REQUEST FOR COMMENT U.S. ARMY AVIATION PROGRAM EXECUTIVE OFFICE INNOVATION CONTRACT CONCEPT INTRODUCTION

REQUEST FOR COMMENT U.S. ARMY AVIATION PROGRAM EXECUTIVE OFFICE INNOVATION CONTRACT CONCEPT INTRODUCTION 18 March 2021 1. This is a Request for Comment (RFC). This RFC shall not be construed as a Request for Proposal (RFP), or any solicitation or obligation on the part of the Government. The Government does not intend to select or qualify proposals or offers on the basis of this RFC or otherwise pay for information obtained via this RFC or in response to this notice. No basis for claim against the Government shall arise as a result of a response to this RFC. 2. The Government is performing market research to assist in determining the feasibility and strategy of contracting for services providing innovative intelligent automation, augmentation, analytics, and solutions to the U.S. Army Aviation Program Executive Office, hereafter referred to as PEO Aviation. The Government envisions industry providing assistance to PEO Aviation in innovation efforts that apply to multiple platforms in the PEO Aviation portfolio. Contractual solution(s) are intended to cover the full spectrum of necessary capabilities to assist PEO Aviation in providing new concepts and methodologies with application to multiple platforms in the Army Aviation fleet. Tasks anticipated include but are not limited to: a. Common Platform Innovations and Upgrades b. Hi-End Data Science, Cloud Computing and Consulting c. Multiple Domain Operations Fleet Level Upgrades d. Solutions Using Modular Open Systems Architecture e. Digital Twin, Digital Engineering and Simulations f. Open Architecture Upgrades for Multiple Platforms g. Evolving Technology Application to Multiple Platforms h. Information Technology and Telecommunications (Including Cyber Security) i. Intelligent Automation, Augmentation, and Analytics j. Related Consulting Education and Training k. Special Studies and Analysis 3. The Government is seeking for innovative acquisition approaches that results in the increase of speed to need in delivering innovation and integration quickly to the battlefield and our Warfighters. PEO Aviation seeks to establish a contractual solution that enables Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to quickly integrate and install on their Intellectual Property (IP) protected platforms. The Government contemplates arranging a contractual solution(s) that taps into innovative companies and academic institutions to assist PEO Aviation in developing state of the art technology and processes. The solution(s) employed will be designed to support the entire PEO Aviation organization, providing PEO Aviation Program Managers with common integration and innovation upgrades a framework consisting of hardware, software, data, procedures, and people. The specific goal of this contract is to support operations, management, decision making, and enable speed to award in innovation upgrades that may occur in multiple aviation fleets. 4. The Government requests industry review of this package, Innovation Contract Concept Introduction, Attachment 01 - Background and Document References, Attachment 02 - Contemplated Tasks. The Government requests general comments from industry addressing the package as well as comments addressing the following topic areas that will assist the Government in performing market research. a. Identification of possible existing acquisition solutions that would enable performance of innovation concept. Please identify the solution name or provide a description. Please provide Government POC's to contact for more information. b. Comment on the risks associated with OEM integration and application of the development of new innovative solutions by non-OEM industry sources into the Army Aviation fleet. Provide thoughts on interrelationships with the OEMs throughout the innovation process. c. Provide comments on the possible categorization of the work as derived from the tasks displayed in Attachment 02 - Contemplated Tasks. Please provide thoughts on possible NAICS and Product/Service Code assignments relative to the contemplated tasks identified. d. The government is considering separate MA-IDIQ contracts for specialized consulting, academia, and OEM studies or a larger MA-IDIQ with separate business suites that might contain a business suite for academic universities, a separate business suite for specialized consulting, and a third business suite for OEM studies. e. The potential exist for the Government to include, in addition to the above business suites cited, a Mission Systems Integrator (MSI) solution suite to leverage Government-procured technical data packages (TDP), Government-developed capabilities, and industry-developed systems as PEO Aviation migrates to an enterprise Modular Open System Approach (MOSA) solution space. f. The government is looking for comments on how small business goals might best be achieved in each respective suite. g. Any solutions employed by the Government would likely be under a five (5) year duration, one (1) year base period and four (4) option year periods. Industry comment to other contract durations is welcome. 5. The deadline for comments is 19 April 2021. Submissions shall not exceed fifteen (15) pages and should provide the following: a. Company Name b. Address c. Point of Contact/Title (including telephone number and email address) d. Comments should reference to source documents and sections from the package. RFC Clarifications (30 March 2021) 1. There is no incumbent contractor or group of contractors. This RFC is intended to cover a broad spectrum of future activities. 2. The Government does not intend to hold contractor briefings at this time. The Government may hold an Industry Day allowing for contractor briefings in the future. 3. The Government anticipates the majority of the work will be completed at contractor facilities though there is potential for work to done at Government locations. 4. The Government is seeking capabilities and approaches for meeting future requirements. 5. The Government is open to directly partnering with academia or industry partnering with academia. 6. The Government expects those tasks listed in Attachment 02 - Contemplated Tasks to remain part of the Performance Work Statement. 7. Task requirements will be managed by PEO Aviation and Army Contracting Command-Redstone.