COMMAND AIRCRAFT CREW TRAINING (CACT) PROGRAM FOR ACADEMIC AND SIMULATOR TRAINING FOR PILOTS AND CREW MEMBERS ON THE C-40A AIRCRAFT

DISCLAIMER

“THIS SOURCES SOUGHT IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.  THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR A PROPOSAL.  IT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION AND SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT.  RESPONSES IN ANY FORM ARE NOT OFFERS AND THE GOVERNMENT IS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO AWARD A CONTRACT AS A RESULT OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.  NO FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE TO PAY FOR PREPARATION OF RESPONSES TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.  ANY INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY RESPONDENTS TO THIS TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION IS STRICTLY VOLUNTARY.”

INTRODUCTION

Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD) has a requirement to support the Navy’s Command Aircraft Crew Training (CACT) program for the training of pilots and crew chiefs on the C-40A. This acquisition is necessary to facilitate practical training for pilots and crew chiefs for the C-40A (a Navy configured Boeing 737-700C Increased Gross Weight [IGW] aircraft).

NAWCTSD, Orlando is the contracting and administrative agent for CACT Programs. In accordance with this designation, NAWCTSD provides a contract vehicle and administrative support for training on the C-40A. This requirement is a follow-on procurement. The current contract was awarded to Bell Murray Aerospace, INC.: Contract number: N61340-22-D-0003.  The existing contract is a commercial, Firm Fixed Priced (FFP), Indefinite-Delivery Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) Type, due to expire 30 March 2027. The applicable NAICS code for this requirement is 611512 (Flight Training), with a small business size standard of $34 million.  The Product Service Code (PSC) is U099 (Education/Training - Other).

NAWCTSD intends to award in accordance with FAR Part 12 – Acquisition of Commercial Items.  A commercial, Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) Requirements contract is anticipated with a 60-month ordering period commencing 31 March 2027. 

Estimated Request for Proposal release is August 2026

Estimated Award date is March 2027

Period of Performance: 60 Months

Performance Location: Contractor Facility, 100%

The results of this Sources Sought will be utilized to determine sources capable of satisfying the agency’s requirements, prior to determining the method of acquisition. Any Contractor teaming with Subcontractor(s) must propose as a single Prime Contractor.

Small businesses, please address the following as appropriate:

1. Identify your firm’s CAGE code
2. Identify if your firm is considered “small business” under the small business size standard ($34M) associated with the chosen NAICS code, 611512
3. Identify your firm’s socio-economic status (please indicate all that apply: WOSB, EDWOSB, SDVOSB, HUBZone, or 8(a))
4. Please address if your company is interested in participating as a prime or subcontractor. If interested in the prime contractor role and plan on subcontracting to other companies in order to deliver technical capability, please provide details on exactly which tasks will be assigned to those subcontractors; in addition, provide the names of those anticipated subcontractors, and list the anticipated percentage of small business subcontracting. 

REQUIRED CAPABILITIES

All C-40A pilot training courses shall be delivered at a training center certified under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 142 for the Boeing 737-700 IGW aircraft. To ensure instructional continuity, each pilot's course of training must be completed in its entirety at a single location. All instructors must also be certified in accordance with Title 14 CFR Part 142.

The contractor shall provide C-40A specific individual courses to include:

• C-40A Pilot Initial Course
• C-40A Pilot Initial Course – P-8 Transition
• C-40A Pilot Recurrent Course

The following individual non-aircraft specific training courses are required:

• ICAO Enroute and Terminal RNAV eLearning Course
• Pilot Recurrent International / Oceanic Procedures eLearning Course

Additional C-40A pilot and crew chief training or training courses may be required, at Government expense, if training requirements change.

For all required training, the Contractor shall provide:

• All facilities and training environments necessary to conduct instruction
• Level D Simulator(s)
• Certified Instructors qualified under FAA and Part 142 standards
• Management, scheduling, and administrative personnel
• Training materials and rights for use of those materials
• Training devices, simulators, and courseware specific to each course
• Online access for all eLearning courses

ADDITIONAL CAPABILITIES INFORMATION

1. Courses shall be stand-alone in that no contractor, pre-arrival training requirements of the trainee will be allowed. Courses may be existing commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) training courses modified to meet specific requirements delineated herein. The Navy must approve all course-training syllabi (Approved Training Syllabus (ATS)). The contractor will be required to submit a training syllabus for each course for government approval.
2. The C-40A pilot training courses will not require a FAA Type/ATP check flight or certification.
3. Pilot initial course attendees will be designated military aviators.
4. C-40A pilot recurrent course attendees will be qualified military C-40A Pilot-in-Command (PIC) or second pilot military aviators that will have normally completed the C-40A pilot initial course.
5. All international procedures course attendees will be designated military aviators.

SOURCES SOUGHT SUBMISSION DETAILS

Businesses capable of accomplishing the required services are invited to submit literature, brochures and capabilities statement of no more than ten (10) pages in length in Times New Roman font of not less than 10 pitch.  Summaries shall identify, at a minimum, business size and past (limit to within 3 years) and/or current performance on similar contracts (include dollar value, complexity and point of contact).  Small Businesses are encouraged to identify if they are interested in being a Prime or Subcontractor for this effort.  If interested as a Prime, be sure to address all required capabilities identified in the performance work statement.  If interested as a Subcontractor, please specify which area(s) your company is interested/capable of providing support. Brevity of extraneous information is desired. Please send responses or questions to Dylan Sachs, Lead Contract Specialist, at dylan.a.sachs.civ@us.navy.mil, with a copy to Audrey Rolland, Procuring Contracting Officer, at audrey.l.rolland.civ@us.navy.mil.  The deadline for response to this request is 4 PM Eastern, 18 June 2026.

All data received in response to this Sources Sought that is marked or designated as corporate or proprietary information will be fully protected from any release outside the Government.

LIMITATION ON SUBCONTRACTING: If you are a small business interested in being the prime contractor for this effort, please be advised that the FAR 52.219-14, “Limitations on Subcontracting,” Class Deviation 2021-O0008, Revision 1, is now in effect, which includes the definition of “Similarly Situated Entity” and provides a methodology for the 50% calculation for compliance with the clause.  Small business primes may count “first-tier subcontracted” work performed by Similarly Situated Entities as if it were performed by the prime itself.  Please read the full text of  Class Deviation 2021-O0008, Revision 1 - Limitations on Subcontracting for Small Business, dated 15 February 2023, at [https://www.acq.osd.mil/dpap/policy/policyvault/USA000277-23-DPC.pdf].

To assist in our market research and determination for this effort, if you are a small business interested in priming this effort and plan to utilize “Similarly Situated Entities” to meet the Limitations on Subcontracting, please identify the name, Unique Entity ID, and CAGE Code of the specific company(s) you intend to partner/subcontract with to meet the requirements as well as their small business size status under the NAICS Code that you as the prime would assign for their workshare. Information regarding any planned “Similarly Situated Entity” should be included in answering any questions outlined in the SSN in order to assist the Government’s capability determination.

Interested Offerors shall be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM), https://sam.gov to be eligible for award of Government contracts.

The contract type is anticipated to be a commercial, Firm-Fixed Price, Requirements contract.  The estimated ordering period consists of 60 months. The proposed contract is anticipated to include tasking that would be accomplished by Task Orders that are subject to FAR Part 12- Acquisition of Commercial Items.