Communications, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) and Air Traffic Management Systems (ATMS) Support

Synopsis: The United States Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center) of Cambridge, MA, intends to issue a solicitation for services related to Communications, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) and Air Traffic Management Systems (ATMS) for the U.S. Department of Transportation and other Federal Agencies. The solicitation will be competed as a 100% Small Business Set-Aside and is intended for multiple awards. This procurement will be conducted in accordance with FAR Part 15, Contracting by Negotiation and the solicitation will be issued on an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) basis with the ability to issue firm fixed price, cost-plus-fixed-fee completion, and cost-plus-fixed-fee term task orders. The term of the ordering period of the resulting contracts will be five (5) years from the date of award. The successful contractors will provide services in the following work areas of CNS/ATMS: 1. Air Traffic Management; 2. National Airspace System Engineering and Implementation; 3. Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) Concepts and Systems Engineering; 4. Air Traffic Safety; and 5. Airport and Terminal Operations. The primary skill requirements of CNS and ATMS will focus on engineering and physical science disciplines including: systems engineering and integration, electronic engineering, electrical engineering, computer science engineering, aeronautical engineering, mechanical engineering, operations research, industrial engineering, human factors, environmental engineering, system safety engineering, and meteorology. Task orders may address transportation modes: air, surface and potentially space. However, current indications are that the largest volume of tasking will be in the aviation area and will support the development of and transition to the NextGen. A complete Statement of Work will be set forth in the solicitation. The CNS & ATMS contracts will be the successors to the Communication Navigation Surveillance Systems and Transportation Traffic Management (TTM) Support contracts awarded by the Volpe Center in 2009. These contracts can be found at https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=9792af4d08cff9965aa49e133e1d58ad&tab=core&_cview=1 The small business size standard associated with the designated North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is $14.0 million. The estimated release date of the solicitation will be on or about September 16, 2013. Proposals will be due approximately 60 calendar days following the issuance of the solicitation. It is anticipated that a pre-proposal Webinar will be held in September/October 2013. Complete details of the pre-proposal Webinar will be provided in the solicitation. An Offeror that is awarded a master contract as a result of this solicitation is ineligible to receive a Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee task order award unless its accounting system has been approved by a Federal Government Audit Agency. The approval status of an Offeror's accounting system will not prevent the Offeror from receiving a master contract award. The sole responsibility rests with the Offeror to perform whatever prepatory work is required so that its accounting system will be approved should DCAA be engaged to perform the review. There is considerable information available which outlines the accounting system requirements and audit. The DCAA website http://www.dcaa.mil includes information on the DCAA audit program describing the audit process and it includes helpful references. Go to "Guidance" and "Checklists and Tools" for information on accounting systems. The Volpe Center uses electronic commerce to issue request for proposal (RFP) and amendments to RFP. Paper copies will not be made available. The solicitation and any documents related to this procurement will be available on the Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) website: http://www.fbo.gov. Paper copies of these documents are not available and no hard copies will be mailed. The Government will not pay for any documentation provided in response to this synopsis and any documentation received will not be returned to the sender. Prospective Offerors desiring to receive electronic notification of the solicitation posting and availability for downloading must register on the FBO website. Offerors are warned that when they register to receive solicitations, amendments, and other notices, it is their responsibility to provide an accurate and complete email address to the Government. The Government will make no additional effort to deliver information when the system indicates that transmissions cannot be delivered to the email address provided. For questions regarding the solicitation, contact the contract specialist in writing by email at carl.chin@dot.gov. ANY INQUIRIES VIA TELEPHONE WILL NOT BE HONORED. All contractors are reminded that all entity records from the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) and Online Representations and Certifications (ORCA) were moved to the System for Acquisition Management (SAM). All contractors must be registered in SAM in order to receive an award from a DOT Agency. Contractors may access the site at https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/ to review and obtain information about the registration process. ORCA is a web-based system that centralizes and standardizes the collection, storage and viewing of the Representations and Certifications required by the Federal Acquisition Regulations. Potential offerors are highly encouraged to complete the online provisions within the Representations and Certifications at the earliest within SAM and must be completed in order to receive an award from a DOT Agency. This notice is for informational purposes for Minority, Women-owned, and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs); The Department of Transportation (DOT), Short-Term Lending Program (STLP) offers working capital financing in the form of lines of credit to finance accounts receivable for transportation related contracts. Maximum line of credit is $750,000. The STLP loan has a variable rate which is tied to the Prime Rate published in the Wall Street Journal. For further information, call (800) 532-1169. Internet address: http://osdbu.dot.gov/.