N0001925R0003 – Sources Sought – C-40A Contractor Logistics Support

INTRODUCTION

The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Tactical Airlift Program Office (PMA-207), Patuxent River, MD announces its intention to procure on a competitive basis Contractor Logistics Support (CLS) for the seventeen (17) United States Navy (USN) and two (2) United States Marine Corps (USMC) C-40A aircraft. The requirement is a follow-on procurement to contract N00019-21-D-0004 currently being performed by AAR Government Services, Inc. The existing contract is Firm Fixed Price (FFP). This contract is due to expire 31 December 2025.

The results of the Sources Sought will be utilized to determine if any Small Business Set-Aside opportunities exist. All Small Business Set-Aside categories will be considered.

REQUIRED CAPABILITIES

The C-40A aircraft are a Boeing commercial-derivative (737-700C) cargo/transport/Extended Twin Engine Operations (ETOPS) aircraft that are Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 25 certified aircraft operated by the USN and USMC. These aircraft have been modified with Government unique items and have supplement type certifications (STCs) for those items. The aircraft will continue to be operationally supported organically at the organizational level at five (5) squadron sites and supported commercially at two (2) squadron sites. The C-40A aircraft will continue to be commercially supported at the depot level. In order to maintain FAA certifications, all maintenance must comply with and be performed in accordance with 14 CFR Part 121 subparts L and V standards. All avionics systems and components must be installed and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s specification as delineated in 14 CFR Part 43 and repaired by a certified and rated 14 CFR Part 145 Repair Station. Offerors must be able to provide and identify its access to 737-700C 14 CFR Part 121 Commercial Parts pool. The CLS services shall consist of, but are not limited to:

1. Site Activation
2. Site Support
3. Inventory management and support to include tracking and control of Government Property (serially controlled parts, C-40A unique parts, Auxiliary Power Units (APU), landing gear and control services, provide consumables and expendables, etc.)
4. Depot Level Support (scheduled and unscheduled maintenance and modifications)
5. Component Repair and Overhaul of Government owned commercial parts inventory such as APU, Landing Gear, etc.
6. Contractor Field Teams
7. Repair and replenishment of Government owned parts inventory
8. Supply support for 19 aircraft.
9. Peculiar Support Equipment (PSE) scheduled and unscheduled maintenance and calibration using best commercial practices at all squadrons
10. Common Support Equipment (CSE) scheduled and unscheduled maintenance and calibration using best commercial practices at all sites
11. Commercial Organizational-Level maintenance at two squadrons (VR-51 and VMR-1)

Note: It is the sole responsibility of the Contractor to request and obtain all necessary access to data necessary to meet the requirements of the PWS throughout the life of the contract.  The Government intends to include requirements that the Offeror present authoritative documentation demonstrating its ability to obtain all necessary data to meet the requirements of the PWS.

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville, FL (Three USN C-40A Aircraft)

NAS Joint Reserve Base (JRB), Fort Worth, TX (Three USN C-40A Aircraft)

NAS JRB, Fort Worth, TX (Two USMC C-40A Aircraft) (Commercial Organizational-Level Maintenance)

NAS North Island, CA (Three USN C-40A Aircraft)

NAS Oceana, VA (Three USN C-40A Aircraft)

NAS Whidbey Island, WA (Three USN C-40A Aircraft)

Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH), Kaneohe Bay (Two USN C-40A Aircraft) (Commercial Organizational-Level Maintenance)

ELIGIBILITY

The appropriate Product Service Code (PSC) is J015. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code is 488190 with a Small Business Size of $32.5 Million. It is anticipated that the basis for award of the resultant contract will be best value to the Government, cost and non-cost factors considered. All vendors must be registered in Systems for Award Management (SAM) Database with its Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)  and Commercial And Government Entity (CAGE) Code to conduct business with the Department of Defense.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND SUBMISSION DETAILS (CAPABILITES STATEMENT)

The Government’s intent is to release a draft Request for Proposal (RFP) around September 2024, at which point, industry will be permitted to submit questions/comments and the Government will post responses on the SAM website. A final competitive RFP is planned for release around November 2024, with a goal to award a basic Indefinite-Delivery/Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) contract with performance commencing in the Fourth Quarter of Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25).

