SOURCES SOUGHT: THIS IS NOT A NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR QUOTATION BUT INFORMATION AND PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY! This notice does not constitute a commitment by the Government. All information submitted in response to this announcement is voluntary and the Government will not pay for information requested nor will it compensate any respondent for any cost incurred in developing information provided to the Government.

The Purchase Request number is F4BWB03188A003 and shall be used to reference any written responses to this source sought.

United States Air Force Academy anticipates a requirement that is being considered under a small business set-aside program. The North American Industry Classification Systems (NAICS) Code proposed 334511. The size standard for NAICS is 1,350 Employees.

The Portable Sounding System is required to support accurate balloon launch tracking, which is critical to flight safety to ensure we can relay the balloon location to the Airfield to avoid aircraft collisions. These weather ballons are essential for gathering meterlogical data and supports the research conducted by the Department of Physics and Meteorology.

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The necessary salient characteristics are listed below:

 Be able to track radiosondes up to 35km in altitude and 250 km slant range
 Be portable and able to set up with 1 person
 Read Frequencies from 400.15-406 MHz
 Include receiving antenna and tripod
 Rain and snow-proof
 Work at temperatures ranging from –20 to 40 degrees C
 Ten (10) Radiosondes

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Include in your capabilities package/email your UEI/Cage Code, and System for Award Management expiration date, and any related specifications/drawings. We are interested in any size business that is capable of meeting this requirement. Market research is being conducted to determine interest, capability, and socio-economic category of potential sources for the requirement. Also indicate if you are the manufacturer, or provide the name and size of the manufacturer of the product(s) you will be supplying. Respondents are further requested to indicate their status as a Foreign-owned/foreign-controlled firm and any contemplated us of foreign national employees on this effort. This requirement is subject to the Buy American Act, and respondents are required to state the country of orgin for the product.

Preferred delivery is FOB Destination to USAF Academy, CO 80840.

Market research is being conducted to determine interest, capability, and socio-economic category of potential sources for the requirement. The Government requests interested parties submit a brief description of their companys business size (i.e. annual revenues and employee size), business status (i.e., 8(a), Historically Underutilized Business Zone, servicedisabled veteran-owned small business, HUBZone small business, womanowned small business, veteran-owned small business, or small business).

Any responses involving teaming agreements should delineate between the work that will be accomplished by the prime and the work accomplished by the teaming partners. The Government will use this information in determining its small business set-aside decision.

Please note: All contractors doing business with the Federal Government must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database. The website for registration is www.sam.gov

Responses may be submitted electronically to the following e-mail addresses:  robert.loughman@us.af.mil and april.delobel.1@us.af.mil. Telephone responses will not be accepted.

RESPONSES ARE DUE NO LATER THAN: August 22nd at 2:00 PM (MDT).

Future information about this acquisition, including issuance of a quotation and/or applicable amendments, will be issued through SAM.

Interested parties are responsible for ensuring they have the most up-to-date information regarding this acquisition.

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