Solicitation
N3220525R6003 - Surtass-E RFP
Department of Defense · Department of the Navy
AI summarySolicitation N3220525R6003 (SURTASS-E RFP) is open to all businesses, with no set-aside. Military Sealift Command (MSC), through MSCHQ Norfolk in the Department of the Navy, wants a time charter (a crewed ship leased at a daily rate) of one U.S.-flagged vessel. The ship tows the Navy's passive acoustic array (underwater listening gear) at 4 to 6 knots for events of up to 45 days, anywhere in the world. The Navy brings its own equipment, called government-furnished equipment (GFE), in shipping-container vans that the ship must carry. The charter is a fixed-price lease with some reimbursable lines, for a one-year base period, three one-year options and one 11-month option. The response due date is November 5, 2026 (an amendment moved it to Nov 19, 2026, 1:00 PM EST), 1:00 PM Eastern. More in the summary
AI summary Beta
Summary of the version posted Oct 21, 2026. The notice was amended Nov 3, 2026. The due date moved from Nov 5, 2026 to Nov 19, 2026. Check what else changed on SAM.gov. This summary may miss requirements: 16 of 28 attachments weren't read (A0003 Attachment 17_Technical Evaluation Worksheet.xlsx, A0008 Attachment 4_Basic Pricing Data.xlsx and 14 more). Check the attachments on SAM.gov.
Solicitation N3220525R6003 (SURTASS-E RFP) is open to all businesses, with no set-aside. Military Sealift Command (MSC), through MSCHQ Norfolk in the Department of the Navy, wants a time charter (a crewed ship leased at a daily rate) of one U.S.-flagged vessel. The ship tows the Navy's passive acoustic array (underwater listening gear) at 4 to 6 knots for events of up to 45 days, anywhere in the world. The Navy brings its own equipment, called government-furnished equipment (GFE), in shipping-container vans that the ship must carry. The charter is a fixed-price lease with some reimbursable lines, for a one-year base period, three one-year options and one 11-month option. The response due date is November 5, 2026 (passed), 1:00 PM Eastern.
Who can bid (9)
- Open to all businesses: no set-aside used
- A U.S.-flagged vessel (a foreign-flagged ship must be reflagged U.S. before delivery)
- Vessel classed by a member of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS). It must meet the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) rules for steel vessels under 90 meters, or an equivalent
Show all 9Show fewer
- Master, officers and entire crew must be U.S. citizens
- At least one corporate officer and the Master, Chief Mate, Second Mate and Third Mate must hold a U.S. SECRET security clearance before assignment to the vessel
- Objective test evidence from an accredited noise and vibration organization showing the ship meets the radiated-noise limits
- Documentation of an active facility security clearance appears to be part of the offer; the questions and answers discuss sending it by encrypted email
- A trafficking-in-persons compliance plan certification (FAR 52.222-56) submitted with the business proposal
- A written plan with the offer for continuing essential contractor services during a crisis
How to submit: Email to ashley.m.smith357.civ@us.navy.mil, as the Amendment 0002 questions and answers state; encrypted email is accepted and no other electronic means is allowed. Part X was replaced by Amendment 0003 and was not read, so check it., due November 5, 2026, 1:00 PM Eastern. What to include is under Full summary below. Check the solicitation's instructions on SAM.gov.
Things to watch (16)
- Serious: All-U.S.-citizen crew and SECRET-cleared officers. Every crew member must be a U.S. citizen, and a corporate officer plus the four deck officers need U.S. SECRET clearances before assignment. Other crew need a national agency background check or Tier One investigation and the ability to get a Common Access Card (CAC).
- Serious: Needs a specialized U.S.-flagged ship. The ship must be U.S.-flagged by delivery and classed by a recognized society. It also needs 5,008 square feet of clear deck, quarters for 30 Navy personnel, 150 kW of power and worldwide range. A firm without a suitable ship or a ship-owner partner cannot bid.
- Serious: Radiated-noise proof required. The ship's underwater noise must stay within the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) Underwater Noise (UWN) research-vessel limits while towing. Test evidence from an accredited noise organization is required. The Navy can re-verify on delivery, and the contractor pays to regain compliance.
