SOURCES SOUGHT
16 -- Pre Award Qualifications - T11 Personnel Parachute System
- Notice Date
- 12/11/2006
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 314999
— All Other Miscellaneous Textile Product Mills
- Contracting Office
- RDECOM, Natick (Soldier Support Branch), ATTN: AMSRD-ACC-NM, Building 1, Kansas Street, Natick, MA 01760-5011
- ZIP Code
- 01760-5011
- Solicitation Number
- W58P05-07-R-0012
- Response Due
- 1/15/2007
- Archive Date
- 3/16/2007
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Request for Information Market Research to support Quality Products List (QPL) of the T-11 Personnel Parachute System 1. This is not a solicitation for bids/proposals but a Request for Information (RFI). 2. This synopsis is issued for the sole purpose to conduct Market Research in accordance with FAR Part 10 to begin Pre-Award Qualifications for the T-11 Personnel Parachute System. 3. This effort is to identify potential manufacturers who may be added to a list of qualified vendors for the T-11 Personnel Parachute System, NSN- 1670-01-539-4525. The T-11 Personnel Parachute System shall be manufactured to meet the requirements in the Technical Data Package, which may be obtained through the Contracting Officer. a. The drawings are for Government Purpose Only. Therefore, any potential manufacturers shall submit a request to RDECOM, Natick Contracting Division, Attn: Gail Pitts, 508-233-5921 or email at gail.pitts@natick.army.mil for the appropriate Non Disclosure Agreements that must be signed prior to release of above drawings and patterns. b. Potential manufacturers must ensure that all technical data is destroyed IAW the parameters of the Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA). Prospective manufacturers are responsible for ensuring that their subcontractors and suppliers provide proof of the dest ruction of any technical data provided to them in support of this effort IAW the parameters set forth in the NDA. 4. Currently there are no manufacturers qualified to produce this item. 5. Respondents are requested to submit two (2) complete T-11 Personnel Parachute Systems and all required supporting materials and material documentation (including but not limited to; material certifications, certificates of compliance, and any/all test r eports) through Natick Contracting Division for evaluation at the manufacturers own expense. 6. Respondents must submit their QPL samples IAW the Technical Data Package and the enclosed instructions. 7. The evaluation process of the QPL samples, documentation, and execution of site inspections is forecasted to take twelve months per manufacturer. 8. Prospective Manufacturers should notify the Contracting Officer when they are prepared to ship the QPL samples and accompanying documentation. Manufacturers should also include the method of shipment and any relevant tracking information. This will ai d in the receipt and processing of the QPL submission for evaluation. 9. Only manufacturers who are added to the Qualified Products List will be considered for award of future Government acquisitions of the T-11 Personnel Parachute System. 10. Prospective manufacturers are allowed to submit QPL samples for evaluation at any time. 11. The Government is forecasting the award of a Multiple Award 3-year Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity Firm Fixed Price contract in January 2008. 12. The Government intends to recertify all manufacturers on the QPL for the T-11 Personnel Parachute Systems every two (2) years. 13. The Point of Contact for questions concerning this RFI is Ms. Gail Pitts (E-mail: gail.pitts@natick.army.mil or FAX: 508-233-5286). INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARATION OF QPL SAMPLE SUBMISSION 1. Administrative Instructions. a. All samples and associated data delivered in response to this Market Research Request For Information shall reflect the following on the address label: i. Market Research Number: W58P05-07-R-0012 ii. The legend TO BE DELIVERED UNOPENED TO Gail Pitts iii. The volume and copy number contained in each box iv. Company Name v. Point(s) of contact (include telephone number & e-mail address) b. All submissions in response to this request should be sent to the below address: RDECOM Acquisition Center Natick Contracting Division ATTN: AMSRD-ACC-NM, Gail Pitts Building 1 Kansas Street, Natick, MA 01760-5011 c. Please do not submit a transmittal letter with your proposal. Such a lett er is unnecessary and statements therein frequently create conflicts or ambiguities, raising the possibility that your QPL sample submission takes exception to the terms and conditions of the Market Research. 