The United States Air Force, Air Combat Command, Acquisition Management Integration Center (ACC AMIC), Langley AFB VA, is in the process of determining the acquisition strategy to obtain non-personal services for the RC/OC/WC 135 & E-4B Contract Aircrew T

1. THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE FOR INFORMATION AND PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY. This announcement closes 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Thursday, 18 July 19. The Government is seeking industry input from all sources (small and large business) at this time. Small Business concerns are highly encouraged to respond to this request in order for the Government to determine if this acquisition should remain a total small business set aside under the auspices of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 19. The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) for this requirement is 611512 (Flight Training) with a size standard of $25.5M. Interested parties must be registered under NAICS 611512 in SAM (System for Award Management) at www.sam.gov, formerly known as CCR (Central Contractor Registration). The Government plans to consider all information submitted in response to this Sources Sought notice. a. The United States Air Force, Air Combat Command, Acquisition Management Integration Center (ACC AMIC), Langley AFB VA, is in the process of determining the acquisition strategy to obtain non-personal services for the RC/OC/WC 135 & E-4B Contract Aircrew Training and Courseware Development (CAT/CWD) at Offutt AFB, NE. The period of performance will cover a one-year base period with four, one-year options. For this requirement, the contractor shall furnish all personnel, equipment, tools, materials, supervision and all other items and services that are required to perform RC/OC/WC 135 & E-4B Contract Aircrew Training and Courseware Development (CAT/CWD) at Offutt AFB, NE. The RC/OC/WC 135 & E-4B CAT/CWD contract may be modified in the future to include additional crew positions, training and locations. b. CONTRACT AIRCREW TRAINING (CAT). The contractor shall conduct academic and training device instruction in support of formal course syllabi, training plans, event lesson plans, and Continuation Training (CT) to formal course students and permanent party aircrew to accomplish required event objectives and specific event tasks. Academic Instructor shall be accomplished during the hours of operation as specified in PWS para 4.6.1. and 4.6.2. Academic instruction shall include platform academic instruction, remedial training, and monitoring of computer based and self-paced instruction periods. Likewise, the training devices (to include any OFT, RJMT, etc.>) shall be used during the hours of operation as specified in PWS Para 4.6.2. In addition to the specific tasks outline below, instruction duties shall consist of revision and development of student training lesson plans as syllabus or aircraft procedures change due to mission/event or safety requirements. This includes providing Air Force or contract maintenance personnel with event data to transform training device events into software format for entry in the training device. The required mix of dual-qualified (academic and training device instructors) contract personnel will be left to the discretion of the contractor. Refer to the Appendix 1 through 3 for workload estimates applicable to Qualification/CT Training for the RC-135 and E-4B. Flight training for the OC/WC-135 will be performed in accordance with Appendix 5. c. COURSEWARE DEVELOPMENT (CWD). Contractor personnel shall produce, review and revise courseware to support academic and training device instruction, and flight phases of the training system covered under this contract. The contractor shall develop all courseware using the current, updated model of ISD as defined in AFMAN 36-2234 and AFH 36-2235V8. Courseware materials are affected by aircraft hardware, software, tactics, local course rules, flight information publications, and safety publications. The contractor shall provide the required number of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) for CWD. d. Courseware Development Schedule (CDS). The contractor shall develop, coordinate, and produce a definitive CDS that shall identify the milestones and developmental timelines of CWD that will occur during the next fiscal year. See attached PWS for in depth requirement. e. TTL/Syllabi Document Management. The contractor will build, manage, and produce a draft TTL and draft Syllabi for every aviation program ACC TRSS/Det 10 is responsible for. They will build a maximum of 40 documents per contract year. See attached PWS for in depth requirement. f. Performance will consist of a one (1) month Phase-In/Transition period, one (1) base period, and four (4) one-year option periods. The Government anticipates making award on or about 15 Jan 2020, with the Phase-In/Transition period covering (1 Feb 2020 - 31 Mar 2020) with actual contract performance to start 1 April 2020. The Request for Proposal (RFP) is expected to be released on or about October 1, 2019. Please note: This is an estimated posting timeframe and it is the responsibility of the interested parties to monitor the Federal Business Opportunity website at www.fbo.gov for all subsequent postings. A draft Performance Work Statement (PWS) is posted in conjunction with this notice to provide the size, scope, and complexity of this requirement. g. The predecessor RC/OC/WC 135 & E-4B contract was awarded under a 100% small business set aside. The Government is seeking industry input to determine if there are adequate small business concerns that are capable of performing the follow-on requirement. A determination regarding the set aside status for this effort has not been made. h. This is not a formal Request for Proposal (RFP), and no contract will result from this notice, nor does it commit the Government to any acquisition for these services. All interested parties should submit a capabilities package (please limit to no more than 10 pages total) outlining their key business abilities relevant to the performance of this requirement and addressing the questions found in Attachment 1. Please submit the requested information to this office by NLT the closing date and time (18 July 19, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time) to Ms. Delores M. Hill at delores.hill@us.af.mil; susan.dunningan@us.af.mil and tara.holloway@us.af.mil. Request that you use the title "[Company Name] - Sources Sought (RFI) in the e-mail subject line. All responses and questions must be submitted in writing. i. Note for Small Business Concerns: Offerors responding to this notice as a small business concern must be registered in SAM under NAICS 611512. j. The internet and e-mail shall be used as the primary means of disseminating and exchanging information. Hard copies of documents posted on FBO will not be made available. The Government will provide an email confirmation acknowledging receipt of information submitted. If you have difficulty in emailing your response and/or confirmation of receipt is not received, then you are encouraged to contact Ms. Delores M. Hill at (757)764-4733 or Ms. Tara Holloway at (757) 764-3222. k. This market research is conducted to assist in determining acquisition strategy for the subject procurement. Specifically, feedback is sought from industry in regards to commercial practices to obtaining the required services, as well as the