FY19_SBIR_Q&A_Table_02-01-19.pdf

Department of Homeland Security

FY 19 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)

Industry Questions and Government Responses

Question

Number Topic Number Question from Industry Government Response

1 General

Does the Combined Synopsis/Solicitation posted as solicitation number

70RSAT19R00000003A on FBO contain requirements similar to a[n] existing contract or will this be a new requirement?

If possible, please provide the current contract number.

This is a new requirement

2 General

Can you please tell me where I can locate solicitation number

70RSAT19R00000003A or when I can locate it if it is not currently available?

Solicitation External Reference:

https://www.fbo.gov/spg/DHS/OCPO/DHS-

OCPO/70RSAT19R00000003A/listing.html

Solicitation External Reference To Packages:

https://www.fbo.gov/spg/DHS/OCPO/DHS-

OCPO/70RSAT19R00000003A/packages.html

3 General

Does the Combined Synopsis/Solicitation posted as solicitation number

70RSAT19R00000003 on FBO contain requirements similar to a[n] existing contract or will this be a new requirement?

Please see responses to question 1

4 General

Given the currency of the Gov't shutdown, will this postpone the currently advertised

SBIR submission deadline of 23-Jan?

The proposal submission due date for DHS FY 19

Solicitation 70RSAT19R0000003A has been extended to 12noon ET February 12, 2019.

https://www.fbo.gov/spg/DHS/OCPO/DHS-OCPO/70RSAT19R00000003A/packages.html https://www.fbo.gov/spg/DHS/OCPO/DHS-OCPO/70RSAT19R00000003A/packages.html

5 H-SB019.1-005

Will proposals that consider models of bags

OR people be considered (i.e. one or the other) or must proposals consider both bags

AND people?

Offerors may elect to focus on/prototype one or more areas of interest, but should show a pathway on how to develop solutions for all areas of interest.

6 General

Can you tell me if a final RFP has been released yet for the H-SB019.1-002 - ICAM

On-the-Fly

Please see the response to question 2

7 H-SB019.1-008

CHOICE OF BLOCKCHAIN. Will we need Phase I and Phase II solutions to map to a broader set than ZCash and Monero? In particular, the solicitation indicates in commercial applications the tracking of supply chain, smart contracts and other applications.

This proposal seeks applications of blockchain forensic analytics for privacy-centric cryptocurrencies, such as Zcash and Monero. As these are only examples of newer privacy-oriented blockchain platforms, other platforms may be considered. The desired solution should either attempt to show generality or extensibility, or at least provide working approaches to treating privacy-focused blockchain implementations, as opposed to general blockchain or distributed ledger technology (DLT) platforms. We are seeking solutions that enable law enforcement investigations to perform forensic analysis on privacy-centric blockchain platforms.

8 H-SB019.1-008

EXTERNAL DATA. Are there specific external data sets that DHS has in mind for the testing of Phase II? Or will these data sets be for us to pick and choose?

We are seeking solutions that enable law enforcement investigations to perform forensic analysis on privacy-centric blockchain platforms. The specific external data sets to be used in Phase II will be mutually agreed upon by the performer and DHS.

9 H-SB019.1-008

ECOSYSTEM. What kind of existing specific ecosystem does DHS have in mind?

We are seeking solutions that enable law enforcement investigations to perform forensic analysis on privacy-centric blockchain platforms. This proposal

Further details would be helpful to provide a clear response specifically seeks applications of blockchain forensic analytics for newer, privacy-centric cryptocurrencies, such as Zcash and Monero. As these are only examples of newer, privacy-oriented blockchain platforms, other privacy-oriented blockchain platforms may be considered. The desired solution should either attempt to show generality or extensibility, or at least provide working approaches to treating these blockchain variants.

10 H-SB019.1-008

NON-ENCRYPTED BLOCKCHAINS.

In addition to analytics on encrypted cryptocurrencies such as ZCash and

Monero, is DHS looking for solutions to cover non-encrypted blockchain that are not

Bitcoin such as for instance Ehtereum and

Bitcoin Cash?

This proposal seeks applications of blockchain forensic analytics for privacy-centric cryptocurrencies, such as Zcash and Monero. As these are only examples of newer privacy-oriented blockchain platforms, other platforms may be considered. The desired solution should either attempt to show generality or extensibility, or at least provide working approaches to treating privacy-focused blockchain implementations, as opposed to general blockchain or distributed ledger technology (DLT) platforms. This proposal is not seeking solutions for “non-encrypted” cryptocurrencies.

