Ship Offload Infrastructure (Barge) for McMurdo Station, Antarctica

THIS REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS. It is a market research tool used to determine the availability and adequacy of potential sources prior to determining the method of acquisition and issuance of award. The RFI does not commit the Government to solicit or award an order now or in the future. No solicitation is available at this time. The information requested may be used by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop an acquisition strategy. Any information provided to the Government is strictly voluntary and will be provided at no cost to the Government. The Government is not obligated to pay for any information received from potential sources as a result of this FBO announcement. Please see the attached documentation for the details pertaining to the Ship Offload Structure (Barge) for McMurdo Station, Antarctica. Interested businesses are invited to submit a brief Capabilities Statement package to Jennifer Shymansky at contact@example.gov on or prior to 4:00 PM Eastern Time on March 29, 2021. The subject line on your email shall read "AIL-BARGE-2021 - Capabilities Statement" Please do not call the contracting office for information. All inquiries should be emailed to contact@example.gov to avoid any misunderstanding or confusion. Questions regarding this RFI may be submitted by 10:00 AM Eastern Time, on Monday March 8, 2021 to Jennifer Shymansky at contact@example.gov. All questions must be submitted electronically; no phone calls will be accepted. The email subject should contain - AIL-BARGE-2021 Questions. ******************************* The purpose of Update 1 is to respond to a question received regarding this RFI, as follows: Q. Is there an indicative - general arrangement plan available for the required barge/Vessel offload structure which you can provide? A. There is currently no general arrangement plan. ******************************* The purpose of Update 2 is to respond to questions received regarding this RFI, as follows: Q. (1) Will the barge and equipment be required to be built in the United States (Buy American Act)? Will the barge be Jones Act? (2) Is the barge and associated infrastructure subject to any requirements to be built in America or to be built by an American Company? A. No determinations or decisions have been made yet regarding potential solicitation provisions or contract clauses. At this time, NFS is conducting broad market research to obtain capabilities statements from all firms that are potentially able to meet the specifications outlined in the RFI to determine what capabilities exist in the commercial marketplace. NSF will consider any feedback you may wish to provide regarding the applicability of these requirements along with your capabilities statement submission. Q. Please explain what the landmass is made from in the Offload Photos file page/slide #4 [image 3]. Nothing technical please just whether it's ice or other materials or a combination of ice and [something else]? A. The image you are referencing is not a landmass but the Ice Pier. The ariel view in the following picture with the tanker directly alongside provides a better view of the Ice Pier in context with the surrounding landscape. The Ice Pier is made up of 15+ feet of ice with an 8-inch layer of dirt on top (for insulation and traction). The Bailey bridge connects the pier to the wharf and the wharf is made of layers of ice and dirt down tens of feet before bedrock is reached. ******************************* The purpose of Update 3 is to respond to questions received regarding this RFI, as follows: Q. Can the Government provide an anticipated timeline for on-site installation after arrival of the barge? A. The Government expects delivery would only happen during a period of open water -- roughly January through March annually. The amount of time available would depend on the resupply timing and needs of the particular season and the requirements of the asset proposed. The latter of which we are looking for feedback from the provider. Q. Can you please provide information regarding the proposed target time frame for RFP release, estimated RFP Submission date, and anticipated award Date? A. No acquisition schedule has been established for any potential future solicitation release for the Ship Offload Infrastructure (Barge) for McMurdo Station. Q. Will the contract be administered directly with NSF or will this go through a management contract such as Leidos/ other? A. No determinations or decisions have been made yet regarding potential acquisition strategy for the Ship Offload Infrastructure (Barge) for McMurdo Station. Q. We encourage the government to research [the Buy American Act] and finalize a decision, as the decision could dramatically affect costs. A. Noted; however, at this time NSF is considering all recommendations. Interested vendors may present more than one solution if they have the capability to provide options that are limited by Buy American and options that are not, as well as information on the cost differential you referenced. *******************************