1.Introduction

Native American Pride Constructors LLC (NAPC) is a Florida Limited Liability, Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business organization. It has a major objective of supporting the US military and our allied forces with military articles and services that will in turn provide an overwhelming edge over enemy forces. Registered with the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, the company has team members experienced in all areas of ammunition, weapons, platforms, and airframe lifecycle management from mission need through demilitarization. Native American Pride Constructors LLC utilizes a Quality Management philosophy that is derived from ISO 9001:2008. The organization has tailored its philosophy to ensure that Customer quality initiatives are included in our day-to-day business processes. The team members are knowledgeable with all current initiatives related to US military specification ammunition and weapons to include the latest critical safety characteristic control planning and Material Readiness Assessment and Planning initiatives. Our approach to procurement and delivery of non-standard ammunition, weapons, platforms, and airframes is to mentor each manufacturer bringing their designs and processes closer to the United States Government military specification and type classification without the expense of full formal type classification. Native American Pride Constructors LLC is able to minimize cost through the use of contract employees and key team members. The team members’ experience and longevity in the industry allows for the hiring of qualified specialized personnel on an as needed basis. Personnel are typically “Greybeards” or seasoned subject matter experts that were around when many of these ammunition, weapons, and systems were developed, and they are readily available to support on demand. Native American Pride Constructors LLC keeps an active listing of personnel so that they can be immediately put to work as solicitation are received.

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2. Capabilities

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 Success on non-standard programs begins long before a solicitation is formally issued by the customer. We have already built solid relationships with Foreign Governments, manufacturers, and suppliers and have vetted these sources to minimize program risks. We have studied their manufacturing capabilities and overhaul processes to include capacities, quality, and timeliness of deliveries. We can safely say that there are only a few companies in the United States that have validated these metrics through actual contract performance. Native American Pride Contractors LLC is one of them.

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A.Quality Assurance

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 The Native American Pride Contractors LLC Quality Management philosophy is derived from ISO 9001:2008 and has been tailored specifically to ensure that material for our customers meets or exceeds contract requirements. This is accomplished through detailed analysis of customer requirements and flow down of these requirements as necessary to our supply chain. This results in formal and binding requirements for our supply chain which are closely monitored by Native American Pride Contractors LLC through in process inspections, and final inspection and test at the supplier. This hands-on approach ensures that requirements are strictly adhered to throughout the suppliers’ processing, minimizing the opportunity for the creation of defective material.

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B. Readiness for Brokering

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Unless a program is a formal Foreign Military Sales Program or US Government Foreign Assistance Program, Native American Pride Contractors LLC is required by law to be a DDTC registered broker and to submit a request for pre-brokering in support of any solicitation and resultant contract. The pre-brokering request must include the name and address of the candidate item manufacturer or supplier and end user, and the items being considered for procurement under the case. The DDTC role is to control the proliferation of defense articles, but also to control the movement of funding so that sanctioned companies or countries are not the recipient of funds that might be counterproductive to the Global War on Terror (GWOT). Therefore, prior to entering an agreement with any candidate supplier, Native American Pride Contractors LLC must request and receive approval from the US Department of State each supplier that the offeror wishes to use for their solution. The DDTC approval process takes approximately 30 days.

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C. Determination of Supplier Capacities

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Native American Pride Contractors LLC utilizes their experience to establish and validate each suppliers manufacturing capacity in order to assure that each supplier’s offer is realistic, achievable, and not overstated. This analysis includes evaluation of stated tact time as well as review of past performance related to production rate. Regarding ammunition products, it is our objective to supply all ammunition from single manufacturer to assure the highest levels of homogeneity; however, the required quantities and delivery schedule will drive the number of ammunition lots, and/or number of suppliers to satisfy any contract requirements. Regarding weapons, we ensure that the manufacturer has conducted ballistic testing on each weapon to demonstrate adequate safety performance. With larger complex platforms such as T-72 tanks, BMP infantry Fighting Vehicles, and the like, we prefer to discuss with our customer what specifics of overhaul and inspection are required so that the Customers objectives can be strictly enforced during the overhaul and readiness process.

The Native American Pride Constructors LLC team has been working with our suppliers for more that 10 years and as such has an in-depth knowledge of each suppliers performance (safety, reliability, and delivery) to promise. This intelligence is the result of firsthand experience as well as intelligence provided by our agents on the ground in our source countries. Since we will be taking a portion of a manufacturer’s capacity, we often know well in advance of our deliveries how our supplier has been performing on other customers’ programs, which allows for ample time to assist with risk management. As part of our requirements flow down to our suppliers we request and review past performance data in order to make intelligent source selection decisions. This is extremely important to the program lifecycle cost analysis since the low bidder is not always the least expensive over the course of the total program. Where surplus weapons and platforms are considered, our team performs pre-inspection of the items before offering the items for sale. Where overhaul, modernization, rework, or repair is contemplated, this information will be disclosed to the customer so that all expectations are exceeded.

