U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) Bid Protests #N0002426R2421

Navy Solicitation for Vessel Construction Manager and Up to Eight Landing Ship Medium 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 for the Navy's LSM program. - Government Buyer: - Department of the Navy - OEMs and Vendors: - Damen (engineering and design support; LST 100 design) - Bollinger Shipyards (lead ship construction) - Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM) (construction of four ships) - Products/Services Requested: - Up to 8 LSM vessels based on the Damen LST 100 design - 1 ship at Bollinger Shipyards - 4 ships at FMM - Options for up to 3 additional ships - 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 - Engineering and design support by Damen - Unique or Notable Requirements: - VCM must negotiate subcontracts with directed sources (Bollinger, FMM, Damen) - Legislative constraints on design certification and budget - Incentives and risk mitigation provisions included - Delivery of at least five and up to eight ships by the end of the period of performance - Funding to be obligated by the end of the fiscal year to avoid budget reductions

Description

The Department of the Navy issued RFP No. N0002426R2421 for a vehicle construction manager to procure up to eight ships for the Navy's medium landing ship (LSM) program. The solicitation includes subcontracts and construction of LSM vessels at specified shipyards, oversight of construction, and additional orders such as training and engineering support. The protest by Crowley Government Services, Inc. challenged the solicitation's terms, risk levels, and response time but was denied. The procurement involves complex requirements and legislative constraints related to design certification and budget considerations.

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