Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division (NUWC) Keyport is posting this solicitation for the Next Generation Gertrude (NGG) device that will be used onboard US Navy ships.  The NGG Underwater Communicator will be a stand-alone system capable of replacing currently installed AN/WQC-2A systems on CRUDES platforms and supporting installation on new construction vessels.  To accomplish this, NGG will utilize existing program of record transducers and established electronic interfaces necessary to transmit and receive single-sideband modulated voice, audio, and continuous wave signals acoustically through the water medium.  NGG will be a STANAG-compliant system capable of communication with other STANAG compliant underwater communicators currently in use by U.S. Naval forces (e.g. AN/WQC-2A).

Award will be made to a single Offeror whose proposal represents the best value to the government using FAR Part 15 Contracting by Negotiation procedures. The applicable NAICS code is 334511, “Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing”, and has a size standard of 1,250 employees. This solicitation is 100% set aside for small business.

The Government will award one (1) firm-fixed-price indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity type contract, including one (1) first article test unit, training and potentially up to 80 production units.  First article units will be required to pass inspection, testing, and Government acceptance before manufacturing of production units.  The first article unit must be completed with all inspection, testing and acceptance within 12 months.  The initial production unit must be delivered six (6) months after first article acceptance.  Offerors are required to provide pricing for FOB Destination shipping to NUWC Keyport WA 98345-7610.

Several of the Exhibits and Attachments identified in Section J are restricted by the Arms Export Control Act and Distribution Statement D and are ONLY available to vendors/contractors appointed data custodian that are registered with Defense Logistics Information Services (DLIS) Joint Certification Program (JCP). Vendors/Contractors that are not registered with DLIS JCP can obtain registration information at www.dlis.dla.mil/jcp/. Restricted technical information is available through sam.gov. 

NOTICE: To obtain the documents associated with the solicitation, the Company point of contact identified at https://public.logisticsinformationservice.dla.mil/jcp/search.aspx must send an email request to [email protected].  The request shall include company name; complete address; CAGE code; and point of contact name, email address, and phone number.  The documents will be provided only to those companies with an active JCP certificate and a minimum Confidence Level Assessment of “Basic” in the NIST SP 800-171 Assessment report contained in the Supplier Performance Risk System.

Offerors wishing to submit a proposal must download the posted solicitation, attachments, and exhibits from this website once access is approved, and frequently monitor the site for any amendments to the solicitation. No paper copies will be accepted. Only digital copies sent via DoD SAFE (https://safe.apps.mil) will be accepted.  Failure to respond to the electronically posted solicitation and associated amendments, if applicable, prior to the date and time set for receipt of proposals may render an Offeror’s proposal non-responsive and result in rejection.

Provisions and clauses in effect through the latest Federal Acquisition Circulars are included in the solicitation. To access the clauses/provisions to be completed, download the Federal Acquisition Regulations at http://acquisition.gov/far/ . Download the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulations (DFARS) at http://www.acq.osd.mil/dpap/dars/dfarspgi/current/index.html.

Offerors must have a current registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) database, https://sam.gov/. All responsible sources may submit a proposal, which the agency shall consider. Submit inquiries to [email protected].

Questions, comments and feedback on the RFP and associated attachments is encouraged.  Please submit all questions in writing to [email protected] no later than 25 October 2022.  Responses will be posted to this solicitation.