Software Defined Radio Epiq X40 + PDK Kit 450MHz

This announcement constitutes a Sources Sought Synopsis (market survey). This is not a request for quote (RFQ) or a request for proposal (RFP). This announcement is for information and planning purposes only and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government, implied or otherwise, to issue a solicitation or award a contract. The Government will not pay for any cost incurred in responding to this announcement. Any information submitted by respondents to this Sources Sought synopsis shall be voluntary.

This Sources Sought Notice is for Market Research purposes only. The information submitted in response to the Sources Sought Notice will not be utilized to determine vendor standing in any future/potential Request for Quote/Request for Proposal, nor will it be utilized to determine if a vendor is qualified to submit a Request for Quote/Request for Proposal for any future/potential requirement. The notice and the information received shall not be used to determine how well respondents can perform a requirement, which can only be evaluated in response to a solicitation. Vendors will not receive formal notification or feedback on any information submitted in this Sources Sought request. All future/proposed submissions/solicitations requirements solicited on a Government Point of Entry will be evaluated independent of any information submitted in response to this Sources Sought Notice. No vendor will be provided information on solicitations issued on a Government Point of Entry based on this Sources Sought request.

Large and Small Businesses are invited to answer this market survey to determine market capabilities.

1. Background & Purpose

The 179th CW/MSC, Mansfield, OH, is seeking to identify capable sources that can provide an ultra-small, high-performance Software Defined Radio (SDR) and associated Platform Development Kit (PDK) to support immediate, rapid prototyping of SWaP-optimized electronic warfare (EW) payloads.

The Government anticipates a requirement for the Epiq Solutions X40 SDR Transceiver and PDK, or an equivalent solution that meets the stringent hardware and software integration characteristics detailed below. The purpose of this notice is two-fold:

1. To identify authorized commercial distributors and Value-Added Resellers (VARs) capable of supplying the specific Epiq Solutions brand-name equipment.
2. To test the commercial marketplace to determine if any alternative "equivalent" products exist that can meet the Government's strict physical and performance requirements without requiring custom circuit board fabrication or extensive software reverse-engineering.

2. Salient Characteristics

Whether proposing the brand-name product or an equivalent, the SDR and development kit must meet the following baseline specifications:

• Form Factor: Must be strictly confined to an M.2 card footprint to support integration into highly restricted physical environments (e.g., small Unmanned Aerial Systems [sUAS]). Alternative form factors (such as standard PCIe cards or standalone chassis) are physically incompatible and will not be considered.
• Performance: Must feature an 18 GHz tuning range and 450 MHz of instantaneous bandwidth.
• MIMO Configuration: Native 4R1T (4 Receive, 1 Transmit) channel configuration.
• Development Environment: Must feature an integrated Platform Development Kit (PDK) containing a carrier board, processor, pre-configured Linux OS, and FPGA source code (specifically utilizing ZU11 FPGA architecture or equivalent) to allow for immediate, out-of-the-box software development.

3. Alternative/Equivalent Products Only

To prevent severe delays in fielding capabilities to the warfighter, the Government requires an "immediate-use" rapid evaluation platform. If a vendor is proposing an alternative or "equivalent" hardware platform, the capability statement MUST explicitly address the following integration hurdles:

1. Does your alternative M.2 SDR include a pre-configured, matching carrier board and development kit? If not, what is the estimated lead time to design, fabricate, and validate a custom carrier board?
2. Describe your platform's FPGA environment. Does it include pre-validated FPGA source code and a stable Linux OS image compatible with the M.2 radio out-of-the-box?
3. Provide an estimated timeline (in weeks/months to transition an EW software pipeline onto your proposed platform.

4.  Submission Instructions

Interested parties must submit a Capability Statement (no more than 5 pages) clearly indicating which of the two categories they fall under:

Category A: Brand-Name Resellers (Providing Epiq Solutions Products)

• Provide Company Name, CAGE Code, UEI, and Socio-Economic Status.
• Provide direct proof of authorization to resell/distribute Epiq Solutions products (e.g., an authorized reseller letter or distributor agreement).

Category B: Alternative / Equivalent Solution Providers

• Provide Company Name, CAGE Code, UEI, and Socio-Economic Status.
• Provide technical specification sheets proving compliance with the Salient Technical Characteristics (specifically proving 18GHz and 450MHz in an M.2 footprint).
• Provide a direct, detailed response to the three items outlined in Section 3.