THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT ONLY. This announcement constitutes a Sources Sought Synopsis (SSS) for the purpose of conducting market research only. No solicitation exists. This is not a request for a quote, request for proposal, or an invitation to bid, nor is this to be construed as a commitment by the US Government (Government) to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract, nor does it restrict the Government to a particular acquisition approach. The Government will not reimburse or pay for any information submitted in response to this SSS or any follow-up information requests.

The USAF, through Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC), is surveying the market to determine if any sources are capable of providing a Common Source Database (CSDB), Technical Order (TO) viewer and associated TO data conversion services that meet the below criteria.

Qualified sources:

1. Must have an in-depth knowledge of the USAF TO process
2. Must enable conversion of Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) source data to current-issue S1000D
3. Must be able to provide data in a digital format in accordance with USAF standards as outlined in TO 00-5-1 and TO 00-5-3
4. Must be capable of developing in Interactive Electronic Technical Manuals (IETM) format
5. Must support all levels of United States Air Force (USAF) Operations and Maintenance
6. Must be able to interface with Government Logistics Information Technology (Log IT) systems
7. Must be capable of storing and managing data on multiple levels of security
8. Must leverage Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM+) strategies in accordance with DoDI 4151.22

The contractor will be responsible for providing all necessary resources and expertise required for the successful conversion of OEM Source Data (Operations and Maintenance) and providing all necessary resources and expertise in order to integrate, install, and provide user training on the viewer software.  The contractor will also be responsible for providing all necessary technical data and artifacts in order to support installation approval and Authority to Operate/Authority to Connect (ATO/ATC) processes.  Interested sources must provide specific details on how required technical data and expertise will be obtained.

Capabilities Package

The capabilities package should be brief and concise, yet clearly demonstrate an ability to meet all stated requirements. The package shall also include the following information and address the questions below:

Company/Institute Name:

Address:

Point of Contact (to include phone number and email address):

CAGE Code:

Facility Clearance (Active or Non-active):

Web Page URL:

Size of business pursuant to NAICS 541511 Custom Computer Programming Services, size standard is 27.5 million dollars. Based on this NAICS Code, state whether your company is a:

Small Business                                                                              (Yes / No) Self-Certified or Third Party Certified

Women-Owned Small Business                                                 (Yes / No) Self-Certified or Third Party Certified

Economically Disadvantaged Women-

Owned Small Business                                                                 (Yes / No) Self-Certified or Third Party Certified

HUBZone Certified                                                                       (Yes / No) Self-Certified or Third Party Certified

Veteran Owned Small Business                                                (Yes / No) Self-Certified or Third Party Certified

Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business                (Yes / No) Self-Certified or Third Party Certified

8(a) Certified                                                                                (Yes / No) Self-Certified or Third Party Certified

SBA Certification Date: ____________        SBA Graduation Date: ______________

All prospective contractors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database to be awarded a DoD contract. The NAICS code for this requirement, if applicable to the company's capabilities, should be included in the company's NAICS code listing in SAM.

Respondents should also state whether they are interested in being a prime contractor for this requirement or a subcontractor.

Questions: The following responses are requested for informational purposes only and do not constitute discriminating factors.

Is your company on a GSA schedule (if so, which one)?

Is your company domestically or foreign owned (if foreign, please indicate the country of ownership)?

Can your company handle data with multi-level security networks?

Can your company obtain certification and accreditation (Facility/ATC/ATO) for Air Force Network (AFNet) and Secure Internet Protocol Network (SIPRNet)?

What is the lowest level OEM source data format needed for your company to perform data conversion?

Is your company’s IETM viewer software capable of importing and displaying native PDF source data?

Is your company’s IETM viewer software capable of importing and displaying native SGML source data?

Is your company’s IETM viewer software capable of importing and displaying native XML source data?

Is your company's IETM viewer software responsive, regardless of data module size?  Please quantify your average response/load time from time of selection.

Is your company’s IETM viewer able to operate in connected and disconnected mode with regards to internet connectivity?

What, if any, unique user interface items of interest does your company’s IETM viewer software provide that, in your company’s opinion, stand out and would create an enhanced user experience?

Can your company's IETM viewer software enable multiple types of user access and user based permissions?

Is your company’s IETM viewer compatible with any standard personal computer?  If so, please explain how and/or why.

Briefly explain your company’s understanding of how the USAF Operations and Maintenance community would utilize eTools loaded with your company’s IETM viewer and how it may enhance the end user experience.

Is your company familiar with Condition Based Maintenance Plus (CBM+) and if so, provide a brief description of how your company’s IETM viewer software can provide value to the USAF as it relates to CBM+?

Can your company's CSDB and IETM viewer software support multiple end item configurations/variants in one dataset, and provide filtered publishing automatically?

Explain your company’s understanding of the USAF digital engineering process and how it relates to your company’s ability to establish, store, manage and update a CSDB utilized to format USAF technical orders regardless of size and content?

Explain your understanding of the USAF TO verification process as it relates to steps within that process your company would be involved until fielding?  Also, please explain who your company would consider the user to be during this timeframe and anything your company’s IETM viewer software may provide to enhance the user experience during TO verification.

This is an INDUSTRY NOTIFICATION and is for INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. This is NOT A SOLICITATION. In accordance with FAR 15.201, this announcement shall not be construed as an obligation on the part of the Government. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this notice or otherwise pay for information solicited.

All submissions are requested to be made electronically by 1600 EST on 22 July 2021 to [email protected].  Marketing materials are considered insufficient and direct/succinct responses to the request above are preferred. Please limit responses to 10 pages. The font shall be Times New Roman and no smaller than 10-point with at least a one-inch margin.

The Government reserves the right to contact the submitting parties as required for further clarification on material provided. In addition, the Government will use its assessment of the information and other research to determine which sources appear qualified to perform the work required by the Government. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the assessment.

There is no restriction on who can respond to this SSS. However, if submitting company proprietary information, please be sure it is clearly marked. To aid the Government, please segregate proprietary information to the maximum extent possible. All submissions become Government property and will not be returned. The Government shall not be liable for, or suffer any consequential damages, for any proprietary information not properly identified.