Description
The purpose of this announcement is to obtain market research for planning purposes only regarding interested vendors/contractors who are capable of providing smokejumper aircraft, fully operated by qualified personnel and equipped to meet specifications for wildland firefighting in 2016 thru 2020. Aircraft will be required to perform over rough, mountainous terrain typical of National Forest areas in the western United States at elevations varying from sea level to 13,000 feet, often encountering extremely unfavorable atmospheric conditions. Use will include, but is not limited to the following: - Transportation of personnel, equipment, and supplies for fire suppression and other Forest Service administration activities. - Transporting and dropping smokejumpers. - Transporting and dropping paracargo. - Reconnaissance. - Testing of parachutes and other aerial equipment. - Air Tactical Operations Contracting Office Address: National Interagency Fire Center U.S. Forest Service - Contracting Attn: Melinda G. Draper, Contracting Officer Owyhee Building - MS 1100 3833 S. Development Ave. Boise, ID 83705 Place of Performance: Western United States. Each aircraft will operate from one of the following designated bases during a specified Mandatory Availability Period (MAP). Contractors will be required to provide smokejumper aircraft services during the specified MAP for the exclusive use of the Government. Contractors will be paid a fixed priced daily availability rate during the MAP and an hourly fixed price rate when the aircraft is flown. There is no guarantee for flight hours. The following MAPs are estimates at this time and may be subject to change when the final solicitation is issued: 1. West Yellowstone, MT, Estimated 104 days, June 11 to September 22. 2. Missoula, MT, Estimated 120 days, May 21 to September 18. 3. Redding, CA, Estimated 93 days, June 15 to September 15. 4. Grangeville, ID, Estimated 115 days, May 29 to September 20. 5. McCall, ID, Estimated 120 days, May 21 to September 18. 6. North Cascades, WA, Estimated 119 days, May 31 to September 26. 7. Additional Optional Aircraft to operate from any one of the above bases. Estimated 45 days. Aircraft for this Line Item will be utilized on a Call-When-Needed (CWN) basis with no guaranteed MAP. Note: The Government estimates 100 flight hours for each of the designated bases 1-6 listed above. THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT INTEND TO AWARD A CONTRACT ON THE BASIS OF THIS RFI OR TO OTHERWISE PAY FOR THE INFORMATION SOLICITED. This RFI does not constitute a solicitation for proposals or the authority to enter into negotiations to award a contract. No funds have been authorized, appropriated, or received for this contemplated effort. This RFI is for planning purposes only and shall not be considered as a request for proposal or as an obligation on the part of the Government to acquire any products or services. No entitlement to payment of direct or indirect costs or charges by the Government will arise as a result of contractor submission of responses to this RFI or the Government's use of such information. The Government reserves the right to reject, in whole or in part, any contractor's input resulting from this RFI. Response to this RFI will not be returned. Whatever information is provided may be utilized by the US Forest Service in developing its acquisition strategy and it's Statement of Work. The information resulting from this RFI may be included/combined with other submissions in one or more options considered in the analysis of alternatives. Any proprietary information that is submitted may be used in establishing requirements but specific information will be safeguarded as proprietary. Generic Requirements: 1. Contractors must be currently certificated under 14 CFR Part 135 or 14 CFR 121. The Contractor must have a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved operating specifications manual that includes the make and model aircraft furnished under the contract. 2. Cruise Speed: Minimum 150 Knots 3. Payload: Minimum 3,300 pounds excluding 3 hours of fuel. 4. Crew Compliment Required: 1 or 2 depending on type of aircraft 5. The aircraft model offered must have been previously approved as a Smokejumper Aircraft by the Interagency Smokejumper Aircraft Screening and Evaluation Board (SASEB) see: www.nifc.gov/aviation/av_saseb2.html for current listing of approved smokejumper aircraft. Aircraft offered must conform to the same standard configuration and performance capability of the model aircraft as originally approved as a smokejumper aircraft. Vendors/contractors who respond to this Request for Information (RFI), are requested to provide all of the following information, in writing, in response to this announcement and in accordance with the directions below: 1. Company name. 2. Company mailing address. 3. Company Point of Contact (One person's name, telephone number and e-mail address). 4. Company's size standard (ie. Large, Small, Veteran Owned, etc.) based on NAICS code 481211. 5. Total number of smokejumper aircraft that will be proposed. Include: Make, Model, Series, Engine and N Number. Additionally, all interested vendors/contractors shall also provide a Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) that includes the following for each aircraft: • Daily Availability Rates - Provide an exclusive use rate and a CWN rate (for 2016) for each designated base you are interested in. • Flight Rates - Provide an exclusive use rate and a CWN rate (for 2016) for each designated base you are interested in. If you are not interested in providing aircraft on a Call-When-Needed basis, please indicate so in your response. Cost estimates should be based on existing aircraft and not on concept designs. PROVIDE ANY OTHER PERTINENT INFORMATION RELATING TO THIS RFI THAT WILL ASSIST THE GOVERNMENT IN ADJUSTING THE CURRENT SPECIFICATIONS FOR A FOLLOW-ON SOLICITATION Submittal of Information: The information requested by this RFI shall be provided, in writing, by close of business (2:30 p.m. Mountain Time) December 8, 2015 to the following address. National Interagency Fire Center U.S. Forest Service - Contracting Attn: Melinda G. Draper, Contracting Officer Owyhee Building - MS 1100 3833 S. Development Ave. Boise, ID 83705 The U.S. Forest Service intends to utilize the RFI responses/information to assist with the development of a solicitation for a Smokejumper Aircraft RFP. At the present time, the U.S. Forest Service anticipates posting a solicitation for up to 7 aircraft to the Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) website (www.fbo.gov) in Feb/March of 2016. The current plan is to start performance for the anticipated procurement in May of 2016.