Show all 16Show fewer
- Worth checking: Facility security clearance documents. A question and answer set discusses sending proof of an active facility clearance by encrypted email, and a DD-254 (contract security classification form) is attached but not read. Check whether your company needs its own facility clearance.
- Worth checking: Equipment installs and change-outs are in the fixed price. The fixed price must cover one mobilization, one demobilization and six equipment change-outs. That includes cranes, labor, welding, class surveyor services and any shipyard shifts needed for the four-day return to mission.
- Worth checking: Drawings and warranties on the ship's stern and deck. The technical offer must warrant that the ship's stern has room for a 36 ft by 31.7 ft overboarding area and include drawings with exact measurements. Amendment 0003 changed several of these technical items.
- Worth checking: Off-hire rules if the ship is unavailable. Readiness is a required service. Time when the ship is unavailable to the Navy falls under Part IV(j) and the off-hire guidelines (Attachment 21), which were not read.
- Worth checking: Crisis plan for essential contractor services due with the offer. This is mission essential work, so the offer needs a written plan to keep essential services going for up to 30 days or until normal operations resume.
- Worth checking: Delivery window and early deadlines after award. Laydays, the delivery window, are listed as January 24, 2027 to April 15, 2027. The Navy visits the ship 10 to 30 days after award, and the 12-month maintenance schedule is due within 30 days of award.
- Worth checking: Incremental funding. The funded amount is left blank in the clause, and the contractor may not work past the money allotted. Ask the contracting officer how much is funded.
- Minor: Date passed (Nov 5, 2026): Response due date moved to November 5, 2026. Amendment 0008 moved the response due date from October 22, 2026 to November 5, 2026, and earlier amendments moved it several times before. Use the current date and recheck SAM.gov.
- Minor: Several costs are not reimbursed. Security clearance costs, AT/FP (anti-terrorism and force protection) training, annual hull cleaning and in-person attendance at three planning conferences a year all sit inside the daily charter rate.
- Minor: Long crew rotations and far-from-Norfolk support. Operations away from the Norfolk area need logistics for voyages, port calls and several crew changes, and each crew rotation lasts 56 days.
- Minor: Acknowledge every amendment. Eight amendments have been issued, and a missing acknowledgment may get the offer rejected.
- Minor: Notice text is older than the current requirements. The notice text still says events of up to 60 days and open ice capability. Amendment 0003 and the current performance work statement say up to 45 days and ice-free periods. The later documents govern.
- Minor: 2 percent tax on foreign persons. A foreign person paid under this contract faces a 2 percent tax unless it claims an exemption with Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form W-14 sent with the offer.
Read from the notice and 12 attachments. 16 of 28 not read. Show which files.
- SF1449 as of A0008 - N3220525R60030008.pdf (read)
- Solicitation Amendment N3220525R60030008 SF 30.pdf (read)
- Solicitation Amendment N3220525R60030007 SF 30.pdf (read)
- Solicitation Amendment N3220525R60030006 SF 30.pdf (read)
- Solicitation Amendment N3220525R60030005 SF 30.pdf (read)
- Solicitation Amendment N3220525R60030004 SF 30.pdf (read)
- Solicitation Amendment N3220525R60030003 SF 30.pdf (read)
- Solicitation Amendment N3220525R60030002 SF 30.pdf (read)
- Solicitation Amendment N3220525R60030001 SF 30.pdf (read)
- Enclosure 1 for Amendment 0002 _ QA_s.docx (read)
- A0003 Attachment 7_PWS (Performance Work Statement).docx (read)
- Enclosure 1 for A0003_A0003 Changes.docx (read)
- A0003 Attachment 17_Technical Evaluation Worksheet.xlsx: not read (the AI doesn't read this file type yet): open it on SAM.gov
- A0008 Attachment 4_Basic Pricing Data.xlsx: not read (the AI doesn't read this file type yet): open it on SAM.gov
- A0004 Attachment 1_SPECIALTIME 2026 (02-26).docx: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
- A0003 Attachment 20_ Reserved.xlsx: not read (the AI doesn't read this file type yet): open it on SAM.gov
- A0003 Attachment 13_ MSC SOM.pdf: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
- A0003 Attachment 9_ ATFP.pdf: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
