Systems Engineering Technology and Innovation (SETI)   4

SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUNCEMENT

REQUIREMENT: The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) is seeking sources for Systems Engineering Technology and Innovation (SETI).

CONTRACTING OFFICE ADDRESS: Defense Information Technology Contracting Office, Fort Meade, MD

INTRODUCTION: Based on extensive industry input from last year's industry day and the one-on-one sessions conducted, DISA has updated the Performance Work Statement (PWS) for this acquisition. This sources sought notice is being issued to update the market research, confirm Industry interest and update Industry on this acquisition. It is also to solicit feedback on the PWS and the "Innovation" evaluation factor. We are asking for confirmation of continued interest from industry by responding to this Sources Sought Notice.
The Systems Engineering, Technology, and Innovation (SETI) contract will be an overarching approach for fulfilling requirements for developmental engineering support services across the Department of Defense (DoD). SETI will be a new acquisition tool for the DoD.
SETI will be an IDIQ contract vehicle where individual task orders will be issued to provide critical engineering expertise that will research, design, develop, implement, integrate and optimize DoD capabilities, systems and solutions. Awards will be made to both large and small businesses. Each task order competed on SETI will first be considered for a small business set-aside.
SETI is designed to complement the Agency's ENCORE III contract vehicle. ENCORE III will provide a broad suite of IT commodity services dedicated to implementing, operating, maintaining, sustaining, incrementally developing, and ultimately retiring existing DISA and DoD-provided IT capabilities. SETI will provide the complex IT engineering required to design, develop and deliver new DISA and DoD-provided IT capabilities. After initial fielding, it is envisioned that new IT capabilities provided by SETI contractors will be sustained under ENCORE III.
The goals of this IDIQ are to streamline the acquisition process, have one tool that is available for DISA's developmental engineering requirements, and to provide developmental engineering expertise to the DoD. This method will reduce both acquisition timelines as well as cost. Other goals for SETI include improved quality of contract performance and consistent terms and conditions across the contract awards and the individual task orders. A major feature of this acquisition is to foster, develop, and encourage innovation with the goal to reduce costs, timelines, and provide innovative solutions to deliver capable, reliable, and consistent products and services to our warfighters.
SETI's Performance Work Statement includes eight performance areas. The following are those task areas:Task Area 1: Systems Engineering
Task Area 2: Design Analysis Engineering
Task Area 3: Systems Architecture
Task Area 4: Software Systems Design and DevelopmentTask Area 5: Systems Integration
Task Area 6: Systems Test and Evaluation
Task Area 7: Systems Deployment and Life-cycle Engineering
Task Area 8: Special Systems Engineering Requirements
A revised DRAFT PWS will be posted with this announcement. Feedback is requested on the revised PWS.
DISA is planning to issue a draft Request for Proposal (RFP) in early FY17 with the final RFP issued in second quarter FY17. Anticipated award is fourth quarter FY17.
The North American Industry Classification System Code (NAICS) for this requirement is 541512 Computer Systems Design Services, with the corresponding size standard of $27.5M.
DISA is contemplating an "Innovation" evaluation factor. It is anticipated that this factor will be the most important factor. DISA is soliciting feedback on what should be included in this factor and how it should be evaluated.
SUBMISSION DETAILS: Responses should include:
1) Business name and address; name of company representative and their business title; CAGE Code
2) Type of Business (i.e. large or small and if small, federally designated small business category(ies))
3) Feedback on the revised PWS
4) Feedback on an "Innovation" evaluation factor
5) Brief assessment of ability to meet the eight Task Areas in the PWS
Vendors who wish to respond to this should send responses via email NLT 12 July 2016 4:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) to disa.meade.PLD.mbx.seti-requirement@mail.mil. Responses should be limited to ten pages. No one-on-one meetings will be held in response to this Sources Sought Notice. An Industry Day is being contemplated but no dates or arrangements have been established. It is anticipated that this will be planned after the draft RFP is posted and before the final RFP is posted to FedBizOpps.
Proprietary information and trade secrets, if any, must be clearly marked on all materials. All information received that is marked Proprietary will be handled accordingly. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned. All Government and Contractor personnel reviewing responses will have signed non-disclosure agreements and understand their responsibility for proper use and protection from unauthorized disclosure of proprietary information as described 41 USC 2102. The Government shall not be held liable for any damages incurred if proprietary information is not properly identified.
DISCLAIMER:THIS SOURCES SOUGHT IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. IT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION AND SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT. 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.

Background
The solicitation is for the Systems Engineering Technology and Innovation (SETI) program, which is a new acquisition vehicle for the Department of Defense (DoD) rooted in innovation. The goal of the pre-proposal conference was to provide offerors with information regarding the program objectives, discuss industry feedback from the Draft RFP, and answer questions submitted on the Final RFP. The purpose of the pre-proposal conference was only to facilitate communications and answer questions regarding the program and contract process. Offerors were instructed to refer ONLY to the Final RFP on FedBizOps. All communications were to be conducted only in writing and directly to the contracting officer. Offerors were not allowed to contact any other Government personnel other than the identified contracting officer.

Work Details
The SETI program aims to meet complex IT engineering and developmental requirements for DoD mission stakeholders through a Multiple Award Task Order Contract (MATOC). The objectives of SETI include facilitating non-commodity, innovative IT engineering and solutions into the DoD, fostering innovation throughout the engineering lifecycle, providing a vast breadth of capabilities for unique requirement needs, obtaining and providing effective next-generation solutions, being a strategic sourcing tool that allows stakeholders to get to contract faster, and providing stakeholders with new capabilities for creative problem-solving with contractors.

Period of Performance
The period of performance for the contract is a five-year base period with a five-year option period.

Place of Performance
The geographic location(s) where the contract will be performed are not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.