Request for Information (RFI) for the Missile Defense System (MDS) Systems Engineering and Integration (SE&I)

Classification Code: A -- Research & Development North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code: 541 -- Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services/541715 -- Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology) Synopsis: This is a research and development sources sought notice requesting information from Industry for assistance with the Missile Defense System (MDS) System Engineering and Integration (SE&I) efforts supporting the Missile Defense Agency's (MDA) Missile Defense System. In accordance with (IAW) FAR 15.201(e), responses to this RFI are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this Request for Information (RFI) or to otherwise pay for the submission of any information in response to this notice. Any response will be treated as information only and shall not be used as a proposal. The release of this synopsis is to gain information on sources and capabilities. MDA is seeking industry partners to provide MDS SE&I services to work in concert with the Government's MDA Engineering team to plan, define, design, and test the MDA MDS. The MDS is an integrated, "layered" architecture that provides multiple opportunities to destroy adversary missiles and their warheads before they can reach their targets. The system's architecture includes: Integrated and networked sensors including space, ground, and sea-based platforms for target detection, tracking, battle damage assessment Integrated Command and Control, Battle Management, and Communications including the weapon system fire control and networks providing the warfighter with the needed links between the sensors and interceptor missiles Ground- and sea-based interceptor missiles for destroying a missile using either the kinetic force of a direct collision, called "hit to kill," or an explosive blast fragmentation warhead. For additional information on the MDA mission see: www.mda.mil. MDA Engineering Teams: The MDA Engineering team is composed of four communities, each bringing a unique perspective or viewpoint to planning, defining, designing, and testing the MDS. The four communities are the Government (military and civilian), Federally Funded Research and Development / University Affiliated Research Centers (FFRDC/UARCs), Systems Engineering and Technical Assistance (SETA) contractors, and Industry. This sources sought notice relates to the fourth community, MDS SE&I Industry. The MDS SE&I Industry community works in close collaboration with the other three MDA Engineering team communities. MDS SE&I – Reach Back and Industry Firewall Construct: The Industry team is expected to have direct access to MDS Prime Contractor’s technical information (Reach Back). A firewall infrastructure is therefore required to include hardware protection and procedures to guard against unauthorized or inappropriate disclosure of proprietary and/or sensitive information in use by the team, as well as prevention of potential organizational conflicts of interest (OCI) issues, and safeguarding of information to be used in future competitive acquisitions. MDA is requesting information on capabilities from interested companies on their teaming approach and expertise for conducting SE&I for the MDS, which captures both the Industry prime contractor perspective and considers their technological advances. The response should specifically include plans for how the companies have arranged to leverage industry's prime contractor expertise in the development and fielding of the MDS components and their ability to “reach back” to current MDS producers as needed. In particular, MDA is soliciting capabilities of companies to support MDA with an Industry perspective for the capability development, system design, integration, and testing of the MDS. Responses should define ability of the responder to provide all of the requirements listed in the following areas (listed in order of importance): Engineering Team: Area 1 - Teaming Arrangement / Management : Efficient and Inclusive MDA Engineering Team Approaches. Describe the logical and legal teaming approach (which may be innovative or non-traditional) used to incorporate relationships with existing and future MDS system developers and producers that will likely require routine access to proprietary data from other corporate or independent organizations approved to team with the Government. Systems engineering processes must be highly collaborative between the system and subsystem levels and across the MDA Engineering Team communities. Area 2 - Systems Engineering Processes and Capabilities : Discuss your understanding and approach to model based systems engineering processes. Discuss your organization's prior and current experience supporting Special Access Programs (SAP). Discuss how your process relates to and efficiently integrates the phases of the systems engineering process to include: System Design and Requirements. Developing detailed architecture, functional, suitability, performance, and interface requirements for development and integration of the MDS. MDS Counter-Countermeasures Development. Analyze system countermeasure mitigation, discrimination, and electronic warfare alternatives to address critical gaps and define capability increment functions to evolve MDS Counter-Countermeasures capabilities. Technical Reviews. Lead MDS system level reviews and participating in technical and programmatic meetings and working groups, Peer Reviews and Boards, as well as interactions with other Department of Defense (DoD) organizations. Modeling and Simulation. Leverage Industry weapon system models and develop MDS models and simulation tools as required to enable accurate representation of the MDS to support system level trades and analysis for performance requirements development and allocation. Test and Analysis. Developing ground and flight test planning documents and post-test data analyses to characterize performance of the system and whether objectives and design intent were met. Area 3 - Points of Contact : List current or past Federal Government Points of Contact and contact information for Government organizations