Manufacturing Technology (ManTech) Naval Shipbuilding and Advanced Manufacturing 3 (NSAM 3)

This is a Request For Proposal. The Office of Naval Research in Arlington, VA intends to procure research and development services for the operation of the Naval Shipbuilding and Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence III (NSAM III) under the Navy Manufacturing Technology (ManTech) Program. This requirement is solicited as a full and open FAR Part 15 competitive source selection using best value tradeoff procedures.

The Government anticipates a single award IDIQ cost plus fixed fee contract for an ordering period of 60 months. The NAICS code for this requirement is 541715 Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology). Place of Performance City and State are required system fields in this announcement and listed as Arlington, VA. At time of proposal submission, responsible sources must propose place of performance.

If an offeror is unable to view the RFP Attachment 3 DD 254, an offeror must send an email to both the Contracting Officer (Primary Point of Contact) and Contract Specialist (Secondary Point of Contact) requesting this Attachment. The Statement of Work (SOW) is provided as an attachment to the RFP.

The requirement is for the following services as described more thoroughly in the SOW: The core mission and function of the NSAM COE is to identify, develop, and facilitate the deployment of advance manufacturing technologies, to U.S. shipyards and other industrial facilities producing and supporting sustainment activities of naval platforms. These advanced shipbuilding and manufacturing technologies will help reduce the cost and time to build and sustain key naval platforms.

The primary focus of the Center is expected to be on shipbuilding and shipyard improvements as reflected in the current Navy ManTech Investment Strategy which is focused largely on submarine, carrier, and surface combatant platforms. However, since the current ManTech Investment Strategy also includes the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, projects intended to help aircraft assembly and fabrication may be developed and executed through the NSAM COE as well.

Based on the current Navy ManTech Investment Strategy, it is anticipated that 60-65% of projects and funding would be directed towards shipbuilding-related efforts, with the balance directed towards aircraft assembly, sustainment technologies and capability acceleration related efforts. However, as the Navy ManTech Investment Strategy is updated annually, the percentage of work assigned to various platforms is expected to vary over time.

In accomplishing its mission, the NSAM COE will work closely with the Navy’s acquisition community as well as Navy shipyards and other relevant industrial facilities to identify manufacturing technology issues that negatively impact shipyard or facility output or products, with respect to both cycle-time and cost. The NSAM COE will then solicit, select, award, and manage projects to address the identified cycletime and cost reduction issues. Types of technology areas include in order of priority, but are not limited to, the following:

Design for Producibility/Design for Manufacturability Model-based tools/processes, and approaches to optimize producibility in a digital manufacturing ecosystem (i.e. Digital Twin/Thread, Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning, ability to efficiently and effectively reuse and repurpose data for production/repair and sustainment.)

Development of build/assembly strategies Intelligent manufacturing planning and factory execution Development of more efficient structural fabrication processes and/or product lines (i.e. 3D Printing, Hybrid Additive, Casting, Welding, etc..)

Elimination of inefficiencies in design optimization, material usage, labor utilization, work flow, by utilization of automation and robotics Supply chain procedures and improvements, such as network centric manufacturing capabilities to facilitate resilient and adaptable supply chains Modeling and Simulation technologies in support of the digital manufacturing ecosystem Streamlining of outfitting operations Prediction and reduction of weld distortion Technologies for inspection and quality control.

Other applicable emerging manufacturing technologies The Contractor will operate and manage the NSAM COE in its mission to develop naval platform-related manufacturing technologies and transition the technology for implementation in U.S. shipyards and other industrial facilities. In addition to accomplishing the NSAM COE’s core mission, the Contractor shall manage, operate, sustain, and enhance the NSAM COE's ability to function as an ONR ManTech Center of Excellence.