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SOURCES SOUGHT FOR

Maneuver Battle Lab (MBL) Comprehensive Support

At the Maneuver Center of Excellence

INTRODUCTION

The Mission and Installation Command (MICC) – Fort Eustis is issuing this source

sought notice (SSN) as a means of conducting market research to identify potential

qualified small business firms having an interest in, and the resources to support, the

requirement for the U.S. Army Futures Command (AFC)/Futures Concept Center

(FCC), Maneuver Capability Development Integration Directorate (MCDID) Maneuver

Battle Lab (MBL) located at Fort Benning, GA.

The result of this market research will contribute to determining the method of

procurement, if a requirement materializes. Based on the responses to this source

sought notice/market research, this requirement may be set-aside for small businesses

(in full or in part) or procured through full and open competition. All small business set-

aside categories will be considered. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted or

acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided to companies regarding

submissions.

DISCLAIMER

THIS SOURCES SOUGHT IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THIS IS

NOT A “REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)”. IT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A

SOLICITATION AND SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY THE

GOVERNMENT. RESPONSES IN ANY FORM ARE NOT OFFERS AND THE

GOVERNMENT IS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO AWARD A CONTRACT AS A

RESULT OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. NO FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE TO PAY FOR

PREPARATION OF RESPONSES TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. ANY INFORMATION

SUBMITTED BY RESPONDENTS TO THIS NOTICE IS STRICTLY VOLUNTARY.

RESPPONSES WILL NOT BE RETURNED TO THE RESPONDER. NOT

RESPONDING TO THIS NOTICE DOES NOT PRECLUDE PARTICIPATION IN ANY

FUTURE REQUEST FOR QUOTE (RFQ) OR RFP, IF ANY ISSUED. IF A

SOLICITATION IS RELEASED, IT WILL BE SYNOPSIZED ON THE GOVERNMENT-

WIDE POINT OF ENTRY (GPE) AS APPLICABLE. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF

POTENTIAL OFFERORS TO MONITOR THE GPE FOR ADDITIONAL

INFORMMATION PERTAINING TO THIS REQUIREMENT.”

PROGRAM BACKGROUND

The Maneuver Capability Development Integration Directorate (MCDID) Maneuver Battle Lab (MBL) mission is to conduct live and constructive experimentation and analysis to support concepts, requirements and integration for the Soldier, Brigade Combat Teams (Infantry, Armor, Stryker, and Security Force Assistance), and reconnaissance and Cavalry formations. Experiment results are used to recommend Doctrine, Organization, Training, Material, Leader Development, Personnel, Facilities and Policy (DOTMLPF-P) solutions to the current and future forces development.

The estimated period of performance consists of a 31-day phase-in, 11-month base period and four (4) 12-month option periods with phase-in commencing on July 1, 2023. This is recurring requirement that has previously been procured using GSA OASIS Pool

1 as a Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF), non-commercial task order. Current task order number is W911SF18F0032.

REQUIRED CAPABILITIES

The Contractor shall provide services in support of the areas specified in the

Program Background (above) and further detailed in the DRAFT Performance Work

Statement (PWS) attached to this announcement (Attachment 1).

Please note that much of the anticipated work will require performance at the

Government’s facility at Ft Benning, GA. Some travel may be required.

It is imperative that businesses responding to this sources sought announcement

articulate its capabilities clearly and adequately. Industry input is also requested on the

DRAFT PWS that is attached. Questions and/or feedback related to the PWS may be

included in its capability response.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Personnel and Facility Security Clearances:

o Contractor personnel may require specific security clearances depending on the required support. Clearances are detailed in the PWS.

o A DD Form 254 Contract Security Classification Specification shall apply to this requirement and the prime contractor shall have or demonstrate ability to obtain a SECRET Facility Clearance.

ELIGIBILITY

The contemplated NAICS 541990; All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical

Services with a small business size standard of $14,000,000. Businesses of all sizes

are encouraged to respond; however, each respondent must clearly identify their

business size in their capabilities statement.

SUBMISSION DETAILS

Interested businesses should submit a brief capabilities statement package (no more

than eight (8) 8.5 x 11 inch pages, font no smaller than 10 point) demonstrating ability to

provide the services listed in the DRAFT PWS.