Interested parties are requested to submit a capabilities statement of no more than ten (10) one-sided, 8.5×11 inch pages using no smaller than 10-point font. The statement shall demonstrate the company’s ability to perform the services listed in this Sources Sought.

Capability statements shall also address the following:

1. What type of work has your company performed in the past in support of the same or similar requirements?
2. Can your company or has your company managed an effort of this nature? If so, please provide details.
3. Can your company or has your company managed a team of subcontractors?
4. What specific technical skills does your company possess which ensure your company’s capability to perform the effort?
5. Small/large business status under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code of 488190  and company profile to include number of employees, annual revenue history, office locations, DUNS number, etc.:
   1. Qualification as a Small Business (SB), Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB), Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB), HUBZone Small Business (HUBZone), Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB), or Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) Concern; and
   2. Explanation of ability to perform at least 50% of the tasking described in terms of the cost of contract performance incurred for personnel shall be expended for employees of the concern in accordance with FAR 52.219-14.
6. Describe your company’s access to commercial parts inventories and pooling strategies. 
7. Does your company have experience handling an OCONUS AOG event? If so, please provide an example of an AOG event your company supported and include the severity of the event and the timeframe it took to get the aircraft back to an operational status.
8. Describe your company’s ability to obtain and deliver parts for Aircraft on Ground (AOG) within 24 hours to CONUS locations and 72 hours to OCONUS.
9. Based on the information provided, is your company able to price and enter into an agreement for a CFR Part 121 Commercial Parts Pool? If not, please provide what additional information would be needed to enter into an agreement for a Commercial Parts Pool. 
10. Does your company have experience with part upgrades or replacements stemming from configuration changes based on Service Actions or modifications?  If so, how were those handled in previous contracts? In addition, how would those be handled under the Commercial Parts Pool?
11. Any International Traffic in Arms (ITAR)/export concerns
12. Any concerns with a 90-day transition period?
13. Please provide any additional relevant information to aid the Government in refining its acquisition strategy

SUBMISSION

Interested businesses’ responses to this Sources Sought (SS)/Request for Information (RFI), including any capabilities statement, shall be electronically submitted in Microsoft Word or Portable Document Format (PDF) to the Contract Specialist at [email protected] no later than 1430 Eastern Standard Time (EST) on 14 May 2024. All responses shall include the Company name, address, and business size and shall identify points of contact by name, telephone number, and email address. All attached documents shall reference this SS/RFI number.  

NOTE:  Should the Government release a solicitation for the effort described herein, it will be synopsized on SAM.gov site as early as Fiscal Year 2025. It is the responsibility of potential offerors to monitor this site for additional information pertaining to this requirement. Be advised that periodic visitation to the website is essential for obtaining updated documentation and the latest information regarding this procurement. All data received in response to this SS/RFI that are marked or designated as corporate or proprietary will be fully protected from release outside the Government.

The attached draft PWS is provided to Industry for review and comment. The Government does not intend to respond to questions at this point but will take into consideration any feedback received via the Enclosure (1) form and will utilize the information received to update/clarify the current draft PWS prior to release of the draft RFP (inclusive of Section L&M) planned for late September 2024. There will be a question-and-answer period upon draft RFP release. An in-person pre-solicitation conference is not planned at this time.

DISCLAIMER

THIS SOURCES SOUGHT IS FOR INFORMATIONAL AND PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) OR A PROMISE TO ISSUE A RFP IN THE FUTURE. IT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION AND SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT. THE UNITED STATES NAVY (USN), IS NOT CURRENTLY SEEKING PROPOSALS AND WILL NOT ACCEPT UNSOLICITED PROPOSALS. RESPONSES IN ANY FORM ARE NOT OFFERS AND THE GOVERNMENT IS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO AWARD A CONTRACT AS A RESULT OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. NO FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE TO PAY FOR PREPARATION OF RESPONSES TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. ANY INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY RESPONDENTS TO THIS TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION IS STRICTLY VOLUNTARY AND ANY ASSOCIATED COSTS INCURRED ARE THE RESPONDENT’S SOLE RESPONSIBILITY.