SUAS: Flight Training & Training Development of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION Project Management Unmanned Aircraft Systems (PM UAS) Soldier Unmanned Aircraft Systems Description 1.1 The Soldier Unmanned Aircraft Systems office, in support of PM UAS, is seeking information on how an interested contractor could provide flight training and training development of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (SUAS) in support of the SUAS Rucksack Portable Unmanned Aircraft System (RPUAS) in Continental United States (CONUS) and outside the Continental United States (OCONUS). Tasks include, but are not limited to: SUAS Initial Qualification Training events as part of a New Equipment Training Team (NETT) SUAS Equipment Modification training events as part of NETT SUAS Desktop Trainer familiarization training events SUAS flight demonstrations, as needed SUAS static displays, as needed Performing field level maintenance on the systems 1.2 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 in the future. This request for information does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Further, PM UAS is not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. Respondee's are advised that the U.S. Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs 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, if any is issued. If an RFP is released, it will be synopsized on the beta.SAM.gov website. It is the responsibility of the potential offerors to monitor the site for additional information pertaining to this requirement. Background The PdM currently oversees the program management of, and requires flight training for, five Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems; two (2) Group I legacy Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems, the RQ-11B Pathfinder Raven and the RQ-20A Puma All Environment Capable Variant (AECV) and three (3) future SUAS, the Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR), the Medium Range Reconnaissance (MRR) and the Long Range Reconnaissance (LRR). Requested Information 3.1 This RFI seeks overall requirements for a contract providing SUAS flight training in support of the SUAS Rucksack Portable Unmanned Aircraft System (RPUAS) in Continental United States (CONUS) and Outside of Continental United States (OCONUS), and their domestic and foreign customers, as allocated by individual Task Orders (TOs). 3.2 The Government anticipates award of a Single Award Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract. The Government intends to issue Firm-Fixed price TOs under this contract, but reserves the right to issue Cost type TOs as the procurement situation requires. Contractor SUAS Instructor candidates must obtain certification on all program managed products and receive Project Manager, Unmanned Aircraft Systems (PM UAS) Government Flight Representative (GFR) approval prior to conducting training. Certification requires all SUAS Instructors are graduates of the U.S. Army SUAS Master Trainer Course IAW Appendix D, AR 95-1 and received an initial training on the SUAS system to be trained. 3.3 If an RFP is issued, and contract awarded, the offeror will have to submit contractor's Flight and Ground Procedures Standard Operating Procedures and Individual Instructor Flight Packet documents for each instructor candidate within 30 days of contract award. 3.4 Individual TOs will be issued in accordance with (IAW) a Performance Work Statement (PWS) that contain the specific requirements for the development and execution of training efforts for RPUAS, their configuration variants, and components. 4.0 Responses 4.1 Interested parties are requested to respond to this RFI with a white paper. 4.2 White papers in Microsoft Word for Office 2000 compatible format are due no later than 15 September 2020, 1500:00 ET. Responses shall be limited to two pages for Section 2 and 3 and submitted via e-mail only to andrew.j.richard12.civ@mail.mil and kevin.j.parker3.civ@mail.mil. Proprietary information, if any, should be minimized and MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED. To aid the Government, please segregate proprietary information. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned. If any respondee does not currently have a Proprietary Data Protection Agreement (PDPA) that would permit the PM UAS support contractors listed below to review and evaluate white papers submitted in response to this RFI, the respondee is requested to sign PDPAs with these PM UAS support contractors for this purpose. The following is a list of support contractor Points of Contacts (POC) who will review the responses. Company: Avion John Conyers 256-313-5313 john.w.conyers2.ctr@mail.mil Company: Avion John Brown 256-313-5540 john.e.brown264.ctr@mail.mil Company: Sigmatech Teresa Barnett 256-313-3765 teresa.d.barnett2.ctr@mail.mil Company: STAR Michael Olinick 321-676-9575 mike.olinick@star-hq.com 4.3. Section 1 of the white paper shall provide administrative information, and shall include the following as a minimum: 4.3.1. Name, mailing address, overnight delivery address (if different from mailing address), phone number, fax number, and e-mail of designated POC. 4.3.2. Recommended contracting strategy. 4.3.3. Either 1) Copies of executed non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with the contractors supporting PM UAS supported PEOs and PMs in technical evaluations or 2) a statement that the respondee will not allow the Government to release its proprietary data to the Government support contractors. In the absence of either of the foregoing, the Government will assume that the respondee does NOT agree to the release of its submission to Government support contractors. 4.3.4. Business type (small business, small disadvantaged business, 8(a)-certified small disadvantaged business, HUBZone small business, woman-owned small business, very small business, veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business) based upon North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 611512 Flight Training. - Small business concern means a concern, including its affiliates, is independently owned and operated, not dominant in the field of operation in which it is bidding on Government contracts, and qualified as a small business under the criteria and size standards in 13 CFR part 121. A small business concern for the purposes of this procurement is generally defined as a business, including its affiliates, averaging no more than $30 million dollars in annual receipts. Annual receipts of a concern that has been in business for 3 or more complete fiscal years means the annual average gross revenue of the concern taken for the last 3 fiscal years. Annual receipts of a concern that has been in business for less than 3 complete fiscal years means its total receipts for the period it has been in business, divided by the number of weeks including fractions of a week that it has been in business, and multiplied by 52. Respondees are cautioned, however, that this is a general description only. Additional standards and conditions apply. Please refer to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 19 for additional detailed information on Small Business Size Standards. The FAR is available at https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far. 4.3.5 The facility security clearance of the offeror. The number of pages in Section 1 of the white paper shall not be included in the two-page limitation, i.e., the two-page limitation applies only to Section 2 of the white paper. 4.4 Section 2 of the white paper shall expound on the ability of the offeror to provide the requested services of this RFI and shall be limited to two pages. 5.0 Industry Discussions PM UAS representatives may or may not choose to meet with potential offerors. Such discussions would only be intended to get further clarification of potential capability to meet the requirements, especially any development and certification risks. 6.0 Questions Questions regarding this announcement shall be submitted via e-mail to the Contract Specialist, andrew.j.richard12.civ@mail.mil, and the Contracting Officer, kevin.j.parker3.civ@mail.mil. The Government does not guarantee that questions received after 9 September 2020, 1500:00 ET will be answered. 7.0 Summary THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY to identify sources that can provide SUAS training and repair support. The information provided in the RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. The Army has not made a commitment to procure any of the items discussed, and release of this RFI should not be construed as such a commitment or as authorization to incur cost for which reimbursement would be required or sought. All submissions become Government property and will not be returned.