UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS (UAS)

UPDATED 19 DECEMBER 2016: The Solicitation reference number is now W900KK-17-R-0019. A new Special Notice has been created and will contain all information regarding UAS from this point forward; please reference the W900KK-17-R-0019 Special Notice. UPDATED 26 SEPTEMBER 2016: Updated the DRAFT Performance Work Statement. Changes limited to: removed section 1.4.1 Period of Performance as this information is To Be Determined (TBD); removed Attachment F Performance Requirements Summary (PRS) as this information is TBD; and added Attachment I "UAS Course Data, Instructor to Student Ratios and Number of Government Instructors FY17". Please continue to submit comments regarding the DRAFT PWS by 24 October 2016 to the UAS mailing list: usarmy.orlando.peo-stri.list.uas@mail.mil. UPDATED 22 AUGUST 2016: An updated DRAFT Performance Work Statement (PWS, dated 22 August 2016) is provided for Industry review and comment. The Government intends to use Industry feedback to finalize the PWS for release with the draft Solicitation (in accordance with the expected timeline below). Please submit comments regarding the DRAFT PWS by 24 October 2016 to the UAS mailing list: usarmy.orlando.peo-stri.list.uas@mail.mil Expected timelines: Draft Solicitation changed from 4QFY16 to 2QFY17 (January). Final Solicitation changed from 4QFY16 to 2QFY17 (March). Customer Target Award Date changed from 3QFY17 to 1QFY18 (December). UPDATED 09 MAY 2016: Added as attachments to this Notice: 26-27 January 2016 Industry Days Questions and Answers (Q&A) 26-27 January 2016 Industry Days Attendees DRAFT ACQUISITION STRATEGY: After analyzing the market research data and reviewing the Sources Sought Notice responses, the Government's current, draft acquisition strategy is to limit competition to Small Businesses (NAICS: 611512 Flight Training). The Government intends to release an updated, draft Performance Work Statement this quarter (3QFY16). The Government is seeking additional information from Small Businesses interested in this effort (see below). Please provide answers to the questions below by Wednesday, 25 MAY 2016 12:00PM Eastern (email format is appropriate: usarmy.orlando.peo-stri.list.uas@mail.mil). 1. Does your firm anticipate any financial constraints associated with executing this contract that would require Government contract financing payments such as performance based payments or progress payments? Please provide all relevant details regarding any financial constraints. 2. Does your firm have a line of credit (or do you have substantial confidence that your firm would be able to obtain a line of credit) to accommodate risks associated with performing a contract of this magnitude (and any/all other contracts your firm anticipates supporting simultaneously) if necessary? Please provide all relevant details regarding lines of credit. 3. Please provide a copy of your firm's most recent balance sheet. Please utilize the UAS mailing list usarmy.orlando.peo-stri.list.uas@mail.mil for all written correspondence. The Government continues to welcome Industry comments, questions and recommendations relating to this acquisition. UPDATED 22 January 2016: We have established a few locations/times BEFORE Industry Day where you will need to pick up the necessary badges/car passes/directions to access Fort Huachuca/Industry Day. One representative from your company can pick up the badges at any of the following locations/times. If there are any questions regarding these locations/times, please contact Ms. Melanie Sebastian: 520-732-9113. Monday, 25 January: 2:00PM - 3:30PM Texas Roadhouse (parking lot of the mall/hotel area) 2075 El Mercado Loop, Sierra Vista, AZ 85635 4:00PM - 5:30PM Parking Lot of Fort Huachuca East Gate (which is now called the Van Deman Gate) Tuesday, 26 January: 5:30AM - 6:45AM Parking Lot of Fort Huachuca East Gate (which is now called the Van Deman Gate) Industry Day will begin at **7:45AM** Tuesday, 26 January. Please see the detailed schedule attached for the Industry Days to include locations and addresses on Fort Huachuca. We have also attached some of the slides to be presented (no technical slides have been posted at this time). The site visits will only relate to HTASC requirements, therefore, those companies interested in UAS have not been assigned a site visit time. If you have requested a one-on-one meeting you should have received an email detailing the meeting time specific to your company. If there are any questions, the schedule will be available at check-in. *Please focus the one-on-one discussions on questions/comments related to acquisition strategy, technical requirements, etc. Information regarding your company's specific capabilities should be addressed in your company's Sources Sought Notice response and not during the one-on-one meetings.* Index cards will be distributed at check-in for companies to write down any questions to be addressed during the Open Discussion Questions and Answers portion of the Industry Day. We will only be answering questions that are submitted on the index cards and we ask that each company provide their Company Name on the cards. The questions will be addressed to the group anonymously unless you indicate on the card that you're comfortable with your Company's Name being associated with the question. No photography, recording, or videography is permitted while on Fort Huachuca for the Industry Day. UPDATED 07 January 2016: If interested in attending the USAICoE Industry Day or participating in a one-on-one meeting with the UAS team, please submit your request no later than Monday, 11 January 2016, 12:00 PM EST. Accordingly, "USAICoE INDUSTRY DAY" section updated below. UPDATED 4 January 2016: Due to technical difficulties, any emails sent to usarmy.orlando.peo-stri.list.uas@mail.mil were not received by the Government. The email issue has been corrected. PLEASE RESEND any communications that were sent to this email. ORIGINAL 22 December 2015: DESCRIPTION: Army Contracting Command - Orlando (ACC-ORL) is issuing this Sources Sought Notice (SSN) in support of United States Army Aviation Center of Excellence (USAACE) requirements. This acquisition will be referred to as Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). NOTE: This SSN was associated with Special Notice and Request for Information (RFI) listed under solicitation number W900KKHTASC. UAS requirements will be supported by a separate contract vehicle now associated with this SSN's solicitation number W900KK-16-R-0024. Potential North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) for UAS: 611512 Flight