U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) Bid Protests #B-424373

Navy Solicitation for Vessel Construction Manager and Up to Eight Landing Ship Medium (LSM) Vessels

The Department of the Navy is seeking a Vessel Construction Manager (VCM) to oversee the procurement and construction of up to eight Landing Ship Medium (LSM) vessels. - Government Buyer: - Department of the Navy - OEMs and Vendors: - Damen (design basis and engineering support) - Bollinger Shipyards (lead ship construction) - Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM) (four ships construction) - Products/Services Requested: - Up to eight LSM vessels based on the Damen LST 100 build-to-print design - 1 ship to be constructed by Bollinger Shipyards - 4 ships to be constructed by Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM) - Up to 3 additional ships as options - Vessel Construction Manager (VCM) services, including: - Management of shipbuilding contracts - Configuration management and design oversight - Shipyard construction oversight - Negotiation of class standard equipment - Provisioning, crew training, and turnover to government crew - Unique/Notable Requirements: - Directed source subcontracting to Bollinger, FMM, and Damen - Ships must be based on the Damen LST 100 design, with potential updates and modifications during construction - Risk mitigation mechanisms and waivers for certain non-standard commercial terms - Delivery of at least five and up to eight ships anticipated by the end of the contract period - Multi-year, phased contract structure with base and option contract line items (CLINs)

Description

This solicitation involves the Department of the Navy's procurement of up to eight medium landing ships (LSM) under the LSM program. The procurement includes subcontracting, construction, oversight, and options for additional ships, with the design basis being the Damen LST 100. The solicitation addresses complex shipbuilding requirements and includes risk mitigation measures and waivers for terms contrary to commercial practice. The protest filed by Crowley Government Services, Inc. challenging the solicitation terms was denied, affirming the reasonableness of the solicitation and sufficiency of proposal preparation time.

View original listing