Your response to this Sources Sought, including any capabilities statement, shall be electronically submitted in either Microsoft Word or Portable Document Format (PDF), via email no later than 9:00 am EST March 13, 2023. All responses under this Sources Sought Notice must be emailed to:

Justin LaPiana, Contract Specialist, justin.f.lapiana.civ@army.mil

Nicola Cicolini, Contract Officer, nicola.cicolini2.civ@army.mil

Telephone inquiries will not be accepted or acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided to companies regarding their submissions. Information and materials submitted in response to this request WILL NOT be returned. DO NOT SUMIT CLASSIFIED MATERIAL.

If your organization has the potential capacity to provide the required products/systems, please provide the following information: 1) Organization name, address, primary points of contact (POCs) and their email address, FAX, Web site address, telephone number, and type of ownership for the organization, and 2) Tailored capability statements addressing the requirements of this notice, with appropriate documentation supporting claims of organizational and staff ability. If significant subcontracting or teaming is anticipated in order to deliver technical capability, organizations should address the administrative and management of such arrangements.

All data received in response to this Sources Sought that is marked or designated as corporate of proprietary will be fully protected from any release outside the Government.

Tailored capability statements must address at a minimum the following items:

1. How would you recruit and sustain a work force for live prototypes that ranges from former CSM to COL to meet the demands of live prototype experimentation? How do you minimize personnel turbulence in the work force?

2. What is your capacity for providing reach-back for special skills that might be required? This ranges from the technical to the operational.

3. The MBL routinely assesses emerging science and technology capabilities from industry, academia and government organizations. What control measures do you have in place to protect intellectual property and safeguard proprietary information regarding system engineering, design and performance characteristics?

4. Businesses have opportunities to provide goods and services to multiple organizations involved in the DOD acquisition process. MBL service providers have access to sensitive Army acquisition information. How would you organize your company to "firewall" the MBL contractor team from potential conflict of interest issues?

5. What is your capacity to provide personnel with experience collecting and interpreting data provided by instrumented facilities, including the McKenna Military Operations in Urban Terrain site, Fort Benning target/firing ranges, and the Load Effects Assessment

Program -Army course?

6. In addition to formal training in statistics and computer science, MBL Analysts must have expert knowledge of current Infantry/Armor doctrine, organization, training and materiel in order to interpret the implications of experimental findings and the

operational impact on the Tactical Small Unit. What is your capability to provide personnel with the unique skill sets required to support MBL experimentation?

7. What is your capability to reach out to other subject matter experts to assist in meeting mission requirements? Over the last several years there have been multiple times throughout the execution of the MBL Contract where the local contractor had to

reach back to Corporate Headquarters to provide immediate assistance and training of the Contractor Workforce. Do you have this capability and if not how would you obtain required support?

8. The Contract contains requirement for the Contractor to Surge manning support for major experiments. What is your ability to meet surge requirements in both the technical and operational to meet experiment requirement in a timely manner?

9. Technical expertise required to maintain and operate across the multiple networks require a highly trained certified workforce. The second and third order of this requirement is a fairly steady turnover of these critical skill set individuals. What is your ability to retain and if not retain replace this workforce?

10. The MBL has three networks. What is your ability to recruit, sustain, and replace personnel with the certifications required by the Risk Management Framework oversight-authorities to operate?

11. The MBL requires personnel with strong communications skills. They routinely prepare General Officer briefing and each project requires executive summaries prepared for Senior General Officers. What capacity do you have to ensure this communication standard?

12. MBL experiments regularly simulate novel, emerging, or unconventional capabilities which require that existing OneSAF models be modified or enhanced via source code. Do you have the skill sets available and/or the capability to meet the skillset requirements and ensure such software modifications have only the effects specified?

13. As the largest FCC battle lab replicating maneuver formations to the entity level, the MBL automation footprint is substantial with thousands of LIN items and support equipment. It has, as well, a substantial live prototyping footprint complete with live ranges, weapons, and associated live experiment support items with property and logistical requirements resembling that of an operational unit. Do you the ability to support these requirements for large purchases and to maintain accountability for a large and robust equipment property book?

14. If significant subcontracting or teaming is anticipated, describe the administrative and management structure of such arrangements. Has your company managed a team of subcontractors before? If so, provide details.

15. Identify how the Army can best structure these contract requirements to facilitate competition by and among small business concerns. (Does not count against allotted number of pages)

16. Recommendations to improve the approach/specifications/draft PWS to acquiring the identified services. (Does not count against allotted number of pages)

Upon assessment of the capability statements, if it is determined that this requirement will be an unrestricted competition, the Government intends to evaluate the Small-Business responses and conduct further market research to identify a subcontracting goal.

Attachments/Links