US Army Jungle Combat Boot, Directed Requirement

** This modification is to update the location of the JCB Industry Day. ** OVERVIEW The U.S. Army Product Manager Soldier Clothing and Individual Equipment (PdM-SCIE) is conducting market research through this Request for Information (RFI) to determine Industry's capability to manufacture Jungle Combat Boots (JCB) for a Directed Requirement (DR), which is separate from PdM-SCIE's Program of Record JCB requirement. The goal of this DR effort is to meet an urgent fielding need for two (2) Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs), beginning with one BCT in March 2017 and the second BCT completed by September 2017. This RFI is intended to identify the capability of Industry to provide JCB in a shortened time frame for use by the combat Soldier operating in hot, wet tropical jungle conditions. The JCB must be domestically produced in compliance with Section 2533a of Title 10 U.S. Code (known as the "Berry Amendment") and be capable of meeting the technical requirements specified in the attached Purchase Description (PD, see Attachment 001). GOVERNMENT'S INTENDED USE OF INFORMATION The Government intends to use the information received from Industry as a result of this RFI and the planned Industry Day (details below) to determine Industry capability to meet PdM-SCIE's DR immediate need to field to two (2) BCTs with an expectation that this information may reasonably lead directly to contract awards for production of JCB to support this Directed Requirement and a formal solicitation may not be issued prior to entering into contracts. The information gathered will be used as market research and will be used to determine the Army's contracting strategy, including the potential use of competitive, limited competition, and/or non-competitive actions, to meet this immediate need to field two BCTs based upon Industry's capability to meet technical, quality, price, and delivery schedule requirements. Therefore, the information provided should be accurate and thorough enough to clearly demonstrate a company's capability to execute to the schedules provided. The Government will independently review the information received as part of this RFI to determine a company's capability to meet this DR JCB effort. It is critical for Industry to note that this DR is separate from the larger, Program of Record (POR) requirement to field the Army with a JCB. The POR is the long-term solution and is still currently proceeding through the normal Defense Acquisition Framework. Additional market research will be conducted in the future to determine Industry's capability to meet the larger requirements of the Program of Record JCB. JCB DIRECTED REQUIREMENT SCHEDULE AND SIZING NEEDS Interested parties shall articulate responses in a clear and concise manner for the Government to review to determine each respondent's capability to manufacture and meet the Government's Directed Requirement for 36,000 pair of JCB boots. Each company should provide different scenarios for consideration by the Government if able to exceed the required schedule and sizes or if unable to meet it. Each company should also provide the best schedule and size tariff for their production considerations. For comparative basis, please use an anticipated contract award date of 1 December 2016 to describe production lead time and delivery capability. If an earlier contract award date is required to meet schedule, please advise the latest date you would be able to receive a contract award and be able to deliver in accordance with the requirements below. 1. Phase I: Initial Fielding of First BCT a. The Government aims to field one BCT by March 2017. To accomplish this, the Government requires the maximum amount or pairs of JCB in sizes of 8 � -11 (whole and half sizes) in Regular (D) and Wide (EE) width identified in Tariff 1 (Attachment 002), to be delivered to Hawaii no later than 28 February 2017 that meet the Purchase Description requirements. The maximum total should not exceed 2,500 pairs. The Government's goal is to get as many pair of JCB fielded by the end of March as possible and request Industry's input as to how to achieve that goal including sizes in accordance with Tariff 2 (Attachment 003). 2. Phase II: Completion of Fielding First BCT and Field Second BCT a. The Government aims to complete fielding of the first BCT and field a second BCT no later than 29 September 2017 for a total fielding of 36,000 pair of JCBs to the two BCTs in the DR. Additional production and delivery capability will be for sizes 3 through 15 (whole and half sizes) and 16 (whole size only) in widths Narrow (B), Regular (D), Wide (EE), and X-Wide (EEEE). RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS Responses to this RFI must provide a logical, concise, and clear answer to the requested information, questions, and scenarios contained within this RFI within 30 calendar days of the issuance of this RFI (no later than 03 NOV 2016 at 12:00 PM EST) describing their ability to produce the JCB as described in Attachment 001 while meeting all of the requirements of this Directed Requirement, including schedule and cost. Responses should be no more than fifteen (15) pages in length (excluding Test Reports and certifications) and can be in Contractor's format and submitted in a PDF document by email (contact@example.gov) or hardcopy submission to: Mr. Jay McNamara, US Army NSRDEC, 15 General Greene Ave., Bldg 4, D-323, Natick, MA 01760-5019. The information package shall contain the following items: 1. Detailed information regarding the firm's domestic production capabilities and relevant prior experience, to include recent and relevant contracts for the same or similar items, including contract numbers. 