2/1/2024 Update:  This sources sought notice is hereby extended until 2/9/2024.

INTRODUCTION:

Army Contracting Command – Rock Island (ACC-RI) on behalf of Project Manager Close Combat Systems is conducting market research to identify potential sources of supply that can produce the M84 Non-Lethal Stun Hand Grenade (NLSHG), the M102 practice stun hand grenade body and the M240 reloadable cartridge for the practice stun hand grenade.

This is a sources sought/market survey for planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a Request for Proposal or as an obligation on the part of the Government. The Government does not intend to award a contract based on this market survey or otherwise pay for information solicited. The Government will utilize the information provided only to develop the acquisition strategy for future requirements that may materialize into production. All information submitted will be held in a confidential status. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for these items is 332993 - Grenades, hand or projectile, manufacturing. The corresponding small business size standard is 1,500.

Item Description:

The M84 NLSHG is a non-lethal diversionary hand grenade. It produces an intense flash of a minimum of 1 million candlepower and a “bang” between 170 and 180 dB at 5 feet.  The grenade has an M201 type fuze with a pyrotechnic output charge.  The fuze has a percussion primer, spring loaded striker, safety lever, ring assembly, two safety pins, and a delay time of 1.0 to 2.3 seconds.  

• M84 Non-Lethal Stun Hand Grenade (NLSHG)
• M102 Practice Stun Hand Grenade body
• M240 Reload Cartridge for the Practice Stun Hand Grenade

1. The NLSHG must be a non-lethal pyrotechnic device that produces a temporary blinding effect and a loud bang. 
2. The detonation delay of the NLSHG (time between release of safety lever and detonation) must be 1.0 to 2.3 seconds, after release of the safety lever, in hot, cold, and ambient temperature conditions.
3. The packaged and unpackaged NLSHG must be transportable in wheeled/tracked vehicles over a variety of terrain road, trail, cross-country, in helicopters, cargo aircraft, and ships.
4. The unpacked Stun Grenade shall be safe to handle, meet all performance requirements and show no evidence of corrosion after forty-eight (48) hours of salt fog exposure.
5. The Stun Grenade shall show no evidence of damage or failure; shall be safe for transportation, storage, and handling; and shall function normally after two (2) years of uncontrolled storage and after ten (10) years of controlled storage.
6. The NLSHG body shall not permit excessive rolling when thrown into a room.
7. The NLSHG must be capable of being stored in temperatures ranging from -60° F to 160° F.
8. The NLSHG must be operational in temperatures ranging from -45° F and 145° F.
9. Upon functioning, the NLSHG shall remain intact, and shall produce no fragmentation, and any propulsion produced by functioning.
10. The unpacked Stun Grenade shall show no evidence of damage or failure; shall be safe for transportation, storage, and handling; and shall function normally after being submerged to a depth of one (1) meter in water for two (2) hours.
11. The NLSHG must be size compatible with the carrying compartments of the grenade pouch found in the Non-lethal Capability Set (NLCS) (GSA # GSAATISASDD60D) (threshold) and individual load bearing vet/equipment (LBV/E) (objective).
12. The NLSHG must be capable of being functioned when wearing standard issued cold weather gloves. The user of the NLSHG must be capable of restoring the grenade to its normal safe carrying configuration after removing the safety device.
13. If a pyrotechnic composition is used, the NLSHG shall not arm, enable, or function as a result of being subjected to an electrostatic discharge of 25,000 Volts through a 500 Pico farad capacitor.
14. Upon functioning in a 20 X 20 X 8 ft room, the NLSHG shall not produce toxic fumes that may cause permanent injury or illness defined by the Threshold Limit Value of American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH).
15. The NLSHG must have a peak sound output between 170dB – 180dB measured at 5 feet from the point of detonation within a 20 X 20 X 8 ft room. 
16. The NLSHG must have a light output of at least 1 million candle power, measured at 5 feet from point of detonation within a 20 X 20 X 8 ft room. 
17. After detonation in a 20 x20 x8 ft room, the smoke should clear within 2 seconds and objects behind the point of detonation must be identifiable.   
18. The NLSHG shall meet MIL-STD-1911. The arming mechanism shall be comprised of a safety pin, pull ring assembly, safety lever (spoon), spring loaded striker, and percussion primer. The required pull ring force shall be equal to 10-35 lbs.
19. The NLSHG shall weigh no more than 26 ounces, have a diameter of no more than 2 inches and a height of no more than 6 inches. 
20. The NLSHG, when detonated on 100% cotton cloth or copy paper, shall not cause fire.  
21. It must have an economically compatible reloadable cartridge for training in multiple environments. 
22. The reloadable cartridge must be able to be reloaded a threshold of 10 times and an objective of 25 times. 
23. The reloadable cartridge shall replicate the NLSHG fuze timing/delays sequence and replicate the overall function of the M84 for training purposes.  
24. It must be noted if there are any perchlorates used in the grenades.

