in this Request for Information, your response will be treated as information only. It shall not be used as a proposal. (c) This announcement is issued for the purpose of gathering market research information.