U.S. ARMY SOLDIER SYSTEMS COMMAND, ACQUISITION CENTER, AMSSC-AD, NATICK, MA 01760-5011

84 -- MILITARY EYE PROTECTION SYSTEM (MEPS) SOL 032&&&-9804-0002 POC Judith L. Uthoff, Contracting Officer (Site Code DAAN02) The US Army Soldier Systems Command, PM-Soldier, and US Army Natick Research, Development and Engineering Center (NRDEC) is seeking comments/recommendations/input on the Draft Military Eye Protection System (MEPS) Request for Proposal (RFP) and Performance Specification. These documents will be available for viewing early in May 1998 at World Wide Web Address: http://www-sscom.army.mil.acquisition. Comments on these draft documents should be provided by email to "juthoff@natick-amed02.army.mil" or by regular mail to US Army Soldier Systems Command, Acquisition Center, ATTN: AMSSC-AC (J. Uthoff), Kansas Street, Natick, MA 01760-5011 by 25 May 1998. SSCOM is also seeking sources with the facilities and capabilities to perform the design, development, and initial production of the Military Eye Protection System (MEPS). MEPS will provide ballistic (fragmentation) protection and laser (multiple wavelength) protection for the human eye, as well as shield the eye from bright sunlight (i.e., sunglasses). MEPS will provide the eye protection described above without interfering with normal daytime/nighttime vision. The system will consist of modular components, which can be combined in multiple configurations, to achieve the desired levels of ballistic, laser and sunlight protection. It is desired, however, that the system offer all levels of protection in one lens. Additionally, the system design shall accommodate prescription inserts, a carrying case, and use/care manuals. MEPS will be available in two forms: spectacles and goggles. It is desired that the spectacles and goggles share the same set of lenses (for example, laser lenses for the spectacles will also fit the goggles). There is currently no RFP number assigned. It is the intent of the Government to award one or more multi-phased development and integration contracts, as described below based on best value decisions and funding limitations. The Government reserves the right to award on a CLIN by CLIN basis. The Soldier Systems Command (SSCOM) Acquisition Center will award the basic contract(s). The Government anticipates a Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF) contract for the design and development phases, with Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) options or an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ), or Requirements type contract for the pre-production quantities and production quantities with Value Engineering incentives. Note: Down-selection may occur at any phase. A final down selection to the overall best design will occur before conducting DT and OT. The contract phases are as follows: Phase I (one or more contractors; 9 month effort): This phase will focus on general system design and ballistic protection. The contractor(s) shall build up to one hundred (100) prototypes (each spectacle and goggle form) of the proposed design (minus laser protection and carrying case) for laboratory/user evaluation and Design Review. One or more competing designs will enter this phase. An option to procure additional items (up to 200 each spectacle and/or goggle form) is included. The 200 are without laser protection and carrying case, but shall include a draft use and care manual. Contractor(s) tests/certification and government validation of testing results will be integrated during this Phase. Phase II (one or more contractors; 10 month effort): The MEPS design will be refined during this phase and laser protection will be integrated into the system. Phase II prototypes include laser protection, carrying case and draft use/care Manuals. Phase II prototypes will be produced in the following quantities: 100 prototypes (each spectacle and goggle form) without laser protection, seventy (70) prototypes (each spectacle and goggle form) with laser protection, and 100 carrying cases (for each spectacles and goggles). Taking best value decision making and funding limitations into consideration, one or more competing industry designs may enter this phase. Final design modifications and minor feature changes may be made based on test results. An option to procure additional items (up to 200 each spectacle and/or goggle form) is included. More extensive laboratory and user testing will be conducted. During this phase, the Government has the lead on testing with the contractor(s) integrated into the Government team for test support and risk mitigation. Phase III (one contractor; 12 month effort): This phase will consist of a pre-production option. A total of 100 complete MEPS (each spectacle and goggle form) systems will be produced for Developmental Test (DT) and Operational Test (OT) purposes. This phase will also allow for validation of the performance specification and producibility. The Government anticipates one contractor will proceed to Phase III. An option to procure additional items (up to 500 each spectacle and/or goggle form) is included. During this phase, the Government has the lead on testing with the contractor integrated into the team for test support and risk mitigation. Phase IV (one contractor; 12 month effort): This phase will consist of an initial production option for up to 64,000complete systems of the spectacles and/or up to 58,000 complete systems of the goggles form. The government may choose to have the contractor make minor feature changes (those that do not affect the overall design). The selection process will be based on technical/functional performance and "Best Value" considerations. The Government will reserve the right to obtain rights in data and computer software for any design or design component, as necessary, to satisfy subsequent acquisitions. Contractors will be required to have or obtain, and maintain, a DoD Facility Security Clearance (FSC) and Personnel Security Clearances (PSC) up to the Secret level. Foreign contractor participation must be submitted through the foreign country's embassy in Washington DC. Classified portions of the MEPS program effort are limited to US firms only with a Secret Level Clearance. The classified Appendix for the MEPS Performance Specification will be available only to those firms with approved facility and safeguarding clearancesthat request the Appendix in writing. Written requests must be made to the Contracting Officer within 15 calendar days of the issue date of the final RFP and must include the firms' classified mailing address as well as Federal Supply Code (FSC), Contractor Establishment Code (CEC) and Commercial and Government Entity Code (CAGE). It is the Government's intention to award the contract(s) using full and open competition procedures. The applicable SIC code for this effort is 3827. For the purpose of this requirement, any concern employing 500 or fewer employees is considered a small business. Firms responding shall indicate their company size (i.e., small or small disadvantaged business concern). See Note 25. (0118)

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