GENERAL (POTENTIAL CONTRACT) INFORMATION:

The potential production for the NLSHG requirement will range from 2,000 to 200,000, per year. The quantities for the reloadable training cartridge will range from 2,000 to 20,000 per year.

Additionally, a potential contract for these items may require the contractor to:

1. Develop tooling, fixtures, and production processes to produce the components,
2. Develop gauges, fixtures, and a plan to inspect the components,
3. Produce a Design Verification Test (DVT) sample for Government evaluation and approval 120 Days After Contract Award (DACA) and initiate production delivery 210 DACA.
4. Follow normal delivery schedule for subsequent option years/ordering periods, when and if exercised/executed.
5. Execute product improvement projects for the manufacture and design of the components.

MARKET SURVEY NOTICE SUBMISSION DETAILS:

All information is to be submitted at no cost or obligation to the Government. No award will be made as a result of this market survey.  A response to this survey should show adequate technical, manufacturing capability, certification to receive export-controlled technical data and satisfactory past performance in the explosive processing industry. If a respondent does not have adequate resources (technical, manufacturing, personnel, etc.) available, the respondent must be able to demonstrate their ability to obtain those resources in a timely fashion. If respondent chooses to utilize the services of sub-tier vendors or subcontractors; those vendors or subcontractors must also meet these criteria.

Respondents are asked to provide as much of the following information as possible for the evaluation to enable the government to develop an acquisition plan and meet the aforementioned production requirements.

1)         Submit a basic manufacturing plan that summarizes how each of the components will be produced.

2)         Subcontracted work (if any) or from another source should be identified along with the country of origin.

3)         Identify the manufacturing equipment required to produce each component. List the equipment that would be in-house and sub-contracted (if applicable).

4)         Provide current or previous experience in manufacturing to the Technical Data Package List or representative items, including potential capacity, required start-up efforts and past performance history.

5)         Provide estimated production capability rate for all items.

6)         Identify the equipment and systems used to paint and finish each metal component.

7)         Present the expected lead times for the design, fabrication and qualification of the tooling and equipment required to produce and inspect these components, if applicable. Include any information on long-lead materials or schedule drivers as well as your expected time from contract award to first delivery.

8)         Indicate any supply chain constraints, material scarcity or price volatility currently experienced or anticipated.

9)         Briefly summarize production and technical qualifications of permanent personnel including level of experience in producing these or similar components.

10)       Provide a brief description of the quality management system to be used and identify any associated certification(s) (i.e., ISO 9001-2000).

Submit Business Structure: a. Name of Company include a contact person's name, company address, telephone number, email address. b. Company Size (please specify as either Large, Foreign, Small, Small Disadvantaged, 8(a), Woman-Owned Small Business, Historically Underutilized Business Zone concern, Veteran-Owned Small Business, or Service-Disabled Small Business.)

All companies interested in this notice must be registered in System for Award Management (SAM). Your response shall utilize Sources Sought number W519TC-24-R-0012.  The complete Technical Data Package (TDP) is not available; therefore, no drawings or technical information is available besides the Performance Specifications. The Performance Specifications are currently undergoing extensive review and updating; however, they can be used for the purposes of this Notice as it is anticipated that the functional requirements will remain unchanged. Current forecast date for completion of revising the Performance Specifications is May 2024, and the Government reserves the right to amend this Notice at that time to share the updated Performance Specifications as continued market research. 

If a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) is generated at a later date, a solicitation notice will be published. The release of the RFP will contain the official drawings and technical information that will be used for proposal submission. 
 

The respondent should provide sufficient details to the Government to make a reasonable assessment of capability. Proprietary responses will be protected in accordance with the markings. This is for MARKET RESEARCH ONLY and shall NOT be construed as an RFP. Participation in this effort is strictly voluntary with no cost or obligation to be incurred by the Government. The information you provide will only be utilized by the Government in developing its acquisition approach for future requirements.   Any information and materials submitted in response to this request WILL NOT be returned.  DO NOT SUBMIT CLASSIFIED MATERIAL.  All responses to this Sources Sought notice shall be submitted via email to Ryan Oliver at [email protected] by 2:30 p.m. Central Time 02 February 202