RFI_Ship-to-Rail

THIS SPECIAL NOTICE IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. *** 10/16/2014 RFI Amendment A0001. This RFI Special Notice has been amended to add additional 'Submission Requirements.' Please note the additional request for company information, point-of-contact, and available GSA Schedule information. *** THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes; it does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP or Broad Agency Announcement (BAA). This RFI does not commit the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) to contract for any supply or service. DHS DNDO is not at this time seeking proposals. Responders are advised that the DNDO will not pay any cost incurred in response to this RFI. All costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested party's expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP or BAA. If a solicitation is released, it will be released via the Government-Wide Port of Entry (GPE) at (http://www.fedbizopps.gov). It is the responsibility of the potential responders to monitor the website for any information that may pertain to this RFI. The information provided in this RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. All submissions become the property of the DNDO, and will not be returned. DNDO is seeking alternative and innovative technological solutions for scanning IMCCs entering the U.S. through sea ports of entry (POE) for radioactive material prior to transferring to rail cars. Intermodal transportation of containerized cargo at terminals that transfer containers from a ship to rail is referred to as "on-dock rail" (ODR). In this RFI, DNDO is conducting targeted market research to: (1) inform the commercial sector that the Government is looking for innovative or improved approaches to this detection challenge without inhibiting the flow of commerce; and (2) determine industry capability to detect and identify radiological/nuclear threat sources and weapon components that may be smuggled in intermodal cargo containers (IMCC) that are transferred directly from ship to a rail car at seaport terminals and primarily handled by straddle or shuttle carriers for placement in staging and/or scanning areas. The information provided in response to this RFI may be used to: assess market capabilities; discover alternate or improved technologies or concepts; determine the technical maturity and commercial availability of potential solutions; and support future planning efforts to strengthen the vast Global Nuclear Detection Architecture (GNDA) with next generation radiation detection technologies and processes. Please see the enclosed document for additional information regarding this RFI. DUE DATE All final submissions to this RFI must be submitted via email to Lori.Lawson@hq.dhs.gov and Camille.Murray@hq.dhs.gov no later than 4:30 PM (Eastern Time) Wednesday, December 3, 2014. Submissions sent to any other email address will not be accepted. Additionally, telephone inquiries will not be accepted.