Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division - Request for Proposal (RFP) Naval Surface Technology & Innovation Other Transaction Authority Consortium (In Ref: N00178-19-9-0004 DRAFT)   2

This solicitation is a final version in reference to: N00178-19-9-004 (DRAFT RFP) originally posted January 16, 2019

Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division is posting this Request for Proposal (RFP) for Other Transaction Authority (OTA) Consortium Manager. This announcement is open for 45 days and the RFP will close on April 12, 2019 at 1200 Eastern.

Proposals are due no later than April 12, 2019 at 1200 Eastern, and shall be submitted to both of the email addresses listed below. All proposals should include the following: N00178-19-9-0005 in the email subject line, provide your name, the company name and a telephone number.

Any questions should also be sent to the email addresses below. Only questions received by email will be addressed. All questions should include the following: N00178-19-9-0005 in the email subject line, provide your name, the company name and a telephone number.

Scott Montrief via email: scott.montrief@navy.mil

Arline Parker via email: arline.parker@navy.mil

Background

The Other Transaction Authority (OTA), 10 U.S.C. 2371b, allows the Department of Defense (DoD) to "carry out prototype projects that are directly relevant to enhancing the mission effectiveness of military personnel and the supporting platforms, systems, components or materials proposed to be carried out by the DoD, or to improvement of platforms, systems, components, or materials in use by the armed forces." Constant innovation and rapid technology advances are occurring throughout the world. Partnerships with commercial industry, the civil maritime sector, and others will be used to leverage these approaches and increase flexibility and agility, reduce cost, improve technology and capability insertion, and decrease program development cycles. The OTA offers an alternative to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) based acquisitions, allowing for access to participation by non-traditional defense contractors with innovative solutions that may not normally desire to participate in government procurement.
Requirement
The Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) requires innovative technological solutions to address current and future security threats in the surface and maritime environment. NSWCDD's intent is to competitively establish an Other Transaction (OT) Agreement with a single Consortium, a legal entity whose members will be comprised of both traditional and non-traditional defense contractors. As part of the selection of the single Consortium, the Government will evaluate the Consortium Manager (CM) proposed to manage the operations of the Consortium based on its Consortium Membership Agreement. The Consortium Management Firm will sign the Base OT Agreement on behalf of the Consortium. Prototype projects will be awarded to the CM on behalf of the Consortium member or team proposing the project.

Objectives of establishing the Base OT Agreement with the CM (on behalf of the Consortium) include: 1) minimizing barriers to entry for small businesses and non-traditional vendors to work with the Government and to identify and realize teaming opportunities among entities to promote integrated research and prototyping efficiencies; 2) facilitating proposal development; and (3) reducing the cost of prototype development.

Following selection of the Consortium and Consortium Manager by the Government, and upon execution of the Base OT Agreement, the CM will be responsible for further building membership by attracting, retaining, and mentoring members to prepare them to compete for forthcoming prototype projects that will be solicited by NSWC Dahlgren. The CM will also be expected to aid in building teaming arrangements among Consortium members, as needed, to best meet the requirements of individual projects.

Competing the Base OT Agreement, as well as competing each of the ensuing prototype projects among the consortium membership, will also satisfy the requirements of the authority granted in 10 U.S.C. 2371b that permit the streamlining of potential future follow-on production awards resulting from successful prototype projects.