B08_SOL_DOI-IARPA-BAA_ENDGEN_-_12_Aug_2025_For_Release_-1.docx

United States Department of the Interior

INTERIOR BUSINESS CENTER

Washington, DC 20240

DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR

In partnership with The Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA)

BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT

Endless Generative Waveforms (End-Gen)

DOI-BAA-ENDGEN-FY25-02

Issued By:

The Department of the Interior (DOI), Interior Business Center (IBC) Acquisition Services Directorate (AQD) E-Mail: Iarpa_doi_endgen@ibc.doi.gov Release Date: 12 August 2025

Contents

General Broad Agency Announcement Information This notice constitutes a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) and sets forth a research area of Endless Generative Waveforms. The BAA (Solicitation) process will follow the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 35, Research & Development (R&D) Contracting, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. Awards based on responses to this BAA will be the result of a full and open competition.

Sponsoring Federal Agency: Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI)/Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) Federal Contracting Office Responsible for this BAA: Department of the Interior (DOI), Interior Business Center (IBC), Acquisition Services Directorate (AQD) Announcement Type: Initial Funding Opportunity Number: DOI-BAA-ENDGEN-FY25-02 Funding Opportunity Title: Endless Generative Waveforms (End-Gen) Program Program Summary: End-Gen lies at the crossroads of both communication, networking, and information theories (jointly referred to as simply “Comms” for the remainder of this document) and data-driven approaches to optimization sciences (simply referred to as “artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML)” [AI/ML] for the remainder of this document). End-Gen attempts to combine Comms with AI/ML to generate waveforms quickly and cost effectively. In general, a waveform is any method used to pass information between two entities by transducing physical energy, that represents the information being shared, into the physical world environment. The End-Gen program is interested in two methods of generative AI (GAI) applied to waveform design: TA-1 In Situ Discovery: End-Gen generative frameworks, loaded onto smart radios are placed within the desired environment, given human mission objectives, and generate waveforms through an adaptive training or TA-2 Ex Situ Conservation: End-Gen foundational generative frameworks, prompted to create waveforms suitable for the desired environment and human objectives, create outputs which are placed onto smart radios.

Anticipated Contract Period of Performance (PoP):

The End-Gen program is envisioned as a 42-month effort. Phase 1 (Base Period) will last 12 months, Phase 2 (Option Period 1) will last 18 months, and Phase 3 (Option Period 2) will last 12 months. Offerors are required to submit a proposal that addresses all three phases of the program for one of the TAs per proposal. Offerors must be very clear how challenges unique to the chosen technical area will be addressed across all three phases.

Offeror proposals must address these challenge concerns by including the items listed below.

Required in proposals for both TAs:

· Phase 1 Feasibility. Given the “waveform” definition in this BAA, how will a generative waveform be created before the end of Phase 1 and then improved upon in Phases 2 and 3?

· End-Gen Lexicon. How will the government team be able to interact with Offeror solutions (such as through objectives and prompts) without Offerors knowing a priori what those waveform objectives may be?

Required in proposals for TA-1:

· How will Offeror solution accomplish training over-the-air (OTA) in an unknown environment, with arbitrary objectives, without an error-free feedback channel?

· How will Offeror solution consume objective functions defined by the government team for your waveforms? What form must the objective take?

· How will Offeror’s approach to optimization handle the Multi-Objective Optimization problem for numerous objectives?

Required in proposals for TA-2:

· What modality (e.g., math, algorithms, language, code, etc.) are used on the machine? Why the chosen modality?

· What dataset will be used to train the GAI in this given modality?

· For your solution, what do prompts look like? What do outputs look like?

· Generative Waveform Explainability

· Clearly step through an exemplar case on how the framework is prompted to result in a waveform building block.

· Clearly step through an exemplar case on how a chain of waveform building blocks results in a valid waveform that functions with the End-Gen Application Programming Interface (API).

· Clearly describe how this valid waveform can adapt to whatever environment it is placed in without further access to Performer’s framework.

Proposals that omit answers to any of the above bulleted items, in their chosen Technical Area, will be considered non-compliant and therefore, not eligible for award.

SAM.Gov Assistance Listings: Not applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Numbers (CFDA): Not applicable Electronic Mail: Any questions pertaining to this BAA must be e-mailed to the following e-mail address: iarpa_doi_endgen@ibc.doi.gov, Kevin_Woody@ibc.doi.gov and William_Galvin@ibc.doi.gov.

All e-mails must include the name of the Offeror’s organization and the full name, valid e-mail address and phone number of the Offeror’s point of contact (POC). Do not send questions with proprietary content. If applicable, a consolidated Question(s) and Answer(s) response will be posted on SAM.gov for Contract Opportunities website (https://SAM.gov/) and linked from the IARPA website (https://http://www.iarpa.gov/index.php/research-programs/End-Gen). No answers will be provided directly to the submitter.

BAA Estimated Timeline:

· BAA Posting date: 12 August 2025

· Offeror Questions Due No-Later-Than (NLT): 22 August 2025, 3:00 PM ET

· BAA Closing Date and Proposal Due Date: 29 September 2025, 3:00 PM ET Number of Anticipated Awards: Multiple Award Types: Procurement Contracts Anticipated Contract Type: Cost Reimbursement (i.e., Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF)) Note: The Government is willing to accept Cost-no-Fee and Firm-Fixed Price (FFP) proposals with milestone payments. FFP proposals are acceptable for Offerors who do not have approved accounting systems.

IARPA Technical Point of Contact:

Dr. Adam Anderson, Program Manager (PM)

ATTN: DOI-BAA-ENDGEN-FY25-02

Office of the Director of National Intelligence Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity Washington, DC 20511 Program Website: https://www.iarpa.gov/research-programs/End-Gen

DOI IBC AQD Contracting Office Points of Contact:

Mr. Kevin Woody Contracting Officer

DOI/IBC/AQD

E-Mail: Kevin_Woody@ibc.doi.gov

Mr. William Galvin Jr Contracting Officer

DOI/IBC/AQD

E-Mail: William_Galvin@ibc.doi.gov DOI-BAA-ENDGEN-FY25-02 Page 34 of 77

SECTION 1: FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

IARPA often selects its research efforts through the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) process. The use of a BAA solicitation allows a wide range of innovative ideas and concepts. The BAA will appear under Contract Opportunities on https://sam.gov and a link will be placed on the IARPA website at https://iarpa.gov.

This BAA is issued in accordance with (IAW) the FAR section 6.102(d)(2), which provides for the competitive selection of basic and applied research and that part of development not related to the development of a specific system or hardware procurement. Proposals submitted in response to this BAA that are selected for award are to be in full compliance with Provisions of Public Law 98-369, “The Competition in Contracting Act” of 1984 and subsequent amendments. The following information is provided for those wishing to respond to this Program BAA.

1.A. Program Overview Reference Attachment 1 “Statement of Objectives” 1.B. Test and Evaluation (T&E) Reference Attachment 1 “Statement of Objectives” 1.C. Program Metrics Reference Attachment 1 “Statement of Objectives” Meeting program metrics is a performance indicator under all IARPA research programs. IARPA has defined End-Gen program metrics to evaluate effectiveness of the proposed solutions in achieving the stated program goals and objectives, and to determine whether satisfactory progress is being made. The metrics described in this BAA are shared with the intent to scope the effort, while affording maximum flexibility, creativity, and innovation to Offerors proposing solutions to the stated problem of generative waveform creation.

1.D. Program Waypoints, Milestones, and Deliverables Waypoints are how the Performers clearly demonstrate the quantitative and timely progress that must be made for the overall concept to meet end-of-phase milestones. In other words, the intent of waypoints is to provide a clear measure of progress towards meeting the program milestones so the IARPA PM and advisors can provide more effective guidance and assistance to the Performers. Performance against these waypoints will be reviewed throughout the program, the PM and advisors will use performance against the waypoints to assess whether course corrections are needed to ensure program success. The government has defined waypoints for all Performers. Progress against these waypoints will be reviewed during site visits.

1.D.1 Program Milestone, Waypoint, and Deliverables Timeline Reference Attachment 1 “Statement of Objectives”

1.D.2 Software Deliverable Formatting Performers will be required to provide algorithms, software deliverables, design documentation, and operating instructions to execute the automated software in a manner that conforms to a standardized industrial method or methods that will be provided at program kickoff. To facilitate planning, Offerors may assume that the standardized configuration will require the use of software containerization technology (e.g., Docker and a Representational State Transfer (REST) API). This means that the entirety of a Performer’s system, including pre- and post-processing, must be included within the delivered software container. For TA-2 models that require training, the expectation is for the initial model training to occur on Performer systems, with the ability for the T&E team to re-train and test the model with the same and/or other data if desired. Performers shall provide source code to the government and T&E team to enable modification of Performer containers to suit deployment constraints. Offeror teams that do not include the requisite expertise to conduct such software development shall include costs in their proposal to obtain software development support.

Each team is required to include among their key personnel a Lead System Integrator (LSI) who shall be responsible for preparing software deliverable subcomponents, modules, and systems, performing quality control of deliverable, and integrating key components into the primary End-Gen system(s). The LSI will also oversee communication and coordination across a Performer’s research teams including subcontractors, if applicable, to ensure research products are functional and following software coding best practices (e.g., inline comments, documentation). The LSI will interact directly with the End-Gen PM and the LSI equivalent on the T&E team. Additional team members and roles are dependent on the proposed research; as such, there is no predetermined or required skill mix.

1.D.2.1 Program API and Lexicon The End-Gen Program will utilize a standardized API for all software deliverables and evaluations. This API defines how radios will be controlled by Performers and will be consistent across technical areas. A specific Lexicon, as suggested by Offerors, will be ultimately defined by T&E to ensure consistency on GAI machine outputs. Where the End-Gen API is how Performers interact with radios, the End-Gen Lexicon is how T&E interacts with GAI frameworks. The program might also require the use of a common processing framework for ease of cooperation between Performer and T&E teams. The first version of the End-Gen API and nominal framework will be provided to Performers at the beginning of the program and updated periodically thereafter. The API will define function calls and data structures for operating and evaluating End-Gen software in a standardized manner. All Performer solutions must be compatible with the End-Gen API.

1.E. Meeting and Travel Requirements Offerors are expected to assume responsibility for administration of their projects and to comply with contractual and program requirements for reporting, attendance at program workshops, and availability for site visits. The following paragraphs describe typical expectations for meetings and travel for IARPA programs as well as the contemplated frequency and locations of such meetings. In addition to ensuring that all necessary details of developed software, algorithms, and operational instructions are clear and complete, each Performer will be required to be available for questions and troubleshooting from the T&E team in Performer status meetings.

1.E.1 Technical Exchange Meetings (TEM) and Workshops All Performer teams are expected to attend TEMs and workshops, including key personnel from prime and subcontractor organizations.

The End-Gen program intends to hold an in-person program kick-off meeting in the first months of the program and the first months of each subsequent program phase. In addition, the program will hold PI review meetings / workshops in the final months of each phase to discuss progress program wide and with government advisors and stakeholders. Kick-off meetings and PI review meetings may be combined for logistical convenience. The dates and locations of these meetings are to be specified later by the government, but for planning purposes, Offerors should use the approximate times and locations listed in Attachment 1 – Statement of Objectives Table 8. Both types of meetings are likely to be held in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, but IARPA may opt to co-locate the meeting with a relevant external conference or workshop to increase synergy with stakeholders. IARPA reserves the right to hold the meeting virtually for logistical or health and safety reasons.

