REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI).
NASA/GSFC is soliciting additional information in preparation for the competition of the Rapid Spacecraft Acquisition (RSA) follow-on. Previously known as Rapid II (Rapid 2), the new procurement will be referred to as Rapid III (Rapid 3).
The Rapid III acquisition is intended to result in the award of multiple fixed-priced, Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts for spacecraft bus core systems that would be used to meet the Government’s science and technology needs.
It is anticipated that the procurement will not be a commercial procurement under FAR Part 12 but will be procured under FAR Part 15 due to the inclusion of the NASA/GSFC Mission Assurance Requirements (MAR) at the Master contract level. Tentatively, all proposals would be required to contain a Mission Assurance Implementation Plan (MAIP) response to the GSFC Mission Assurance Requirements document. The not-to-exceed (NTE) firm fixed-price of each core spacecraft offered under a basic RSA contract shall include the price for meeting the GSFC Mission Assurance Requirements as described in the MAIP.
In addition, we are considering the inclusion of multiple contract types (fixed price incentive and fixed price award fee) for this procurement. Please provide recommendations and comments regarding the use of these contract types on the Rapid III Master Contract. Particularly we are interested in your experiences with incentives on fixed price contracts within the spacecraft industry.
Copies of a preliminary Draft Statement of Work (SOW) and a copy of the proposed applicable GSFC MAR have been posted to the Rapid Spacecraft Development Office (RSDO) website for your review. These documents can be accessed at http://rsdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/ under the blinking “Rapid III Documents.”
Since this is a change from Rapid II, we are asking that spacecraft vendors who have expressed an interest in submitting proposals for the Rapid III catalog, vendors who participated in Rapid I or II and any other potential vendors, review the documents and submit comments regarding this new procurement approach.
NASA/GSFC is seeking your comments on the change to FAR Part 15, the inclusion of the MAR at the Master contract level/pricing and multiple contract types. In addition, please let us know if any of these changes would effect your participation in RAPID III as well as the number of spacecraft your company may propose.
This RFI is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government, nor will the Government pay for any information submitted in response to this RFI.
Responses may be submitted to NASA/GSFC, ATTN: Janet Osterman, Code 401.1, Building 16W, Room N115, Greenbelt, MD 20771; or via electronic transmission to janet.m.osterman@nasa.gov. For further information please contact Janet Osterman at 301-286-7586 or janet.m.osterman@nasa.gov or Greg Smith at 301-286-1289 or gregory.f.smith@nasa.gov. Information submitted separate and apart from commercial brochures will be treated as proprietary, if so marked. All responses should be submitted by December 1, 2008.
