Sources Sought
B Department Operations Support
Department of Defense · Department of the Navy
AI summaryThis is a draft for industry feedback, not a request for proposals; only small businesses holding a SeaPort-NxG (Navy multiple-award services) contract can bid on the final solicitation. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) wants support services for its Electromagnetic and Sensor Systems Department at Dahlgren, VA. The planned task order is cost-plus-fixed-fee (CPFF: allowable costs plus a set fee) for 12 months plus four 12-month options, 60 months in all. More in the summary
Market research, not a bid. Replying is free and tells Department of the Navy who could do this work. Send a short reply to the contracting contact; no price is needed. See the contact
AI summary Beta
This summary may miss requirements: 7 of 19 attachments weren't read (08 - Cost Proposal Spreadsheet_13 Aug 2026.xlsx, 07 - Staffing Plan_13 Aug 2026.xlsx and 5 more). Check the attachments on SAM.gov.
This is a draft for industry feedback, not a request for proposals; only small businesses holding a SeaPort-NxG (Navy multiple-award services) contract can bid on the final solicitation. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) wants support services for its Electromagnetic and Sensor Systems Department at Dahlgren, VA. The planned task order is cost-plus-fixed-fee (CPFF: allowable costs plus a set fee) for 12 months plus four 12-month options, 60 months in all.
Who can bid (6)
- Limited competition: only to holders of a SeaPort-NxG multiple-award contract can bid, not every business that meets the set-aside.
- Small business prime contractor that holds a SeaPort-NxG basic contract; the final solicitation goes only to these firms
- Secret facility clearance level required by the draft DD Form 254 (the contract security classification form), which is for bidding purposes only
Show all 6Show fewer
- Assigned personnel need a current SECRET security clearance at a minimum; the draft DD Form 254 also asks for a favorably adjudicated T3 background investigation or interim eligibility for staff with classified access
- Program Manager must be the prime contractor's own employee, with ten years of management experience and at least five in Navy weapon systems
- Key personnel for Senior Financial Analyst, Senior Program Analyst and Senior Systems Administrator, each with seven years of professional experience in their field
How to submit: Final proposals are to go through the PIEE Solicitation Module. For this draft, send questions and comments by email to sophia.a.somsen.civ@us.navy.mil and sean.t.mcgovern5.civ@us.navy.mil.. What to include is under Full summary below. Check the solicitation's instructions on SAM.gov.
Things to watch (8)
From the version posted Oct 15, 2026.
- Serious: Only SeaPort-NxG holders can bid. The final solicitation goes only to holders of a SeaPort-NxG multiple-award contract, so a business without one cannot send a proposal.
- Serious: Draft only, not a request for proposals. Nobody can send a proposal yet; the draft may change before the final solicitation and carries no promise of an award.
- Serious: Secret facility and personnel clearances. The draft requires a Secret facility clearance and cleared staff.
Show all 8Show fewer
- Worth checking: Set-aside shown differently. SAM.gov lists the set-aside as not stated, but the notice text and draft say the buy is a small business set-aside.
- Worth checking: Fixed hours and four key personnel with resumes. Proposals must use the Government's labor hours, and the Program Manager and three senior roles are key personnel who cannot be swapped without approval.
- Worth checking: Cost realism analysis. The Government may raise costs it judges unrealistically low and may count low costs against the technical rating, which matters for a cost-plus bid.
- Worth checking: Urgent requests within 60 minutes. Staff must answer urgent requests quickly during the whole task order, which shapes staffing and on-site coverage.
- Minor: Part of the work is mission essential. Some Configuration Management Specialist hours are designated mission essential, meaning they must continue during a crisis.
Read from the notice and 12 attachments. 7 of 19 not read. Show which files.
