Synopsis – Aug 23, 2013 

General Information 

Solicitation Number: NSCROC-3-RFI   

Posted Date: Aug 23, 2013   

FedBizOpps Posted Date: Aug 23, 2013   

Recovery and Reinvestment Act Action: No   

Original Response Date: Sep 09, 2013   

Current Response Date: Sep 09, 2013    Classification Code: A — Research and Development   

NAICS Code: 541330 

Contracting Office Address 

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 210.I, Greenbelt, MD 20771 

Description 

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI). The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) is soliciting information in preparation for the competition of the NASA Sounding Rockets Operations Contract (NSROC) follow-on acquisition. Previously known as NSROC II, the new procurement will be referred to as NSROC III. This RFI is for informational/planning purposes only. 

This acquisition will be for services in support of NASA’s Sounding Rockets Program (NSRP). The proposed contract will serve as the principal mechanism for implementation of the NSRP and the NSROC Contractor shall manage and be responsible for providing all associated services and supplies (expect those provided as Government Furnished Property). As such, the Contractor shall design, fabricate, integrate, and perform flight qualification testing of sub-orbital payloads, provide launch vehicles and associated hardware, and provide various activities associated with subsequent mission launch operations. The Contractor shall have the capability to provide the full spectrum of engineering design and analysis activities necessary for the development of sub-orbital launch vehicles, payloads, and ground support equipment including (but not limited to) the following disciplines: flight performance and dynamics; structural and mechanical; electrical power; telemetry communication; guidance, navigation, and control; software and information systems; and environmental testing. The Contractor shall also be responsible for the operation and maintenance of facilities associated with implementation of the NSRP including technical laboratories, fabrication, environmental testing, and explosives storage. NASA will retain overall management of the NSRP including certain programmatic elements such as mission selection, funding, international agreements, grants administration, oversight and approval of ground and flight safety processes, and ownership of program assets. 

The NSROC Contractor shall also be responsible for providing general support that may not be directly related to implementation of the NSRP. This support shall include, but not be limited to: fabrication of mechanical, structural, electrical, and electronic hardware; environmental testing of flight and ground support hardware and systems; and a broad range of technical activities such as engineering studies, system and subsystem development, drafting and technician services, environmental studies, and education and public outreach services. 

The purpose of this RFI is to gather information, comments and suggestions from industry regarding the contracting approach for this acquisition that will optimize the likelihood of successful and efficient contract performance, enhance competition, and provide business opportunities. Therefore, the Government is requesting feedback in the following areas for consideration during acquisition planning: 

1. In an attempt to determine the appropriate contract type for this particular procurement, the Government is soliciting input from interested parties and asks that responses include information regarding why a particular contract type or combination of contract types might be more appropriate (benefits and impediments), how that proposed contract type would affect costs and how you would propose. The Government is currently considering a Cost-Reimbursement type contract plus a fee that would be broken out into a fixed fee portion and a technical performance incentive fee portion. 

2. The Government is considering a contract structure under which all services would be provided under the core contract (that is, there would be no Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity task orders) based on routine, day-to-day activities and a mission model. 

3. Under this model how would you propose to measure technical performance? 

4. What type of proposal evaluation criteria would you recommend for this type of procurement? 

5. What type of technical information along with the Statement of Work would you like to see with a potential solicitation? 

6. How long a transition period would you need to assume contract responsibilities? 

7. What is the best approach for purchasing long lead items such as rocket motors or flight termination hardware? Should the Government provide these long lead items, or should the Contractor be responsible for procuring them? 

8. Currently, the rocket motors supplied for the NSRP’s Black Brant rockets are acquired by the NSROC II Contractor from a single supplier. How would you propose to manage this business relationship or otherwise acquire motors that match the performance characteristics of the current motors? 

9. What should the contract period of performance be? What are the benefits or efficiencies to be gained from your proposed period of performance? 

This RFI is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government, nor will the Government pay for any information submitted in response to this RFI. A Draft Statement of Work (DSOW) for NSROC III is currently scheduled to be released in late September 2013. A Draft Request for Proposal (DRFP) for NSROC III is currently scheduled to be released in July 2014. 

Responses may be submitted via email to Randy.J.Belew@nasa.gov. For further information please contact Randy Belew at 301-286-6204. Information submitted separate and apart from commercial brochures will be treated as proprietary, if so marked. All responses shall be submitted by September 9, 2013. 

No solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. If a solicitation is released it will be synopsized in FedBizOpps and on the NASA Acquisition Internet Service. It is the potential offeror’s responsibility to monitor these sites for the release of any solicitation or synopsis. 

Point of Contact 

   Name: Randy J Belew   

Title: Contract Specialist   

Phone: 301-286-6204   

Fax: 301-286-0247   

Email: Randy.J.Belew@nasa.gov