- A0003 Attachment 6_ Crew Complement.docx: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
- A0003 Attachment 12_ SFLLL.pdf: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
- A0003 Attachment 3_ GFP.xlsx: not read (the AI doesn't read this file type yet): open it on SAM.gov
- A0003 Attachment 14_CDRL.pdf: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
- A0003 Attachment 5_DD-254 Rev.pdf: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
- A0003 Attachment 10 _ CBRN.pdf: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
- A0003 Attachment 8_Request for Clarifications.docx: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
- A0003 Attachment 21_Guidelines for Off-Hire.pdf: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
- A0003 Attachment 16 _ MECSP.docx: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
- A0006 Attachment 2_Wage Determination.pdf: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
Full summary
What they want
- Provide one U.S.-flagged vessel on time charter that can work worldwide; a foreign-flagged ship must be reflagged U.S. before delivery
- Tow the Navy's passive acoustic array at 4 to 6 knots, 24 hours a day, for up to a 45-day event, holding heading within 5 degrees
- Carry and host the Navy's equipment vans on 5,008 square feet of clear weldable deck, with about 650 fillet welds for a 7-van layout
- Do one mobilization, one demobilization and six equipment change-outs inside the fixed price, and meet a mandatory four-day return-to-mission timeline
- Supply 150 kW of power, quarters for 30 Navy personnel, water, compressed air, a 5-ton crane, a telephone and alarm hookup, and satellite communications
- Crew the ship with U.S. citizens, with SECRET-cleared deck officers, and keep security watches; crew rotations last 56 days
- Allow a pre-delivery site survey 10 to 30 days after award, and send a 12-month maintenance schedule within 30 days of award
- Keep the ship quiet enough to meet the radiated-noise limits, clean the hull each year, and keep a valid Certificate of Inspection
- Contract type
- Fixed-price time charter with reimbursable elements (charter hire lines are firm-fixed-price; separate reimbursables lines for each period)
- Period of performance
- 1 base year + three 1-year options + one 11-month option (4 years and 11 months in all). Laydays (the delivery window) are listed as January 24, 2027 to April 15, 2027.
- Place of performance
- Norfolk, VA, USA, as SAM.gov states. The vessel must work worldwide; sample areas listed are Iceland, Azores, Norway, England, the Mediterranean, Japan and South Korea.
- Estimated value
- Not stated
- How they'll choose
- Not stated in the text read. Part XI of the main contract document (Attachment 1) sets the evaluation and was not read.
- Offers due
- November 5, 2026, 1:00 PM Eastern (from the version posted Oct 21, 2026; amended since)
- How to submit
- Email to ashley.m.smith357.civ@us.navy.mil, as the Amendment 0002 questions and answers state; encrypted email is accepted and no other electronic means is allowed. Part X was replaced by Amendment 0003 and was not read, so check it.
What they'll judge offers on
- Technical proposal, checked on the Technical Evaluation Worksheet (Attachment 17), including the vessel's radiated-noise certification and deck-layout drawings
- Price: the government works out total evaluated price from charter hire for all periods, any 52.217-8 extension, delivery and redelivery bonuses (if offered), fuel and other costs
What to include when you submit
- Complete and sign Standard Form 1449 (SF 1449: the form you sign and return as your offer); the offeror completes blocks 12, 17, 23, 24 and 30.
- Price each charter hire and reimbursables line for the base period and Options 1 to 4 in Attachment 4 (Basic Pricing Data). The government works out fuel costs and the total evaluated price.
- Technical proposal: complete the Technical Evaluation Worksheet (Attachment 17), certify the radiated-noise rating, and provide the required layout drawings with exact measurements. Amendment 0003 changed some of this wording.
- Include a written plan for continuing the essential contractor services during a crisis (the mission essential contractor services plan).
- Business proposal: include the certification under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.222-56 about a trafficking-in-persons compliance plan.
- Confirm in the offer that you can meet the citizenship and security clearance requirements in RFP Part V(a).
- If you are a foreign person, send IRS Form W-14 with the offer to claim any tax exemption.
