RFI for Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC) Data and Analysis Center (DAC) Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA)
Notice Type:
Request for Information (RFI)
1. Contracting Office Address:
Department of the Army, US Army Contracting Command – Aberdeen Proving Ground (ACC-APG), Research Triangle Park (RTP) Division, Durham, NC
2. General Information:
The ACC-APG, RTP Division, on behalf of the Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC) Data and Analysis Center (DAC), is exploring the possibility of entering into a Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA), under the authority of 15 U.S.C. 3715, with a Partnership Intermediary to provide services for CCDC DAC to increase the likelihood of success in the conduct of cooperative or joint activities of CCDC DAC with small business firms, institutions of higher education as defined in 20 USC 1141(a)[1], or educational institutions as defined in 10 USC 2194. This is a Request for Information (RFI) from eligible applicants who can provide the capabilities sought by CCDC DAC as described in this RFI.
RFI Applicability: In accordance with 15 U.S.C. 3715, eligibility to receive a PIA is limited to an agency of a State or local government, or a nonprofit entity owned in whole or in part by, chartered by, funded in whole or in part by, or operated in whole or in part by or on behalf of a State or local government, that assists, counsels, advises, evaluates, or otherwise cooperates with small business firms, institutions of higher education as defined in section 1141(a) of title 20 (see footnote 1 below), or educational institutions within the meaning of section 2194 of title 10, that need or can make demonstrably productive use of technology-related assistance from a Federal laboratory, including State programs receiving funds under cooperative agreements entered into under section 5121(b) of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 278l note).
RFI submission and post submission guidelines: Documents submitted in response to this RFI will not be returned. CCDC DAC is under no obligation to provide feedback with respect to any information submitted under this RFI. There is no guarantee that any submission in response to this RFI will result in the establishment of a PIA with an eligible applicant. Any information submitted in response to this RFI may be used to help CCDC DAC further define its PIA needs. CCDC DAC may select a Partnership Intermediary based solely on an RFI submission. CCDC DAC may discuss the RFI submissions with one or more organizations prior to the selection of a Partnership Intermediary.
3. General Intent:
CCDC DAC is interested in creating a more efficient and effective laboratory that can be adaptive and responsive to the challenges of the future Army. It is widely acknowledged that innovation depends on bringing multiple disciplines together to engage in collaborative projects that often yield unpredictable, but highly productive results. Formal and informal interactions among scientists and analysts lead to knowledge-building and technical breakthroughs. By bringing together academia, industry and government, the Army can enhance its performance through collocated R&D collaboration. CCDC DAC is exploring the establishment of a PIA with a Partnership Intermediary to provide assistance to CCDC DAC in facilitating access to useful regional facilities and researchers developing and maintaining synergistic relationships with the research and entrepreneur community and identifying and establishing government partnerships to support the development of knowledge, methods, techniques, and capabilities relevant to the future Army to enable maneuver support and protection to Multi Domain Operations.
4. Description:
With a rapidly changing world comes an operating environment that is more contested, more lethal, and more complex. Peer adversaries are challenging the ability of the U.S. and our allies to deter aggressive actions. To address these challenges, the concept of multi domain battle is to drive change and design for the U.S. Army to effectively operate and succeed against peer adversaries to maintain U.S. interest, deter conflict, and when necessary prevail in war. The CCDC DAC is conducting applied research and analysis to meet challenges in the Maneuver Support and Protection functions necessary in Multi Domain Operations and seeks a Partnership Intermediary to identify and organize external partners from industry and academia that support and extend such research and analysis. CCDC DAC supports the Maneuver Support Center’s responsibility to develop new materiel requirements based on the needs of the Soldier and provide research and analysis solutions to defeat operational deficiencies. Benefits for the CCDC DAC in using a Partnership Intermediary include pinpointing and structuring research capabilities, entrepreneurial and industrial partners and ascertaining prospects for CCDC DAC and the Maneuver Support Center to combine human capital, share facilities, expose new ideas and form collaboration hubs which could support new concepts and joint programs. This RFI seeks input with a focus on knowledge generation, methods, techniques, and capabilities to enable maneuver support and protection to conduct Multi Domain Operations, identifying where benefits could be provided to assist CCDC DAC in achieving its goals for the Army Future Force.
In response to this RFI, interested eligible applicants are requested to provide strategies and explicit examples of how they propose to facilitate and advance CCDC DAC initiatives in collaborative applied research and analysis as described further below.
