AFOSR PIA RFP FA955026RPIA1 2026.docx

US AIR FORCE (USAF)

AIR FORCE OFFICE OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH (AFOSR)

4 MARCH 2026

AFOSR

875 North Randolph Street Arlington, VA 22203

SUBJECT: Request for Proposal (RFP) # FA955026RPIA1, “AFOSR FY26 Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) for Integrated Programmatic and Technical Support to increase Technology Transition & Transfer and Collaborative Project Orders (CPOs)”

I. General Information

1) The Department of War (DOW) Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) in Arlington, VA anticipates awarding a Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) under the Statutory Authority 10 U.S.C. § 4124(f) and 15 U.S.C. § 3715 to obtain Integrated Programmatic and Technical Support as described in Attachment J-0 – AFOSR PIA Statement of Objectives (SOO) under this announcement. The Government anticipates awarding a fixed price type agreement.

AFOSR is seeking to focus PIA activities on eight key areas:

i. Partnership development, collaboration facilitation, and agreement enablement;

ii. Technology transfer and early-stage technology transition awareness, market intelligence, and pathway exploration;

iii. Technology scouting, industry engagement, and ecosystem analysis;

iv. STEM and workforce development, ecosystem and engagement;

v. Access to non-inherently governmental technical expertise, structured studies, and analytic assessments;

vi. Development and use of data tools, analytic platforms, and collaboration or innovation environments;

vii. Governance support, coordination across Collaborative Project Orders (CPOs), and facilitation of workshops, or engagement activities; and

viii. Production of factual, communications and knowledge-transfer outputs related to technology transfer and transition (T3) activities.

The AFOSR PIA is seeking to meet the following seven objectives:

i. Advance technology transfer and early-stage technology transition awareness by increasing visibility, pathway identification, and feasibility understanding of opportunities arising from Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and AFOSR-funded basic research and related Department of the Air Force scientific and innovation activities.

ii. Enable informed consideration of downstream maturation, adoption, and commercialization pathways by facilitating early-stage transition insight, stakeholder connectivity, and ecosystem engagement, without presupposing acquisition, fielding, or operational decisions.

iii. Expand and sustain mission-aligned partnerships and collaboration networks across academia, industry, nonprofit organizations, state or local governments, affiliated entities, government laboratories, and other non-Federal partners to leverage external expertise, infrastructure, and innovation ecosystems.

iv. Support partnership and agreement readiness by enabling the effective use of non-FAR collaboration mechanisms and partnership instruments, consistent with statutory authority and Government determinations.

v. Strengthen STEM, workforce, and talent pipeline outcomes aligned with AFRL and AFOSR scientific priorities and long-term Department needs, contributing to the sustainability of the research and innovation ecosystem.

vi. Improve data-enabled insight and decision support through analytics, studies, landscape assessments, and ecosystem intelligence that inform strategy, investment planning, and technology transfer and transition awareness across AFRL, AFOSR, and aligned mission partners.

vii. Enhance transparency, accountability, and effectiveness in the planning, execution, and assessment of PIA-enabled activities to support stewardship of Government research investments and maximize their potential long-term impact

2) The intermediary will primarily serve in a matchmaker capacity, and work to increase the likelihood of successful cooperative activities between the laboratory and industry/academia. The Government is contemplating award of:

i. The Basic Agreement (as described in Attachment J-0 – AFOSR PIA SOO);

ii. CPO 1 – AFRL/AFOSR (as described in Attachment J-1 – AFRL/AFOSR SOO);

iii. CPO 2 – USSF (SSC) - VA (as described in Attachment J-2 – USSF (SSC) – VA SOO);

iv. CPO 2.1 – USSF (SSC) – CO (as described in Attachment J-2.1 – USSF (SSC) – CO SOO);

v. CPO 3 – AFCENT (as described in Attachment J-3 – AFCENT SOO);

vi. CPO 4 – NRO – VA (as described in Attachment J-4 – NRO SOO)

AFOSR anticipates award of additional CPOs within the ordering period of the basic agreement.

3) Place of Performance.

PI leased facilities Performance for four of the CPOs will be at the PI’s leased facilities located within one (1) mile of coinciding Government or partner activities. Facility locations are to be within the stated distance to ensure maximum stakeholder engagement. The Government will NOT reimburse the applicant’s direct facility costs. Offerors must account for all costs associated with acquiring and maintaining the required facilities within the indirect cost rates used to build their fixed price proposal. The total fixed price proposed for each Collaborative Project Order (CPO) should be all-inclusive of all costs, both direct and indirect, required for performance. The required facility locations shall be as follows:

i. AFOSR: Within one mile of 875 N. Randolph Street, Arlington, VA 22203. Square feet required: 10K sq ft. Facilities should support unclassified work only.

ii. USSF (SSC) – Chantilly, VA: Within one mile of 14850 Conference Center Drive, Chantilly, VA 20151. Square feet required: 10K sq ft. Facilities should support unclassified work only.

iii. USSF (SSC) – Colorado Springs: Within one mile of 2424 Garden of the Gods Road, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80919. Square feet required: 58K sq ft. Facilities should support unclassified work only.

iv. NRO – Chantilly, VA: Within one mile of 14850 Conference Center Drive, Chantilly, VA 20151. Square feet required: 10K sq ft. Facilities should support unclassified work only.

Government space:

The government will provide 10K sq ft. of unclassified partnering collaboration space at 3401 Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA, for both the PI and AFCENT partners, permitting reach-back coordination to AFCENT Headquarters. Work at this site will support unclassified work only.

4) Government Furnished Property (GFP). No GFP or equipment is anticipated to be provided.

5) Total Government Estimated Program Ceilings and Periods of Performance:

The Government Estimated Program Ceiling and Periods of Performance for the CPOs are as follows:

i. CPO 1 – AFRL/AFOSR: $8.8M. The period of performance for CPO 1 will be a Base Period of 12-months plus four 12-month Option Periods for a total of 60 months, plus the optional six-month extension of services.

ii. CPO 2 – USSF (SSC) - Virginia: $7.8M. The period of performance for CPO 2 will be a Base Period of 12-months plus four 12-month Option Periods for a total of 60 months, plus the optional six-month extension of services.

iii. CPO 2.1 – USSF (SSC) - Colorado: $11.7M. The period of performance for CPO 2.1 will be a Base Period of 12-months plus four 12-month Option Periods for a total of 60 months, plus the optional six-month extension of services.

iv. CPO 3 – AFCENT: $2.8M. The period of performance for CPO 3 will be a Base Period of 12-months plus four 12-month Option Periods for a total of 60 months, plus the optional six-month extension of services.

v. CPO 4 – NRO: $8.2M. The period of performance for CPO 4 will be a Base Period of 12-months plus four 12-month Option Periods for a total of 60 months, plus the optional six-month extension of services.

The Government anticipates an initial five CPOs to be awarded simultaneously with the award of the PIA. The objectives for the CPOs can be found in Attachments J-1, J-2, J-2.1, J-3, and J-4.

For the PIA:

The Government estimated ceiling is not to exceed $80M, which would accommodate the addition of other CPOs during the life of the agreement. The period of performance for the PIA will be 60 months, plus the optional six-month extension of services. NOTE: Profit or fee is unallowable under this PIA. Comment by BARKER, ELAINA L CIV USAF AFMC AFRL/RBKS2: Pending

6) Small Business Set Aside: No small business set aside is being used.

Product Service Code (PSC): R499 – Support – Professional: Other North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code: 541690 – Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services

7) Security Requirements. Reference Attachment J-8 – DD254s. The Applicant shall complete Blocks 6 and 7 with the appropriate information for their company and any subcontractors (when applicable) and shall include a statement confirming they can meet the security requirements in Blocks 11, 13, and 14 of the DoW Contract Classification Specification Form (DD254). Security requirements, as specified in the attached DD254, shall be met no later than the date of proposal submission. The government will consider proposals submitted without the DD254 as incomplete and a failure to adhere to the administrative requirements of this RFP.

Three personnel supporting the PIA will require a TS/SCI. The TS/SCI is required for their support of the SSC CPO and AFCENT CPO, although a facility security clearance is not required from the Applicant for these facility sites.

8) RFP Questions, Proposal Submission Due Date/Time, and Proposal Requirements.

RFP Questions. For any questions regarding this RFP, please submit questions in writing to: AFRL.AFOSR.PIA us.af.mil with the subject line “AFOSR PIA Questions: Name of Applicant”.

If responses provide clarification to all prospective Applicants, questions and subsequent responses will be published on SAM.gov.

Proposal Submission Due Date/Time. Applicants must submit their proposals no later than 10:00 AM Eastern on 4 APRIL 2026. Proposals received after this time/date will be determined non-responsive and will not be reviewed.

Proposals shall be submitted electronically to: AFRL.AFOSR.PIA@us.af.mil with the subject line:

“AFOSR PIA Proposal Submission: Name of Applicant”. Applicants are highly encouraged to submit proposals several days before the deadline to preclude electronic transmission delays. Applicants are also encouraged upon submission to request a confirmation of receipt from the Government email address listed.

Proposal Requirements. Proposals submissions require the following:

i. Eligibility Requirements Documentation (to be included in Volume III)

ii. Technical/Management - Volume I

iii. Price Documentation - Volume II

iv. Proposal Documentation - Volume III

v. Past Performance - Volume IV

9) Proposal costs. The Government will provide no funding for proposal development costs. Technical proposals and budgets (or any other materials) submitted in response to this RFP will not be returned. The Government reserves the right to cancel this solicitation, either before or after the closing date. In the event the Government cancels this solicitation, or an Applicant is not selected for an award, the Government is under no obligation to pay for any costs associated with preparing or submitting a proposal in response to this RFP.

10) Obligation of Funds. Award made under this solicitation is subject to the availability of funds. This request for proposal shall not be construed as commitment on the part of the Government as to the availability of certified funds or an authorization to proceed with the effort; successful negotiations are a prerequisite for the award of any PIA. Such authorization will be provided via a formally executed PIA and CPOs bilaterally signed by the Award Recipient and the Government Contracting Officer.

