RFP Released: 04/20/12

Proposals Due: 06/20/12

Solicitation #: NNJ11379802R

Estimated Value: $2.16 Billion

Update 04.20.12: The contracting office released the solicitation today. Proposals are due June 20th.

NASA, Johnson Space Center, may have an ongoing requirement for support with all technologies associated with manned space flight, space, and life-science systems. The Engineering Directorate provides products and technical services related to human operations in space through development and integration of a broad spectrum of engineering requirements. This includes providing technical expertise, investigative and analytical skills, and program experience.

JETS SYNOPSIS

History: The NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) is planning a follow-on competition to the contract requirements for the current Engineering and Science Contract (ESC, NNJ05HI05C), which ends January 31, 2013. The primary scope of ESC is engineering and scientific products and technical services related to human operations in space. Activities include engineering, analysis, and test services and laboratory/facility operation and maintenance for the JSC Engineering Directorate. The primary customers of the JSC Engineering Directorate are the International Space Station (ISS) Program, the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Directorate, various other Programs throughout NASA, and a few non-NASA organizations. The contract also provides scientific products and services to the ARES Directorate in the development and operations of state-of-the-art laboratories; conduction of planetary materials, imagery, and processes research; orbital debris research and tracking; earth sciences research; and dissemination of data to the scientific and academic communities.

Agency: NASA

Office: Johnson Space Center

Description: The current ESC Statement of Work (SOW) and other pertinent documents are located at the procurement website: http://procurement.jsc.nasa.gov/jets/ The Government anticipates the release of a Draft RFP in 11/2011; a pre-proposal conference 01.2012; and a final solicitation release in 04/2012. Based on these estimates it is expected that the award will be in late CY2012 with a contract date in early 2013, which coincides with the end of the current ESC contract. Other documentation lists the phase-in of JETS from 12/2012-01/2013 and an actual contract period of performance from 02/2013-01/2018. Option years are still TBD.

Contract Type and Other Characteristics: This is expected to be a small business set-aside. The NAICS Code and Contractor Size Standard in million of dollars for the current contract are 541330 and $4M respectively. There is a Request for Information (RFI) that was released this summer and was due July 5. The RFI indicates the NAICS code will remain the same but the size standard will be $27M under the exception for Military and Aerospace Equipment and Military Weapons.

The current contract is a Cost-Plus-Award-Fee (CPAF) hybrid, consisting of Baseline (BL) contract scope, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ), and Level of Effort (LOE).

Goals and Objectives: Many goals can be assumed from the RFI questions being asked of interested contractors:

• Contract Incentives: Provide feedback regarding incentive arrangements. For instance, how should “risks versus rewards” be shared by the Government and contractor? How does the proposed contract type incentivize the contractor to perform high quality work at a reasonable price? What types of incentives are considered most effective as it relates to contract types, e.g., incentive fees, award fee, award term and/or other appropriate incentives for contractor performance?
• Metrics and Measures of Success: Provide feedback on metrics or measures of success NASA might consider to monitor the contractor’s performance on: a. Any fixed-price portions; and b. Cost-reimbursable portions.
• Excess Capacity and External Customers: NASA is considering ways to increase the use of Engineering Directorate (EA) capabilities by external customers, on a non-interference basis, as a potential means of off-setting NASA’s long-term costs while maintaining capabilities. Agreements with external customers typically take place through the use of Space Act Agreements (between NASA and external customers, including commercial entities), Excess Capacity Agreements (between NASA and the support contractor(s)), or via corporate reach-back. Provide feedback on how to most effectively structure the contract, while maintaining flexibility to perform mission work and support external customers. Discuss ideas and incentives to encourage the contractor’s efforts to find additional external customers for JSC.
• Data Repository: NASA intends to own all data generated under this contract and the data will be submitted via electronic format to a data repository. The current data repository for ESC is the Design and Data Management System (PTC Windchill based). Provide any suggestions for the current or alternative repositories that preserve and protect legacy data.
• Software Tools and Platforms: Many of the current software tools used by the current contract are listed on the procurement website. The contractor is expected to utilize these tools. From your experience, should any of these tools be replaced, eliminated or added to and why? Discuss any other known issues on this subject you wish to relay to the Government.
• Quality Systems: NASA’s Quality Policy requires contractors performing critical and complex work to have a quality management system in accordance with Aerospace Standard 9100. JSC and several of the onsite contractors are Occupational Safety and Health Administration Voluntary Protection Programs Star certified. Provide feedback on the cost versus benefits of making certifications a requirement for this potential procurement.

Areas of Technology: From the RFI's Work Breakdown Structure (WBS): Baseline Requirements are – Contract Management, Facility Maintenance & Operations, Safety & Mission Assurance, and Logistics. IDIQ (Task Order) Requirements – Technical Services, Analysis, Hardware & Software Products, Safety & Mission Assurance; LOE (Task Order) Requirements – Technical Services, Astromaterials Curation, Research & Development

Structure of the RFP: This is still in the pre-RFP stage

Proposal Preparation Challenges: This is still in the pre-RFP stage

Resources of OCI can be beneficial:

Based on the available information, this will not be an easy proposal to develop. A competitive and compliant JETS proposal will require forward and detailed planning.

OCI has the expertise and resources of professional proposal consultants to assist you with:

1. Capture Planning
2. A Black Hat Review
3. Teaming Strategies
4. Competitive Analysis
5. Proposal Management
6. Proposal Writing
7. Pricing Analysis
8. Proposal Production
9. Red Team Review
10. Whole Proposal Team