RFI 12-0024 Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Warstopper Program Request for Information (RFI) 1. Contracting Office Address Defense Contracting Services Office Philadelphia, 700 Robbins Avenue, Bldg 26-1N-8115, Philadelphia, PA, 19111. 2. General Information This is a Request for Information (RFI) only, as defined in FAR 15.201(e), to obtain information for planning purposes. This RFI is not a request for competitive proposals; therefore, responses to this notice are not considered offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Further, DSCO-P is not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. Respondees are advised that DLA will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI; all cost associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested party's expense. No telephone calls will be accepted requesting a bid package or solicitation. There is no bid package or solicitation at this time. All information received shall be safeguarded from unauthorized disclosure. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) website. It is the responsibility of the potential offerors to monitor this site for additional information pertaining to this requirement. 3. General Intent The purpose of the Warstopper Program is to ensure maintenance of "Those resources required for all plans, actions, or measures necessary to establish and maintain an industrial base, both government-owned and privately-owned, that is required to support current, wartime, or other contingency military requirements." The scope of the Warstopper Program includes all sectors of the industrial base necessary to support the Department of Defense (DoD) with manufacturing capabilities sufficient to meet increased requirements during wartime and contingency operations. The Warstopper Program seeks to establish partnerships with raw material suppliers that support prime or sub-tier suppliers of DLA or DoD contracts to ensure that the industrial base is prepared to respond to the Military Services' increased demand for items designated as critical during times of mobilization, war, contingency and military or other operations. Rather than purchasing raw material, the Government is interested in contracting for the services of contractors to build and manage buffer inventories to be made available for the Government's needs. The intent would be to rotate the inventory through the fulfillment of orders to authorized value chain partners as identified by the government. The Warstopper Program seeks this initial information for the purpose of structuring future competitive solicitations related to raw material buffers to support go-to-war items. Questions of consideration: 1. Are you a raw material or semi-finished material provider to Government end-item contracts? If yes, please identify the raw material you produce and the corresponding end items they are used in. If you do not know if your material is used on DLA or DoD contracts, please identify the raw or semi-finished materials that have experience increasing lead times and higher than average prices, over the last 12 months. 2. Do you presently keep raw or semi-finished material inventories in support of Government contracts? If yes, what materials are these and do you see a basis to expand the inventory buffer for readiness purposes (i.e. to meet increased Warfighter demand)? If you believe there are limitations that would inhibit your ability to expand these buffers, please identify and explain those limitations. 3. If you are a supplier to DoD prime or sub-tier suppliers and currently do not maintain any raw or semi-finished inventories, would you consider developing and maintaining a contractor owned and managed buffer inventory of raw material? If yes, what materials would you consider doing this for? If no, please indicate why. 4. Would a program management and/or an inventory management fee be required for you to consider expanding, developing, or maintaining a contractor owned and managed buffers? If yes, please provide an estimate with an explanation of how it was derived? 5. Would you have the ability to track the established buffer inventory and provide monthly reports to the government? 6. Is there any additional information that you think is relevant for the Government to know about your ability and willingness to establish and maintain raw material buffers? DISCLAMER: There is no guarantee that any submission in response to this RFI will result in a Government program. Responders to this RFI will have no competitive advantage in receiving any awards related to the submitted topic area. The information submitted in response to this RFI may be used to help the Government further define its requirements. If the Government develops a program that addresses any submitted or similar topic, the resulting procurement will address technology and business specific requirements as defined by the Government to achieve the required objectives. PLEASE IDENTIFY THE INFORMATION, IN ANY OF YOUR ANSWERS, THAT YOU CONSIDERED TO BE PROPRIETARY. 4. Required Reponses Responses to this RFI are limited to 5 single-sided, double-spaced pages, using standard letter-size 8½" x 11" paper. The font for text should be Times New Roman 12-point or larger. Responses must be unclassified. No binders or binding should be used. Reference RFI 12-0001. 5. Request for Clarification A responder may request clarification, in writing, from the Contracting Officer for any requirement that is unclear, by sending an e-mail to
[email protected]. Any requests for clarification must be received no later than seven (7) business days prior to the close of this RFI in order to receive a timely response. 6. Submission of Documentation Responses to this RFI are due to the contracting office identified below by 3:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 24 February 2012. Responders shall provide one (1) electronic copy and one (1) paper copy of their response. All electronic file content must match the print versions of the submitted documents. Should the electronic and print versions of submitted documents not match exactly, the electronic version shall take precedence. Electronic submissions, in Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat formats, shall be accompanied by a printed inventory that identifies all CDs, their file contents, and their electronic formats. All CDs and files are to be labeled with the responder's name, contact information, and submission date. All RFI responses must be unclassified. Existing commercial documentation and product literature can also be submitted and is not subject to the page limitation. Documentation shall be delivered to the Contracting Officer at the following address: Defense Contracting Services Office Attn: Melissa Spishak 700 Robbins Ave, Bldg 26-1N-8115 Philadelphia, PA 19111 Email:
[email protected] 7. Additional Information All responsible sources may submit information that shall be considered by the agency. If late information is received, it may be considered, depending on agency time constraints. All routine communications regarding this announcement should be directed to the contractual point of contact listed above. The Government may or may not use any responses to this RFI as a basis for a subsequent project. Any projects developed from the RFI responses may be the subject of a subsequent acquisition; any such subsequent acquisition will be posted in FBO.gov. Responses to this RFI will not be returned. The Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received, or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted under this RFI. No requests for a bid package or solicitation will be accepted; no bid package or solicitation exists at this time. In order to protect the integrity of any possible future acquisition, no additional information will be provided and no appointments for presentations will be made in reference to this RFI.