99 -- U.S. COAST GUARD ACADEMY SWORDS AND SCABBARDS

The Department of Homeland Security, United States Coast Guard (USCG) is conducting market research in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), part 10, to identify the industry capability to meet the requirement to provide swords and scabbards. The requirement is summarized as follows: The sword blade shall be of one type and of Class 1-High carbon steel and Class 2-Stainless steel; lengths (inches) of 26, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 and 33. The blade shall be drop forged, machine ground, or milled and finished without blowholes, pocket marks, or other irregularities in the metal. The sword blade shall be properly etched on all surfaces except the cutting edge using the letters USCG. The scabbard shall be made of sheet metal 0.040 to 0.065 inch thick, rolled, formed and welded or seamless steel tubing 0.040 to 0.065 inch thick. The scabbards shall be constructed in lengths and inside dimensions as necessary to provide a proper fit for the sword. The scabbard shall be covered with black calfskin or morocco leather measuring 2-1/2 ounces in thickness. The leather shall be full grain and smooth finished, and shall show a minimum of fair fastness to crocking. Each sword and scabbard shall be provided with a cotton flannelette case to fit the assembled sword and scabbard. The finished cotton flannelette shall be vat dyed gray or silver. The case shall be of one to two piece construction conforming to the specified configuration and dimensions. Prospective contractors shall have a quality assurance program in place which meets the minimum requirements of American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/American Society for Quality (ASQ) Z.14-2003. All interested parties must submit a written response addressing the following: (1) Describe your company’s capability and/or capacity to manufacture swords for USCG personnel, including types/lengths of swords customarily available in the commercial marketplace; (2) Estimated Order of Magnitude based upon sword lengths; (3) Estimated lead/delivery time for orders placed; (4) Warranty and discount provisions; (5) Customary inspection and quality procedures; (6) Your company’s major customers; and (7) Any other information that your company considers to be pertinent to this requirement. In addition, firms shall include their business size in accordance with NAICS Code 332211, Dun and Bradstreet Number and any other Government contract information (i.e. GSA Federal Supply Schedule) which may be applicable. The primary focus for this submittal is on areas related to the requirements described under this Request for Information (RFI); however, should a company believe that items in its standard product line would meet the requirements described in this RFI; relevant product literature may be included in the submittal. The government will not provide reimbursement of costs associated with the documentation submitted by companies in response to this announcement. All documentation submitted, upon delivery, becomes the property of the U.S. Government. Responses to this notice will be used to help formulate the Government’s acquisition strategy for this requirement. Any questions regarding this announcement shall be directed to the attention of [email protected], or via phone number (202) 475-3207. No Solicitation exists at this time. The government does not intend to award a contract based solely on this RFI. Responses including the specified documentation are due on or before 5:00 PM, Eastern Standard Time on 4 April 2005 and shall be sent via email to Veronica Dotson at [email protected] or mailed to: Commandant (G-ACS-2A), U. S. Coast Guard Headquarters, Attn: Veronica Dotson, 2100 Second Street, SW, Washington, DC 20593-0001.