This is a Request for Information (RFI). This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The information gained will assist in developing a plan to privatize all or portions of the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) and Defense Commissary System through the Office of the Deputy Chief Management Officer (ODCMO) (http://dcmo.defense.gov/). The result of this market research will contribute to determining the method of procurement (if any). The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code assigned to this procurement is 445110. REQUEST FOR INFORMATION To this end, the WHS Acquisition Directorate is seeking the following information from interested companies with respect to the following items/questions: 1. Identify which of the tasks above your business concern already performs (with respect to grocery store operations, support, and management). 2. Could your business concern fully perform these tasks in lieu of the DeCA, or would you need to partner with one or more other business concerns to fully perform these tasks? 3. Could your business concern perform the tasks without subsidy from the Government and still maintain the savings to patrons and the quality of both product and service? 4. What is your organization's optimal operating model with respect to full support, as outlined in Section I, or partial support, as outlined in Section II? 5. Describe any challenges, issues, and constraints that your business concern perceives may exist that would hamper its ability to operate any or all of the Defense Commissary System or to operate in a military environment. 6. Would your business concern be willing to provide an agreed upon level of savings to authorized patrons for the products and services of the current commissary system (in lieu of commissaries remaining open)? a. How would you implement? b. What percentage savings might your concern prepared to offer? 7. Describe innovative and/or alternative approaches to commissary operations that your business concern could offer that might reduce appropriated fund support while maintaining savings and service. Address whether an approach would require legislative change in order to implement. Some examples might be: a. Provision of groceries in remote locations using smaller (or no) storefronts, eCommerce, and direct-to-door (delivery) services. b. Coupon/discount programs leveraging eCommerce that link directly to patron credit cards. c. Implementation of a grocerant concept in targeted commissaries. 8. What is your business concern's willingness to adopt the current commissary employee structure, in addition to retaining the current employees? 9. What is your business concern's willingness to offer a preferential hiring program for veterans and military family members? 10. Would your business concern expect to assume control of or responsibility for the existing physical infrastructure? a. Under what conditions would you do that? b. Describe your organization's preference to engage in either a Government Owned-Contractor Operated (GOCO) or a Contractor Owned-Contractor Operated (COCO) relationship, with regard to facilities? 11. What specialty categories can your business concern offer (i.e., deli, bakery, prepared foods)? 12. What types of loyalty programs can your business concern offer? 13. How would your business concern use business analytics to improve the quality of products and services offered to authorized patrons or to increase patronage? 14. How would your business concern address generational (e.g., Millennials, Generation Z) impacts through products and services targeted to increase patronage (particularly among junior enlisted members and their families), customer satisfaction, and/or sales? 15. Use the table at Appendix A to indicate your organization's desired composition of commissary functions. INFORMATION SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS: The response to this notice is limited to eleven (11) single sided pages including all attachments, charts (such as Commissary Support Services Task Areas chart on previous page), etc. (single-spaced, 11 point font minimum excluding charts and graphics) and should also include current business size status. This indication should be clearly marked on the first page of the response, as well as the eligible business concern's name, point of contact, and address. All responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically (via e-mail only) to
[email protected] Facsimile responses will not be accepted. COMMON CUT-OFF TIME/DATE: Responses to the information above are due no later than 5:00 PM (EST) on 15 July 2016. Responses received after this date and time may not be considered. DISCLAIMER AND IMPORTANT NOTES: This RFI is for information and planning purposes only and shall NOT be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of the Government. This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in the response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any concern responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the concern's qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, additional notice(s) may be MAY be published in Federal Business Opportunities may, at its sole discretion, respond to any questions or inquiries as a result of this notice. However, public responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation. The Government will NOT accept requests for meetings or briefings, and no phone solicitations or email with regards to the status of a Request for Proposal (RFP) will be accepted prior to its release. Information and materials submitted in response to this notice WILL NOT be returned. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of responses received nor otherwise pay for the preparation of any information submitted. As a result of this notice, the Government MAY issue additional notices to further identify a better understanding of technical capabilities within the market. There is no solicitation available at this time. However, should such a requirement materialize, no basis for claims against the Government shall arise as a result of a response to this RFI or the Government's use of such information as either part of our evaluation process or in developing specifications for any subsequent requirement. CONFIDENTIALITY: No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s).