2. General Instructions: a. These instructions provide guidance to the Prospective manufacturer in preparing the samples and associated data and describe the approach for development and presentation of the proposed data in response to this market survey. b. The samples and associated data shall include all of the information requested in these instructions. FAILURE TO FULLY COMPLY WITH THESE INSTRUCTIONS MAY BE CAUSE FOR REJECTION OF THE QPL SAMPLE. c. The Prospective manufacturer shall clearly describe how they intend to accomplish tasks associated with future production contracts of the T-11 Personnel Parachute System. Mere acknowledgment or restatement of a requirement is not acceptable. d. The information in the QPL sample submission shall be presented in a clear, coherent and concise manner. Vague or terse statements such as will comply, noted and understood, etc. are not acceptable. The information provided shall be limited to the infor mation that is necessary to convey a point and shall not be overly elaborate. e. Prospective manufacturers will be required to submit 2 complete T-11 Personnel Parachute Systems for examination and evaluation. Prospective manufacturers will also be required to submit samples of the raw materials and component parts, with all requir ed documentation, for examination and evaluation. The specific details are addressed in paragraph 4, Special Instructions for the Preparation of the Physical Articles of the QPL Sample Submission of this document. f. The Acquisition Streamlining and Standardization Information System (ASSIST) shall be used in to determine effective dates for specifications and standards listed therein, except where this market survey specifically identifies a listed specification or standard by title, number and date. (http://assist.daps.dla.mil/online/start/) 3. Special Instructions for the Preparation of the Administrative portion of the QPL Sample Submission: a. Format Instructions: i. Requested Information/Data shall be submitted in loose leaf, three-ring binders. ii. Prospective manufacturers shall submit one original, clearly marked as the original, and one copy, . Each binder shall have a cover sheet marked with the title, Markey Survey identification, business size classification and Prospective manufacturer's n ame. Each page shall be stamped For Official Use Only and Competition Sensitive. iii. Shipping cartons shall be numbered and packaged in such a manner as to allow a complete inventory after opening without removing any binders or documents. iv. QPL submissions shall be physically delivered and received at the location specified in paragraph 1.b., Administrative Instructions. v. Volume Content: Technical and Management information shall be submitted in a single volume. This volume shall be a stand-alone document and shall clearly and completely describe the efforts of the Prospective manufacturer in support of future productio n contracts and shall not contain any price proposal information b. Page Limitations: The Technical and Management information volume shall consist of a maximum of 50 pages of which 25 pages (maximum) are dedicated to Technical and 25 pages (maximum) are dedicated to Management. c. Submission shall be limited to the number pages specified herein, inclusive of any drawings, charts, etc. Type shall be no smaller than a font size of ten and shall be single spaced or greater. Page size shall not exceed 8 ? X11. Fold out illustrations required for reader ease are allowed, however, illustration shall be counted in 8 ? X11 increments. The evaluators will read and evaluate only up to the maximum number of pages specified in the instructions above. d. Volume Content - The prospective manufacturers submission shall include the following content for each volume: VOLUME I - AREA I - TECHNICAL: The Technical information/data provided shall describe the Prospective manufacturers approach to meeting the requirements of this market research as shown below. FACTOR A - PRODUCTION CAPACITY - Production Capacity - Plant Surveys may be conducted at the Government's discretion prior to award of a contract. Potential manufacturers must describe how they meet the minimum requirements listed in MIL-DTL-6645, MIL-STD -849 and Department of Defense Standardization Document - 6 (SD-6). These documents can be found at http://assist.daps.dla.mil/quicksearch/. The Prospective manufacturer must also describe in detail the following: (1) Statements that affirm: a. The facility(ies) is(are) physically located within the borders of the United States of America, its possessions and territories. b. All of the prospective manufacturers employees are legal residents of the US c. The prospective manufacturer fully understands and is compliant with 10 U.S.C. 2533a a.k.a. the Berry Amendment and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) 225.7002. (http://www.acq.osd.mil/dpap/dars/dfars/doc/tocdoc.htm) i. Prospective manufacturers are responsible for verification of domestic sources of ALL materials. ii. Prospective manufacturers are responsible to flow down the requirements and assurance of compliance with the Berry Amendment to ALL subcontractors and suppliers. iii. The Berry Amendment and the Buy America Act are NOT one in the same. It is possible for a manufacturer, subcontractor, and/or supplier to be compliant with