- Draft Solicitation - Industry Notice.docx (read)
- DRAFT Solicitation - N0017827R3103.pdf (read)
- B-SOW 1April26.pdf (read)
- 01 - SOW_12 Aug 2026.pdf (read)
- 03 - QASP_29 Jul 2026.pdf (read)
- 02 - DD254_27 May 2026 (draft for industry).pdf (read)
- 09 - GFI_20 July 2026.pdf (read)
- 06 - Labor Category Qualifications_12 Aug 2026.pdf (read)
- 04 - GFP_8 Jun 2026.pdf (read)
- 05 - COR Appointment Letter.pdf (read)
- 12 - Mission Essential Contractor Services.docx (read)
- 10 - Past Performance References.docx (read)
- 08 - Cost Proposal Spreadsheet_13 Aug 2026.xlsx: not read (the AI doesn't read this file type yet): open it on SAM.gov
- 07 - Staffing Plan_13 Aug 2026.xlsx: not read (the AI doesn't read this file type yet): open it on SAM.gov
- H.1-B Dept OPS Support_LCAT_1April26.pdf: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
- M.1- Advance_notice_B Operations Support_4-1-26.pdf: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
- Exhibit A - CDRLS_8 Jun 2026.pdf: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
- Exhibit B - Contractor Acquired Property.xlsx: not read (the AI doesn't read this file type yet): open it on SAM.gov
- 11 - Wage Determinations.pdf: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
Full summary
What they want
- Program and financial support: budget plans, expense tracking, financial reports and funds status for sensor system projects
- Laboratory control: run and maintain sensor system labs, keep equipment inventories (classified materials at least once a year) and write repair procedures
- Information technology: maintain network systems, servers and cloud storage, run security scans, and resolve help tickets within service level agreement times
- Technical editing and writing: reports, briefings, meeting minutes and promotional materials
- Operations support: coordinate shipboard radar installations, Navy modernization check-ins, material shipments and lab and test site renovations
- Test support: write test procedures, build the test schedule, keep problem and reliability databases, and draft test reports
- Program analysis and configuration management (keeping hardware and software versions under control): status reports, plans and meeting action items
- Facilities operations, property management, procurement support and electronics technician work, with urgent requests answered within 60 minutes
- Contract type
- Cost-plus-fixed-fee (CPFF) level-of-effort (term) task order; other direct costs are cost only with no fee; data items are not separately priced
- Period of performance
- Base period of 12 months plus four 12-month option periods, 60 months if all options are exercised; each year also has a 20% surge option
- Place of performance
- Dahlgren, VA (NSWCDD), test facilities, contractor facilities and the field. For pricing, assume NSWCDD, Wallops Flight Facility and the bidder's primary facility, except shipboard support.
- Estimated value
- Not stated
- Contract vehicle
- SeaPort-NxG multiple-award contract holders only; the draft limits it to small business prime contractors holding a SeaPort-NxG basic contract
- How they'll choose
- Best value tradeoff between technical capability and total evaluated cost; Technical is more important than Cost, and Technical must be rated Acceptable or higher to be eligible for award
- Offers due
- January 1, 2027, 10:00 AM Eastern
- How to submit
- Final proposals are to go through the PIEE Solicitation Module. For this draft, send questions and comments by email to sophia.a.somsen.civ@us.navy.mil and sean.t.mcgovern5.civ@us.navy.mil.
What they'll judge offers on
- Factor 1, Technical: (A) technical approach, (B) management approach, (C) personnel approach, including the staffing plan and key personnel; rated Outstanding, Good, Acceptable, Marginal or Unacceptable
- Factor 2, Past Performance: rated Acceptable or Unacceptable only; a firm with no record is treated as acceptable
- Factor 3, Cost Proposal: cost realism analysis, with unrealistically low costs adjusted upward to a total evaluated cost
- Volume IV, Contract Documentation: pass or fail; a fail makes the proposal ineligible
What to include when you submit
- This draft is not open for proposals; the Government asks only for industry feedback by email to the two addresses above.
- For the final solicitation, proposals have four volumes: Technical (Volume I), Past Performance (Volume II), Cost (Volume III) and Contract Documentation (Volume IV).
- Propose the labor hours in the labor category table exactly; proposals may not deviate from the total hours in Section B, and surge is priced at 20% of that effort.
- Send resumes for the four key personnel roles; the earlier draft statement of work says each resume needs a signed certification by the employee and the contractor, and non-employees need an accepted offer letter with a start date.
