The United States Coast Guard, (USCG), as a member of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), invites industry to respond to this Request for Information (RFI). This RFI is not a request for competitive proposals. This notice is for informational and market research purposes only. This RFI does not constitute a commitment, implied or otherwise, that the USCG will take procurement action in this matter. Further, neither the USCG nor the Government will be responsible for any cost incurred in furnishing this information. Responses to this notice are not considered offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. The intent of this request is to survey the commercial market and determine the availability of a turn-key, managed service to replace the current USCG owned Microwave Remote Fixed Facilities (9 total) that connect the Coast Guard’s Rescue 21 (R21) System to the USCG’s CGOne intranet. Information obtained shall be used to make decisions regarding the availability of a turn-key, managed service. The project is focused on 9 RFFs Microwave Line of Site locations in Washington and Oregon’s District 13. These 9 sites provide internet protocol (IP)-based connectivity between the Coast Guard’s R21 system the Coast Guard’s CGOne intranet. The Coast Guard is seeking a leased service that will provide the following back to the Coast Guard’s CGOne network: 1. T-1 ESF/B8ZS service to replace the existing Coast-Guard-owned microwave equipment/links. 2. Service that is available 24 hours/day, 365 days/year with an availability of 99.95% for each link. 3. Service and equipment that is FIPS 140-2 and FIPS 197 Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) 256-bit encryption compliant. that is FIPS 4. Service and equipment that is IPv6-compliant or that has an upgrade path to IPv6. 5. Service that does not interfere with the existing microwave equipment. The Coast Guard will retain the existing Coast Guard microwave links to meet other communication requirements. Additionally, this turn-key solution will need to run independent of the existing microwave infrastructure. The USCG will use the results received from this RFI to determine interest and capability available in the marketplace that may lead to the establishment of a procurement strategy to meet this requirement. It is requested that responses to this RFI contain pertinent information regarding proposed solutions that address the capabilities and supportability requirements referenced previously. In addition, provide suggested target pricing as well as suggested additional service level parameters. REQUIRED RESPONSES: Limit RFI responses to 10, single-sided, single-spaced pages. Submitted responses should be in Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat format. The font for text should be Times New Roman 12-point or larger. Responses must be unclassified. Any proprietary information provided must be marked to protect such data. *Please provide your companies DUNS and CAGE Numbers with your response. This acquisition will be fulfilled utilizing the procedures established in FAR Part 12, Commercial Items, and supplemented by FAR Part 15, Contracting by Negotiation. The Coast Guard intends to solicit for a firm fixed price contract with a base year and four one year option periods. The North American Industrial Classification Code (NAICS) is 517210, and the small business size standard is 1,500 employees. A set-aside determination has not yet been made. Interested parties shall submit their business size and shall include any applicable preference program (i.e. 8(a), HUBZone, Service Disabled Veteran Owned, Woman Owned and Small Business). Responses are due no later than 27 March 2013 by 9:00am EST and may be submitted via email to
[email protected]. If late information is received, it may be considered by the Government reviewers, depending on agency time constraints. Questions concerning this sources sought notice may be directed to Lori Greene at 703-313-6965. This synopsis does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) website http://www.fbo.gov/. It is the responsibility of the potential respondents to monitor these sites for additional information pertaining to this potential requirement. The information provided in this sources sought synopsis is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. Please note: The Government is not required and will not provide feedback to RFI Responders.