Ultra-Lightweight Sensor Package for Soldier Borne Sensor (SBS) RFI

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) W909MY-18-R-H004 Ultra-Lightweight Sensor Package for Soldier Borne Sensor (SBS) THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION: No award will be made as a result of this request. This RFI is for informational purposes only. This is NOT an Invitation for Bid (IFB), a Request for Proposal (RFP), or Request for Quotation (RFQ). No solicitation document exists and a formal solicitation may or may not be issued by the Government as a result of the responses to this RFI. The Government will not be liable for payment of any response preparation expenses and is in no way obligated by the information received. Any costs incurred by interested companies in response to this announcement will NOT be reimbursed. The information presented through this request will be discussed and assessed by U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM) Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center (CERDEC) Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD) and other government agencies. All proprietary or competition sensitive information should be clearly marked for proper protection. The information provided may be used by the Army in developing a future Performance Work Statement, Statement of Objectives and/or Performance Based Specification(s). BACKGROUND/DESCRIPTION NVESD has historically been at the forefront of developing sensors for military applications and is currently conducting market research and trade studies of ultra-lightweight sensor packages in support of Project Manager, Soldier Sensors and Lasers (PM-SSL) and the Soldier Borne Sensor (SBS) development program. NVESD is seeking input from industry on how to design, develop, and build an ultra-lightweight sensor package for SBS-type applications with the following characteristics. Designs must meet the Threshold (T) specifications to be considered a technically acceptable solution. Objective (O) specifications are the desired performance parameter goals. Of the listed specifications, the weight and detection ranges are considered the most important. - Weight: ?5g (gram)(T) - Power: ?1W (watt) (T) - Sensors: Visible and Uncooled Long Wavelength Infrared (LWIR) (T) - Uncooled Array Size: 320x240-class (T), 640x480-class (O) - Visible Array Size: ?1280x960 (T), 1600x1200 to 2048x1536 (O) - Frame Rate: ?30Hz (hertz) (T) - Horizontal Field of View (FOV) of Sensors: ?53 degrees (T) - Allow 95% probability at the following tasks: o Detect a stationary man-sized target at 100m (meter) (T), 200m (O) during the day and 75m (T), 200m (O) at night o Determine if the man size target is holding a rifle at 40m during day (T) - Appropriate non-uniformity correct (NUC) scheme to maintain useable imagery for the duration of the flight, at least 15 minutes (T) - Selectable Data Output Options: o LWIR Channel: 8-bit, histogram stretched (or similar) digital (T) o Visible Channel: 24-bit Red, Green, Blue (RGB) digital (T) o Fused: 8-bit monochrome fused visible-LWIR image, with ratio of visible to LWIR dependent on available contrast levels, or other similar fusion scheme (O) - Cost (quantities of 1000): ?$2,000 (T), ?$1,000 (O) INFORMATION REQUESTED Sources able to provide the requested information are invited to submit a white paper limited to 10 pages. Additional materials can be placed in an appendix with no page limit. The white paper should be organized as listed below, and include the following information: A. Cover letter providing: 1. Company Information a) Company name b) Date of Incorporation c) Number of years in business d) Number of employees e) Primarily location(s) where work would be performed f) Mailing Address g) Company Website 2. Company Point of Contact a) Name b) Title c) Mailing Address d) Email Address e) Phone Number 3. Please identify your company's business size standard based on the primary North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code of 333314. For more information, refer to http://www.sba.gov/. - Large Business Concern - Small Business (SB) Concern - 8(a) - Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) - Woman-Owned Small Business - Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUB Zone) - Veteran-Owned Small Business - Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business 4. Cage Code and Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number. 5. If you identify your company as a Small Business or any of the SB subcategories as stipulated in Question # 3, then is your company interested in a prime contract for the above requirement? 6. Under the current SB recertification regulations, do you anticipate your company remaining a small business, under primary NAICS 333314? If you are a SB answer questions 6A & B. All others skip to Question #7. a) As a SB and your company is awarded a contract, will you be able to perform at least 50% (percent) of the work? b) If you are a small business, can you go without a payment for 90 days? 7. Does your firm possess Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) approved accounting system? 8. Does your company possess the capabilities to provide the entire range of these requirements? If not, please list which requirements your company can provide. 9. Please provide details, if appropriate, regarding proposed joint ventures, teaming arrangements, strategic alliances, or other business arrangements to satisfy these requirements. 10. Has your company performed this type of effort or similar type of effort (to include size and complexity) in the past for another government agency or other non-government customer? If so, please provide contract number, point of contact, e-mail address, phone number, and a brief description of your support of the effort. 11. What are the core competencies of your employees that would support the development of this technology? Also, provide the total number of individuals currently employed by your company that are capable of supporting this effort. 12. Please provide a rough order of magnitude (ROM) cost and timeframe needed for completion of the effort. (This is not a RFP or RFQ; information is intended to be used for government planning purposes). NVESD requests a rough order of magnitude estimate of costs and any assumptions involved in the assessment assuming an 18 to 24 month effort resulting in the delivery of six demonstrator prototype cameras. A careful treatment of all important aspects of the sensor payload, including at least the visible channel, LWIR channel, lenses, and supporting electronics, will help NVESD to make a realistic assessment of the technology. This should minimally include: - key enabling technologies, - areas of high risk, and - a realistic timeline to completion. B. Technical Approach Narrative (maximum 10 pages) The white paper should include a description of your company's approach to meeting the technological goals listed above. The approach should, as a minimum, address the specific manufacturing process improvement tasks listed in this RFI, but may, at your discretion, list additional steps you deem necessary to accomplish the goals. The narrative should discuss a typical manufacturing work procedure for an ultra-lightweight sensor package, outlining specific tasks with associated costs, labor time, which would serve as a baseline in determining if the designs meet the threshold specifications to be considered, and are a technically acceptable solution. As well as the objective specifications desired to meet performance parameter goals. Also, of the listed specifications, the weight and detection ranges are considered the most important. Submitting Responses to this RFI Note that RFI respondents must designate a single point of contact for receipt of all information pursuant to this RFI. All information marked as proprietary information will be safeguarded to prevent disclosures to non-government personnel and entities. Response to this notice should be received no later than 1700 EDT on 10 February 2018. Respondents are requested to submit one electronic copy of the responses to the technical Point of Contact (POC), and one copy to the Contracting POC. Include "RFI number W909MY-18-R-H004" in the subject line. All requests for further information must be in writing or via email; telephonic requests for additional information will not be honored. Note that foreign participation is excluded. Technical POC: Mr. Tyler Anderson, NVESD Email: tyler.s.anderson18.civ@mail.mil Contracting POC: Ms. Christie H. Hazlett Contracting Officer, Belvoir Division Army Contracting Command - Aberdeen Proving Ground 10205 Burbeck Road, Bldg 362, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060 Email: christie.h.hazlett.civ@mail.mil Data Rights The Government desires that data be received with unlimited rights. However, the Government recognizes that proprietary data may be included with the information provided. If so, it is the responsibility of the interested party submitting data to clearly mark such proprietary information and clearly separate it from the unrestricted information as an addendum. No Classified data shall be provided via email.