the Buy America Act and be Non-Compliant with the Berry Amendment. iv. The Berry Amendment also applies to Foreign Military Sales. (2) That the manufacturing plant/facility has the following resources necessary to produce the T-11 Personnel Parachute System; a. adequate capacity, b. facilities, and c. associated machinery including but not limited to cutting tables, sewing machines, inspection tables, inspection and testing equipment, and tools. The prospective manufacturers must also identify the current condition of the associated machinery and eq uipment (3) Production Rates; a. Maximum monthly production rate of the entire facility b. Maximum monthly production rate of T-11 Personnel Parachute Systems. c. Time required to achieve the maximum output (4) A description of the heating/cooling systems to adequately maintain a range of temperatures between 60 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit (F). (5) A description of how the floor of the production area is constructed to prevent textile materials from snagging and/or ripping. (Note: Typical floors are made of: wood and sealed with a smooth finish, concrete floated to a smooth finish and sealed or i ndustrial carpet) (6) A description of where textile materials are stored and that they are in a dry climate controlled area that does not exceed 90 degrees F and shall not be stored any closer than 6 feet from any heating unit. (7) A diagram/description of how the production facilities are laid out i.e. sewing machine maintenance shall be conducted in an area separate from the production area, shipping and receiving areas shall be separate from the production floor, machine facil ities shall be adequately partitioned from the textiles production area. Also describe any training facilities that are on site and how they are separate from the production floor. FACTOR B SUBCONTRACTORS & SUPPLIERS - Prospective manufacturers must: (1) Identify their major subcontractors and suppliers (2) How quality assurance requirements will flow down to subcontractors and suppliers. (3) Explain how they will ensure that ALL their current and future subcontractors and suppliers are fully cognizant and compliant with the Berry Amendment (10 U.S.C. 2533a) and DFARS 225.7002 (Restrictions on {foreign acqu isition of} food, clothing, fabrics, specialty metals, and hand or measuring tools). The Berry Amendment also applies to Foreign Military Sales. (4) How they will maintain records of the assemblies and/or parts produced by the subcontractor(s) as well as maintaining all relevant material records associated with the manufacture of the subcontracted items. (5) Provide an affidavit from their subcontractors and suppliers that states: a. The physical location of the manufacturing facilities are within the territorial limits of the United States b. The employees of the subcontractors and suppliers are all legal residents of the United States AREA II - MANAGEMENT: The Management portion shall describe the prospective manufacturers approach to meeting the Quality Assurance and Schedule requirements of future solicitations and shall describe the qualifications of the personnel proposed to perfo rm the tasks required by any future solicitations. FACTOR A - QUALITY ASSURANCE - The prospective manufacturers shall describe their approach to quality assurance from incoming material compliance to final and item acceptance testing and inspection to include their status with regard to ISO 9001:2000 compl iance. Sampling for inspection shall be conducted IAW ANZI/ASQ Z1.4. Proposals shall state the Quality Assurance plan that is in place and how those plans address the following: (1) Inspections a. Guidelines for General Inspections b. In-process Inspections c. Inspection of Component Parts d. Final Inspections e. Testing / Validation Methods Prospective manufacturers are to explain internal testing and validation methods (2) Control of Supplies and Suppliers a. Use of approved sources of supply b. A rating system for suppliers (3) Material Controls a. Inventory Control b. Disposition of Non-Conforming Material (4) Employee Training (5) Work Instructions (6) Acceptance-Rejection Criteria (ref: MIL-STD-849) (7) Calibration Plan & Policy of all Test, Measurement, and Diagnostic Equipment used in the direct or indirect manufacture of parachute assemblies International Standards Organization (ISO) Certifications or other quality plans may be used but must be tho roughly explained as to how they adequately address the above requirements. (8) Process Control Methodology Prospective manufacturers will explain their existing quality systems and any other systems they have in place to ensure a quality product is produced. Examples include, but are not limited to, LEAN, Six Sigma, and Statis tical Process Controls (SPC) FACTOR B - SCHEDULE - Prospective manufacturers shall identify and provide a timeline for all required events that need to be scheduled to meet the requirements of a full rate production contract. At a