This is an IFB. 

IFB's will be opened at 2pm EST OCTOBER 31th, 2022 on MS TEAMS: 

Microsoft Teams meeting

https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZDdkY2MxNzktMGQyMS00ZTg3LWFlZDctOGFlOWVhMWYzYzE5%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22c4cd245b-44f0-4395-a1aa-3848d258f78b%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22db5728dc-5af0-4a71-8552-846dafd3d43f%22%7d

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Meeting ID: 289 739 695 96
Passcode: kHfBuf

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+1 509-931-1572,,309220661#   United States, Spokane

Phone Conference ID: 309 220 661#

The Maritime Administration (MARAD) requires layberth services for five additional commercial Ro/Ro vessels being brought into the Ready Reserve Force (RRF).  The vessels are to be layberthed on both the Gulf Coast and the US East Coast.   This solicitation is a new requirement. The solicitation will consist of a two-ship group to be located in the Gulf Coast, a second two ship group and a single ship to be layberthed on the East Coast. The vessels to be procured have not been identified by name at this time.  The solicitation is being published with the ship characteristics providing the maximum length, draft and beam.  The solicitation is being published because procurement and capital improvement of layberth facilities is expected to take 6-10 months longer than to prepare the vessels for induction into the RRF.  For identification purposes for this solicitation the vessels will be named Vessel Acquisition Manager (VAM) vessels 3-7. These vessels constitute five of the eighteen commercial vessel to be acquired through 2025 to augment the RRF. It is determined that VAM vessels 3 and 4 are to be layberthed in the Gulf and VAM vessels 5, 6, in a group and VAM vessel 7 as a single vessel are to be located on the East Coast. Although the layberths are intended for the vessels identified in this solicitation, the Government may substitute vessels of a similar size or smaller. A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Department of the Defense (DoD) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) establishes that, in consideration of the National Defense and the American Merchant Marine, a mutual interest and responsibility exists for the joint establishment, maintenance and control of a Ready Reserve Force (RRF), which is an element of the National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF).  The ships of the RRF are maintained by MARAD in various states of readiness to meet common user lift requirements of the armed services in a contingency.  The RRF consists of 42 vessels as of July 22, 2022.