NGSRS Questions Feedback 11.3

NextGen Submarine Rescue System (SRS) Post-Industry Day Informational Packet and RFI Notice N00024-27-R-6116
1. Statutory Eligibility & Nontraditional Contractor (NDC) Compliance Under 10 U.S.C. § 4022(d), a Prototype OTA is only legally authorized if the program meets specific statutory participation gates. Because the NGSRS seeks to leverage commercial deep-submergence and marine diving technology, verifying how potential offerors intend to satisfy the regulatory criteria is critical to establishing the Program’s acquisition approach:

Question 1.1: Nontraditional Defense Contractor (NDC) Participation "How does your firm plan to satisfy the statutory participation requirements of 10 U.S.C. § 4022(d)(1)? Specifically, do you anticipate your firm or your key subcontractors qualifying as Nontraditional Defense Contractors (NDCs), and will their participation in the design and build phases be 'significant'?"

Question 1.2: Cost-Sharing Viability (Alternative Criteria) "If your team structure does not feature significant NDC or Small Business participation, does your firm possess the corporate accounting systems and financial capacity to support the mandatory, one-third (1/3rd) cost-share requirement under 10 U.S.C. § 4022(d)(1)(C)?"

2. Technical Feasibility & SETR Milestone Alignment
The program plans for a 24-month design phase ending in the strict Critical Design Review (CDR) pivot point.

Question 2.1: Design Schedule and Funding Realism
"Provide a Rough order of Magnitude pricing (ROM) for 24-month schedule for the design phase sufficient to mature a modified commercial deep-submergence design to a CDR-level baseline. The baseline should specifically include design drawing release. Is a 24-Month schedule sufficient time? Additionally, please provide feedback if the solution / product you tend to provide would take less time than that."

Question 2.2: Modified COTS
"To what extent can your commercial baseline submersible or diving systems meet the program’s draft specs and KPPs (e.g., TTFR, aircraft transportability, etc.)? Will these modifications require a major structural redesign of the pressure hull?"

3. Potential OTA Pathway, Down-Select Mechanics, & “Phase B” (Build) Pricing Strategy As noted above, the CDR pivot point could be used as a potential down-select mechanism amongst competing designs. Hypothetically, at the CDR gate, the program could elect to transition from two design vendors to one build vendor. In this scenario, the program is interested in understanding pricing strategies for a “Phase A” (Design)