RFP regarding a Vessel Acquisition Manager (VAM) service for the U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration (MARAD) Ready Reserve Fleet (RRF) Re...

*** THIS IS A PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT ***4/19/2021 - THE PURPOSE OF THIS AMENDMENT 0008 IS TO ALLOW OFFERORS WHO SUBMITTED PROPOSALS TO ENTER INTO DISCUSSIONS. PLEASE SEE LATEST AMENDMENT (0008) FOR RED-LINE CHANGES TO THE SOLICITATION.NO CHANGE IN PROPOSALS DUE DATE, REMAINS: 01/22/2021 (1600 Eastern Time)The purpose of this Amendment (0007) to the original request for proposals (RFP) No.693JF719R000034, is to provide an additional 2 answers to the Q&A and provide an updated J-2 attachment. See documents dated 01/13/2021 for details.Period of Performance: 03/31/2021 to 03/30/2027 EstimatedMARAD intends to acquire vessels for service in the Ready Reserve Force through a servicescontract with a company. The provider is called a Vessel Acquisition Manager (VAM) and hasexperience procuring, reflagging, re-classifying, modifying, maintaining and operating vessel(s).The overall objective of the VAM contract is for the government acquisition of used ships tofulfill DoD sealift requirements.

MARAD will acquire ships, including used U.S. or foreign-builtships as part of the Department of the Navy’s plan to recapitalize the organic, Governmentownedsealift fleet in accordance with the Sealift That the Nation Needs report to Congress.1) The VAM Services include:a) Surveying the used ship market for vessels that most closely meet the ORDrequirements and/or are able to be modified to meet the requirements.b) Perform a screening and selection process of the vessels through various stagesculminating in an on-site survey. 2) Produce and provide reports supporting thescreening, selection and elimination process with a final Business Case Analysis. TheBusiness Case Analysis balances the ORD performance, material condition of the ship,maintainability, acquisition cost and life-cycle cost of the vessel as well as otherconsiderations; use this BCA to make a purchase recommendation;c) Provide ship purchase services and purchase a ship (s) titled to MARAD,d) Re-flag and Re-Class the ship;e) Modify the ship for Baseline readiness and initial operational capability (ORD paragraph5 a-h;f) Provide additional modifications as the Government requires to meet ORD requirements;g) Maintain and operate the ship during the vessel custodial phase of the acquisition.Operate the Vessel in Reduced Operation Status 5 days (ROS-5), Full Operating Status,and provide Maintenance and Repair as needed until the vessel is at Full OperationalCapability (FOC).RFP# 693JF719R000034, Page 182) Vessel ScreeningVAM offerors will identify and propose vessels for procurement from commercial sources thatcan be classified by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and certificated by U.S. CoastGuard (USCG). Vessels will be assessed for their military utility and be documented asgovernment-owned vessels for the National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF), Ready ReserveForce (RRF), the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command (MSC) or any other Department ofDefense (DoD) organization as specified.a) The VAM will consider, as specified by the Government, available commercial vesselssuitable for replacement of any of the forty-six (46) Ready Reserve Force vessels, and multipleMilitary Sealift Command ships, as well as any other DOT or DoD-owned vessels identified forrecapitalization through a used vessel purchase. .b) Prior to any purchase through the VAM of either the ship or upgrades, MARAD will providedirection based on VAM recommendations, Government requirements, and resource constraints.c) The resulting task order (s) will include:1) The purchase of a vessels through a sub-contract,2) Re-flagging to U.S. Flag, in accordance with the MARAD / USCG MOU dated February 22,2013 (J-16) and MARAD / ABS MOA dated July 31, 2014 J-17, re-classification (as required),upgrade to military utility and baseline readiness,3) Provision of integrated logistics support packages, and for the select services required for theagency to perform assessments, including marine surveying, naval architecture (stabilityanalysis, structural analysis, etc.), marine repair, and inventory and lifecycle management thatare needed to complete the vessel acquisition.d) The contractor may also be required to provide vessel custodian services. These servicesinclude, maintenance, repair, and if required, activation, operation, and deactivation.