Technical engineering services in support for the United States (U.S.) Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) Underwater Launcher Subsystem (ULS)

This is a SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE (SSN) announcement.  SSNs are issued to assist the Agency in performing market research to determine industry interest and capability.  No proposals are being requested or accepted with this synopsis.  THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION FOR PROPOSALS AND NO CONTRACT SHALL BE AWARDED FROM THIS SYNOPSIS. Therefore, no proposals are being requested or accepted in response to this SSN.

1. Purpose

In accordance with (IAW) Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10, SSP is conducting market research to identify potential sources capable of successfully performing technical engineering services and necessary equipment to provide new construction support for the United States (U.S.) Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) Underwater Launcher Subsystem (ULS).

The contract type will include Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs). The Period of Performance (POP) will begin in FY26.

2. White Paper Capability Statement Credentials

SSP is seeking detailed, complete, and thorough White Paper capability statements from interested firms who can demonstrate and document, with evidentiary support, that they 1) possess the minimum qualifications and experience identified in paragraph 4 below, which are critical to the successful execution of the requirements, and 2) demonstrate recent and relevant experience, as the Prime contractor, performing the same/similar efforts of the same/similar scope, size, and complexity to the requirements identified in paragraph 5.  Interested firms must demonstrate their existing capability, or potential to acquire the capability, to meet the requirements in paragraph 5 by the time of contract award.

3. Small Business Concerns

IAW FAR Subpart 19.2 Polices, SSP seeks to provide maximum practicable opportunities in its acquisitions to small business, veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business, HUB Zone small business, small disadvantaged business, and women-owned small business concerns.  Small Business Concerns who possess the minimum qualifications and experience identified in paragraph 4 below and who can demonstrate its concerns’ capability (or ability to obtain the capability by the contract award date) to execute the complete requirements identified in paragraph 5 below, as well as provide the requisite past performance experience detailed in paragraph 5  are encouraged to respond to this SSN. 

If a small business concern intends to partner with another entity, the small business concern must identify which specific efforts outlined in paragraph 5 it intends to perform, as well as the specific efforts/tasks the partner will perform, with the substantiating data required in this SSN supporting the identified partnering roles and responsibilities. 

NOTE: 100% of the requirements under paragraph 5 must be addressed in any submitted partnering submittal. A partnering submittal cannot merely state “We plan to team with XYZ Corporation” without supporting qualifications and experiential content.  A letter of general intent from the named partner must be included with the SSN response.

NOTE:  In the event this contract is set aside for small business concerns, the small business concern agrees that it will be in strict compliance and conformance with the percentage payment limitations for services, supplies, or construction (as applicable) to subcontractors that are not similarly situated entities in accordance with FAR 52.219-14 Limitations on Subcontracting and state such in their response.  

4. Minimum Qualifications / Experience Requirements

Interested firms shall document and submit specific and evidenced / demonstrated possession of the minimum qualifications and experience requirements in the technical areas identified in bullets A through D below which are critical to the successful execution of the requirements in paragraph 5.  This experience shall be documented as specified in paragraph 9 below.

A. Extensive knowledge of the TRIDENT II (D5) ULS specification Weapons Specification (WS) 29830 and the engineering and design features of the launcher system.  This program requires preparation of detailed documentation, engineering drawings, and interface drawings that integrate the launcher system into the overall TRIDENT II (D5) Strategic Weapons System (SWS).  Expertise in all facets of the ULS, including detailed knowledge of the subsystem specification WS 25386, systems engineering, design requirements, manufacturing, reliability, maintainability, installation, and maintenance support is required.

B. Detailed knowledge of the installation of TRIDENT II (D5) ULS including required resources to execute installation of the ULS compatible with new construction program schedules.

C. Ability to provide engineering expertise to ensure no degradation of Nuclear Safety during TRIDENT II (D5) ULS installation activities.

D. A manufacturing facility with fabrication and machining capabilities for large and complex items.  Equipment and tooling must be installed and operational to make the unique items such as TRIDENT II (D5) Launch Tubes.  This facility must have processes and procedures that are approved by the Navy and a quality system that is able to meet government standards.  There must be a trained workforce that is capable and certified to work to requirements established per the design documentation.  

E. Comprehensive knowledge of underwater launch technology.  This includes underwater flight physics from submarine-launched strategic missiles for gas generator ignition to initiation of powered flight.

5. Description of Requirements 

Interested firms shall be required to deliver support equipment related to installation of the TRIDENT II ULS as well as engineering activities to support the delivery of the TRIDENT II ULS. 

6. Place of Performance

CONUS:

Work will be performed primarily in Sunnyvale, California, Baltimore, MD, Kings Bay, GA, Groton, CT, and Quonset Point, RI.

7. Evidentiary Qualifications/Experience Documentation Requirements

Interested firms must possess the requisite minimum qualifications and experience identified in paragraph 8 below and demonstrated relevant and recent experience as it relates to the paragraph 5 requirements and in paragraph 9 below. White Paper Capability statements must include all of the content and details identified in the paragraphs below:

8. Minimum Qualifications / Experience Requirements Validation

White Paper Capability statement submissions shall include a discrete section with the heading “Minimum Qualifications / Experience Requirements” and document, with specific information, each of the minimum qualifications identified in paragraph 7.  This section may cite contract reference efforts as detailed in paragraph 5, provided that respondents provide context and rationale as to how that contract reference effort(s) demonstrate possession of the applicable Minimum Qualifications / Experience requirements of bullets A through E identified in paragraph 4 – or have capability of obtaining by contract award.

