Extraction Parachute (15-FT) REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) Notice
NOTICE Type:
Market Research
SYNOPSIS:

This is a RFI to request information for Government planning purposes only. Responses will assist the Government in planning its acquisition strategy for a potential future acquisition. The Government is not committed to issue a solicitation or award a contract as a result of this announcement.  Army Contracting Command – Detroit Arsenal is seeking qualified and capable potential vendors.  Since this is a RFI synopsis and not a solicitation for receipt of proposals or quotations, the Government does not encourage questions concerning this market research.

This RFI is for the manufacturing of the Extraction Parachute (15-FT).  The Parachute is built in accordance with Technical Data Package 11-1-2583 and Specifications Mil-DTL-7620 and Mil-DTL-9401.  The Government is seeking to gain knowledge of interest, capabilities, and qualifications of various members of the community, to include both small and large businesses.  
The Contractors must be knowledgeable of the 15-FT Extraction Parachute.

If your company is interested and can demonstrate the firm’s interest, capabilities, and qualifications, to deliver the equipment summarized above, we encourage you to respond to this announcement with a statement of your qualifications and capability.  In order to do so, you need to provide:

-Name and address of the firm.

-A summary of your company’s expertise in the manufacturing of the 15ft Extraction Parachute as well as other ring-slot extraction parachute configurations.

- Is your company able to produce 1600ea 15ft Extraction Parachutes to include a First Article Test within a year timeframe? If not, what is the maximum amount you would be able to produce to include a First Article Test in a year timeframe?

-A summary of your company’s monthly production output, potential ramp up or surge output capability.

-A summary of your company’s experience conducting First Article Testing. Provide contract history that involved Government First Article Testing requirements with parachute systems.  Was the FAT accepted?  How much time was involved? 

-A summary of the place of performance. Is your facility certified to current ISO inspection/quality standards?  Is there a separate textile receiving/inspection/storage area? What are the quantity and types of sewing machines?  What is the experience level of employees?  Do you have adequate size cutting and inspection tables to be able to handle all of the different widths of bulk materials?  Is there a separate shipping area from the production area? Does the production area have adequate HVAC?

- What is the current minimum and maximum  parachute assembly production quantity that would be sufficient in order for your company to show interest in a contract solicitation.

Statements of your firm’s expertise should include reference to relevant contracts performed (including a description of the scope, quantity manufactured, contract number, and point of contact with phone number).

Responses to this RFI are to be done in Microsoft Word and are limited to 15 pages, text in Times New Roman 12pt, and with one inch margins. The Government acknowledges its obligations under 18 U.S.C. 1905 to protect information qualifying as confidential under this statute. Pursuant to this statute, the Government is willing to accept any proprietary (e.g., trade secret) restrictions placed on qualifying data forwarded in response to the survey questions and to protect it from unauthorized disclosure subject to the following:

1. Clearly and conspicuously mark qualifying data with the restrictive legend (all caps) proprietary with any explanatory text, so that the Government is clearly notified of what data needs to be appropriately protected. Proprietary data transmitted electronically, whether by physical media or not, whether by the respondent or by the government, shall contain the proprietary legend, with any explanatory text, on both the cover of the transmittal e-mail and at the beginning of the file itself. Where appropriate for only portions of an electronic file, use the restrictive legends proprietary portion begins and proprietary portion ends.

2. In marking such data, please take care to mark only those portions of the data or materials that are truly proprietary (over breadth in marking inappropriate data as proprietary may diminish or eliminate the usefulness of your response - see item 6 below). Use circling, underscoring, highlighting or any other appropriate means to indicate those portions of a single page which are to be protected.

3. The Government is not obligated to protect unmarked data. Additionally, marked data that is already in the public domain or in the possession of the Government or third parties, or is afterward placed into the public domain by the owner or another party through no fault of the Government will not be protected once in the public domain. Data already in the possession of the Government will be protected in accordance with the Government's rights in the data.

All interested firms and manufacturers, regardless of size, may respond to this request for information. Information submissions can include product literature and illustrations, relevant company background/experience.  Information submissions must be received no later than 30 days following posting of the RFI.  Responses should be emailed to [email protected].

Again, this information is being requested for Government planning purposes only and does not commit the Government to any contractual agreement. This is not a request for proposals. The Government will not award a contract based upon responses to this announcement. The Government shall not reimburse or pay any costs for preparing or submitting information in response to this notice. 

Contracting Office Address: 
Army Contracting Command - DTA, ATTN: CCTA-APN-B, 6501 E. Eleven Mile Road, Detroit Arsenal, MI 48397-5000 
Point of Contact(s): 
Dan McCauley ([email protected]) 586-282-8006