J -- Vertical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Equipment Storage

DESCRIPTION: The U.S. Coast Guard intends TO PROCURE CONTRACTOR SERVICES TO STORE, MAINTAIN AND MANAGE VUAV EQUIPMENT (Bell Eagle Eye) inventory procured as contractor furnished equipment under USCG Deepwater contract DTCG23-02-C-2DW001.Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. (Bell) has established a storage area within its facilities and has invoked inspection and maintenance procedures to keep the material procured for the USCG Deepwater VUAV program in operational status for application to the VUAV program as required. Bell has received and inspected all items procured during the contract against program specifications and requirements in accordance with the contractual requirements. Bell has maintained all items relative to their flight readiness as part of the inventory storage at its facility. The removal of the inventory from Bell?s facility will require Bell to re-inspect all items upon their return to Bell in the future and will increase the risk that various items will be declared non-flight-worthy and will have to be re-ordered. The re-inspection may include requesting evidence from the USCG?s supplier that particular items were stored and maintained in accordance with Bell?s procedures. If the evidence cannot be provided or the evidence does not conclusively show that the item was stored and maintained in accordance with Bell?s procedures, Bell will have to declare that the items are not flight-worthy and place a new order to replace these items. NOTE 22. The proposed contract action is for services for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with BELL HELICOPTER under the authority of FAR 6.302. Interested persons may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirement or submit proposals. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. However, all proposals received within forty-five days (thirty days if award is issued under an existing basic ordering agreement) after date of publication of this synopsis will be considered by the Government. A determination by the Government not to compete with this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement.