20250728 Solicitation Guidance.pdf

Solicitation Guidance -MASC- N00024-25-R-6314

The procedures outlined in this solicitation guidance apply to MASC Exhibit A;

Prototype MASC AOI

SECTION 1 – INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background and Authority

PMS 406 is seeking industry solutions to accelerate the design, development, and demonstration of Unmanned Surface Vessels (USV). USVs will provide autonomous carrying capacity for containerized payloads.

PMS 406 intends to use Other Transaction Agreements (OTA or Agreements) under the authority of 10 U.S.C. code 4022 to partner with one or more industry participants that meet one of the conditions of 10 U.S.C. code 4022 (d).

1.2 Procedure

This is a competitive solicitation seeking proposals for innovative, commercial technologies that accelerate attainment of defense capabilities. It is intended that this solicitation will result in the award of prototype projects, which may include not only commercially-available technologies fueled by commercial or strategic investment, but also concept demonstrations, pilots, and agile development activities that can incrementally improve commercial technologies, existing Government-owned capabilities, or concepts for defense application.

This document outlines the competitive procedures to submit a response to this solicitation and consists of three-phases as follow:

Phase 1: White Papers submitted in response to this solicitation shall be submitted as specified in Section 3.2 of this document. The Government will evaluate White Papers against the criteria stated in this solicitation. The Government will not pay companies for the costs associated with White Paper submissions;

Phase 2: Companies whose White Papers are evaluated to be of merit may be invited to provide a pitch following the instructions provided in Section 3.3 of this document. The Government reserves the right to limit the number of companies invited to pitch. As such, a company’s solution may be evaluated to be of merit, but not invited to pitch. The Government may release additional information to all companies selected for Phase 2. The Government will not pay Companies for costs associated with pitches. Companies will be evaluated based on information from both Phase 1 and 2; and

Phase 3: Those companies whose White Papers and Pitch Sessions are evaluated to be of merit and are selected for potential award of a Prototype OTA may, if funding is available, be invited to submit a full written proposal following the instructions provided in Section 3.4 of this document. The Government will not pay companies for costs associated with the Request for Prototype Proposal (RPP) (e.g., proposal development, negotiations) in Phase 3.

SECTION 2 – DEFINITIONS

“Area of Interest” (AOI) means an announcement which may result in the award of an Other Transaction Agreement (OTA).

“Company” includes affiliates and business units which include any segment of an organization, or an entire business organization that is not divided into segments

“Innovative” means any new technology, process, or business practice; or any new application of an existing technology, process, or business practice that contributes to enhancing military effectiveness and sustaining global peace and U.S. national security.

“Nontraditional Defense Contractor” is defined in 10 U.S.C. § 4022 as an entity that is not currently performing and has not performed, for at least the one-year period preceding the solicitation of sources by the DoD for the procurement or transaction, any contract or subcontract for the DoD that is subject to full coverage under the cost accounting standards prescribed pursuant to 41 U.S.C. § 1502 and the regulations implementing such section.

"Other Transaction” or “prototype OT” refers to the type of Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) that may be awarded as a result of this AOI. This type of OTA is authorized by 10 U.S.C. § 4022 for prototype projects directly relevant to enhancing the mission effectiveness of military personnel and the supporting platforms, systems, components, or materials proposed to be acquired or developed by the DoD, or for the improvement of platforms, systems, components, or materials in use by the armed forces. This type of OTA is treated by DoD as an acquisition instrument, commonly referred to as an "other transaction" for a prototype project or a Section 4022 "other transaction".

“Prototype Project” can generally be described as a proof of concept or model; reverse engineering to address obsolescence; pilot or novel application of commercial technologies for defense purposes; agile development activity; creation, design, development, demonstration of technical or operational utility, or combinations of the foregoing. In addition, a process, including a business process, may be the subject of a prototype project. Although assistance terms are generally not appropriate in OTA, ancillary work efforts that are necessary for completion of the prototype project, such as test site training or limited logistics support, may be included in prototype projects. A prototype may be physical, virtual, or conceptual in nature.

“Small Business” is defined under Section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632)

SECTION 3 - GUIDELINES FOR WHITE PAPERS, PITCHES, AND

PROPOSALS

3.1 General Guidelines

1. Unnecessarily elaborate brochures or proposals are not desired.

2. Use of a diagram(s) or figure(s) to depict the essence of the proposed solution is strongly encouraged.

3. A company may submit one white paper per proposed vessel solution as the prime company, so long as each submission is substantively unique. If submitted as a team, the first page of the submission must clearly list each company involved, the prime company and a single point of contact for the entire team.

4. Submissions shall identify clearly up front which of the three vessel design solutions is being addressed

5. Technical data with military application may require appropriate approval, authorization, or license for lawful exportation

6. All White Papers, Pitches, and Proposals shall be unclassified. White Papers, Pitches, and Proposals containing data that is not to be disclosed to the public for any purpose or used by the Government except for evaluation purposes shall include the following sentences on the cover page:

“This [select one: White Paper, Session Pitch, or Proposal] includes data that shall not be disclosed outside the Government, except to non-Government personnel for evaluation purposes, and shall not be duplicated, used, or disclosed -- in whole or in part -- for any purpose other than to evaluate this submission. If, however, an agreement is awarded to this Company as a result of -- or in connection with – the submission of this data, the Government shall have the right to duplicate, use, or disclose the data to the extent agreed upon by both parties in the resulting agreement.

This restriction does not limit the Government's right to use the information contained in this data if it is obtained from another source without restriction. The data subject to this restriction are contained in sheets [insert numbers or other identification of sheets]”

Each restricted data sheet should be marked as follows:

“Use or disclosure of data contained on this sheet is subject to the restriction on the title page of this proposal.”

7. Foreign-Owned businesses may independently submit a solution or do so as part of a teaming arrangement with one or more United States-Owned businesses. However, the ability to obtain an agreement based upon a submission may depend upon the ability of the Foreign-Owned business to obtain necessary clearances and approvals to obtain proscribed information.

8. Submissions should demonstrate compliance with the eligibility requirements:

a. In accordance with 10 U.S.C. 4022(d), at least one of the following conditions must be satisfied: (A) there is at least one nontraditional defense contractor or nonprofit research institution participating to a significant extent in the prototype project; (B) all significant participants are small businesses or nontraditional defense contractors; or (C) at least one third of the total cost of the prototype project is to be paid out of funds provided by sources other than the Federal Government.

9. Partnership and teaming agreements are encouraged, to allow for the strengths and specializations of individual companies to be integrated toward a complete system that is production-ready, inexpensive, and operationally effective.

10. Submissions must be submitted electronically to Cassandra Brese (cassandra.j.brese.civ@us.navy.mil) and Kevin Hubbard (kevin.a.hubbard.civ@us.navy.mil). The subject of the email shall read “MASC N00024- 25-R-6314 Response [COMPANY NAME]”

a. Companies are encouraged to submit White Papers prior to the latest closing date. Inclusion of a delivery receipt with an email submission will be the only indication of successful receipt of White Paper. File size is limited to 10MB per email. Companies are responsible for ensuring their email size does not exceed the 10MB limitation. File sizes larger than 10MB and .zip file extensions may be stripped by the Navy email system. Links to online share drives such as google drive, dropbox, etc. will not be accepted. One email is acceptable as long as it does not exceed 10MB. If it exceeds 10MB, companies may separate their submission among multiple emails and should number them (e.g., 1 of 3, 2 of 3, 3 of 3). NOTE: HARD COPIES OF MAILED OR HAND DELIVERED WHITE PAPERS

WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

11. Submissions sent through other channels or after the Phase 1 period has ended will not be reviewed nor evaluated.

12. White Papers that are chosen for the Phase 2 Pitch will be notified via email as soon as practicable.

13. Follow-on production, in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 4022(f), a transaction entered into under this section for a prototype project may provide for the award of a follow-on production contract or transaction to the participants in the transaction.

3.2 Phase 1 White Papers

PHASE 1 WHITE PAPER CONTENT

White Papers should not exceed five (5) written pages using 11-point Tahoma or Verdana font on 8.5x11 inch paper. Smaller type may be used in figures and tables but shall be clearly legible. Margins on all sides (top, bottom, left, and right) shall be at least 1 inch. Each proposed White Paper shall meet the following page count limits and structure:

Title Page (one page maximum) Company Name, Title, Date, Point of Contact Name, E-Mail Address, Phone, and Address o Identify which of the three vessel design solutions is being addressed

Affirmation of Business Status Certification (These certifications shall be included as an attachment to the White Paper and will not count toward the page limit.)

o Each participant proposed in the White Paper shall complete a certification to include:

Name of Business Entity Proposed NAICS Code Cage Code SAM Expiration Date Address Business POC Name, Title, Phone and Email Business Status - Non-traditional Defense Contractor (NDC) or Traditional

Defense Contractor, means for complying with 10 USC 4022 (d) NDC restriction

Executive Summary (one page maximum) Highlight which vessel solution is being addressed.

White Paper Body (5 page maximum) Solution Concept o Attributes within exhibit A that are claimed for the solution and description of how those attributes are met.

o Describe the unique aspects of your technology and the proposed work as it relates to the solicitation.

o Identify whether the effort includes the pilot or demonstration of existing commercial technology (identified as commercially ready and viable technology), or the development of technology for potential defense application. If development or adaptation is proposed, identify a suggested path to mature the technology. Identify aspects which may be considered proprietary.

Company Viability o Provide a brief overview of the company. Provide a summary of current fundraising to date or a summary of the top line (gross sales/revenues). Provide a summary of product commercialization and go-to-market strategy.

Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) Cost estimate o Cost to construct a prototype vessel for this effort and any required autonomy development.

o ROM estimate of average follow on vessels for the future production of the proposed vessel (assume quantity of 10 purchased in a block buy for estimation purposes).

Schedule to construct prototype vessel o Estimate of schedule from award of agreement to vessel is ready for on-water testing.

Data Rights Assertions: Identify any intellectual property, patents and inventions involved in the proposed solution and the data rights license, computer software license and computer software documentation that will be offered to the Government within the Prototype OT.

o While a subscription model is not desired, if one is proposed as part of the prototype OT or planned for follow on production, identify preliminary terms and pricing.

PHASE 1 WHITE PAPER BASIS OF EVALUATION

All white paper submissions will be evaluated within their corresponding Vessel Design Solutions per Exhibit A, (i.e., Vessel Solution 1, Vessel Solution 2, or Vessel Solution 3).

All white papers correctly submitted in response to this solicitation will be evaluated against the stated criteria below.

1) Relevance of the White Paper in addressing the AOI (exhibit A).

2) Technical Merit and feasibility of the solution to address Government AOI problem statement.

3) Submissions should demonstrate compliance with the eligibility requirements set forth in 3.1.8.

4) Affordability of the prototyping and production effort will be considered.

White Papers will be evaluated on the basis of the merit of the proposed concept in addressing the AOI. Additionally, the Government’s evaluation will consider whether the white paper increases the likelihood of accomplishing the AOI.

All submissions will be fairly evaluated, however, only a select few will be invited to the Phase 2 Pitch. The Government reserves the right to limit the number of companies invited to pitch. As such, a company’s solution may be evaluated to be of merit, but not invited to pitch. White papers that are chosen or not chosen for the Phase 2 Pitch will be notified in writing as soon as practicable.

3.3 Phase 2 Pitch

PHASE 2 PITCH CONTENT

In Phase 2, companies shall provide an in-person pitch at their proposed vessel production location or other location agreed upon by the company and the Government to demonstrate and provide further details on their proposed concept/ technology/ solution and the technical and business viability of the proposed solution. The Government may elect to use external market research during the Pitch to evaluate a company’s viability. In addition to the Pitch, the Government, at its discretion, may request for consideration an additional written submission to further supplement the information provided in the Phase 1 White Paper. The Government may elect to release additional information to companies that have been selected for the pitch.

During the Phase 2 Pitch, the company must detail/address at a minimum:

Organizational breakdown o Explain the team structure and subject matter expertise within the team.

Technology Solution o Overview of the attributes which will be met by the solution.

o Design maturity and past operational history (if applicable).

o Software past performance and proposed autonomy & perception solution.

Sustainment o Proposed sustainment concept for the design.

Production capacity o Historical construction capacity and yard past performance.

o Upcoming site development plans or expansion opportunities.

o Manufacturing readiness to include planned throughput and capacity for prototyping and production Estimated Price/Schedule o Provide a pricing support for the ROM estimate submitted in Phase 1 and notional prototyping and production schedule for how this concept may be prototyped within the DoD.

Data Rights Assertions o The Phase 2 Pitch will identify any IP involved in the effort and associated restrictions on the Government’s use of that IP.

o The Government desires Government Purpose Rights for certain information for the sustainment of a production vessel. Present the planned IP approach for a follow on production OT effort for a technical data package and any autonomy/perception/C2 software associated with the solution.