9. Relevant & Recent Experience / Supporting Narratives

In addition to demonstrating possession of the requisite Minimum Qualifications / Experience requirements identified in paragraph 4 above (or have capability of obtaining by contract award), interested firms shall demonstrate relevant and recent experience performing the same or similar efforts and or completion tasks (as applicable) to requirements in paragraph 5. Relevant experience is defined as performing efforts/tasks similar in scope, size, and complexity as the requirements in paragraph 5.  Recent experience is defined as work performed within 5 years of this SSN posting date.  To substantiate the performance of relevant and recent efforts/tasks to the paragraph 5 requirements, White Paper Capability statements shall provide a list of current or previous contract references and the efforts/tasks performed thereunder detailing and evidencing a direct correlation of the contract reference efforts/tasks to requirements in paragraph 5. Submitter’s responses shall include the following information per individual contract reference:

i. Summary of relevant work performed and how that specific work demonstrates capability to perform the specific requirements identified in paragraph 5;

ii. Current / Prior Contract Number(s) and Customer/Agency Supported;

iii. Identification of your role as the Prime or Subcontractor;

iv. Contract Type;

v. Period of performance of the specific contract reference effort performed;

vi. Quantity of FTE personnel utilized on the specific contract reference effort, per annum, with distinction and FTE quantities identified between the respondents FTE employees and any subcontractor FTE employees;

vii, Net Dollar value (base and options) for each contract reference and the Annual Incurred costs for each contract reference provided.  NOTE: solely citing an IDIQ ceiling amount or base and all options aggregate value without the annual incurred costs for the submitted contract reference(s) is NOT acceptable – amounts must be specific to the actual incurred costs for a Contract CLIN(s) or Individual Task Order(s), for the contract reference(s) cited in Table A below; and

viii. Customer point of contact with valid phone number and email addresses.

10. Company Information and Deadline for Submittal

White Paper Capability statements shall be submitted in Microsoft Word for Office 2000 compatible format or PDF format and are due no later than 4 February 2026, 4:00pm EST.  The White Papers shall not exceed 20 pages in total, using 12-point Times New Roman and 1” margin and shall be submitted via e-mail to patrick.machulski@ssp.navy.mil.

ALL White Paper Capability submittals shall include the following information “not” included in the aforementioned maximum 20-page limit:

1.  Company Administrative Information
   1. Company Name:
   2. Company Point of Contact (email and phone) and Title:
   3. Company Address:
   4. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) No:
   5. Cage Code:
2. Size of business, including; total annual revenue, by year, for the past three years and number of employees;
3. Ownership, including whether: small business, veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business, HUBZone small business, small disadvantaged business, and women-owned small business concerns;
4. Number of years in business; 
5. Identification of the current security clearance held at your facility that will provide support to the requirements in paragraph 5.  NOTE: Work to be performed under this contract shall require the contractor to have a facility clearance of TOP SECRET and a computing facility that is cleared to process TOP SECRET data.

Respondents to this SSN shall indicate which portions of their response are proprietary and should mark them accordingly.  It is the responsibility of the SSN respondent to monitor the sam.gov website for additional information pertaining to any potential acquisition.

12. Government Capability Evaluation - “CAPABLE / NOT CAPABLE” Determination

The White Paper Capability statement responses to this SSN must meet the requirements stated in the SSN and will be evaluated to determine whether each respondent is Capable or Not Capable of performing the requirements.  This evaluation will be based solely on the specific data and supporting content provided by the respondents in their White Paper Capability statement submissions.  Incomplete or generalized White Paper Capability statements, without specificity as it relates to the SSN content requirements, omitted content, or content which fails to address all of the requirements of this SSN, will have a direct affect upon the Government’s capability determination.  The Government’s Capability Evaluation will include, but is not limited to, an assessment of the following:

1. The respondent’s specific and evidenced / demonstrated possession of the Minimum Qualifications / Experience requirements identified in paragraph 4;
2. The respondent’s demonstrated ability to manage, as a Prime contractor, the types and magnitude of requirements identified in paragraph 5 based on their relevant and recent performance of same/similar efforts/tasks in terms of scope, size, and complexity;
3. The respondent’s demonstrated technical ability, as a Prime contractor, to execute the paragraph 5 requirements based on their relevant and recent performance of same/similar efforts/tasks in terms of scope, size, and complexity; and
4. The respondent’s demonstrated capacity to execute the requirement as outlined under paragraph 5 based on their relevant and recent performance of same/similar efforts in terms of scope, size, and complexity, the quantity of personnel required, and the contract award date.

13. SSN Disclaimer

This SSN is issued solely for Market Research purposes.  It does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) nor a promise to issue an RFP in the future.  This SSN does not commit the Government to solicit or award a contract.  The information provided in the SSN is subject to change and is not binding on the Government.  Respondents are advised that ALL costs associated with responding to this SSN, including any requests for follow-up information, will be solely at the interested parties’ expense and the Government will not pay for any information or costs incurred or associated with submitting a SSN White Paper Capability statement or follow-on responses. 

The Government reserves the right to consider a set-aside for small businesses or one of the small business preference groups. (e.g., small business, veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business, HUBZone small business, small disadvantaged business, and women-owned small business concerns).