(RFI) Extreme Cold Weather Ground Insulator/Sleeping Mat

EXTREME COLD WEATHER GROUND INSULATOR/SLEEPING MAT 1. GENERAL INFORMATION. This Request for Information (RFI) initiates market research under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10 and is not a Request for Proposal. The information herein only initiates communication with industry in order to assess market potential. No solicitation document exists at this time. This RFI constitutes no Government obligation to procure these items or issue a solicitation. The Government does not have an obligation to pay for information responding to this RFI and will not accept any responses as offers. Vendors should mark any proprietary information clearly and appropriately. 2. PURPOSE. The Product Manager for Soldier Clothing & Individual Equipment (PM-SCIE) is seeking industry input to identify potential sources for a Extreme Cold Weather Ground Insulator/Sleeping Mat. Due to Geo-Political threats and emerging requirements to operate in Cold and Extreme Cold Weather regions, the Army is seeking to provide the Warfighter with an improved ground insulator/sleeping mat that provides increased protection in cold and extreme cold weather environments. The material solution requested shall provide three functional properties; provide Soldiers using the Extreme Cold Weather Ground Insulator/Sleeping Mat or any future Cold Weather Sleep System with insulation from snow covered surfaces with a minimum R Value of 6, be quickly deployable and packable for expedient use, be sized suitably for dismounted, mounted, and airborne operations. Army is looking for a durable, flexible material that will hold up to harsh environments (below freezing temperatures, ice/snow/water) and provide a high level ground stand off and will not deform or compress for a minimum duration of 4 hours while remaining easily packable. Submissions should attempt to avoid the need for use of tools required for the use or set up of the ground insulator or the use of Soldiers breath to inflate, in the case of inflatable solutions. If the submission does not meet certain requirements or attributes listed below, it should be noted in the submission. The proposed material(s) must be Berry Amendment compliant. The outer layer of the submitted material must be available in Camouflage Green 483, Foliage Green 504 and/or Coyote 498 shade; however, submissions for this RFI can be in any shade currently available. If a submission is in a color other than Camouflage Green 483, Foliage Green 504 and/or Coyote 498, the offeror should include a statement that they are capable of providing it in the Camouflage Green 483, Foliage Green 504 and/or Coyote 498 color. The material should provide the following attributes: Durability; Flexibility in extreme cold weather conditions (-65'F) Fast drying; Waterproof or highly water resistant Breathable; Launderable Sized for the 5-95% of Soldiers Current mat is a 3 R-Value, make the replacement mat threshold a 6 R-Value Packable for static-line Airborne and Free fall Operations When used with sleep systems, will not compress or deflate after a minimum of 4 hour use and will provide equal or greater comfort than the current ground Insulator/sleeping mat. Weighs less than the current ground insulator/sleeping mat,2 lbs Is made of a materiel that permits the ground insulator/sleeping mat to be easily prepared for (or removed from) a storage configuration in Climatic Zones VI and VII. Is flame resistant 3. SUBMISSION REQUEST. This RFI does not have an associated page restriction. However, an executive summary, not to exceed five (5) pages, should accompany each submission. Responses may include any advertising, marketing information and capability summaries directly related to the RFI. Vendors deciding to submit competition-sensitive or proprietary information bear sole responsibility for marking the information for appropriate safeguarding. Please include the following information in the response: Organization Name, Address and Point of Contact information DUNS & Cage Code Business size for NAICS Designate whether the company is a large or small business. Should the company be designated as a small business, please also provide the appropriate category/categories, if applicable: 8(a) certified Service-disabled veteran-owned Veteran-owned Woman-owned HUB Zone Native American Any other Small Business Administration approved designation Estimated material price per yard with identification of full width System for Award Management registration expiration date Existing contracts (i.e. GSA, other agency contracts, etc.) where the solution to this RFI may be available Verification from the supplier that the fiber, components, and materials, are compliant with the Berry Amendment / Buy American Act The company's production lead time schedule The company's minimum/maximum monthly delivery schedule. Interested vendors need to be able to produce at a rate of 14,000 units per month to satisfy the current average monthly demand (AMD). We assume standard lead times and no issues with raw material deliveries unless otherwise stated. Detailed description of the submitted sample, including content and construction of each layer and/or assembly, if applicable. Material/Solution samples: 3 yards and or one complete end item per submission, at no cost to the Government, with written responses. If more than 1 sample is submitted, request that the different benefits of each submission is noted. A micro purchase request for additional yardage may be requested within 60 days for testing purposes after initial review. Please submit RFI questions to the Contract Specialist via email andrew.p.donovan2.civ@army.mil no later than 12:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST), 28 April 2023. Responder is advised that the answers to those questions being asked will be based on information that is available at that time. Any solicitation related to the Extreme Cold Weather Ground Insulator/Sleeping Mat, if issued, is a separate and distinct effort and the responses provided to the RFI may no longer apply. The U.S. Army will post all questions and answers to the Sam website (https://www. sam.gov/). Responses shall be submitted electronically via e-mail to the Contract Specialist: andrew.p.donovan2.civ@army.mil no later than 12:00 p.m. EST, 05 May 2023. All responses shall reference RFI#: W911QYRFIECWGROUNDINSULATORSLEEPINGMAT. 4. PROPRIETARY DATA. The Government may use information received from this RFI to establish future U.S. Army requirements. Vendors deciding to submit competition-sensitive or proprietary information bear sole responsibility for marking the information for appropriate safeguarding. Proprietary information will be protected from unauthorized disclosure as required by Subsection 27 of the Office of Procurement Policy Act as amended (41 U.S.C. 423) (hereinafter referred to as "the Act"), as implemented in the FAR. Contracting Office Address: 10 General Greene Ave, Natick, MA