- Acknowledge every amendment. Return the signed Standard Form 30 (SF 30: the amendment form), note it on the offer, or send a letter or email naming the solicitation and amendment numbers.
After award, you must have
- A valid Certificate of Inspection (COI) for the whole lease, allowing the Navy's equipment vans to be installed From A0003 Attachment 7_PWS (Performance Work Statement).docx:
A valid Certificate Of Inspection (COI) shall be maintained for the entire duration of vessel lease.
Current contractor
The SF 1449 calls this the Surtass-E Reprocurement, a recompete clue; no incumbent is named.
Not in the notice text
- Not fully read: the main contract document, Attachment 1 (SPECIALTIME 2026 proforma), is attached on SAM.gov but was not read. It holds Part X (offer instructions), Part XI (evaluation), insurance values and off-hire rules. The pricing sheet, government-furnished property list, DD-254, crew complement, wage determination, off-hire guidelines and other attachments also were not read.
- How offers are weighed against each other, page limits and exact volume rules are in Parts X and XI, which were not read.
- The submission email address, the encrypted-email rule and the proposal items come from the Amendment 0002 questions and answers; Amendment 0003 replaced Part X, so check the current text.
- Insurance amounts the charterer must carry (Parts IV and V of the proforma) are not in the text read.
- The text read does not say who pays for fuel or how reimbursables are billed. The pricing sheet, which was not read, uses Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) fuel prices posted as of October 1, 2026.
- Whether the ice-class language in the notice text still applies is unclear. The current performance work statement asks for seasonally ice-free operations and open-water transits under the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Polar Code Category C.
- The Government's estimate or contract value is not given in the text read.
Eligibility and how to respond
- No set-aside: any business, large or small, can bid unless the notice says otherwise.
- How to submit, from the AI summary: Email to ashley.m.smith357.civ@us.navy.mil, as the Amendment 0002 questions and answers state; encrypted email is accepted and no other electronic means is allowed. Part X was replaced by Amendment 0003 and was not read, so check it. Check it in the notice before you send anything.
- Service contracts usually set minimum pay rates (the Service Contract Act). Price the labor with the SCA price calculator.
Notice details
- Posted
- Nov 3, 2026
- Notice type
- Solicitation
- Office
- MSCHQ Norfolk, VA
- Product/service code
- V124 · Transportation/Travel/Relocation – Transportation: Marine Charter
- Business type
- Transportation, logistics & vehicles (FedReady's grouping, from NAICS 483111)
- Versions
14 versions have been posted, newest first.
- Nov 3, 2026 · Amendment 0009 (this version)Due Nov 19, 2026 (changed)
- Oct 21, 2026 · AmendmentDue Nov 5, 2026 (changed)
- Oct 5, 2026 · AmendmentDue Oct 22, 2026 (changed)
- Sep 22, 2026 · AmendmentDue Oct 8, 2026 (changed)
- Sep 8, 2026 · AmendmentDue Sep 24, 2026 (changed)
- Aug 26, 2026 · AmendmentDue Sep 10, 2026 (changed)
- Aug 5, 2026 · AmendmentDue Aug 27, 2026
- Aug 5, 2026 · AmendmentDue Aug 27, 2026 (changed)
- Oct 2, 2025 · AmendmentDue Oct 8, 2025
- Oct 2, 2025 · AmendmentDue Oct 8, 2025
- Oct 2, 2025 · AmendmentDue Oct 8, 2025
- Oct 2, 2025 · AmendmentDue Oct 8, 2025
- Sep 29, 2025 · AmendmentDue Oct 8, 2025 (changed)
- Sep 3, 2025 · SolicitationDue Oct 3, 2025
- Attachments
Past awards and competition
Who has won work like this before, the likely incumbent, and what similar contracts paid, from USAspending.gov.