- Fill in the past performance reference form (Attachment 10) for each reference: company, CAGE code, program, contract number, contacts, contract type, period, value and how it is similar in scope and complexity.
- If administrative program management support is covered by indirect rates, still propose the Management and Support hours at a $0 rate and say so in the cost narrative.
- Upload early: the PIEE upload closes at the due time even if an upload is not complete.
After award, you must have
- Systems staff with privileged access must meet Department of Defense cybersecurity training and certification rules (DoDM 8140.03) From 06 - Labor Category Qualifications_12 Aug 2026.pdf:
…modifications. In addition, per the requirements set forth in DoDM 8140.03, as a condition of privileged…
- Staff working aboard vessels, dry docks and piers need a 10-hour OSHA Maritime Shipyard Employment Course card within 60 days of employment From B-SOW 1April26.pdf:
…piers shall have a valid 10 hour OSHA Maritime Shipyard Employment Course #7615 completion card within…
Current contractor
Solutions Development Corporation is the incumbent, performing under SeaPort-NxG contract N0017819D8537, task order N0017823F3000. The draft DD Form 254 also marks this as a follow-on to those numbers. An Industry Day was held on 27 April 2026; no responses or estimate are given.
Not in the notice text
- Much of the draft solicitation (Sections C through L, including proposal instructions, page limits and clauses) and both versions of the statement of work were cut in the middle and not read; the full set is on SAM.gov. Attached but not read: Cost Proposal Spreadsheet, Staffing Plan, labor category file H.1-B, Advance Notice M.1, CDRL list (Exhibit A), Contractor Acquired Property (Exhibit B) and Wage Determinations.
- Which wage determination or labor standards apply is not stated in the text read; the Wage Determinations file was attached but not read.
- The proposal due date, estimated award date and question period are set in Section L and Block 9, which are not shown.
- The Government's cost estimate or contract value is not stated.
- Page limits and the number of past performance references to send are not shown.
- Industry Day slides, questions and answers, and the attendance list were posted on SAM.gov and were not read.
Eligibility and how to respond
- No set-aside. Any business can reply, and no bid is being taken yet, but the notice names requirements for the work:
- Limited competition: only to holders of a SeaPort-NxG multiple-award contract can bid.
- To respond, send a short reply to the contracting contact near the top of this page. No price is needed.
Notice details
- Posted
- Oct 15, 2026
- Notice type
- Sources Sought
- Office
- NSWC Dahlgren, VA
- Product/service code
- R799 · Support – Management: Other
- Business type
- Engineering, architecture & research (FedReady's grouping, from NAICS 541330)
- Versions
4 versions have been posted, newest first.
- Oct 15, 2026 · Amendment 0001 (this version)Due Jan 1, 2027
- Oct 14, 2026 · Sources SoughtDue Jan 1, 2027
- May 20, 2026 · Special NoticeDate Jan 1, 2027 (changed)
- Apr 8, 2026 · Sources SoughtDue Apr 20, 2026
- 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
Terms on this notice: Sources sought notice
Full notice text from SAM.gov
B Department Operations Support. *THIS REQUIREMENT WILL BE SOLICITED AMONGST SEAPORT-NxG MAC HOLDERS ONLY*B Department has a requirement for technical and support services in the general Work Areas of: Information Technology, Program Financial Management, Technical Writing/Editing, Operations Support, Configuration Management, Program Analysis, Facilities Operations, Property Management, Procurement Support and Electronics Technician. These services shall be provided in support of existing, near-term, and out-year projects, programs, technology developments, technology insertions, prototyping and technology demonstrations, fielding and sustainment, and related acquisition efforts. The Contractor shall provide technical support services at NSWCDD, test facilities, Contractor facilities, and in the field. On 5/11/2026, this post was updated to include Industry Day Slides, Questions and Answers, and the attendance list. On 5/20/2026, this post was updated to announce the small business set-aside determination. On 10/14/2026, this post was updated with the draft solicitation and attachments for industry feedback.
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