To be considered for the PIA award, the nonprofit must meet the eligibility requirements, submit a response to the Basic Agreement and five CPOs for evaluation, and provide all information requested in this RFP. There is a potential for additional CPOs to be awarded separately throughout the ordering period of the Basic Agreement. Failure to submit a proposal in response to the Basic Agreement and CPOs 1, 2, 2.1, 3, and 4 will be determined non-responsive and not reviewed further.

II. Proposal Instructions:

The following instructions are for the preparation and submission of proposals. The purpose of this section is to establish requirements for the format and content of proposals so that proposals contain all essential information and can be evaluated equitably. Applicants are instructed to read the entire solicitation document, including all attachments, prior to submitting questions and/or preparing your offer. The government will consider proposals submitted without the documentation identified in the proposal instructions as incomplete and a failure to adhere to the administrative requirements of this RFP. Omission of any information from the proposal submission requirements may result in rejection of the offer.

1) Applicants are expected to follow the detailed proposal preparation instructions fully and carefully. The Government will rely on the information provided by the Applicants to evaluate the proposals. It is therefore imperative that Applicants carefully follow the instructions set forth below and submit their proposals in the format and with the content specified below, providing all requested information.

2) Proposals that fail to provide information in the format requested may be found unacceptable and may be rejected without further consideration if the KO determines that a significant revision or addendum to the Applicant’s proposal would be required to permit further evaluation, and especially if the incompleteness of the proposal or errant formatting of the proposal appears to be due from a lack of diligence or competence of the Applicant. The Government intends to evaluate and award without discussion; therefore, each initial proposal should contain the Applicant’s best terms. The Government reserves the right to seek clarifications or conduct discussions if the KO determines they are necessary.

3) The instructions provided have been designed to ensure the submission of information essential to the understanding and comprehensive validation and evaluation of proposals. Clarity and completeness are of utmost importance to the proposal. The relevance and conciseness of the proposal is important. The Applicant is responsible for the accuracy and completeness of the Applicant’s proposal.

4) The proposal submission must comply with the following requirements:

i. Must be submitted in Adobe PDF format unless otherwise stated.

ii. All pages single sided must be formatted to fit on 8.5”x 11” paper with margins not less than one (1) inch on every side, with font not smaller than 11 point.

iii. References must be included in the footer of every page in a font size of 11. Footnotes and end notes are counted towards the maximum page requirement.

iv. Page numbers must be included in the footer of every page; and each submission must not exceed the specified maximum page limit, including cover page, charts, graphs, maps, and photographs when printed using the formatting requirements set forth above and single spaced. If applicants exceed the maximum page limits indicated below, the Government will review only the authorized number of pages and disregard any additional pages.

v. It is the sole responsibility of the offeror to ensure that the electronic files submitted are virus-free and can be opened and read by the Government. Proposal submissions shall not be locked, encrypted, compressed, or otherwise contain barriers to opening the file(s). The Government is under no obligation to seek clarification regarding electronic proposal submissions if submissions cannot be opened or accessed. The Government reserves the right not to consider for award any proposal that does not adhere to the administrative requirements of this RFP.

vi. Applicants shall submit their proposals in separate Volumes as specified. In addition, the Applicants shall submit one (1) complete unredacted version of the Technical/Management Volume I, and one (1) redacted version of the same Technical/Management Volume I. The redacted version shall be identical in content and format to the unredacted version except for the permanent redaction (e.g., blacked out, obscured, or deleted in a non-recoverable manner) any information the Applicant claims as proprietary, confidential, trade secret, or otherwise protected from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. § 552) or other applicable laws, and all references to the Applicant and Sub-Applicant(s), Consultant(s), and Collaborators Name(s). Pricing information (Volume II) shall not be included in the unredacted or redacted Technical/Management Volume I. The redacted Technical/Management Volume I version shall be clearly labeled on the cover page and on each redacted page as: ‘REDACTED COPY’. The unredacted version will be retained by the Contracting Officer and used only as necessary for limited purposes requiring full disclosure.

Applicants are solely responsible for identifying, justifying, and properly redacting their information. The Government will not assume responsibility for redacting information on behalf of the Applicant and will not be liable for any disclosure resulting from inadequate redactions.

If an Applicant fails to provide a properly prepared redacted version:

· The proposal may be deemed non-responsive/non-compliant, or

· In the event of a FOIA request, the full unredacted proposal (subject to applicable exemptions) may be released without further opportunity for the Applicant to redact.

5) System for Award Management (SAM.gov) Registration Required:

i. All Applicants must be registered in SAM.gov before submitting a proposal. As part of the registration process SAM.gov will issue a valid Unique Entity Identifier. A commercial and government entity (CAGE) code will be issued by the Defense Logistics Agency as part of the SAM.gov registration process. It is the Applicant’s responsibility to maintain an active SAM registration with current information when any application is under consideration by a Federal awarding agency, and at all times any Federal award is active.

ii. An Agency level exemption for SAM registration under 2 CFR § 25.110(a)(2) will not be issued for applicants under this announcement. Applicants must comply with SAM.gov registration requirements and include their Organizational Unique Entity Identifier in the proposal, or we cannot make an award. If an Applicant is non-compliant with this requirement, we may determine you are not qualified to receive an award and use that determination to make an award to someone else as authorized by 2 CFR § 25.205(b). You cannot receive payments without an active SAM record and CAGE code.

iii. Help topics for SAM.gov can be found on the following website as well as a live chat for questions about SAM registration entity updates: https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp? l d=kbcategory&kbcategory=f56ee43edbfadcl 02c5f368f7c96l 906.

6) Eligibility Determination:

i. To be eligible to enter a PIA, the entity must meet the definition of a “Partnership Intermediary (PI)” as defined in 10 U.S.C. 4124(f)(2):

“…..an agency of a State or local government, or a non-profit entity owned in whole or 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 industry or academic institutions that need or can make demonstrably productive use of technology-related assistance from a Center; facilitates technology transfer from industry or academic institutions to a Center; or assists and facilitates workforce development in critical technology areas for technology transition activities to fulfill unmet needs of a center.”

And as defined in 15 USC § 3715(c):

"... 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) 1 of title 20, 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.”

ii. A nonprofit entity seeking to qualify as a Partnership Intermediary (PI) shall comply with the eligibility requirements as outlined in a) or b) below:

a) Government Agencies: A PI may be “an agency of a State or local government.” If the candidate PI asserts that it is eligible because it is an agent of a State or local government:

(1) The candidate PI shall cite the state statute or local ordinance that establishes the candidate PI as an agent of the State or local government.

b) Nonprofit Organizations. If a candidate PI is not a government agency, then it shall be a “nonprofit entity” and shall be “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.”

(1) All nonprofit organizations are required to file an annual IRS Form 990. Whether organized as a corporation, LLC, or other type of organization, nonprofit business entities will have articles of incorporation on file in the state in which the entity is established. These entities also should have bylaws governing their operations. If the candidate PI meets this eligibility requirement:

· The candidate PI shall submit the articles of incorporation, the bylaws, and the IRS Form 990 to confirm that the candidate PI is in fact a nonprofit organization.

(2) The requirements for a candidate PI to be “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” as stated in the alternative—must meet at least one of the following conditions to satisfy this requirement.

i. If the candidate PI is “owned in whole or in part,” or “operated in whole or in part by or on behalf of the State or local government”:

· The candidate PI shall submit proof of such ownership.

ii. To document that a State or local government has chartered a candidate PI:

· The candidate PI shall submit proof of a legislative action issuing such a charter, or an administrative action authorizing the candidate PI by specific legislative action.

iii. To document that a State or local government funds the candidate PI:

· The candidate PI shall submit a funding agreement between the government and the candidate PI and identify the duration of the funding agreement is for at least the term of the proposed PIA action. NOTE: The candidate PI who asserts eligibility solely by virtue of funding by a state or local government will be further scrutinized by the Contracting Officer. The existence of funding from a State or local government is often a less durable or solid connection to the State or local government than the other bases of eligibility. The Contracting Officer’s review of this assertion will consider the purpose of the funding—whether the funding is for purposes of the PIA or other purposes that do not support PIA activities, the total amount of funding, and the longevity of funding.

For the Government Contracting Officer to make a determination of eligibility, the proposal Applicant shall include documented evidence of the nonprofit entity’s relationship to the State or local government as stated above. This information shall be included in Proposal Documentation - Volume III.

7) Technical/Management Volume I:

The Technical Volume must clearly describe the Applicant’s strategy, technical approach, and justification proposed. The Technical Volume must include the following sections and be organized as follows:

Basic Agreement and CPO 1, 2, 2.1, 3, and 4 Cover Page (1 page maximum, single sided)

The cover page must include the following information:

· RFP # FA955026RPIA1

· Title: “AFOSR FY26 Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) for Integrated Programmatic and Technical Support to increase Technology Transition & Transfer and Collaborative Project Orders (CPOs)”

· Identification of Prime Applicant Name, Address, SAM UEI, Cage Code, Web Page URL, and Size of Business pursuant to NAICS Code: 541690, and if applicable, the complete list of Sub-Applicant(s), Consultant(s), or Collaborators Name(s), Address(es), SAM UEI(s), Cage Code(s), Web Page URL(s), and Size of Business(es) pursuant to NAICS Code: 541690

· Technical Contact(s) (Name, Job Title, Phone, Email)

· Administrative/Business Contact(s) (Name, Job Title, Phone, Email)

· Proposed Period of Performance (Identify both the Base Period and all Options)

The Applicant shall include the following statements:

“[Identify Prime Applicant Name] and its Sub-Applicant(s), Consultant(s), and Collaborators agree to hold all prices in this proposal offer firm for 180 calendar days from the solicitation close date for receipt of offers. This proposal offer is valid through [Identify DD MMM YYYY].”

“[Identify Prime Applicant Name] and its Sub-Applicant(s), Consultant(s), and Collaborators acknowledge all amendments made to the solicitation through amendment [identify amendment #]. All changes made to the solicitation by each amendment have been incorporated in the proposal submitted.”

Basic Agreement and CPO 1, 2, 2.1, 3, and 4 Table of Contents (2 page maximum, single sided)

A listing of the sections within the proposal, including corresponding page numbers.

Basic Agreement and CPO 1, 2, 2.1, 3, and 4 Overview (5 page maximum, single sided)

The Overview must contain the following information:

i. Background: The Applicant should discuss the organization’s background, including its history, successes, and current operating status (i.e., the technical baseline) relevant to the proposed effort.

ii. Goals and Objectives: The Applicant should explicitly identify the targeted goals and objectives and what critical success factors will be employed to achieve them.

Basic Agreement and CPO 1, 2, 2.1, 3, and 4 Schedule and Milestones (5 page maximum, single sided) A summary of the schedule of events and milestones (Gannt Chart or similar).

i. The Applicant must provide a detailed schedule of events for the entire proposed effort, including task and subtask durations, etc.

ii. The Applicant should provide appropriate milestones throughout the effort to demonstrate success, where success is defined as technical achievement rather than simply completing a task. Milestones shall be written as specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely to ensure milestones are relevant.

Basic Agreement and CPO 1, 2, 2.1, 3, and 4 Management Plan (5 page maximum, single sided)

The Applicant must detail the organization’s proposed management plan.

At a minimum, the plan must include:

i. Identifying the number of employees supporting management of the PIA and each CPO.

ii. Identifying their regular/recurring roles and responsibilities.

iii. The overall approach to and organization for managing the work.

iv. The technical and management aspects of the management plan, including systems and practices, such as financial and project management practices and associated tools.

v. The approach to project risk management to include financial/cost risk and mitigation and technical risk and mitigation

vi. A description of how project changes will be handled.

vii. A description of how communications will be maintained among project team members.

viii. A description of the approval process for project plans and monthly deliverables.

Basic Agreement and CPO 1, 2, 2.1, 3, and 4 Technical Qualifications and Resources (5 page maximum, single sided)

The Applicant must detail the organization’s daily operational plan on the proposed effort.

This may include, but is not limited to:

i. Describing the team’s unique qualifications and expertise, including those of sub-applicants, sub-awardees, consultants, etc.

ii. Describing the team’s understanding of what their role is as a partnership intermediary.

iii. Describing the team’s previous tech transition and transfer activities (including commercialization) or instances where technologies were transitioned to the warfighter.

iv. Describing the team’s understanding of and how it will support fundamental/basic research tech transition and transfer requirements for the customers supported.

v. Describing the team’s plan for supporting Workforce Development and STEM activities.

vi. Where applicable, describing the relationships and the communication plan with any sub-applicants, sub-awardees, consultants, or collaborators of the proposed effort.

vii. Describing the team’s existing processes, tools, equipment, relationships, facilities and other relevant attributes that will facilitate successful completion of the proposed effort.

viii. Describing the Applicants demonstrated ability to provide or rent separate collaboration or event space as needed.

ix. Describing the team’s relevant previous work efforts, demonstrated innovations, and how these will enable them to achieve the project objectives.

x. Describing the commitment of key team members to support the management of the PIA project.

xi. For multi-organizational or multi-director projects, describe succinctly:

a) Roles and work to be performed by each Project Director and Key Participant(s).

b) How the various efforts will be managed.

c) Publication arrangements.

d) Intellectual Property protection.

e) Communication plans.

Basic Agreement and CPO 1, 2, 2.1, 3, and 4 Regional Engagement Strategy and Implementation Plan (5 page maximum, single sided)

The Applicant must provide regional engagement strategy with an implementation plan. The plan must include a description with all available evidence to support how the Applicant will foster a sustainable innovative and entrepreneurial environment through regional engagement.

Elements of the plan may include, but are not limited to:

i. Partnerships and/or working relationships with regional entities, including state and local government as well as private sector entities (including for non-profits).

ii. Facilitating demonstration of prototypes.

iii. A unique value proposition and description of the Applicant organization’s structural advantages in implementing the regional engagement plan (i.e., how the organization is built to be successful within the region).

iv. A description of the plan’s potential to be transferable to other innovation-accelerating organizations/regions.

v. Access to non-traditional sources of innovation or plan to access.

vi. A description of how the plan will yield an improvement in the organization’s offerings as a resource to local and regional entrepreneurs and innovators within the region, and how it will boost the regional innovation ecosystem’s productivity.

vii. The primary risk factors the Applicant anticipates mitigating or overcoming to successfully implement the regional engagement strategy.

Basic Agreement and CPO 1, 2, 2.1, 3, and 4 Statements of Work (Excluded from the page count, no page limit)

i. The Applicant developed Statements of Work are required to be included in the Technical Volume and shall address each aspect of the SOOs.

ii. The SOWs will outline specific aims of the proposed effort that establishes milestones during the performance period.

iii. The SOWs should contain sufficient detail to be informative as a standalone document and shall not simply reiterate the Statement of Objectives. The SOWs shall use the same section numbers and titles as the SOOs.

iv. Applicants are required to respond to all PIA objectives and SOO requirements as part of the Technical Volume. The Applicant may propose additional programs and/or project objectives that bolster technology transfer and transition activities and/or increase the maturity and market readiness of AFRL-related technologies and partner-related technologies to prepare them for technology transfer, transition, and commercialization needs.

v. The SOWs should fully describe the work to be accomplished and how the Applicant will achieve the milestones, will accomplish final project goal(s), and will produce all deliverables.

vi. It is the Applicant’s responsibility to prepare an adequately detailed task plan to describe the proposed effort and the plan for addressing the objectives.

vii. The SOWs must not include proprietary information.

Basic Agreement and CPO 1, 2, 2.1, 3, and 4 Resumes -- Provide as Appendix I to the Technical Volume.

Do not attach as a separate file.

(Must not exceed 2-pages, single sided for each person proposed)

i. The Applicant will provide a resume for all key personnel and personnel having a major role, to include sub-awardees and/or consultants if they meet the definition of a major role. A major role is defined as any individual who contributes in a substantive, measurable way to the execution of the proposed effort.

ii. Key personnel requirements are outlined in Attachment J-9. Key personnel will need to be dedicated to the PI. Consultants and Subcontractors cannot be substitutions for key personnel on the Basic Agreement or CPOs.

iii. The Applicant shall utilize and complete Attachment KP – Key Personnel Resume Template for each key person proposed.

· The Applicant shall provide one (1) complete unredacted version of the Technical/Management Volume I, and one (1) redacted version of the same Technical/Management Volume I as per the instructions in Section II, 4) vi.

· The Technical Volume for the Basic Agreement and CPO 1, 2, 2.1, 3, and 4 must not exceed 28-pages, single sided, including Cover Page, Table of Contents, Overview, Schedule and Milestones, Management Plan, Technical Qualifications and Resources, Regional Engagement Strategy and Implementation Plan, charts, graphs, maps, photographs, and other pictorial presentations when printed using standard 8.5” by 11” paper with 1-inch margins (top, bottom, left, and right) single spaced. The font must not be smaller than 11 point.

· Resumes must not exceed 2-pages, single sided, for each person proposed when printed using standard 8.5” by 11” paper with 1-inch margins (top, bottom, left, and right) single spaced. The font must not be smaller than 11 point.

· The Statements of Work are excluded from the page count and have no page limit.

· Evaluators will review only the number of pages specified in the preceding.

· Do not include Internet addresses (URLs) that provide information necessary to review the proposal. The information contained in referenced Internet addresses will not be reviewed.

· Do not include proprietary or confidential information.

8) Price Documentation - Volume II:

The Price Documentation Volume must include the following sections and be organized as follows:

Price Documentation - Volume II

The cover page must include the following information:

· Title: “AFOSR FY26 Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) for Integrated Programmatic and Technical Support to increase Technology Transition & Transfer and Collaborative Project Orders (CPOs)”

· Identification of Prime Applicant Name, Address, SAM UEI, Cage Code, Web Page URL, and Size of Business pursuant to NAICS Code: 541690, and if applicable, the complete list of Sub-Applicant(s), Consultant(s), or Collaborators Name(s), Address(es), SAM UEI(s), Cage Code(s), Web Page URL(s), and Size of Business(es) pursuant to NAICS Code: 541690

· Technical Contact(s) (Name, Job Title, Phone, Email)

· Administrative/Business Contact(s) (Name, Job Title, Phone, Email)

· Proposed Period of Performance (Identify both the Base Period and all Options)

· Total Proposed Budget (identify Base Period and all Options values) for each of the five CPO(s).

The Applicant shall include the following statements:

“[Identify Prime Applicant Name] and its Sub-Applicant(s), Consultant(s), and Collaborators agree to hold all prices in this proposal offer firm for 180 calendar days from the solicitation close date for receipt of offers. This proposal offer is valid through [Identify DD MMM YYYY].”

“[Identify Prime Applicant Name] and its Sub-Applicant(s), Consultant(s), and Collaborators acknowledge all amendments made to the solicitation through amendment [identify amendment #]. All changes made to the solicitation by each amendment have been incorporated in the proposal submitted.”

Price Documentation - Volume II Price Narrative (No page limit)

i. The Applicant shall provide a narrative explaining their estimating methodology for each CPO, each ODC, proposed Facilities, and each Sub/Consultant/Collaborator, with the narrative sufficiently detailed to demonstrate realism and reasonableness.

ii. The Applicant shall provide cost/pricing information, supporting data, any approved rates schedules, and negotiated indirect rate agreements in place (see 2 CFR § 200.414 for detailed information) and include recent verification of such rates.

iii. Subtotal and Total amounts should be rounded to the nearest dollar.

iv. The Applicant shall provide information relating to their cost accounting system and its compliance with the standards identified in 2 CFR § 200.302.

v. The Applicant shall provide supporting other than cost and pricing data to the Government upon request.

