This request for information (RFI) is part of a market research effort that the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Research and Development Center (RDC) is conducting in support of the Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate, Borders and Maritime Security Division (BMD) Maritime Technology Program. With this RFI, BMD and RDC are seeking from industry, government, and universities information on research and development activities relating to technologies for improving our nation’s ability to protect the population, infrastructure, and economic security on and surrounding the United States inland waterways. The objective of this RFI is to provide a basis for follow-on analysis to identify research and development opportunities that meet the BMD Maritime Technology Program and USCG goals and other criteria for screening new technology development candidates. Technologies will be assessed based on their contribution to reducing key maritime mission risks in the following four areas: I. Small Vessel Identification/Tracking – challenge of distinguishing between the vast number of legitimate vessel operators and the relatively few individuals engaged in illicit activities II. Tracking Certain Dangerous Cargo (CDC) Barges – automatically track CDC barges in real or near-real time III. River Level/Velocity Detection – measure and report not only river levels, but also current velocity at critical points, to aid the USCG and mariners in critical decisions related to towing safety IV. Information-based Awareness (IBA) – support Command Center watchstander understanding of information presented to them Organizations responding to this RFI may respond to one or more of the four topics discussed above. Because certain aspects of this RFI include Security Sensitive Information (SSI), only this abbreviated version is being published in FedBizOpps. The complete RFI will be provided to companies interested in responding, as explained below under “Responding to This Market Research.” Companies or organizations dealing in the following areas may be interested in responding to this RFI: • Command and Control systems and software • Data integration and intelligence fusion • Real time instrumentation • Sensors and sensor integration • Position location tracking and situational awareness The information collected from this RFI will be used to identify and analyze “State of the Technology” capabilities. Capabilities will be assessed based on their contribution to Department of Homeland Security mission performance. Information obtained through this RFI will be used to: • Focus DHS and USCG research and development resources on the most promising technologies, • Identify systems to participate in technology maturation efforts including Advanced Technology Demonstrations, and • Help formulate functional requirements for potential systems to fill capability gaps. Responding to This Market Research In order to respond to this RFI, submit a request by e-mail to
[email protected]. In the email, include company name, description (company résumé or web site), areas of interest, and a specific point of contact, including name, phone number, e-mail address, and a completed “CONDITIONAL ACCESS TO SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT (NDA),” provided as Attachment A to this RFI. Attachment A must be executed in order to be eligible for the complete RFI. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this RFI or to otherwise pay for information received in response to this RFI. This RFI is issued for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this RFI are not offers and will not be accepted by the U.S. Government to form a binding contract. In your response, using NAICS Code 541330, please identify whether you are a Small or Large Business. PHONE CALLS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED, VOICE MAIL MESSAGES LEFT WILL NOT BE RETURNED, AND E-MAILS RECEIVED WILL NOT BE RESPONDED TO. The deadline for final responses to the RFI is 2 February 2009 (following receipt of your email with an executed NDA, Attachment A).