Posted: June 29, 2020, 9:59 a.m. EDT
Amendment 1 - The response date to this Special Notice has been extended. RESPONSES ARE DUE NO LATER THAN 3:00 P.M. (EDT) ON 22 JULY 2020
This is a Request For Information (RFI) for planning purposes ONLY. This is an RFI in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.215-3, Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes (Oct 1997). This is not a Request for Quotation (RFQ), Request for Proposal (RFP), or an Invitation for Bid (IFB). The Government is conducting market research to identify, as potential sources, companies that may possess the expertise, capabilities, and experience to competently and competitively respond to a potential upcoming requirement. Responses to this notice are not considered as offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract.
The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this RFI or to otherwise pay for the information solicited except as an allowable cost under other contracts as provided in FAR 31.205-18, Bid and Proposal Costs. Although proposal and offeror are used in this Request for Information, your response will be treated as information only. It shall not be used as a proposal. This solicitation is issued for the purpose of information only. Companies responding to this RFI are advised that participation does not ensure involvement in future solicitations or contract awards. The Government will not reimburse any company or individual for any expenses associated with preparation or participation in this RFI. Respondents are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI.
The Department of Defense, United States Air Force (USAF), Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC), Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC), Fighters and Bombers Directorate, F-15 Division, F-15EX Program (AFLCMC/WWQ) is seeking information regarding a potential upcoming requirement for an advanced Helmet-Mounted Display (HMD) to include with production F-15EX aircraft. Information can be submitted as a USAF-specific addendum to recently submitted responses to the Joint Helmet Cueing System RFI, Notice ID: JHMCS-RFI-1. These RFI responses to the US Navy have been reviewed and a complete re-work for USAF/F-15EX is not necessary. As applicable, please submit an addendum which clearly articulates any differences between F-18 and F-15 integration as well as answers our slightly more detailed RFIs. The F-15 Division does not require additional information on HMDs that do not meet the main attributes annotated below. Companies that have developed HMD systems or have HMD systems under development and have demonstrated history in HMD manufacturing are encouraged to participate. The Government will also consider modifications, upgrades, or replacements of a fielded advanced HMD.
The intent of this potential requirement would be to provide the same or better capability than the F-15-fielded, US-only Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) (to include night-vision-enabled off-boresight cueing) while significantly reducing the head, neck, and spine burden placed on aircrew. For planning purposes, the Government is most interested in the following solution attributes, in priority order:
- Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 7 or higher.
- Reduction in weight and/or improved center of gravity (CG) required to be worn by the aircrew in a night configuration to include non-AN/AVS-9 Night Vision Goggle (NVG) options. The optimal system would be day/night capable in a single helmet configuration. (No airborne swapping of helmet accessories).
- Exceeds combat capability of existing digital eye piece (DEP)-enabled JHMCS (such as a reduction in tracking latency, expanded field of view (FOV), easily programmable color symbology, etc.).
- Scope, if any, of modifications required to the aircraft hardware and software (zero modifications to the aircraft is most desired).
A full description of proposed products, with supporting documentation (including specifications sheets and test results) is requested. If the product requires modification to meet the desired system attributes listed above, describe what modifications would be required. RFI responses are limited to 30 pages. It is also requested that estimated development and production pricing be included for each proposed product. Please state whether your RFI responses may be shared with our prime integrator, The Boeing Company. If only certain sections may be shared, please clearly divide the shareable and non-shareable sections. Proprietary data MUST be marked on a section-by-section basis, and will be kept confidential and protected in accordance with the Uniform Trades Secret Act. Interested vendors should state whether their product is available commercially, and whether it is made domestically of domestic textiles (must be Berry Amendment compliant manufacturers must list the origin and place of manufacturing operations of all components).
RFI Response, Submittal, and Instructions.
CAPABILITY STATEMENT: All interested vendors shall submit a capability statement that explicitly demonstrates their capability to meet the requirements stated in this RFI. If late information is received, it may or may not be considered depending on Government time constraints. The capability statement should be concise, yet clearly demonstrate an ability to meet the stated requirements. The statement shall include answers to the following business information for your company and for any teaming or joint venture partners:
- Company Name:
- Address:
- Point of Contact:
- CAGE Code:
- Phone Number:
- E-mail Address:
- Web Page URL:
- Per the parameters of NAICS Code 334511, state whether your company is:
- Large Business (Yes / No)
- Small Business* (Yes / No)
- Woman-Owned Small Business (Yes / No)
- Small Disadvantaged Business (Yes / No)
- 8(a) Certified (Yes / No)
- HUBZone Certified (Yes / No)
- Veteran-Owned Small Business (Yes / No)
- Service Disabled Small Business (Yes / No)
- Central Contractor Registration (CCR) (Yes / No)
(*) If you answered yes, please explain whether your company would be capable of meeting the requirements of FAR 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting. Please clarify if your company can provide commercial or non-developmental items that could be modified, or the technology and expertise for development, to meet the Government's needs.
Small businesses that possess the required capability are encouraged to submit responses to this notice. This announcement is NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL nor does the Government intend to pay for any information submitted in response to this RFI. This RFI does not commit the Government to award a contract. This RFI is for market research only and any procurement resulting from this announcement will be synopsized separately. All correspondence shall reference the RFI Title and Notice ID on https://beta.sam.gov/.
See attachment for specific RFI questions and detail.
RESPONSES ARE DUE NO LATER THAN 3:00 P.M. (EDT) ON 22 JULY 2020. Responses shall be submitted electronically to the Procurement Contracting Officer (PCO), Ms. Emily Starkey [emily.starkey@us.af.mil]. All correspondence sent via email shall contain a subject line that includes the RFI Title and Notice ID on https://beta.sam.gov/. If this subject line is not included, the email may not get through email filters at Wright-Patterson AFB. Attachments with files ending in .zip or .exe are not allowable and will be deleted by the server. Ensure only .pdf, .doc, .docx, .xsls, or .xls documents are attached to your email. All other attachments may be deleted. RESPONSES SHALL NOT CONTAIN CLASSIFIED INFORMATION.
The Government reserves the right to contact the submitting parties as required for further clarification on material provided. The Government will evaluate the information provided, include it within its market research, and use it as needed during potential RFP development. In addition, the Government will use its evaluation of the information and other research to determine which sources appear qualified to perform the work required by the Government. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation.
Note: All contractors doing business with the Federal Government must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database. The website for registration is https://beta.sam.gov/. Future information about this acquisition, including issuance of a quotation and/or applicable amendments, will be issued through BetaSAM. Interested parties are responsible for ensuring they have the most up-to-date information regarding this RFI.
[1] USG testing/analysis often relies on vendor data; if vendors are using different origin points or baseline assumptions for CG measurements, precise comparison of helmet CGs between vendors is impossible.
