Market Research Notice - General Market Research for Locally Available Materials and Welding Capabilities (Japan)

***Market Research Notice – Request for Information***

Subject: General Market Research for Locally Available Materials and Welding Capabilities

Reference (a): NAVSEA Technical Publication S9074-AQ-GIB-010/248 Rev 1 (Requirements for Welding and Brazing Procedure and Performance Qualification)

Enclosure (1): Locally Available Material Suggestions Sheet

1. General Notice

This Request for Information (RFI) is issued by Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) Fleet Logistics Center Yokosuka (FLCY) on behalf of U.S. Naval Ship Repair Facility and Japan Regional Maintenance Center (SRF-JRMC), Yokosuka, Japan, solely for information, planning, and general market research. This announcement does not constitute a Request for Proposals (RFP), an Invitation for Bids (IFB), a Request for Quotations (RFQ), or an announcement of an impending solicitation, and it shall not be construed as a commitment, promise, or obligation by the United States (U.S.) Government to enter into any contract or issue any future competitive procurement. The Government is strictly gathering market intelligence, and no RFP will be issued as a result of this market research notice. Participation in this inquiry is entirely voluntary.

The Government will not pay or reimburse respondents for any costs incurred, directly or indirectly, in compiling, preparing, reviewing, or submitting responses, technical specifications, or supplemental documentation. Any responses received will become the property of the U.S. Navy and will not be returned.

2. Background and Purpose

SRF-JRMC operates forward-deployed ship maintenance, repair, and modernization facilities across the U.S. Seventh Fleet operational theater, primarily based at Yokosuka and Sasebo, Japan. Executing continuous, emergent, and scheduled maintenance on U.S. Navy surface vessels and expeditionary craft demands rigorous adherence to Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) technical standards. A primary operational challenge in overseas expeditionary and forward-deployed maintenance is the administrative and supply-chain burden associated with procuring military-specification base materials and welding consumables for procedure qualification records (PQR) and welder performance qualification.

To mitigate these operational constraints, SRF-JRMC seeks to evaluate regional industrial welding capabilities, commercial classification standards, and Japanese domestic supply inventories that may satisfy or align with the mandatory technical requirements established in NAVSEA Technical Publication S9074-AQ-GIB-010/248 Rev 1.

3. Market Research Objectives

SRF-JRMC’s market research focuses on two primary objectives:

Objective A - Locally Available Materials: Identify viable regional materials certified under recognized standards such as Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS), Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK), or other equivalent bodies that may be technically evaluated for incorporation into existing S-Groups (base materials, Table 7-1) or A-Groups (filler materials, Table 7-2) in accordance with Reference (a), thereby facilitating local procurement for procedure and personnel qualification.

Objective B - Existing Industry Partner Welding Capabilities: Assess the scope and maturity of existing industry partner welding programs and commercial certifications (Class NK, JIS) that may support compliance through the alternative qualification provisions of Reference (a), specifically Paragraph 4.2.2 (Certification of Qualification Testing and Other Agency Qualifications) and Paragraph 5.2.4 (Alternative Qualification Methods).

4. Requested Information from Industry Partners

Interested maritime and ship repair contractors are requested to provide technical data addressing either or both areas below:

A. Recommended Locally Available Materials (Objective A): Industry partners are requested to recommend commercially stocked base metals and welding consumables to be evaluated as potential substitutes for U.S. Military specifications. For each recommended material, provide the following details:

Suggested Grouping: Recommended S-Group (base metal, Table 7-1) or A-Group (filler metal, Table 7-2) classification under Reference (a).

Technical Specification: Copy of the applicable JIS or other relevant material specification sheet

Operational Context Optional): Brief description of shipboard systems or structures in which the material is currently used in Japanese maritime operations.

Submissions may be organized using Enclosure (1).

B. Existing Welding Program Capabilities (Objective B): To assess opportunities to reduce qualification burdens consistent with Reference (a) Paragraphs 4.2.2 and 5.2.4, industry partners are requested to provide:

a. A list of existing welding procedure qualification records/reports currently maintained by your facility, including the associated certifying authority ((e.g. JIS, ClassNK, American Bureau of Shipping [ABS], Americal Society of Mechanical Engineers [ASME]) and specific base material(s), filler material(s), welding processes, and thickness/position ranges certified.

b. A list of existing written procedures, instructions or documents addressing the following areas:

• Welder Performance Qualification: A summary description of your company’s system for qualifying welders and welding operators, including governing standards (JIS, ClassNK, ABS, ASME).
• Welding Consumable Control: Documentation or standard operating instructions governing the receipt, storage, handling, baking, and issuance of welding consumables (particularly low-hydrogen electrodes and bare wires).
• Execution, Oversight, and Surveillance of production welding work: Written procedures, work instructions, or quality manuals detailing shop-floor surveillance, inspection hold points, in-process quality control, and NDT examination for shipboard production work.

6. Proprietary Data and Business-Sensitive Information

Respondents are strongly discouraged from submitting proprietary or business-sensitive data in response to this market research announcement. If an industry partner must submit proprietary information to demonstrate technical capability, each proprietary page or data item must be clearly marked as “PROPRIETARY”. Any unmarked data will be considered non-proprietary and may be used without restriction.

7. Response Submission Instructions

Interested maritime industry partners and commercial shipyards are requested to submit their responses electronically via email no later than 20 November 2026, 1600 Japan Standard Time (JST). Submissions may be prepared in Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, or Adobe PDF format, and responses written in either English or Japanese are accepted, though English is preferred for formal technical records.

Submissions should reference the RFI notice “RFI: General Market Research for Locally Available Materials and Commercial Welding Capabilities” in the email subject line. Any inquiries regarding this market research announcement may be directed to the following primary Government points of contact:

Mr. Gil Lopez, Supervisory Contracting Officer, NAVSUP FLCY, Email: gil.lopez3.civ@us.navy.mil

Mr. Peter Arrieta, Contracting Officer, NAVSUP FLCY Email: peterjommel.s.arrieta.ln@us.navy.mil

Ms. Ai Gillard, Contracting Officer, NAVSUP FLCY, Email: ai.gillard.ln@us.navy.mil

Ms. Samantha Salgado, Contracting Officer, NAVSUP FLCY Email: samantha.c.salgado.civ@us.navy.mil