CAPABILITIES INFORMATION EXCHANGE-REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

Solicitation Number: ARCICCIEPROGRAM-CIE

Notice Type: Special Notice

Synopsis:

The United States Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), Army Capabilities Integration Center (ARCIC) is announcing the next Capabilities Information Exchange (CIE) with industry; to be held on 15-16 August 2017 at Building 950, Jefferson Avenue, Fort Eustis, VA (TRADOC Headquarters).

The CIE program is voluntary and open to all interested members of industry. Businesses that participate in the CIE will not receive any financial reimbursement for their participation from the U.S. Army. That stated, a business may be offered a short-term micro-purchase contract for follow-on concept exploration. (See below discussion)

Through the CIE, ARCIC seeks to have fair, even, and transparent communications with industry, academia, and other non-governmental organizations to inform industry on Army needs and to determine industry capabilities to meet future Army needs.

The purpose of this CIE is to conduct market research to enhance war-fighting concepts, engage in early communication with industry on the Army's future needs, and to further expound on the concepts the Army will face in future war-fighting scenarios.

The CIE consists of one-on-one sessions between industry and Government subject matter experts, during which industry can ask questions about the "Big 6+1" topic areas and Warfighters' Science and Technology (S&T) needs. There are three potential types of sessions that industry may be invited to, as follows:

(1) Industry may be invited to meet one-on-one with the Government. The discussion will focus on market research for the Government and concept exploration of Army needs as discussed in the publically available "Big 6+1" topic areas and Warfighters' Science and Technology (S&T) needs. The meeting will be at the unclassified level.

(2) Industry may be awarded a micro-purchase contract to further assist the Army in concept exploration. Awardees will meet one-on-one with the Government to discuss technology solutions of the future that could address Army needs in an unclassified forum, which will include a more in-depth post-award discussion of concept exploration topic(s) that the Army wants addressed in a 1000-word deliverable white paper.

(3) Industry members with a Secret classified facility clearance and who have been awarded a micro-purchase contract, will meet with the Government one-on-one in a cleared facility. The meeting will discuss technology solutions of the future to meet Army needs and a more in-depth post-award discussion of concept exploration topics that the Army wants addressed in a 1000-word deliverable white paper.

Any properly marked industry proprietary information will be protected and controlled.
Public Information on the "Big 6+1" and the Warfighters' Science and Technology Needs are at: http://www.arcic.army.mil/App_Documents/Army-Warfighters-ST-Needs-Bulletin.pdf

A business wishing to attend the CIE will submit a request packet to usarmy.jble.arcic-cdld.mbx.CIE@mail.mil, NLT 30 June 17 for review.

The request packet will contain the following:
A. Information Regarding Your Company:

· The company name; name(s) of employees in order of precedence of attendance (attendance is limited to three U.S. employees with appropriate clearances).

· Specify whether the company requests a classified or unclassified forum for the one-on-one meeting.

· Your company must certify its level of security clearances IAW the National Industrial Security Program up to the level of secret to qualify for a classified meeting. To be considered for a micro-purchase contract at the classified level, the company must certify it possesses a facility clearance at the secret level.

· A company point-of-contact with a phone number and e-mail address (and SIPR email address).

· A brief explanation of your company's qualifications and experience in the "Big 6+1" topic area(s) and/or the Warfighters' Science and Technology (S&T) needs that your company plans to discuss. If your company has an IR&D budget or an existing Government contract in the "Big 6+1" and Warfighters' Science and Technology Needs topic areas, please note this. If your company is moving into this field in the future, but is not currently in this field, your request packet should explain how your company can assist the Army's concept exploration of the "Big 6+1."

· In accordance with AR 385-5, para 9.4, please provide a certification that your company is not a foreign government, foreign company, coalition partner, foreign
national, or immigrant alien. If your company is in one of these categories, please annotate this in your request packet. Your company may be considered for a meeting, but not for a micro-purchase contract.

