All Up Round plus Canister Simulator (AURCS)

Purpose:

The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to gauge industry interest, technical capability, and qualifications in support of a possible future contract. The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport (NUWCDIVNPT) is seeking information from industry regarding the ability and capacity to fabricate the All Up Round plus Canister Simulator (AURCS). The AURCS is a developmental item that has been designed by NUWCDIVNPT. Requirements for the fabrication, testing, and delivery of the AURCS units will be documented in the Statement of Work (SOW), Technical Data Package (TDP), and other Government Furnished Information (GFI). Information on the AURCS can be found in the following RFI attachments.

• Attachment 1: AURCS Background Slides
• Attachment 2: Draft Statement of Work (SOW)

NOTE: The RFI attachments are Distribution D, Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).

See below and all attachments for full information and details regarding this RFI.

Interested contractors with an active registration in SAM.gov may request access to the attachments section of this solicitation. You must request access to the attachment by clicking on its title and providing the reason you need access. You will not receive immediate access to view the document. The Contracting Office will review your request within SAM.gov to grant or reject your access.

A controlled attachment requires special handling due to the information it contains. The requestor must have a data entry or administrator role within the Contract Opportunities domain for an entity in SAM.gov in order to request access. If you do not have a proper role, you can request it from an existing entity administrator or have the existing administrator assign roles directly to you. If your entity does not have a direct employee, officer or board member appointed as the Entity Administrator, you will need to complete an Entity Administrator Appointment Letter.

Your entity is responsible for managing the documents if received in accordance with prescribed directives.

https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=gsafsd_kb_articles&sys_id=733b9d881bbc71506397ec21f54bcb0a

Future Effort Summary:

The following provides a summary of the future AURCS contract effort:

1. A TDP will be provided as GFI at solicitation, which will include the AURCS and Peculiar Support Equipment (PSE) design. Attachment 1 provides an overview of the AURCS and its major subsystems.

2. The anticipated scope of work includes, but is not limited to, the below key tasks. Additional details are in Attachment 2.

a. First Article Unit: Fabrication and assembly of an AURCS First Article Unit (FAU) in strict accordance with the TDP. This will include a formal Manufacturing Readiness Review (MRR) prior to fabrication. Acceptance testing and a Physical Configuration Audit (PCA) is to be performed on the FAU to validate the manufacturing process and product compliance to the TDP. The completed FAU will be packaged and shipped to NUWCDIVNPT.

b. Recurring AURCS Orders: Fabrication and assembly of AURCS units and associated PSE Kits. The completed AURCS units and PSE Kits will be tested, packaged, and shipped to NUWCDIVNPT.

c. Services:

i. Development of Engineering Change Proposals (ECPs) and/or Requests for Variances (RFVs) to identify and resolve any issues with the TDP, fabrication, or testing.

ii. Establishment of a proactive supply chain and obsolescence management program.

Requested Information:

Respondents are requested to address the following questions in their response to the Government.

1. Facility and Infrastructure:

The AURCS is a large, heavy item that requires adequate facility and infrastructure capabilities to lift, handle, fabricate, assemble, and test the AURCS units. Slide 3 of Attachment 1 provides additional information on the size and weight of AURCS.

• Describe your facility's capacity to handle, manipulate, fabricate, and assemble components that support the requirements described on Slide 3 of Attachment 1. Detail available crane capacity, floor space, and any other relevant infrastructure.

2. Precision Machining Expertise:

The AURCS design requires precision machining over the length of the AURCS, with critical tolerances that must be maintained to ensure proper system interfaces. Slides 5 and 6 of Attachment 1 provide additional information on AURCS machining.

• Describe your company's experience with large-scale precision machining. Provide specific examples of past projects requiring similar or greater complexity, including the types of materials, tolerances achieved, and the size of the components manufactured.

3. Welding Program & Personnel:

The AURCS requires extensive welding that must meet stringent standards. Slide 4 of Attachment 1 provides additional information on AURCS welding requirements.  

• Provide evidence of your company's capability in this area, including:
  • A description of your current corporate welding program
  • Demonstration of recent (within the last 5 years) experience performing welding in accordance with the requirements of Slide 4 of Attachment 1.
  • Confirmation that you currently employ, or can acquire, welders who are certified to the standards identified in Slide 4 of Attachment 1.
  • A description of your quality control and inspection processes for welded assemblies (e.g., Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) capabilities).

4. Schedule Adherence:

The success of the AURCS project is dependent on meeting a strict delivery schedule. Slide 12 of Attachment 1 provides an overview of the expected ordering and fabrication rate per year.

• Provide your company’s approach on how it will meet the Government’s schedule expectations. If there are any concerns or issues with the proposed unit delivery schedule, provide details of these concerns or issues and provide an alternate delivery schedule with a justification as to why the alternate delivery schedule should be considered by the Government.  

5. Past Performance

- Describe your company's experience managing complex fabrication projects with aggressive delivery timelines. Provide specific examples of programs where you successfully met or exceeded similar production rates, preferably within the naval or submarine construction and maintenance domain.

Response:

Respond with a white paper of 10 pages or less. Proprietary information, if any, must be clearly marked. Additional slides with visuals and descriptions will be also accepted (does not count toward the white paper 10-page limit).

Respondents are to review the information provided in this RFI, Attachment 1, and Attachment 2. Considering this information, respondents are to provide the following:

1. A company profile that includes company name, cage code, Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), company address, company website, Size Standard Classification under NAICS 336419 (1,050 employees), and RFI Point of Contact (POC), email address, and phone number.

2. Identify your company’s capability and qualifications for this requirement considering the information provided in Attachment 1, Attachment 2, Future Effort Summary section, and Requested Information section above. Specifically address your company’s capabilities related to each subsection (1-5) of the Requested Information section above.

3. Provide two (2) past performance references, as possible, which include a Government contract number and Government point of contact with email and phone number.

Technical questions shall be submitted via email only to Liam Walsh: liam.a.walsh2.civ@us.navy.mil

Your company’s white paper and any additional visuals and descriptions shall be submitted via e-mail to Hannah Sherron at hannah.r.sherron.civ@us.navy.mil and Juli Chytka at juli.chytka2.civ@us.navy.mil.

NOTE:

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) NOTICE ONLY. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS. THIS RFI IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT FOR ANY ACTUAL PROCUREMENT OF MATERIALS OR SERVICES. This notice does not constitute a solicitation or a promise of a solicitation in the future. This RFI does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service. Respondents are advised that the Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI. All costs associated with responding to this RFI are solely at the responding parties' expense. Respondents are solely responsible for properly marking and clearly identifying any proprietary information or trade secrets contained within their response. The Government will not be liable for or suffer any consequential damages for any proprietary information not properly marked and clearly identified. Proprietary information received in response to this RFI will be safeguarded and handled in accordance with applicable Government regulations. Responses to this notice are not offers and will not be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract, order, or agreement. The Government will not be obligated to pursue any particular acquisition alternative because of this RFI. Responses to the RFI will not be returned. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in this solicitation, if one is issued.