minimum, schedule shall identify the following critica l paths/major milestones. (1) Pre-Production Activities in support of a production contract/delivery orders to include ordering of materials, tooling, receipt of materials (2) Ramp-up time to production quantities (3) Production capability at full rate production stage (4) Delivery schedule from contract award to full production capability rate and maintenance thereafter FACTOR C - KEY PERSONNEL - The Prospective manufacturer shall: (1) Identify the key personnel proposed to be utilized for completing all efforts described in the Management Area. (2) Describe the qualification of the key personnel proposed to be utilized for completing all efforts described in the Management Area. (3) Provide an organizational chart accurately depicting the structure of the business. The chart shall include the names and titles of the key management personnel including but not limited to; President, Vice-Presidents, QA Managers, Purchasing Agents, S hop Operations, and Human Resources. This chart is to be used by the Government for record keeping purposes. 4. Special Instructions for the Preparation of the Physical Articles of the QPL Sample Submission: a. Guidelines in Support of the T-11 Personnel Parachute Systems Quality Products List (QPL) : All references can be found and downloaded from the following website free of charge: http://assist.daps.dla.mil/quicksearch MIL-DTL-6645J, 31 AUG 01; Parachutes, Personnel, General Specification for MIL-DTL-7567C, 30 OCT 02; Parachutes, Personnel, Detail Manufacturing Instructions for MIL-STD-129P (3), 29 OCT 04; DoD Standard Practice, Military Marking for Shipment and Storage MIL-STD-130M, 02 DEC 05; DoD Standard Practice, Identification Marking of U.S. Military Property b. Prospective manufacturers will be required to build two (2) samples of each item In Accordance With (IAW) the Technical Data Package (TDP) T-11 Personnel Parachute System, NSN: 1670-01-539-4525, associated drawings, patterns, specifications, and standar ds. c. One item will be examined and destructively inspected and will not be returned to the prospective manufacturer. d. The manufacturer is required to submit ALL of the following items along with each of the two samples: i. Air permeability testing per paragraph 6.2.g MIL-DTL-6645 for main canopy, reserve canopy, main canopy drogue, and reserve pilot chute. Air permeability testing for the reserve pilot chute and main canopy drogue require only two random samplings at opp osite locations on the respective chutes IAW MIL-DTL-6645 Para 4.7.1. ii. A test report consisting of the following: (1) The recording of 100 % of the dimensional measurements. The report shall include the serial numbers of the main and reserve canopies. (2) All material certifications for materials used in the manufacture of QPL Samples, which includes test reports for those certifications. Textile materials more than 3.5 years old shall not be used per MIL-DTL-6645 para 3.3.2. Any deviations to the Tech nical Data Package or other requirements specified herein must be submitted and approved prior to submission of the QPL samples. (3) Any proof load or other tests specified on the drawings. (4) Results of Air Permeability Testing including the make/model and calibration date of the air permeability machine used in testing. iii. The submission of material samples per paragraph 3.2.3 of MIL-DTL-6645. Two Canopy Release Assemblies are required for submission. One is to be submitted assembled and the other submitted unassembled. e. Exceptions to MIL-DTL-6645J for qualification requirements: i. Two samples are required to be submitted in order to complete the Government testing. A portion of the tests will be destructive in nature. ii. Paragraph 3.3.3, ink colors are specified in the respective TDPs. iii. Certification that the samples were manufactured within 90 days at a specific plant is required f. The Government will: i. Examine the QPL submissions and the associated data. The manufacturer will be notified of the results of the inspection within 270 days after submittal. Successful completion of the QPL Inspection will allow the manufacturer to be considered for award o f future production contracts for the T-11 Personnel Parachute System for a two year period, at which time the manufacturer will be re-qualified. ii. Execute a ripcord pull test. Ripcord pull test. A ripcord pull test shall be performed on the T-11 Reserve Sub-assembly in accordance with MIL-DTL-6645 paragraph 4.7.2.1 by the government inspector following established procedures in Technical Manual 10-1670-326-20&P. The pull force shall be 14 lbs min and 27 lbs max.
- Place of Performance
- Address: RDECOM, Natick (Soldier Support Branch) ATTN: AMSRD-ACC-NM, Building 1, Kansas Street Natick MA
- Zip Code: 01760-5011
- Country: US
- Zip Code: 01760-5011
- Record
- SN01194454-W 20061213/061211220715 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
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