Sources Sought Notice

M67854-16-I-1112

For

Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, VA

Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) Helmet Manufacturing Capability

NOTE:  This Sources Sought Notice initiates market research under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) part 10 and is not a Request for Proposal (RFP).  The information herein only initiates communication with industry in order to assess market potential.  No solicitation document exists at this time.  This notice constitutes no Government obligation to procure these items or issue a solicitation.  In addition, the Government has no obligation to pay for information responding to this notice and will not accept any responses as offers.  Vendors should mark any proprietary information clearly and appropriately.    

Marine Corps Systems Command (MARCORSYSCOM), Product Manager, Infantry Combat Equipment (PdM ICE) is conducting market research to determine the defense industry's total capacity to produce ballistic helmets from Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE).

The Government requests White Papers including the following information:

(1) Brief description of the vendor's UHMWPE helmet manufacturing capability;

      (2) Estimated monthly production capacity;

(3) Experience producing helmets for commercial and foreign military sales;

(4) Experience producing helmets for US Department of Defense sales; and

(5) Brand and model names used to market or sell UHMWPE helmets.  

Additionally, the Government requests the vendor complete and provide Enclosure (1), Assertion of Commerciality, so the government may assess the commerciality and development status of the capability.

The Government will accept both commercial and non-commercial solutions. If a vendor does not assert any type of commerciality for their solution, check "is not" and sign/date the bottom. If a vendor is asserting commerciality for their solution, complete the remainder of the document to identify the definition of commerciality that fits their solution.

There is no response page limit.  Responses may include any advertising or marketing information.  Vendors should not submit any sensitive or proprietary information.  Vendors deciding to submit competition sensitive or proprietary information bear sole responsibility for marking the information for appropriate safeguarding.

Please submit RFI questions to the Contract Specialist via email at [email protected], with a courtesy copy to the Contracting Officer via email at [email protected] no later than 04 Mar 2016, 12:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.  MARCORSYSCOM will post all questions and answers to the Federal Business Opportunities website (https://www.fbo.gov/).

Please submit all responses electronically. Respondents should submit their responses by 21 Mar 2016 to the Safe Access File Exchange (SAFE) application via https://safe.amrdec.army.mil/SAFE/. Proceed as a Guest user by clicking on "I do not have a CAC or this machine is not configured to read my CAC and I would like to access SAFE as a Guest User." Fill in all required fields, upload your RFI response, and grant access to files to the following: [email protected], [email protected], and [email protected] and then press the "Submit" button.

Notice

The Government uses support contractor/non-Government personnel from  Patricio Enterprises and their subcontractors and consultants to help collect and review market information.  MARCORSYSCOM contractually binds these companies with respect to proprietary information by organizational conflict of interest and non-disclosure clauses.  Supporting contractor personnel are procurement officials within the meaning of the Office of Procurement Policy Act (41 U.S.C. 423) and as implemented in the FAR.