RFP regarding a Vessel Acquisition Manager (VAM) service for the U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration (MARAD) Ready Reserve Fleet (RRF) Recapitalization   5

*** THIS IS A PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT ***

4/19/2021 - THE PURPOSE OF THIS AMENDMENT 0008 IS TO ALLOW OFFERORS WHO SUBMITTED PROPOSALS TO ENTER INTO DISCUSSIONS. PLEASE SEE LATEST AMENDMENT (0008) FOR RED-LINE CHANGES TO THE SOLICITATION.

NO CHANGE IN PROPOSALS DUE DATE, REMAINS: 01/22/2021 (1600 Eastern Time)

The purpose of this Amendment (0007) to the original request for proposals (RFP) No.693JF719R000034, is to provide an additional 2 answers to the Q&A and provide an updated J-2 attachment. See documents dated 01/13/2021 for details.

Period of Performance: 03/31/2021 to 03/30/2027 Estimated

MARAD intends to acquire vessels for service in the Ready Reserve Force through a services
contract with a company. The provider is called a Vessel Acquisition Manager (VAM) and has
experience procuring, reflagging, re-classifying, modifying, maintaining and operating vessel(s).
The overall objective of the VAM contract is for the government acquisition of used ships to
fulfill DoD sealift requirements. MARAD will acquire ships, including used U.S. or foreign-built
ships as part of the Department of the Navy's plan to recapitalize the organic, Governmentowned
sealift fleet in accordance with the Sealift That the Nation Needs report to Congress.
1) The VAM Services include:
a) Surveying the used ship market for vessels that most closely meet the ORD
requirements and/or are able to be modified to meet the requirements.
b) Perform a screening and selection process of the vessels through various stages
culminating in an on-site survey. 2) Produce and provide reports supporting the
screening, selection and elimination process with a final Business Case Analysis. The
Business Case Analysis balances the ORD performance, material condition of the ship,
maintainability, acquisition cost and life-cycle cost of the vessel as well as other
considerations; use this BCA to make a purchase recommendation;
c) Provide ship purchase services and purchase a ship (s) titled to MARAD,
d) Re-flag and Re-Class the ship;
e) Modify the ship for Baseline readiness and initial operational capability (ORD paragraph
5 a-h;
f) Provide additional modifications as the Government requires to meet ORD requirements;
g) Maintain and operate the ship during the vessel custodial phase of the acquisition.
Operate the Vessel in Reduced Operation Status 5 days (ROS-5), Full Operating Status,
and provide Maintenance and Repair as needed until the vessel is at Full Operational
Capability (FOC).
RFP# 693JF719R000034, Page 18
2) Vessel Screening
VAM offerors will identify and propose vessels for procurement from commercial sources that
can be classified by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and certificated by U.S. Coast
Guard (USCG). Vessels will be assessed for their military utility and be documented as
government-owned vessels for the National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF), Ready Reserve
Force (RRF), the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command (MSC) or any other Department of
Defense (DoD) organization as specified.
a) The VAM will consider, as specified by the Government, available commercial vessels
suitable for replacement of any of the forty-six (46) Ready Reserve Force vessels, and multiple
Military Sealift Command ships, as well as any other DOT or DoD-owned vessels identified for
recapitalization through a used vessel purchase. .
b) Prior to any purchase through the VAM of either the ship or upgrades, MARAD will provide
direction based on VAM recommendations, Government requirements, and resource constraints.
c) The resulting task order (s) will include:
1) The purchase of a vessels through a sub-contract,
2) Re-flagging to U.S. Flag, in accordance with the MARAD / USCG MOU dated February 22,
2013 (J-16) and MARAD / ABS MOA dated July 31, 2014 J-17, re-classification (as required),
upgrade to military utility and baseline readiness,
3) Provision of integrated logistics support packages, and for the select services required for the
agency to perform assessments, including marine surveying, naval architecture (stability
analysis, structural analysis, etc.), marine repair, and inventory and lifecycle management that
are needed to complete the vessel acquisition.
d) The contractor may also be required to provide vessel custodian services. These services
include, maintenance, repair, and if required, activation, operation, and deactivation.