· To be considered for a micro-purchase contract, submit a short justification explaining how your company's capabilities and viewpoints on the technology solutions of the future in the "Big 6+1" topic areas can help inform the Army's concept exploration efforts. This should no more than a half-page in length.

· To be considered for a micro-purchase contract, a company should certify that it has the ability to receive payment by Government purchase card.

Industry request packets should address at least one of the following "Big 6+1" criteria to be considered for attendance at the CIE:

1. Overmatch in Soldier and Team Performance. This "Plus 1" criterion is to improve Soldier and team performance with investments in science and technology that support leader development, accelerated learning, improved cognition, and mission performance. This includes simulations for the rifle squad and required capabilities at the squad level (e.g., Soldier Borne Sensor, Squad Multi-Purpose Equipment Transport).

2. Future Vertical Lift. Seize the opportunity of new aviation technologies. Combine technical and design breakthroughs to improve operational performance across all aviation missions.

3. Robotic and Autonomous Systems. Invest in robotic and autonomous systems technologies to achieve overmatch.

4. Mission Command, Space, Cyberspace, and EW Capabilities. Improve, develop, and expand Army formations' ability to execute expeditionary mission command in degraded environments and to maneuver in space, cyberspace, and the electromagnetic spectrum. Develop assured communications and Assured Precision, Navigation, and Timing (APNT) capabilities.

5. Advanced Protection. Equip legacy aircraft and ground vehicles with advanced protection systems.

6. Combat Vehicles. Improve the lethality, mobility, and protection of combat units. Field systems and upgrades to the Army's combat units in order to ensure close combat overmatch. Develop solutions for combat vehicle modernization. Begin preparatory research and development to inform capability requirements and trade-offs in designing the next generation of combat vehicles.

7. Cross-domain Fires. Improve the range, quantity, and effect of fires in order to support maneuver, defend against enemy air attack, and counter enemy-long range ground systems. Expand overmatch to operational distances.

B. Based on the quality of industry submissions and prior to the CIE, the Government may enter into short-term micro-purchase contracts with companies for short (NTE 1000 words) white papers regarding CIE topics of discussion to further refine the Army's concept exploration efforts. The Government intends to offer micro-purchase contracts to a wide variety of industry businesses, to obtain the widest possible viewpoints on the technology solutions of the future and inform concept exploration. Awardees will have a more in-depth conversation with the Army to inform development of the white paper deliverable during the post-award meeting. In general terms, at the concept exploration level, the white paper will address the company's viewpoints on technology solutions of the future that could address Army needs in the company's area of expertise.

Companies will be notified by ARCIC of the date/time of their CIE session. Submissions will be reviewed to determine industry capabilities to meet future Army needs.

To enhance the exchange of information and discussions, companies selected to participate in the CIE will provide any written questions regarding the "Big 6+1" topic areas and Warfighters' Science and Technology (S&T) needs NLT 14 July 2017. Companies will also provide written feedback after the event.

(Admin Note: THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION. Announcements are used to gather information and inform from industry without any promise of a current or future contract or requirement. This is not a solicitation for bids or offers. Information provided cannot be used to create a binding contract. Respondents to this announcement will not be reimbursed for their attendance at the CIE.)

The CIE Coordinator is: Mr. Rosenell Grant Jr.
TRADOC ARCIC Science, Technology, Research, and Accelerated Capabilities Division (ATFC-ET),
Concept Development and Learning Directorate,
950 Jefferson Ave,
Joint Base Langley-Eustis, VA 23604-5763, Telephone: (757 501-5529)
Email: usarmy.jble.arcic-cdld.mbx.CIE@mail.mil.

**** ALL QUESTIONS CONCERNING THIS ANNOUNCEMENT SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO MR. ROSENELL GRANT JR. ****

Contracting Office Address:

Building 705
Washington Blvd
Fort Eustis, Virginia 23604-5538
United States

Place of Performance:

N/A

United States

Primary Point of Contact.:

Ronald L. Moton

ronald.l.moton.civ@mail.mil

Phone: 7575018155