Request for Information– Navy Clothing and Textile Research Facility Headwear Manufacturing Product Service Code: 8415 – Clothing, Special Purpose NAICS Code: 3152 – Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturers Background: The Navy Clothing and Textile Research Facility (NCTRF) is conducting a market research investigation to identify vendors with the capabilities to produce headwear for the United States Postal Service (USPS) Uniform Certification Program. The goal of this effort is to identify vendors with the capabilities to provide the following headwear items: Baseball caps Visors Sunhats Trooper Caps Description: NCTRF seeks to identify Berry compliant vendors capable of manufacturing headwear used by USPS men and women letter carriers, retail clerks, workers wear and postal police officers when worn with their uniforms. This is a request, solely for information gathering and planning purposes on behalf of USPS. This request does not constitute a formal solicitation for proposals and will not directly lead to any contract awards or certification of submissions. Baseball cap. NCTRF patterns and certified material will be used in producing the cap. Caps may be produced in 3 different colorways with various emblems. Emblems can be sewn on or direct embroidered. Baseball cap is produced in a full crown and half crown. Sizes are as follows: Small, Medium and Large. See attachment for Figures. Visor . NCTRF patterns and certified material will be using in producing the visor. Visor is produced in one colorway with one emblem. Size is one size fits all. See attachment for Figures. Sunhat . NCTRF patterns and certified UPF material are to be using in producing the sunhat. sunhat is produced in one colorway with one emblem. Sizes are as follows: Small, Medum, Large and X-Large. See attachment for Figures. Trooper Cap . NCTRF patterns and certified water repellent material are to be using in producing the trooper cap. Trooper cap is produced in one colorway with one emblem. Sizes are as follows: Small/Medum, Large/X-Large. See attachment for Figures. All headwear requires the use of certified emblems, See attachment for Figures. Interested sources shall, within thirty (30) calendar days of the publication of this RFI, respond with an information package containing the following information: General information regarding the firm, including location, size, and special designations (i.e., Small Business, 8(a), Women-Owned Small Business, AbilityOne, etc.). Validation that the origin of supply is domestic, produced in compliance with Section 2533a of Title 10 U.S. Code (i.e., the “Berry Amendment”). Experience manufacturing similar headwear. Up to two (2) finished end items for evaluation, validating that vendor can produce a cap, visor, sunhat and/or trooper cap. Estimated unit cost per submitted headwear. Any test data associated with the end item. Required documentation and fabric yardage shall be submitted to NCTRF no later than COB 12 JUL 2024. Information will be handled as proprietary, and samples will not be returned. Contact Information: Please submit responses to this RFI to Navy Clothing and Textile Research Facility, 10 General Greene Ave, Bldg. 86, Natick, MA 01760-5019 attention Darlene Rich,
[email protected], 508-206-2765 and Kelly A. Fratelli, (
[email protected] ), 508-206-2762. Information will be handled as proprietary, and samples will be Government property and will not be returned. This notice is request for information only. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION OR REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS. No solicitation document exists. Important Notice: Availability of Solicitations: Availability of solicitations, FAR 5.102(d) applies, as our office no longer issues solicitations or amendments in paper form. Offeror should register to receive notification of this solicitation or solicitation amendments. The solicitation will be posted on https://www.dibbs.bsm.dla.mil//. Important Note on Foreign Content: The Defense appropriations and authorization acts and other statutes (including what is commonly referred to as "The Berry Amendment" impose restrictions on the DoD's acquisition of foreign products and services. Generally, Clothing and Textile items (as defined in DFARS clause 252.225-7012) and "specialty metals" (as defined in DFARS clause 252.225-7014) must be grown, reprocessed, reused, melted or produced in the United States, its possessions or Puerto Rico, unless one of the DFARS 225.7002-2 exceptions applies.