CCDC DAC Initiative1: Collaboration:
The Partnership Intermediary is expected to enhance partnering, between the CCDC DAC, academia, industry, other government agencies and entrepreneurs by identifying and facilitating the development of new applied R&D and analysis partnerships along with stimulating early-stage partnership. The Partnership Intermediary is expected to be well versed in Maneuver Support and Protection applied research and analysis objectives for Multi Domain Operations. Objectives would be consistent with desired capabilities as currently identified and overtime be updated by DAC and the Maneuver Support Center in the fields including:
Protect Soldiers and facilities
Investigate fundamentals of assured mobility at every echelon
Provide an improved ability to enable freedom of action by Army forces
Develop Force Protection
Increase Security efficacy
Devise Counter Observation
Improve Survivability
Conduct Chemical, Biological, Radiological & Nuclear Reconnaissance & Surveillance/Integrated Early Warning
Conduct CBRN Contamination Mitigation
Shape the battlefield, protect the force, and preserve combat power while maintaining secure environment to provide freedom of action
The Partnership Intermediary will work with CCDC DAC on the Multi Domain Operations as well as the applied R&D and analysis portfolios of proposed partners to facilitate match-making competencies that leverage the capabilities and expertise of CCDC DAC and each partner. The Partnership Intermediary is expected to identify and coordinate prospective partners, approaches and concepts opportunities to conduct, share, and develop collaborative applied R&D or analysis projects at either CCDC DAC, the Partnership Intermediary, or a partner organization. The Partnership Intermediary shall extend outreach from the CCDC DAC, Fort Leonard Wood Maneuver Support Center of Excellence (MSCoE), the Fort Leonard Wood Battle Lab as well as the Army Futures Command to research, entrepreneurial and industrial communities both physically and virtually via data hubs, blogs and other web strategies consistent with the CCDC Data and Analysis Center’s CCDC collaboration and technology transfer plan. The Partnership Intermediary is expected to facilitate opportunities for collaboration through the following activities:
Assist with the development of the Request for Proposal (RFP) and calls for applied research, development or analysis addressing experimental objectives such as the annual MSCoE Maneuver Support, Sustainment and Enabler Prototyping Integration Experiment (EPIX).
Provide support with subject matter expertise in reviewing and assessing industry and academic grant applications in response to government RFP.
Assist CCDC DAC in monitoring execution, performance, and administration of grants issued to academia and industry to include site visits where necessary, technical progress report reviews, and performance reviews of technical demonstrations.
Assist CCDC DAC by providing subject matter expertise in identifying and leveraging various established collaborative vehicles with the Army Futures Command agencies to establish collaborative projects between CCDC DAC, MSCoE, and the Maneuver Support Battle Lab.
The PIA partners will not engage in the following types of activities under this PIA:
Performing research on behalf of the Government
Responding to any competitive announcement which is supported by PIA activities
Funding other organizations to perform research
Financial planning of Government research programs
Planning or decision making about Government policies or procurements
5. Submission Guidelines:
Responses should include the merits of the respondent's potential approach, past experience with similar instruments such as cooperative agreements, grants and partnership intermediary agreements, past experiences with applied research, scope of network with universities and businesses, and experiences with the missions at Fort Leonard Wood in Engineer, Military Police, CBRN, transportation, homeland defense and training.
Responses to this RFI are limited to12 single-sided pages, using standard letter-size 8x11 paper. The font for text must be Times New Roman or Arial 12-point or larger. Submissions must be unclassified. Extraneous materials (brochures, manuals, etc.) will NOT be considered or read. Submissions shall also include the following:
(a) Entity name and address;
(b) Point of contact name, phone number and email address
6. Questions or Requests for Clarification:
Only electronically submitted questions and requests for clarification regarding this RFI will be accepted. No telephone calls regarding this RFI will be accepted. Written questions and requests for clarification shall be submitted to the following email address:
christopher.d.justice4.civ@mail.mil
In order to facilitate a timely response, written questions or requests for clarification must be received by the Government no later than 3:00 PM Eastern Time, 15 May 2020.
7. Submission Deadline:
Responses to this RFI must be received by the Government no later than 3:00 PM Eastern Time, 22 May 2020. Responses shall be submitted to the following email address:
christopher.d.justice4.civ@mail.mil
Responses must be in Microsoft Word format or PDF format. If a late submittal is received, it will NOT be accepted by the Government. Responses sent by any other means (e.g. submitted to other email addresses, hand-carried, postal service mail, commercial carrier or fax) will NOT be considered or read.
Point of Contact:
Christopher Justice
E-mail: christopher.d.justice4.civ@mail.mil
[1] Section 1141(a) of title 20, referred to in subsecs. (a)(1) and (c), was repealed by Pub. L. 105–244, § 3, title I, § 101(b), title VII, § 702,Oct. 7, 1998, 112 Stat. 1585, 1616, 1803, effective Oct. 1, 1998. However, the term “institution of higher education” is defined in section 1001 of Title 20, Education.
W911NF20RFI0004 Department of the Army Materiel Command Army Contracting Command Aberdeen Proving Ground
5/8/20, 10:56 AM