Yard Diving Tender (YDT) Request for Information (RFI)

PURPOSE:

Portfolio Acquisition Executive (PAE) Maritime hereby issues a Request for Information (RFI) on behalf of the U.S. Navy and Foreign Military Sales, Boats, and Craft Program Office (PMS 300) to assess the availability of existing or in development craft designs applicable to the procurement of the attached requirements describing a Yard Diving Tender (YDT) craft. A prospective solicitation would seek to acquire two (2) YDTs to replace the YDTs currently in use with the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center (NDSTC). This RFI will assist the Navy in finding qualified small business sources to build the required YDTs.  Please note that only U.S.-built and U.S.-flagged vessels will be considered.

The Navy intends to continue recapitalizing its aging fleet and procure YDTs beginning in Fiscal Year 2027.

The overall objective of this Request for Information is to conduct and update market research to support preliminary planning for the acquisition of the YDT. 

The Navy plans to award a contract to one or more builders in FY27 for up to 2 crafts for delivery to the following:

• Panama City Beach, FL

Description & MISSION PROFILE:

The YDTs will be used by Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center (NDSTC), including Center for Explosive Ordnance Disposal & Diving (CENEODDIVE) to conduct training in underwater operations to locate, render safe and/or recover submerged objects and ordnance; harbor clearance/search; and expeditionary salvage operations.  

Through this RFI, the Navy aims to identify potential, commercial or developmental craft designs for the YDTs based on the following characteristics. Potential sources should have the personnel, facilities, technical capability and production capacity to produce up to two (2) YDTs. The Navy is particularly interested in existing, proven vessel designs that meet the following characteristics or that could be modified to meet the following characteristics while maintaining proven hull forms, propulsion systems and other major design features. Key YDT attributes and requirements:

• length: ≤52m (170ft)
• Beam: ≤10m (33ft)
• Draft: ≤3.6m
• Air Draft: ≤15m
• Cruise speed: ≥15 knots (at full load in Sea State 4)
• Range: ≥400 nautical miles at cruise speed
• Station Keeping: Dynamic Positioning class 2 (DP2) through Sea State 3, Beaufort Force 4
• Sea State:
  • Fully mission capable (including station keeping) up to Sea State 3, Beaufort Force 4
  • Fully mission capable (excluding station keeping) up to Sea State 4, Beaufort Force 5
  • Capable of restricted operations (transit at cruising speed) up to Sea State 5 Beaufort Force 6
  • Capable of surviving (maintaining course and heading) up to Sea State 6, Beaufort Force 7
• Regulatory Bodies: American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) Marine Vessel Rules, U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 33 and 46, U.S. Navy Diving Manual
• Deck Area: ≥180 square meters aft of deck house rated to carry payloads with concentrated local loads of up to 1500 kg/square meter
• Stability: ABS requirements for Intact and Damage Stability
• Personnel Capacity: ≥ 50 embarked persons
• Cranes:
  • Aft deck crane ≥4,500 kg at 15 ft past deck edge
• Spaces (minimum requirement)
  • Diving storage space: below  the aft deck approximately 20 ft in length and the full width of the craft at a minimum
  • Pilot House: full 360 degree field of view, command, control and navigation suite
  • Crews Quarters: galley, messing and seating for 8, berthing for 4
  • Diving locker: ≥ 20 square meters located on main deck
  • Passenger Space: Seating area with working surface for ≥42 persons for instruction and rest. Food storage and prep area and sufficient heads provided within or adjacent
  • An additional 32 square meter enclosed compartment with access to the aft deck

Responses & Submission of Information

Interested parties are free to submit any information which may assist the Navy in its market research in response to this RFI.  Responses to this RFI are limited to 10 pages and should include any relevant drawings, specifications, and/or sketches.  The Government is not requesting a formal proposal at this time; however, please include as much of the technical data listed below as practical under the time constraints of this inquiry. As a reminder: please properly mark, clearly identify, and segregate any proprietary information included in your response.

The following information is requested:

1. Data and/or information on any vessel or vessel design in a similar size and capability range as that described in the draft specification.  Data may be submitted on existing vessels, vessels that are conceptual or in design.  If vessel is conceptual or in design, please provide level of maturity.
2. A description of the company’s relevant experience.  Past experience performing construction of boats of similar dimensions and characteristics highlighting: construction techniques; portions of work which intended to be performed by the prime contractor and portions of work to be subcontracted, including identification of likely design agent; any intended teaming arrangements; and familiarity with Government contract requirements and drawing development.  Examples of successful Government or commercial contracts of similar scope of work.  A description of the boat design identified by the Contractor that meets or comes close to meeting the above listed design requirements.
3. If applicable, identify the number of vessels and the years they were delivered.
4. Provide approximate pricing for:
   1. Candidate vessel
   2. Delivery to stated location
   3. Engineering Cost 
5. Provide location of company production facilities.
6. Describe facility production capacity (e.g., estimate on total construction time for one (1) YDT; how many YDTs can be built per year), based on current and projected yard-wide workload. The Navy recommends contractors to provide information demonstrating their capability/capacity for production throughput. When describing throughput, please address capability/capacity of facilities and how they are suitable to handle the physical components of the boat, stowage of Government Furnished Equipment (GFE), and the current and projected utilization of workforce and trades required to complete the YDT.  The Navy further requests information regarding the estimated maximum production throughput of the boats per year, including constraints from other contracted and projected workload for other project/programs. Additionally, the Navy requests for contractors to state the minimum YDT quantity that would need to be guaranteed to respond to the requirements of the potential solicitation.

Interested parties may also submit additional information on the following areas of interest:

• Vessel principal characteristics and capabilities
• General arrangement drawings and renderings
• Design, construction, regulatory and classification standards employed
• Company production capabilities and recent, relevant, production history
• Contact information

Note: Interested parties do not have to meet all requirements listed in this RFI to submit a response. All responses received will be reviewed by the Government.

This RFI constitutes market research being performed under Part 10 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and is not an RFP. The responses shall contain unclassified information only.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

If your organization has the potential capacity to perform the above described efforts, please provide the following information on company letterhead: 1) Organization name, address, e-mail address, web site address, telephone number, and size and type of ownership for the organization; and 2) Tailored capability statements addressing the particulars of this effort, with appropriate documentation supporting claims of organizational and staff capability. If significant subcontracting or teaming (>20%) is anticipated to deliver technical and industrial capability, organizations should address the administrative and management structure of such arrangements.

BASED ON THE RESPONSES TO THIS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE/MARKET RESEARCH, THIS REQUIREMENT MAY BE SET-ASIDE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES OR PROCURED THROUGH FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION. In accordance with FAR 52.219-14, should the prospective contract be competed as a small business set aside, the prospective offeror would be required to perform 50% of the cost of manufacturing, to include industrial work, planning, engineering, and program management.  If you are a small business, include a description of your plan to meet the requirements within the capability statement portion of your submission.

Interested parties who consider themselves qualified to perform the objective’s herein described efforts are invited to submit a response to this Sources Sought Notice by 1500 EDT on 24 September 2026.

If you have any questions concerning this opportunity, please contact the point of contact Kirby Tucker kirby.e.tucker.civ@navy.mil and Jennifer Ede jennifer.a.ede.civ@us.navy.mil,  Subject: YDT RFI

Respondents are responsible for properly marking and clearly identifying 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. Information provided shall be treated as Business Sensitive and will not be shared outside of Government activities and agencies without the permission of the provider. Classified material SHALL NOT be submitted.

Telephone inquiries will not be accepted or acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided to companies regarding their submissions.

Please follow the method below to submit your response:

1.  Upload and submit your response to the Safe Access File Exchange (DoD SAFE) application (https://safe.apps.mil/my.policy) Please follow the steps below:

A.        Proceed as a Guest user by clicking on "I do not have a CAC or this machine is not configured to read my CAC and I would like to access SAFE as a Guest User"

B.         Fill in all required fields

C.         Upload your Sources Sought response and grant file access to the following email address: jennifer.a.ede.civ@us.navy.mil and kirby.e.tucker.civ@navy.mil.

D.        Click the "Submit" button

2.  If you have issues accessing the DoD SAFE application, please contact Kirby Tucker kirby.e.tucker.civ@navy.mil and Jennifer Ede jennifer.a.ede.civ@us.navy.mil for an upload link.

DISCLOSURE:

This is a RFI notice only, issued by the PAE Maritime, on behalf of PMS 300 for information and planning purposes only. This is not a RFP and a formal solicitation is not available at this time. Submission of any information in response to this market survey is purely voluntary; the government assumes no financial responsibility for any costs incurred. 

This notice does not constitute a commitment by the Government to issue an RFP, contract, or order.  No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this RFI or any follow up information requests. Responses to this notice are not offers and will not be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract or agreement. Specific responses to the approaches will not disqualify or have an impact on participation and evaluation on future solicitations. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future solicitation, if one is issued. The Government will not be obligated to pursue any particular acquisition alternative because of this RFI.  

Respondents are solely responsible for properly marking and clearly identifying any proprietary information or trade secrets contained within their response. To aid the Government in its review, please segregate any proprietary information from non-proprietary information. The Government will not be liable for or suffer any consequential damages for any proprietary information that has not been both properly marked and clearly identified.  Information marked proprietary received in response to this RFI will be safeguarded and handled in accordance with applicable Government regulations.