PHASE 2 PITCH BASIS OF EVALUATION

Individual pitches will be evaluated against the following factors:

1) Relevance of the solution in addressing the AOI;

2) The solution has technical merit, adequately addresses Government need and is feasible;

3) Evaluation of company viability;

4) Company’s approach is a compelling solution to the Government problem;

5) The cost estimate and details behind this estimate;

6) Ability to move into serial production and status of facilities/manning/resources to support MASC;

7) The notional schedule is acceptable; and

8) The potential impact of data rights assertions.

The pitch format will be as follows:

(1) Up to a 90 minute presentation provided by the company, the Government may request an audio recording of this presentation

(2) Up to a 90 minute question and answer between the Government and company

(3) Up to a 120 minute site visit/tour of facilities by company

Individual pitches will be evaluated on the basis of the merit of the proposed concept in addressing the AOI and the factors above. Pitch submissions will be valid for 270 calendar days after the pitch date. Upon completion of evaluations, the Government will notify the Company that:

(1) the proposed concept/technology/solution has been selected for possible award of a Prototype OTA and the Company is invited to submit a full proposal

(2) the proposed concept/technology/solution is of interest, but not eligible for a proposal due to availability of Government resources

(3) the proposed concept/technology/solution is not of interest to the Government

If the proposed concept/technology/solution is of interest, but not eligible for a proposal due to availability of Government resources, the Company may be contacted with a request to respond to a Request for Prototype Proposal (RPP) within 270 calendar days from the pitch date. If after 270 calendar days from the pitch date (or earlier if notified), Government resources are not identified to formally move into Phase 3, the Company will no longer be eligible for an award under this AOI.

3.4 Phase 3 Proposal

PHASE 3 PROPOSAL CONTENT

The final phase of the process is the RPP. Based upon the evaluation detailed above, the Government may issue the company an RPP. The company will be invited to develop and submit a full written proposal and negotiate the price of an OT prototype agreement governing the prototype project. Companies may discuss ideas and details of the proposal during the proposal writing process with the Government. Each proposal submitted shall consist of two sections: Section 1 shall provide the technical proposal; Section 2 shall address the price/cost/schedule portions of the proposal. These proposals will be assessed by the Government. Companies may propose their own internal license agreements (e.g., Service License Agreements (SLA) and/or User License Agreements (ULA)) to be considered during negotiations with the Government.

Companies should note that there are certain terms and conditions the Government is unable to accept. However, projects awarded through this process are flexible to adopt customary industry standards where it is otherwise legal and where it meets the Government’s needs.

Section 1 Technical Proposal Title Page

Company Name, Title, Point of Contact Name, Date, E-Mail Address, Phone, and Address and any subcontractors or team members. Include an abstract which provides a concise description of the proposal.

Propose a Technical Approach o Describe the background and objectives of the proposed work, the approach, deliverables, and the resources needed to execute it. Include the nature and extent of the anticipated results. Include ancillary and operational issues such as certifications, algorithms, and any engineering/software development methodologies to be used. This proposal must include a Statement of Work (SOW) identifying the work to be performed and the deliverables. Provide a detailed project schedule that outlines the various phases of work to be accomplished within the proposed period of performance. You may refer to the White Paper that prompted this proposal request.

Government Support Required o Identify the type of support, if any, the Company requests of the Government in general such as facilities, equipment, data, and information or materials.

Section 2, Price Proposal The Company shall propose a total price to complete the prototype project and provide any other data or supporting information that is necessary for the determination of a fair and reasonable price. This can include, but is not limited to, commercial price catalog or other proprietary information to help the Government assess project cost. This price shall include, at a minimum, the estimated costs for labor, material/equipment, other direct costs and subcontracts. The price narrative shall provide details and the basis on the following cost categories for the proposal submission:

Direct Labor Costs. Provide the basis for which the estimated labor rates and hours were calculated, including labor categories, estimated rates and hours for those individuals.

Provide any FPRA or FPRR, if any.

Material/Equipment. Provide a list of the materials/equipment required to meet the technical approach as described in the WP and the estimated cost.

Indirect Costs. Provide an estimate of the total indirect costs and provide data supporting how the estimate was calculated, including any estimated costs other than labor and material/equipment, i.e. overhead, G&A, etc.

