SOF AT&L SSE Next Gen Forensics Capabilities 2022

United States Special Operations Command Request for Information Next Generation Forensics Capabilities 2022 1. General: This Request for Information (RFI) is not a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, quotations, or obligation on the part of the Government to acquire any products or services, but for planning purposes only. This RFI is to gain knowledge of potential qualified sources and to explore industry capabilities. Your response to this RFI will be treated as information only. No entitlement to payment of direct or indirect costs or charges by the Government will arise as a result of contractor submission to this announcement or the Government use of such information. The information provided may be used by the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) in development of its acquisition strategy, statement of work/statement of objectives, and performance specifications. Interested parties are responsible for adequately marked proprietary or competition sensitive information contained in their response. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this request for information or to otherwise pay for the information submitted in response to this RFI. 2. Purpose: a. The USSOCOM, Special Operations Forces-Acquisition Technology and Logistics (SOF AT&L), Program Executive Office-Special Reconnaissance (PEO-SR), Program Management Office-Sensitive Site Exploitation (PMO-SSE) seeks information on specific technology areas to gain knowledge of, explore, and identify potential methodologies and available capabilities in the examination of next generation capabilities for chemical detection and forensic light sources. b. Responses to this RFI may be used by USSOCOM, SOF AT&L, PEO-SR, and PMO-SSE to identify potential hardware and equipment solutions for participation in the further evaluation of market information and / or ascertain potential market capacity to provide services consistent in scope and scale with those described in this notice. 3. Specific Technology Areas of Interest: USSOCOM PMO-SSE is specifically interested in ≥ Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 8 hardware and equipment solutions that can be currently demonstrated in the field (i.e., either on a tactical objective or at a forward operations base-like environment). a. Handheld forensic light source and capture capability to detect and capture the presence of latent fingerprints, biological, and chemical residue on surfaces (e.g., but not limited to metal, ceramic, masonry, wood, and cloth); b. Innovative means to rapidly and unobtrusively collect, preserve, store, and transport samples of biological and/or chemical residue on surfaces (e.g., but not limited to metal, ceramic, masonry, wood, and cloth); c. Handheld and fieldable tabletop instruments to analyze (ability to conduct either, or both, non-confirmatory and confirmatory elemental analysis) and identify samples of military, industrial, and homemade explosives, drugs, chemical warfare agents, toxic industrial chemicals, related precursors and byproducts, and other organic and inorganic compounds of interest; d. Novel analytical chemistry, tools, techniques, and methodologies that enhance sensitivity and selectivity over existent fieldable forensic capabilities; e. Innovative methods to pre-process, match, and analyze samples with or without human intervention. 4. Response Instructions: Each offeror shall submit two documents in response to this RFI. The documents shall be in the form of three (3) to five (5) page UNCLASSIFIED capability papers. a. The first document shall contain a detailed technical description of the proposed current capabilities as described at Section 3 (≥ TRL 8) and a description of how the offeror plans to demonstrate these capabilities. Additionally, identification of the offeror’s primary point(s) of contact with phone and e-mail information shall also be included. b. The second document shall contain a description of other relevant capabilities (no TRL requirement) and a development roadmap that depicts the offeror’s planned future capabilities. c. Files shall be submitted to the Government in .docx, .pdf, .xlslx or .pptx format that utilizes the below file name format. All other documents provided by the offeror shall be retained by the Government, but not reviewed. (1) TFE22_[vendor]_Demonstration - This is the file that describes the offeror’s current capabilities and planned demonstration scenario; (2) TFE22_[vendor]_Capabilities Roadmap - This is the file that describes other capabilities not demonstrated and the offeror’s developmental roadmap. d. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted or acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided to companies in regards to their submissions. Interested parties who consider themselves qualified to provide the above-listed hardware and equipment solutions are invited to submit a response to this notice no later than 30 November 2021 . All responses shall be submitted directly through the USSOCOM Engage SOF (eSOF) portal (https://www.engagesof.com/submit). Please contact the eSOF Office through the eSOF Portal to coordinate information submittal. 5. Demonstration Information: a. On or about 11 January 2022, PMO-SSE will host a demonstration in Tampa, Florida at a location to be determined. Specific coordination information will be provided when demonstration times are scheduled. Per Section 4 instructions, PMO-SSE requests that industry submit two capability papers each. b. PMO-SSE will provide an environment to demonstrate vendor capabilities as advertised in the first document capability paper submission (≥ TRL 8). Based on the capability paper responses, PMO-SSE will determine which vendors qualify for the demonstration. On or about 20 December 2021, all vendors will be notified via eSOF in regards to their eligibility for the demonstration. PMO-SSE will not subsidize vendors to demonstrate their capability. c. The vendor must be prepared to demonstrate any capability written about in the demonstration capability paper. d. The Government requests submissions no later than 30 November 2021 . 6. Disclaimers: THERE IS NO SOLICITATION AT THIS TIME. This request for information does not constitute a request for proposals; submission of any information in response to this market research is purely voluntary; the Government assumes no financial responsibility for any costs incurred; and the Government will not provide responses to any questions. 7. Points of Contact: Any questions under this RFI must be emailed to [email protected].