This announcement is a request for feedback from industry on the potential utilization of the FAA’s Mentor Protégé Program and to invite ideas for other strategies that would expand small business opportunities and increase the vendor base of small businesses able to perform large scale construction projects valued at over $20 Million to include new buildings and air traffic control tower facility construction. This announcement is NOT A SCREENING INFORMATION REQUEST (SIR) or REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP). Further, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is not seeking or accepting unsolicited proposals. The FAA will not pay for any information received or costs incurred in preparing the response to the market survey. Any costs associated with the market survey submittal are incurred solely at the interested vendor’s expense. Please read this entire announcement carefully. I. Purpose The purpose of this announcement is to help inform the FAA on ways to increase the potential vendor base and create opportunities for small business, including small disadvantaged business and other socioeconomic categories, for large scale Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) funded construction acquisitions. One area of particular interest to the FAA is the potential utilization of the FAA’s Mentor Protégé program to support large scale BIL construction. No notification about the outcome of this announcement will be released except as deemed appropriate, at the FAA’s sole discretion. II. Background and Additional Detail The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) provides a total of $5B in funding ($1B per year over five years) to upgrade the foundation of the FAA’s air traffic control system. This funding is intended to reduce our backlog of needed maintenance, updates, upgrades and replacement of critical buildings and equipment needed to operate our nation’s airspace safely. The FAA is committed to promote, expand, and aggressively provide procurement opportunities as prime contractors for small businesses. Currently, the FAA is considering the utilization of the FAA’s Mentor Protégé Program to increase Prime Contract awards to Small Business, to motivate and encourage firms to assist Small Businesses (SBs) in enhancing their capabilities in performing FAA construction contracts, foster the establishment of long term business relationships between SBs and mentor firms, and increase the overall number of SBs that receive FAA contracts and subcontract awards. The FAA designed its Mentor-Protégé Program to encourage large, established firms to assist smaller ones on an FAA contract. Small Businesses, Small Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Businesses, Small Disadvantaged Businesses, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Minority Institutions, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses and Women-Owned Small Businesses are eligible. Our aim is to foster long-term business relationships between large and small firms, and to increase the overall number of firms capable of doing business with the FAA. You can find additional information regarding the FAA’s Mentor Protégé Program found in the AMS FAA Mentor Protégé Guidance link and Mentor Protégé SBO site link attached to this announcement. Potential benefits to utilizing the FAA’s Mentor Protégé Program are allowing the FAA to set aside procurements reserved exclusively for competition among SB firms that are participants in this FAA Mentor-Protégé Program that may also be exclusive to a particular socio-economic category (such as Small Disadvantaged Business), and allowing Joint Ventures between Protégés and Mentors to be eligible as SBs or a further designated socio-economic category. The FAA is currently considering this strategy, and solicits feedback on it. The FAA also greatly encourages suggestions on other strategies. III. Vendor Feedback Response Requirements We request that interested vendors submit feedback (no more than 4 pages in length, single spaced, 12 point font minimum) to the following questions identified in this request for information. Vendor Name, Address, points of contact, telephone numbers, email addresses, and business size standard. Describe any recommended alternative strategies that may increase small business prime contract awards in large scale BIL funded construction projects valued at over $20 Million to include new building and air traffic control tower facility construction. Describe the potential benefits and impact on industry as well as filling FAA construction requirements. What do you see as the benefits and challenges of utilizing the FAA’s Mentor Protégé’ Program i.e. as a mentor or as a protégé? What are the potential impacts, to the FAA and industry, of using the FAA’s Mentor Protégé Program to fulfill large scale BIL funded construction projects. Do you have relationships with existing large or small businesses to be eligible and participate in the FAA’s Mentor Protégé Program for large scale BIL funded construction acquisition? If you do not have current relationships, how difficult would they be to establish? What are the advantages and disadvantages about setting aside large scale BIL Construction Projects to Small Business or FAA Mentor Protégé participants? If allowing Joint Ventures between Protégé and Mentor firms to be eligible for a set-aside, what do you see as advantages or disadvantages, benefits or issues? What information or resources would you need from the FAA in order for you to consider entering into the FAA’s Mentor Protégé Program? IV. Submittal Instructions All questions and responses to this announcement may be sent electronically to:
[email protected] no later than February 28th, 2023. Note: The FAR references cited in SAM.gov are not applicable to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as the FAA has its own policies and guidance referenced in the Acquisition Management System (AMS). The AMS can be found in the link (see FAST site) attached to this announcement. The FAA, at its sole discretion, may utilize some, all, or none of the feedback received in response to this announcement. Additionally, the FAA, at its sole discretion, may contact one, some, all, or none of the respondents to this Announcement. If contacted, additional information obtained from a vendor is not a promise that any provided feedback will be utilized.