Training. The Government has provided a DRAFT UAS Performance Work Statement (PWS, Attachment 01 to this SSN). PURPOSE: The Government is seeking information regarding relevant experience and capabilities of industry partners interested in performing this potential requirement. Responses to this SSN will be used to gain insight from industry's experience performing similar requirements and to analyze the information in order to develop a contract vehicle capable of supporting the described mission. Based on this assessment, the Government will finalize an acquisition strategy and generate a formal draft solicitation. The Government encourages industry to provide comments and suggestions relating to acquisition strategy to include: NAICS, contract type, contract structure, teaming arrangements, small business participation/set asides, etc. The Government also encourages industry to provide questions, comments, and suggestions relating to the PWS provided. Questions received will be consolidated, answered and, if deemed valuable information for all interested parties, will be posted at a later date on the Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) website. The Government will not disclose the identity of the potential offeror asking the questions. BACKGROUND: USAACE's training requirements were previously supported by Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training, and Instrumentation (PEO STRI) through the Warfighter Field Operations Customer Support (FOCUS) contract and the Systems Engineering and Technical Assistance (SETA) contract. USAACE's Warfighter FOCUS (WFF) requirements will be supported by the new UAS solicitation number W900KK-16-R-0024. INSTRUCTIONS: Please submit all responses (and any other written correspondence) to the following email inbox (the size limitation is 20MB) with email Subject: "UAS Sources Sought Notice Response". usarmy.orlando.peo-stri.list.uas@mail.mil Responses are DUE: Wednesday, 17 FEBRUARY 2016, 12:00 PM EST. Government Points of Contact: Susan Halvatzis Contract Specialist, ACC-Orlando, 407-208-3378 Jennifer Kimzey Contracting Officer, ACC-Orlando, 407-208-3297 JD Summers UAS Requirements Lead, USAACE, 334-255-2143 NOTE: Responses are due after the Government's USAICoE Industry Day (planned for 26-27 January 2016). Additional information regarding USAICoE Industry Day is provided in the "USAICoE Industry Day" section below. Please mark submitted proprietary information/data accordingly. Cover page shall include: Contractor name, address, point of contact information, DUNS, CAGE, and small business information, if applicable (including reference to above listed NAICS). Responses shall be: - 20 pages or less (not including cover page); - Arial, font size 12, (graphics can utilize smaller/different font); - 1 inch margins; and - organized into three distinct sections: Section I. Describe your firm's applicable capabilities related to the enclosed PWS and related past performance (to include contract name/number, customer name/contract information, period of performance, and a brief description of the related services). Past performance should be recent (meaning contract is ongoing, or, if the contract has ended, the contract end date shall be no more than three years prior to this SSN posting date). Firms can provide verbatim language from the HTASC RFI #1 (W900KKHTASC) submission as needed. Section II. The Government encourages industry to provide comments and suggestions relating to acquisition strategy to include: NAICS, contract type, contract structure, teaming arrangements, small business participation/set asides, etc. Describe your firm's perspective on effective strategies for satisfying this requirement, focusing on real-world and/or conceptual solutions and relevant lessons learned that address the Government's UAS requirements. Please provide any realized or theoretical earned value (e.g. cost, schedule, performance) that may be derived from the strategy/strategies. Describe the basis behind the recommendation and the expected outcomes. Outcomes should be rationalized and articulated in terms of the costs and benefits to the Government. Section III. Please answer the following questions: 1. Is it your firm's intention to support UAS as a prime contractor? If so, which requirements/tasks would your firm intend on supporting through subcontracts (if your firm is identified as a small business under one of the identified NAICS, please consider FAR 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting)? 2. What would your firm consider an appropriate length of time for transition from the incumbent contract to the UAS contract? 3. In general, are there specific portions of the Government's DRAFT requirements documentation that your firm feels need to be defined more clearly? 4. Do you feel the requirements are defined enough to allow for a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) contract, or, some FFP line items for specific tasks? 5. Relating to the instructor qualifications, will your firm be able to provide fully trained employees by the period of performance start date as required by the attached DRAFT PWS? If not, how do you intend to meet the requirements? What limitations does your firm have? If you feel that your firm requires external and/or Government provided training to meet the requirements, how does your firm intend to retain your workforce/knowledge base to continue meeting the requirements of this effort? USAICoE INDUSTRY DAY: *MORE DETAILS WILL BE POSTED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE* Tuesday, 26 JANUARY 2016, 8:00 AM MST - Industry Day/Site Visit Wednesday, 27 JANUARY 2016 - One-on-One meetings Thursday, 28 JANUARY 2016 - One-on-One meetings (IF NECESSARY) Fort Huachuca, AZ This Industry Day and Site Visit will cover the UAS requirements, HTASC requirements (FBO: Solicitation Number W900KK-16-R-0023), and the USAICoE CIO/G-6 requirements (FBO: notice with draft documents to be posted in January 2016 prior to the Industry Day). ATTENTION: If your firm would like to attend the USAICoE Industry Day, please provide us your intentions no later than Monday, 11 JANUARY 2016, 12:00 PM EST by sending an email to the UAS mailbox: usarmy.orlando.peo-stri.list.uas@mail.mil Please indicate if your firm is also interested in a one-on-one meeting between your firm and the UAS team. DISCLAIMER: This notice does not constitute an invitation for bids or a Request for Proposal (RFP) and is not a commitment by the Government to procure subject services/products nor will the Government reimburse any parties for costs associated with this responding to this request.