Kick-off meetings will typically not exceed one day in duration and will focus on plans for the coming Phase, Performer planned research, and internal program discussions. PI Review Meetings will typically be one day in duration and will have a greater focus on communicating program progress and plans to United States Government (USG) stakeholders. These meetings will include additional time allocated to presentation and discussion of research accomplishments as well as interactive system demonstrations for government stakeholders.

In both cases, the workshops will focus on technical aspects of the program and on facilitating open technical exchanges, interaction, and sharing among the various program participants. Program participants will be expected to present the technical status and progress of their projects to other participants and invited guests. Individual sessions for each Performer team with the End-Gen PM and T&E team may be scheduled to coincide with these workshops. Non-proprietary information will be shared by Performers in the open meeting sessions; proprietary information sharing shall occur during individual breakout sessions with the End-Gen PM and the T&E team.

1.E.2 Site Visits Site visits by the government team to all Performers will take place semiannually during the life of the program. These visits will occur at the Performer’s facility. Reports on technical progress, details of successes and issues, contributions to the program goals, and technology demonstrations will be expected at site visits. Performers shall participate and provide final meeting documents, to include captured action items, within 15 calendar days following the meeting. Draft materials, for any presentations, are due five workdays prior to the meeting. IARPA reserves the right to conduct additional site visits on an as-needed basis.

1.F. Anticipated Period of Performance subject to change post technical evaluations Anticipated PoP: 42 Months as follows:

Phase 1 (12 Months): 01 March 2026 – 28 February 2027 Phase 2 (18 Months): 01 March 2027 – 31 August 2028 Phase 3 (12 Months): 01 September 2028 – 31 August 2029 Note: Offerors are required to submit a proposal that addresses all three phases of the program for one of the technical areas per proposal.

1.G. Place of Performance Performance will be conducted at the Performers’ sites.

1.H. End-Gen BAA Definitions Reference Attachment 1 “Statement of Objectives”

SECTION 2: AWARD INFORMATION

The Government intends to award procurement contracts encompassing three (3) Phases of the program. Offerors shall propose to all three Phases per Technical Area per submission. The Government anticipates issuing multiple awards in response to this full and open competition BAA.

Exercise of the Option Periods shall depend upon the quality of performance, the program goals, the availability of funds, and IARPA’s priorities. Selection to perform the Option Periods will be made via FAR 52.217-9, Option to Extend the Term of the Contract (March 2000). Exercising the Option Periods is at the sole discretion of the Government.

Multiple awards are anticipated. The resources made available under this BAA shall depend on the quality of the proposals received and the availability of funds.

The DOI reserves the right to select for negotiation all, some, or none of the proposals received in response to this BAA and to make awards without discussions. The DOI also reserves the right to conduct discussions, if determined to be necessary. Additionally, DOI reserves the right to accept proposals in their entirety or to select only portions of proposals for negotiations for award. Evaluation and award of proposals will follow FAR Part 35 processes as described herein. The Government shall not reimburse Offerors for any proposal preparation costs incurred under this BAA.

Awards shall be made to Offerors on the basis of the Evaluation Factors listed in Section 5 of this BAA, as well as successful completion of negotiations. Proposals selected for negotiation may result in a procurement contract.

The Government shall contact Offerors whose proposals are selected for negotiations to obtain additional information required for award. The Government may establish a deadline for the close of fact-findings and negotiations that allows a reasonable time for the award of a contract. Offerors that are not responsive to Government deadlines established and communicated with the request may be removed from award consideration. Offerors may also be removed from award consideration should the parties fail to reach agreement within a reasonable time on contract terms, conditions, and cost/price.