you have or had contracts requiring extensive experience in the development and implementation of capabilities-based and model based system engineering processes and management. Facilities and Infrastructure: Area 1 – Facilities : Off-site facilities convenient to Government center-of-gravity operations at Redstone Arsenal, AL to execute the contract to include such collateral actions such as building maintenance and operations. Area 2 - IT Infrastructure : Secure communications across military and commercial communication systems; while also ensuring compliance with the MDS SE&I firewall construct as defined above. Ability to perform model based extensive analysis using proprietary models and data using best engineering practices. Maintain extensive accessible databases in system architecture tools and Dynamic Object Oriented Requirements System (DOORS) with supporting analyses. Data processing at multiple levels of security, up to SAP and sensitive compartmented information (SCI) programs. MDA has implemented a Security Development Operations (SecDevOps) software development environment. Define the ability of the responder to interface with the MDA SecDevOps environment, such as the Integrated Digital Data Environment (IDDE). MDA has implemented a Government Cloud Computing environment. To the extent that the responder will be relying on the MDA IT services, describe the approach for having Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) solutions integrated into MDA's Government Cloud Computing environment. The Government does not intend to limit either the number or types of teaming arrangements entered into by potential responders (i.e., any given contractor may respond to this RFI as a prime contractor and/or participate as a subcontractor on one or more other teams responding to this RFI). The Government does not intend to impose restrictions on team membership after award, except as necessary to prevent Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCI) issues IAW FAR 9.5 between this requirement and advisory and assistance contracts supporting MDA Engineering. This effort requires that contractor personnel hold a SECRET level security clearance. A select number of contractor personnel must be eligible for TOP SECRET/SCI level clearance. Small Businesses: Because one objective of this RFI is to determine the capability of small business to meet the requirements contained herein, and to inform the acquisition strategy with regard to setting aside any future acquisition for small businesses, MDA request the following information: The prime small business contractor responding to this RFI must include their past experience in managing subcontractors on similar requirements, and if applicable, include subcontractor or teaming partners’ past experience applicable to requirements specified in this Sources Sought. Responsible small businesses planning teaming arrangements to meet the support requirements listed above are expected to articulate the portions of work that the prime small business intends to perform as well as articulate the portions that subcontractors or teaming partners (if applicable) will perform. Responses must include business size and business socio-economic category of all subcontractors or teaming partners identified to perform work associated with the NAICS for this Sources Sought. Acquisition Strategy Considerations (Request large and small business feedback) In order to further inform the acquisition strategy, MDA requests the following: Any perceived barriers to competition for this effort, along with recommended solutions. Recommendations on other potential avenues to acquire this support (e.g., Government-wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACS), GSA). Confirmation of NAICS code or recommended alternative NAICS codes with rationale for the proposed scope. Description of any Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) considerations the Government should be aware of. Any other industry recommendations or concerns. Please submit your company's response encompassing capabilities for each of the three (3) Engineering Team areas and two (2) Facilities and Infrastructure areas listed. You may include organization and proposed team member statements of interest, qualifications, experience, expertise, products and any relevant corporate literature and product data. Please submit the information requested in the same order and using the same Area numbering scheme in this notice to facilitate review by the Government. Replies will be independent of, and have no bearing on, evaluation of proposals submitted in response to any future formal Request for Proposal. Information received in response to this request may be used by the Missile Defense Agency for acquisition planning and solicitation preparation activities. Eligibility in participating in a future acquisition does not depend upon a response to this notice. MDA will not critique or provide feedback on the responses to this notice. MDA does not intend to pay for the information solicited and will not reimburse any costs associated with responding to this RFI. Proprietary information is neither sought nor desired by MDA. If such information is submitted, it must clearly be marked "proprietary" on every sheet containing such information, and the proprietary information must be segregated to the maximum extent practicable from other portions of the response (e.g., use an attachment or exhibit). Interested businesses responses shall not exceed 25 pages in total. Each page shall be single sided, 8.5 inch x 11 inch pages using Times New Roman 12 pt. font, with 1 inch margins on top, bottom and sides (11 inch x 14 inch or 11 inch x 17 inch foldouts shall be counted as two pages). All businesses responding to this RFI must include business size and business socio-economic category (if a Small Business). The response should be sent by e-mail to the Contracting Officer, Beth Winfield, at [email protected] by 5:00 PM Central Time on November 14, 2022. Any questions and all responses should include the company name, address, and phone number, and the name, e-mail address and phone number of the point or points of contact within your organization.