Proposed profit

If the Government is unable to reach an agreement with any company during Phase 3, the Government reserves the right to advance a company to Phase 3 if they were previously notified after Phase 2 that their proposed concept/technology/solution is of interest was not eligible for a proposal due to availability of Government resources.

SECTION 4 – AWARDS

4.1 General Guidelines

Upon favorable review and available funds, the Government may choose to make an award.

Awards will be made using OTAs. The Agreements Officer will negotiate directly with the company on the prototype agreement, including milestone payments, if any, and will execute the OTA on behalf of the Government. Only an Agreements Officer has the authority to enter into, or modify, a binding agreement on behalf of the Government.

Companies must have a cage code and must be registered in the System of Award Management (SAM) to receive an award. Companies are advised to commence SAM registration upon receipt of an RPP.

Companies must also register in the prescribed Government invoicing system (e.g. Wide Area Work Flow). The Government will provide assistance to those Companies from whom a full proposal is requested.

The Company must be determined to be responsible by the Agreements Officer and must not be suspended or debarred from award by the Federal Government nor be prohibited by Presidential Executive Order and/or law from receiving award.

Receipt of an RPP does not guarantee that a Company will receive an award. The Government reserves the right, at any point prior to award of an OTA, to cancel the RPP.

4.2 Comptroller General Access to Information

In projects that provide for payments in a total amount in excess of $5,000,000, the Agreement will include a mandatory clause that provides for the Comptroller General the ability to examine the records of any party to the agreement or any entity that participates in the performance of the agreement.

4.3 Procurement Integrity Act (PIA)

As required by 10 U.S.C. § 4022, all Agreements awarded under AOI shall be treated as Federal Agency procurements for purpose of 41 U.S.C. Chapter 21. Accordingly, the competitive solicitation process and awards made thereof must adhere to the ethical standards required by the PIA.

SECTION 5 - ITERATIVE PROTOTYPING

Prototype OTAs awarded will allow for an iterative prototyping process.

An iterative prototyping process will allow the Government to modify, by mutual agreement, the work in a prototype project to allow the adaptation and modification of the technology being prototyped to meet additional unique and discrete purposes/mission sets. These additional unique and discrete purposes/mission sets can be generated by the original Government customer or originate with other organizations within the Federal Government.

SECTION 6 – SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION

A transaction for a prototype project is complete upon the written determination of the appropriate approving official (program manager and Agreement Officer) for the matter in question that efforts conducted under a Prototype OTA: (1) met the key technical goals of a project; (2) satisfied success metrics incorporated into the Prototype OTA; or (3) accomplished a particularly favorable or unexpected result that justifies the transition to production.

Furthermore, successful completion can occur prior to the conclusion of a prototype project to allow the Government to transition any aspect of the prototype project determined to provide utility into production while other aspects of the prototype project have yet to be completed.

Any Prototype OTA shall contain a provision that sets forth the conditions under which that prototype agreement must be successfully completed.

SECTION 7 – NON-GOVERNMENT ADVISORS

Non-Government advisors may be used in the evaluation of White Papers, Pitches and during Proposal development and negotiations. Non-Government advisors will have signed non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with the Government. Companies may enter into specific NDAs directly with the Non-Government advisors or their corporate entities. Submission of an offer under this AOI will constitute a grant of authority by the submitting company to the Government to allow the use of non-Government advisors to participate in evaluations of all phases of this process.

The Government understands that information provided in response to exhibit A is presented in confidence and may contain trade secret or commercial or financial information, and it agrees to protect such information from unauthorized disclosure to the maximum extent permitted or required by Law, to include:

a. 18 U.S.C. 1905 (Trade Secrets Act);

b. 18 U.S.C. 1831 et seq. (Economic Espionage Act);

c. 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4) (Freedom of Information Act);

d. Executive Order 12600 (Pre-disclosure Notification Procedures for Confidential

Commercial Information); and,

e. Any other statute, regulation, or requirement applicable to Government employees.

It is the Government’s policy is to treat all submissions as controlled information, and to disclose their contents only for the purpose of evaluation. Restrictive notices notwithstanding, during the evaluation process, submissions may be handled by support contractors for administrative purposes and/or to assist with technical evaluation.

Submissions will not be returned. The original copy of each submission received may be retained and all other non-required copies destroyed.