Before you respond
- How to respond to a solicitation (8 steps)
- How to read a government solicitation
- How to price a government contract
Terms on this notice: Solicitation
Full notice text from SAM.gov
***03 November 2026*** Amendment 0009 is hereby issued extending the due date from 05 November 2026 1:00pm Local Time (EST) to 19 November 2026 1:00pm Local Time (EST). ***21 October 2026*** Amendment 0008 is hereby issued updating Attachment 4 (Basic Pricing Data Sheet) to update posted DLA fuel prices as of 01 October 2026 and extending the due date from 22 October 2026 1:00pm Local Time (EDT) to 05 November 2026 1:00pm Local Time (EST). ***05 October 2026*** AMENDMENT 0007 IS HEREBY ISSUED UPDATING THE DUE DATE FROM 08 OCT 2026, 1:00pm LOCAL TIME (EDT) TO 22 OCT 2026, 1:00pm LOCAL TIME (EDT). SEE UPDATED SF1449 PER AMENDMENT 0007 ALONG WITH THE SF-30 FOR THIS AMENDMENT ADDED ON 05 OCT 2026. ***22 September 2026*** Amendment 0006 is hereby issued updating Attachment 2 (Wage Determination) and extending the due date from 24 September 2026 1:00pm Local Time (EDT) to 08 October 2026 1:00pm Local Time (EDT). ***08 September 2026*** AMENDMENT 0005 IS HEREBY ISSUED UPDATING THE DUE DATE FROM 10 SEPT 2026, 1:00pm LOCAL TIME (EDT) TO 24 SEPT 2026, 1:00pm LOCAL TIME (EDT). SEE UPDATED SF1449 PER AMENDMENT 0005 ALONG WITH THE SF-30 FOR THIS AMENDMENT ADDED ON 08 SEPT 2026. ***26 August 2026*** AMENDMENT 0004 IS HEREBY ISSUED UPDATING THE DUE DATE TO 10 SEPT 2026. ADDITIONALLY, SEE UPDATED PROFORMA ATTACHMENT AND SF1449_0004 POSTED ON 26 AUGUST 2026. ***05 August 2026*** Amendment A0003 is hereby issued updating and re-opening the solicitation. See attachments for details. ***02 OCT 2025. RFP Amendment A0002 is hereby issued. (Attachment 16 has been added to address questions submitted by potential offerors). Updated versions of Attachment 3, Attachment 6, Attachment 7, Attachment 8, Attachment 9, Attachment 12, Attachment 13, and Attachment 14 have been uploaded. See attached [SF-30] and [SF1449] for full details. Nothing from the SF1449 Changed from A0001 to A0002 and the only change from the orginial posting is the issue date and due date (Box 6 and 8) as outlined in A0001. All other things remain unchanged. ***29 SEP 2025. RFP Amendment A0001 is hereby issued to update the RFP Issue Date and Response Date. See attached [SF-30] for full details. See SF1449 and Related Attachments for details The solicitation will be a fixed-priced time charter with reimbursable elements, with a performance period of one (1) year base period and will be followed by three (3) 1-year option periods and one 11-month option period. The solicitation will require a time charter of one US flagged or foreign flagged vessel (to be reflagged US prior to delivery of vessel) required to tow an acoustic array in support of U.S. Navy Operations. The vessel will tow a passive acoustic monitoring system, between 4-6 knots, 24hrs/day for up to a 60-day event. The ship will need to be able to tow on a directed heading within 5 degrees for extended periods at slow speed. Because of the type of acoustic system employed, the ability of the vessel to maintain heading stability is critical. The vessel must be capable of worldwide operations, including support in all ocean basins of the world from the Arctic to the Antarctic during all periods of time. The vessel is expected to operate in open water in the vicinity of the Marginal Ice Zone (MIZ) and must be capable of surviving encounter with young open ice, as specified by ABS, Ice Class D0.
Similar open opportunities
- Voluntary Tanker Agreement (VTA)U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) is signing up ocean tanker operators to a standing 'Voluntary Tanker Agreement' (VTA).
- Operation and Maintenance of T-ATS Navajo Class Vessels
- Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement (VISA) - 2024 RenewalU.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) is renewing the Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement (VISA), a program where ocean carriers pre-commit ship capacity to the Department…
- Dry Cargo TugconThe Navy's Military Sealift Command in Norfolk is doing market research for a U.S.-flag ocean-going tug to tow a 688-ton berthing barge (YRBM-32) from Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to…
- Ancillary Surface Craft (ASC) Shipping