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D. Transportation

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Intimate coordination of deliveries is extremely important in order to minimize costs and delivery schedule. Each country has slightly different regulations for moving materials from the factory to the airport or port of export. The detailed movement of goods must be continuously shared with the freight forwarder so that goods do not remain at the airport or port of export for prolonged periods of time awaiting aircraft or vessel or so that aircraft or vessel do not remain at the airport or port for prolonged periods of time awaiting cargo. Each of these scenarios increases programs costs and can be avoided through continuous updates to Freight Forwarder.

 

E. Weights and Dimensions

 

Native American Pride Constructors LLC has a thorough understanding of the aircraft or vessel carrying capacities as well as the cargo weights and dimensions. Making a mistake in this area will result in underbidding the cost of freight greatly reducing profits or overbidding freight, greatly reducing competitiveness. Native American Pride Constructors LLC clearly understand the capacities and limitation of transport vehicle and works side by side with the Freight Forwarder to develop each load plan. This is both check and balance, but also allows Native American Pride Constructors LLC to dictate specific packing and palletization so that cargo handling equipment and dimensional limitations are considered for each shipment.

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F. Export/Import Process

 

In order for an international supplier or manufacturer to export material, they will need an original International Import Certificate from the BATF. Upon receipt of the IIC, the manufacturer will apply with their in-country export authorities in order to receive the necessary export licenses. Once the export licenses are received, the supplier/manufacturer requests in country ground transit permits so that the goods can be moved to the seaport or airport. This entire process takes 30 to 45 days for the export license and up to 60 days for the transit permits depending on the country of manufacture and port of shipping. However, this is a one-time process as the export license and transit permits are executed at the beginning of the project and remain in effect for the duration   of the project. Native American Pride Constructors LLC, working closely with their freight forwarder coordinates the arrival of the vessel (sea) or aircraft so that cargo moves swiftly onto the transporter resulting in minimal time at port/airport with minimal down time of the transporter.

While the export procedures vary for each supplier country, one thing is constant. Each supplier country needs to be formally notified that the goods have been received by the authorized end user. This closes the export loop and takes the supplier off the hook for any future proliferation without approval from the source country. Native American Pride Constructors LLC will prepare the necessary Certificates of Delivery for transmittal to the end user and will coordinate signature with the receiving team at final destination.

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G. Risk Management

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Native American Pride Constructors LLC believes that the risk management methodologies contained in DOD Risk Management Guide for DOD Acquisition are robust and effective and utilizes these methodologies in their everyday planning. The methods are forward looking and assist the Program Management Team with effectively managing all factors that might prevent the completion of any Integrated Master Schedule milestone.

 

3. Previous Experience Processing End Use Certificates

 

Our Program team has in depth knowledge on the methods required to ascertain the necessary End User Certificates from the ender user for our proposed suppliers in Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, Czech Republic, Ukraine, and other parts of Eastern Europe. In order to acquire the necessary End User Certificates (EUC’s) to support a program, we will secure examples of EUC’s from each of our proposed suppliers Export Authorities which can be forwarded to the end user as examples. This greatly increases the speed in which the EUC’s are processed and eliminates what otherwise could be an iterative process. These examples will illustrate the necessary format, stamps, embossments, etc., that streamline the approval process. These documents will be provided to the Contracting Officer after receipt of the contract.

 

4. Previous Experience Processing Export License

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The responsibility of processing of the Export license lies with the company of origin of the product. For our proposed suppliers, they will require a copy of our broker’s registration, a copy of the US Government contract, a contract from Native American Pride Constructors LLC, a copy of our incorporation certificate, and a copy of the EUC.

 

5. Previous Experience Performing Under Internation Agreements 

 

Our Experience dealing under international agreements is extensive. An international agreement is a contract between two parties, with the strength of enforcement only as good as the state department that polices the transaction. We believe that the agreement is a binding contract, but also believe that there is a good deal of trust that both parties will execute the agreement as the cost of litigation is by far an area where we never expect to operate. Within any agreement, we will include all of the necessary elements of contract, similar to one that would be let between the United States Government and Native American Pride Constructors LLC. Schedule, items descriptions, specifications, term, and conditions, warrantees as applicable, payment schedule, etc., are all parts of our international agreements. We will also rely on consultants in the country to monitor our supplier’s performance as well as to assist in expediting all of the necessary documents that will assure on time delivery. These are also international agreements, very similar to consulting agreements in the United States