11 General

Given the current Government shutdown, does DHS S&T and SBIR Program foresee an extension for the current submission deadline of January 23rd, 2019?

Please see response to Question 4

12 General

Would the Government allow offerors to use 10-point font in the headers and footers of the document?

Please see the solicitation for proposal submission instructions

13 General “Transactions submitted via this website might not be processed and we will not be Please see response to Question 4 able to respond to inquiries until after appropriations are enacted. We will not be able to respond or update social media until after funding is enacted.”

Based on this message on https://sbir2.st.dhs.gov, we recommend the

Government extend the deadline for receipt of proposals 2 weeks following the reopening of the Government, allowing offerors to register for the site and ensure proper submittal of proposals.

14 General

Due to the government shutdown, will there be a deadline change for FY 19 SBIR

Solicitation Number:

70RSAT19R00000003A which is due Jan.

23.

Please see response to Question 4

15 General

When I tired to learn whether a deadline change for FY 19 SBIR Solicitation

Number: 70RSAT19R00000003A which was due Jan. 23 I got an automated response due to government shutdown.

Will the deadline change or is it too late to submit?

Please see response to Question 4

16 General

In view of the government shutdown, I believe DHS has been impacted and we were unable to get certain questions clarified. Is it possible to get an extension

Please See response to Question 4 https://sbir2.st.dhs.gov/ for submitting the proposal by a week or two? It will greatly alleviate pressures for many small businesses like ours and give us enough time to get our questions answered.

17 H-SB019.1-010

What is a typical distance you have in mind between the UAV operators and the possible radiological site that you want to inspect? Do you expect the distance to be below one mile? or something around 8-10 miles? or possibly more?

The solicitation topic does not specify a distance between the UAV operators and site to be inspected.

18 H-SB019.1-010

You mentioned flexible communications

(Satellite, Cellular Tower, Wireless, hardwired, etc.) in the solicitation; does this mean you are looking for one UAS system

(Drone) that includes all of these forms of communication capabilities together? It might not be possible to have all of these options together in one UAS system, but it is possible to have multiple of them (e.g., Satellite, Cellular Tower, Wireless) in one system, although it increases the UAS weight, size, and cost.

Per the topic area, the UAS capabilities must include flexible communications (Satellite, Cellular Tower, Wireless, hardwired, etc.) depending on what is available at a given deployment location.

19 H-SB019.1-010

Section 5.1.5 talks about Export Control, but it is not clear whether the topics in this solicitation are categorized as ITAR-restricted topics. I appreciate it if you let me know whether you categorize SBIR topic H-

SB019.1-010 as an ITAR-restricted project?

Topic H-SB019.1-010 is not ITAR-restriced. As indicated in Section 5.15 of the solicitation, Offerors are responsible for ensuring compliance with the

International Traffic in Arms Regulations administered by the U.S. Department of State (22

C.F.R. Parts 120 to 130). Offerors are asked to identify any anticipated export compliance issues in their response to this solicitation.

20 H-SB019.1-010

There are three references listed, for reference number 1 ANSI N42.48-

American National Standard Performance

Requirements for Spectroscopic Personal

Radiation Detectors (SPRDs) for Homeland

Security. IEEE (New York) May 2018 we are only able to find the 2008 version.

Where can we find the updated reference?

Please use the 2008 version. The May 2018 should be

May 2008 in the reference.

21 General

Can the government please elaborate on the definitions for direct labor and overhead cost? Does direct labor include fully burdened rates or is direct labor the employee wage without overhead or

General and Administrative (G&A) expenses?

Direct labor should not include overhead or General and Administrative (G&A) costs.

22 General

Regarding Overhead Cost, does the government have a preferred range for overhead rate? Is there a preferred

“cognizant federal agency” standard vendors should include?

The Government does not have a preferred range for overhead rates. Examples of a cognizant federal agency are the DCAA or DCMA.

23 General

On p.15, the solicitation notes that responses to topics H-SB019.1-010 and H-

SB019.1-011 require NDAs with Belcan

(and Engility). However, the CWMD topics are H-SB019.1-009 and H-SB019.1-010.

Please clarify.

For topic H-SB019.1-009, please execute an NDA with Belcan only and for topic H-SB019.1-010, please execute an NDA with Belcan and an NDA with

Engility.