Price Documentation - Volume II Price Proposal Provide as Appendix I to the Price Volume.

Attach as a separate file.

(No page limit)

The Government has provided an MS Excel workbook (see Attachment P) for Applicants to use in pricing their proposal.

i. The Applicant shall provide a completed price proposal in accordance with the instructions in this RFP letter, any Amendments issued, and the instructions in the Attachment P – Price Proposal Template.

ii. The price proposal will include detailed information regarding the resources required to accomplish the CPOs (e.g., labor categories, labor hours, number of employees for each labor category, hourly rates, yearly salary, fringe, G&A, facilities costs per square foot, monthly rent, travel, equipment, subscriptions, other ODCs, etc.).

iii. Applicants shall include all formulas and calculations in the workbook and NOT manually calculate and enter values. Formulas shall not be locked.

iv. Pricing shall be submitted for the base period and all option periods, including option pricing for an additional six-month period at the end of the final option period. The prices for this six-month option period shall be equal to the proposed pricing in the six months prior to expiration of the final option period.

v. All Sub/Consultant/Collaborator pricing shall be identified separately in the price proposal. The percentage of work they will perform must also be identified.

· The Price Documentation Volume – II Cover Page must not exceed 1-page, single sided.

· The font must not be smaller than 11 point when charts, graphs, maps, photographs, and other pictorial presentations are printed using standard 8.5” by 11” paper with 1-inch margins (top, bottom, left, and right) single spaced.

· The Price Narrative and Attachment P are excluded from the page count and have no page limit.

· Do not include Internet addresses (URLs) that provide information necessary to review the proposal. The information contained in referenced Internet addresses will not be reviewed.

9) Proposal Documentation – Volume III.

Proposal Documentation - Volume III

The cover page must include the following information:

· Title: “AFOSR FY26 Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) for Integrated Programmatic and Technical Support to increase Technology Transition & Transfer and Collaborative Project Orders (CPOs)”

· Identify Prime Applicant Name, Address, SAM UEI, Cage Code, Web Page URL, and Size of Business pursuant to North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code 541690 and if applicable, the complete list of Sub-Applicant(s), Consultant(s), or Collaborators Name(s), Address(es), SAM UEI(s), Cage Code(s), Web Page URL(s), and Size of Business(es) pursuant to North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code 541690

· Technical Contact (Name, Job Title, Phone, Email)

· Administrative/Business Contact (Name, Job Title, Phone, Email)

· Proposed Period of Performance (Identify both the Base Period and all Options)

· Total Proposed Budget (identify Base Period and all Options values) for each of the five CPO(s).

The Applicant shall include the following statements:

“[Identify Prime Applicant Name] and its Sub-Applicant(s), Consultant(s), and Collaborators agree to hold all prices in this proposal offer firm for 180 calendar days from the solicitation close date for receipt of offers. This proposal offer is valid through [Identify DD MMM YYYY].”

“[Identify Prime Applicant Name] and its Sub-Applicant(s), Consultant(s), and Collaborators acknowledge all amendments made to the solicitation through amendment [identify amendment #]. All changes made to the solicitation by each amendment have been incorporated in the proposal submitted.”

Proposal Documentation - Volume III Eligibility Documentation (No page limit) The Applicant shall include documented evidence of their eligibility to meet the definition of a “Partnership Intermediary (PI) as stated in Section II.6.

Proposal Documentation - Volume III Model PIA & CPO Terms & Conditions Agreement (No page limit) The Applicant shall include a statement specifying the extent of agreement with all the terms and conditions outlined in the solicitation, Attachment J-5 – Model PIA, and Attachment J-6 – Model CPO.

Proposal Documentation - Volume III Applicant completed DD254 (4 page maximum, single sided) The Applicant shall complete Blocks 6 and 7 with the appropriate information for their company and any subcontractors (when applicable) and shall include a statement confirming they can meet the security requirements in Blocks 11, 13, and 14 of the DoW Contract Classification Specification Form (DD254). Security requirements, as specified in the attached DD254, shall be met no later than the date of proposal submission. The government will consider proposals submitted without the completed DD254 and statement confirming they can meet the security requirements as incomplete and a failure to adhere to the administrative requirements of this RFP.

Proposal Documentation - Volume III OCCI Mitigation Plan or Statement that an OCCI does not exist (4 page maximum, single sided) The Applicant shall provide an OCCI Mitigation Plan if they believe one could potentially exist, or, provide a statement than an OCCI does not exist.

· The Proposal Documentation Volume must not exceed 9 pages, single sided, including Cover Page, Completed DD254, OCCI Mitigation Plan, charts, graphs, maps, photographs, and other pictorial presentations when printed using standard 8.5” by 11” paper with 1-inch margins (top, bottom, left, and right) single spaced. The font must not be smaller than 11 point.

· The Eligibility Documentation and statement regarding the Model PIA & CPO Terms & Conditions Agreement is excluded from page counts and has no page limit.

· Do not include Internet addresses (URLs) that provide information necessary to review the proposal. The information contained in referenced Internet addresses will not be reviewed.