capability of industry in providing the required services within our military environment. Contract type, commercial practices, potential set-aside strategy as authorized by FAR Part 19 and performance-based specifications are being considered in development of this solicitation. Your input will greatly assist in this development. You are invited to review the Draft PWS, Sources Sought Questionnaire posted with this notice and provide any input you would like considered as we formulate our acquisition strategy. In order for the Contracting Officer to make a set aside determination for any acquisition, there must be a reasonable expectation of qualified offerors that can satisfactorily perform all contract requirements and that award will be made at fair market prices. Total set asides cannot be made unless such a reasonable expectation exists. The government believes it is mutually beneficial to all parties if this determination is made as early as possible in the acquisition process. If your firm intends to submit a proposal as Prime contractor for this effort, you must respond to the following questions regarding your experience, capabilities, and intentions. Please limit your response to no more than one (1) page per question. The government is not requesting technical and/or management proposals at this time. Your response will be used solely for planning purposes in the formulating the acquisition strategy. If you have difficulty in emailing your response and/or confirmation of receipt is not received, then you are encouraged to contact Ms. Ms. Delores M. Hill at delores.hill@us.af.mil; susan.dunningan@us.af.mil and tara.holloway@us.af.mil. Please include the following information about your organization in your response: Name of Organization Address Telephone Number Point(s) of Contact E-Mail Addresses Cage Code DUNS Number Size of Business: ________Small _________Large Business Size Status: SBA 8(a) Business Development Program Concern: _________ Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Zone Concern Small Disadvantaged Business Concern: _________ Veteran-Owned Small Business Concern: _________ Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Concern: _________ Women-Owned Business Concern: ___________ Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business Concern:_____ 2. OBJECTIVE OF MARKET RESEARCH: This market research is conducted to assist in determining acquisition strategy for the subject procurement. Specifically, feedback is sought from industry in regards to commercial practices to obtaining the required services, as well as the capability of industry in providing the required services within our military environment. Contract type, commercial practices, potential set-aside strategy as authorized by FAR Part 19 and performance-based specifications are being considered in development of this solicitation. Your input will greatly assist in this development. A draft PWS has been posted with this questionnaire to www.fbo.gov, and you are invited to review this document and provide feedback on the document itself, as well as to the below questions. 3. INFORMATION REQUESTED FROM INDUSTRY: Please review the associated draft PWS posted to this site and the following questions, and provide any input you would like considered as we formulate the acquisition. In order for the Contracting Officer (CO) to set aside any acquisition over $150,000 for small business, there must be a reasonable expectation that offerors can satisfactorily perform contract requirements and that award will be made at a fair market price. Total set-asides cannot be made unless such a reasonable expectation exists. The Government believes that it is mutually beneficial to determine the capability of offerors eligible for set-aside early in the procurement process in order to preclude the need for modification of the acquisition strategy later. The Government is not requesting technical/management proposals, only capability information. 4. Questions from prospective offerors and subsequent answers will be posted throughout the pre-solicitation phase of the procurement. Please mark any information that you wish to be protected as "acquisition sensitive" or "proprietary." We expect to make further postings of draft documents (including a draft solicitation) in the coming months, in anticipation of issuing a final solicitation around the September timeframe. Your continued input is welcome throughout this process. Please respond to the following questions: 1) Do you intend to submit a proposal as a prime contractor for this requirement? 2) Submit evidence of experience and ability to provide program management of a large muti-platform and technically complex RC/OC/WC 135 & E-4B Contract Aircrew Training and Courseware Development (CAT/CWD) service type contract. 3) Identify whether your company is either large or small under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code 611512, Flight Training. If you are a small business and are requesting a set aside action other than a 100% small business set aside, please identify the appropriate set aside program for which you wish to be considered. 4) Include information on your company's technical and financial abilities that will allow you to meet the requirements of a program of this magnitude. Refer to the Draft Performance Work Statement (PWS) (Attachment 2). 5) Address your company's ability to manage and integrate subcontract efforts. 6) Include evidence of your company's ability to provide program management of geographically-dispersed locations for similar type services IAW the Draft PWS. 7) Address the up-front capital investment and the company's ability to: 1) Hire and maintain qualified personnel; 2) Knowledge and experience of the Air Force Instructional System Development Management Plan (ISDMP) or, industry equivalent; 3) Quality Control capabilities to meet the Government's inspection/quality requirements. 8) Do you currently possess the required security clearance(s) or have the ability to obtain personnel with sufficient clearance before the proposal due date? Do you currently possess the required Facility Clearance? Refer to the Draft PWS. 9) Do you support this effort as Lowest Price Technically Acceptable or be competed as a Partial/Full Trade-Off? If competed as a Partial/Full Trade Off, what technical aspect(s) of the Draft PWS do you believe could be traded-off in terms of price? You must support your position. 10) Do you support this effort as a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) Incentive Fee (IF)? Why or why not? If so, what technical aspect(s) of the Draft PWS do you believe could be incentivized in terms of price? What would the fee rate be? You must support your position. 11) Do you support this effort as a commercial or non-commercial contract? You must support your position. 12) Do you anticipate any problems with acquiring and retaining a trained workforce to support the level of effort described in the draft PWS? Refer to the Draft PWS. Identify any risks/concerns you may have. Provide any information/obstacles on commercial practices in hiring and retaining qualified instructors. All information received will be protected and safeguarded as Source Selection Sensitive Information IAW FAR3.104, Procurement Integrity. Please submit the requested information to Delores M. Hill at delores.hill@us.af.mil; susan.dunnigan@us.af.mil and tara.holloway@us.af.mil NLT 18 July 19, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.