User Productivity Enhancement, Technology Transfer and Training (PETTT) Program

AMENDMENT: AN INFORMATION BRIEFING WILL BE OFFERED TO INTERESTED VENDORS. THE BRIEFING IS SCHEDULED FOR THE MORNING OF JULY 8, 2008 BEGINNING AT 10:00 A.M. EDT AND WILL BE FOLLOWED BY VENDOR-SPECIFIC ON-ON-ONE INFORMATION EXCHANGE MEETINGS IN THE AFTERNOON OF JULY 8, 2008. EACH VENDOR WILL BE ALLOWED 1 HOUR FOR A ONE-ON-ONE SESSION. IF YHOU ARE INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING, PLEASE PROVIDE YOUR COMPANY NAME, ALONG WITH ANTICIPATED ATTENDEES AND DESIRED TIME SLOT, TO MS. DEBORAH JOECKEL AT DEBORAH.JOECKEL@GSA.GOV. COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS MAY BE SUBMITTED TO GSA AT ANY TIME DURING THIS REQUEST FOR INFORMATION. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to solicit comments from potential sources from academia and industry on the solicitation approach and the clarity of the High Performance Computing Modernization Program Office's (HPCMPO) draft Statement of Objectives (SOO) for the User Productivity Enhancement, Technology Transfer and Training (PETTT) Program. This RFI and the SOO may be viewed on the DoD HPCMP web site at http://www.hpcmo.hpc.mil/PETTT business_opps.htm . The HPCMPO was established in 1993 to perform life cycle management and acquisition oversight for the High Performance Computing (HPC) needs of the defense Science and Technology (S&T) and Test and Evaluation (T&E) communities. The purpose of the PETTT Program is to enable the flow of computational science and related technology and help fulfill the research and development objectives of the DoD high performance computing user community. PETTT will focus on enhancing user productivity through technology transition, training and support. The predecessor contract of the User Productivity Enhancement, Technology Transfer and Training (PETTT) activity has introduced tools and techniques from various computational communities and brokered collaborative activities with government agencies, industry, and academia. The PETTT activity under this solicitation will further facilitate collaborations among DoD researchers and world-class institutions on computational problems of significant interest for national defense. The Government anticipates the following solicitation approach for the PETTT contract: (1) this RFI, (2) a pre-proposal Bidders Response identifying a technical/management approach based on the SOO, and (3) a formal Technical/Management and Cost Proposal based on a Request for Proposal (RFP). The Government will hold one-on-one bidders conferences with prospective bidders during the pre-proposal phase as well as the RFP phase. Based on the bidders responses and the bidders conference during the pre-proposal phase, the Government will generate a Performance Work Statement (PWS). This, together with the SOO will dictate the Governments requirements for PETTT and form the basis for a formal request for proposals (RFP) in accordance with the procedures set forth in the FAR Part 15. The Government anticipates awarding a single Award Fee contract with a Base and four option periods. The Government envisions that the most productive form of the contract will result from a consortium of university and industry partners. The expected award date is May 2009. This is a Request for Information only. In accordance with FAR 15.202(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this posting. Written responses to this RFI may be submitted to the General Services Administration, Federal Acquisition Services, Assisted Acquisition Services Division, 950 22nd Street North, Suite 600, Birmingham, AL 35203, Attn. Ms. Deborah Joeckel, by 30 June 2008. Electronic copies are preferred and should be sent via e-mail to eddie.mills@gsa.gov with a copy to deborah.joeckel@gsa.gov in PDF format.