2. An estimated price per pair of boots, including any quantity discounts and range pricing, if known, shall be provided. If pricing is dependent upon contract minimum and/or order size, a matrix correlating price to quantity shall be provided for a range from a minimum of 1,000 pairs to a maximum of 36,000 pairs. Price should include cost of shipping to Hawaii. a. Provide estimated shipping costs (independent of boot price) associated with each order size to each of the following locations: Schofield Barracks, HI; and Lansing, MI for comparative analysis by the Government. 3. A list of sources for all component materials to be used in the production of the boot, including name and style/product number of the component (when relevant), component manufacturer address, and a primary point of contact for the component manufacture (i.e. name and phone number or email address). Test reports of component and/or end item testing to validate the meeting of PD (Attachment 001) requirements may be submitted if available, but are not necessary at this time. Absence of component/end item test reports from the submission package will not negatively impact a firm's ability to demonstrate capability for any potential resulting JCB contract awards following this RFI. 4. Available production capacity and ability to deliver the boots as described in the PD (Attachment 001) and in sizing matching Tariff 1 (see Attachment 002), beginning no later than 28 February 2017 and continuing monthly thereafter. a. Minimum first delivery should be no less than 1,000 pair. Maximum total for sizes identified in Tariff 1 (Attachment 002) should not exceed 2,500 pair. If minimum first delivery cannot be met, firms should specify what quantity (including tariff with sizes and widths) they can deliver to Hawaii no later than 28 February 2017. b. Provide the latest date when your company would need a contract award in place to begin delivering by for each scenario presented in your response, and critically for the February 2017 deliveries, if other than 1 December 2016. c. Clearly articulate if a wider range of sizes can be delivered by 28 February and what impact that would have on the quantity delivered and price (increase or decrease and at what quantities). d. Indicate if deliveries can be made earlier than the 28 February 2017 date. 5. Assuming 14 April 2017 award of second order for Phase II, please provide a schedule to produce and deliver additional sizes, as described in Tariff 2 (Attachment 003). Final delivery should not occur later than September 2017 and maximum total number of boots delivered should not exceed 36,000 pairs across Phase I and Phase II. a. Provide a continuing delivery schedule after the first delivery, to include delivery dates, and weekly/monthly production capability. b. Explain how the size tariff can be increased from Tariff 1 (Attachment 002) to Tariff 2 (Attachment 003) moving forward from the 28 February 2017 delivery to encompass the full range of sizes by indicating the number of sizes/widths that can be added per delivery. 6. A single product sample (size 10R) Production Demonstration Model (PDM) may be submitted as part of the RFI response, if available prior to the closing of the RFI, however it is not required. If a firm chooses to submit a sample, no payment will be made by the government for such sample and samples will not be returned. JCB DIRECTED REQUIREMENT INDUSTRY DAY The Government will host a Jungle Combat Boot Industry Day. This Industry Day will only address the Directed Requirement for two (2) BCT deliveries of JCB by September 2017. It will not address the Program of Record JCB that is still in process of being developed following delivery of the DR requirement. Due to meeting space and time constraints, attendance is limited solely to Berry Compliant Prime Footwear Contractors that are interested in providing a JCB solution to meet this immediate Directed Requirement. Prime Contractors are limited to no more than four (4) individuals per prime due to meeting space constraints. Questions regarding the JCB requirement that have been submitted to Mr. Jay McNamara via email (contact@example.gov) prior to COB 14 October will be addressed at the Industry Day General Session. Additional information will be provided through an amendment to this posting in the near future. 1. When: Thursday, October 20, 2016 starting at 1230 (see schedule below) 2. Location: Crowne Plaza Philadelphia-Cherry Hill, 2349 Marlton Pike W, Cherry Hill, NJ 08002 3. General Session: 1230-1330 4. Individual Break-out sessions will be hosted by the Government with interested participants for no more than 25 minute sessions beginning every half hour from 1330-1700. Time slot availability will be on a first-come, first-served basis. If you are representing a prime and interested in signing up for a 25 minute one-on-one JCB session please reserve your company's time slot by providing the following information to Mr. McNamara via email by COB 13 October 2016 with the following information: Company Name & Address, Attendee Names & Title of Company Representatives. Mr. McNamara will then assign a one-on-one time slot. If only attending for the general session, please provide the same information to Mr. McNamara and then advise appropriately in your email.