10) Past Performance - Volume IV:

Past Performance Documentation - Volume IV

The cover page must include the following information:

· Title: “AFOSR FY26 Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) for Integrated Programmatic and Technical Support to increase Technology Transition & Transfer and Collaborative Project Orders (CPOs)”

· Identify Prime Applicant Name, Address, SAM UEI, Cage Code, Web Page URL, and Size of Business pursuant to North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code 541690 and if applicable, the complete list of Sub-Applicant(s), Consultant(s), or Collaborators Name(s), Address(es), SAM UEI(s), Cage Code(s), Web Page URL(s), and Size of Business(es) pursuant to North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code 541690

· Technical Contact (Name, Job Title, Phone, Email)

· Administrative/Business Contact (Name, Job Title, Phone, Email)

· Proposed Period of Performance (Identify both the Base Period and all Options)

The Applicant shall include the following statements:

“[Identify Prime Applicant Name] and its Sub-Applicant(s), Consultant(s), and Collaborators agree to hold all prices in this proposal offer firm for 180 calendar days from the solicitation close date for receipt of offers. This proposal offer is valid through [Identify DD MMM YYYY].”

“[Identify Prime Applicant Name] and its Sub-Applicant(s), Consultant(s), and Collaborators acknowledge all amendments made to the solicitation through amendment [identify amendment #]. All changes made to the solicitation by each amendment have been incorporated in the proposal submitted.”

Past Performance Documentation - Volume IV Project List (6 page maximum, single sided)

CPARS and Completed PPQ Reference Evaluations (No page limit)

The Applicant shall submit a project list with up to three (3) recent and relevant projects performed by the Applicant or its Subcontractors, plus evaluations (as available).

“Recent projects” are contracts with performance that has occurred within 3 years of the solicitation posting date.

“Relevant projects” are those under which the Applicant has provided the services outlined in Section I.1.

The Project List must not exceed 6 pages maximum and will include the following information:

i. The client’s name;

ii. A brief description of the scope of work; and

iii. Contact information for an employee of the client organization with first-hand knowledge of the Offeror’s work on that project.

The Applicant will submit one of the following Reference Evaluations for each project:

i. Copies of recent CPARS evaluations or similar Agency-specific performance evaluations for each project; or

ii. The PPQ Template (see Attachment – PPQ), completed and submitted by an employee of the client organization with first-hand knowledge of the Applicant’s work on that project.

NOTE: The Government will not accept PPQs submitted by anyone other than an employee of the client organization.

iii. CPARS and completed PPQ reference evaluations are excluded from the page count and have no page limit.

In the interest of efficiency, the Government discourages Offerors from submitting both CPARS evaluations and a PPQ for the same project. The Government will not penalize Offerors for submitting both; however, if the information between the documents differs, the Government will factor both documents into its evaluation.

· The Past Performance Documentation Volume – IV Cover Page must not exceed 1-page, single sided.

· The Project List must not exceed 6-pages, single sided.

· CPARS and completed PPQ reference evaluations are excluded from the page count and have no page limit.

· The font must not be smaller than 11 point when charts, graphs, maps, photographs, and other pictorial presentations are printed using standard 8.5” by 11” paper with 1-inch margins (top, bottom, left, and right) single spaced.

· Do not include Internet addresses (URLs) that provide information necessary to review the proposal. The information contained in referenced Internet addresses will not be reviewed.

III. Merit Review Criteria.

Eligibility Verification will be evaluated based on a Pass/Fail Rating Method:

Review Criteria Definitions:

Risk - Is the potential for unsuccessful PIA/CPO performance. Consideration of risk assesses the degree to which an Applicant’s proposed approach to achieving the technical/management factor may involve risk of disruption of schedule, increased cost or degradation of performance, the need for increased Government oversight, and the likelihood of unsuccessful PIA/CPO performance

Strength - Is an aspect of an Applicant's proposal with merit or will exceed specified performance or capability requirements to the advantage of the Government during PIA/CPO performance.

Significant Strength - Is an aspect of an Applicant’s proposal with appreciable merit or will exceed specified performance or capability requirements to the considerable advantage of the Government during PIA/CPO performance.

Deficiency - Is a material failure of an Applicant’s proposal to meet a Government requirement or a combination of significant weaknesses in a proposal that increases the risk of unsuccessful PIA/CPO performance to an unacceptable level.

Uncertainty - Is any aspect of a non-cost/price factor proposal for which the intent of the offer is unclear (e.g., more than one way to interpret the offer or inconsistencies in the proposal indicating that there may have been an error, omission, or mistake).

Weakness - Means a flaw in the Applicant’s proposal that increases the risk of unsuccessful PIA/CPO performance.

Significant Weakness – Means a flaw in the Applicant’s proposal that appreciably increases the risk of unsuccessful PIA/CPO performance.

Technical/Management: The Applicant’s Technical/Management (Capability) and Technical/Management (Program Management) will be evaluated based on the following combined Technical/Risk Rating Method:

Proposal indicates a thorough approach and understanding of the requirements and contains at least one strength or significant strength, and risk of unsuccessful performance is low…