SECTION 3: ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

3.A. Eligible Applicants All responsible sources capable of satisfying the Government’s needs may submit a proposal. Government Agencies, Federally Funded R&D Centers, University Affiliated Research Centers (UARC), Government-Owned, Contractor-Operated facilities, Government Military Academies, and any other similar type of organizations that have a special relationship with the Government, that gives them access to privileged and/or proprietary information or access to Government equipment or real property, are not eligible to submit proposals under this BAA or participate as team members under proposals submitted by eligible entities. An entity of which only a portion has been designated as a UARC may be eligible to submit a proposal or participate as a team member subject to an organizational conflict of interest review. Foreign entities and/or individuals may participate but only as a part of a U.S. based team and only IAW deemed export restrictions/licensing requirements when applicable. The prime contractor must be a U.S. entity.

Foreign entities and individuals may participate as subcontractors or employees of a U.S. entity; however, all foreign participation must comply with any necessary Non-Disclosure Agreements, Security Regulations, Export Control Laws, and other governing statutes applicable under the circumstances. Offerors are responsible for ensuring that the efforts of foreign participants do not either directly or indirectly compromise the laws of the United States, nor its security interests. As such, both foreign and domestic Offerors shall carefully consider the roles and responsibilities of foreign participants as they pursue teaming arrangements.

3.A.1 Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCI) According to FAR 2.101 “Organizational Conflict of Interest” means that because of other activities or relationships with other persons, a person is unable or potentially unable to render impartial assistance or advice to the Government, or the person’s objectivity in performing the contract work is or might be otherwise impaired, or a person has an unfair competitive advantage.

IAW FAR 9.5, Offerors are required to identify and disclose all facts relevant to potential OCIs involving the Offeror’s entity and any proposed team member (sub-contractor, consultant). Under this Section, the Oferor is responsible for providing this disclosure with each proposal submitted pursuant to the BAA. The disclosure must include the Offeror’s, and as applicable, proposed team member’s OCI mitigation plan. The OCI mitigation plan must include a description of the actions the Offeror has taken, or intends to take, to prevent the existence of conflicting roles that might bias the Offeror’s judgment and to prevent the Offeror from having an unfair competitive advantage. The OCI mitigation plan will specifically discuss the disclosed OCI in the context of each of the OCI limitations outlined in FAR 9.505-1 through FAR 9.505-4.

IARPA generally prohibits Performers from concurrently providing Scientific Engineering Technical Assistance (SETA), Advisory and Assistance Services (A&AS) or similar support services and being a technical Performer. Therefore, as part of the FAR 9.5 disclosure requirement above, address whether an Offeror or team member (e.g., subcontractor, consultant) is providing SETA, A&AS, or similar support (e.g., T&E services) to IARPA under: (a) a current award or subaward; or (b) a past award or subaward.

If SETA, A&AS, or similar support is or was being provided to IARPA, the proposal must include:

(1) The name of the IARPA program or office receiving the support;

(2) The prime contract number, and;

(3) Identification of proposed team member (sub awardee, consultant) providing the support.

As part of their proposal, Offeror include either (a) a copy of their OCI notification including mitigation plan or (b) a written certification that neither they nor their subcontractor teammates have any potential conflicts of interest, real or perceived. A sample certification is provided in Appendix A-4.

The Government will evaluate OCIs and potential OCIs to determine whether they can be avoided, neutralized or mitigated and/or whether it is in the Government’s interest to grant a waiver. The Government will make OCI determinations, as applicable, for proposals that are otherwise selectable under the BAA Evaluation Factors. The Government may require Offerors to provide additional information to assist the Government in evaluating OCIs and OCI mitigation plans.

If the Government determines that an Offeror failed to fully disclose an OCI; or failed to provide the affirmation of IARPA support as described above; or failed to reasonably provide additional information requested by the Government to assist in evaluating the Offeror’s OCI and proposed OCI mitigation plan, the Government may reject the proposal and withdraw it from consideration for award under this BAA.

3.A.2 Multiple Submissions to the BAA Entities may participate as a prime or subcontractor in more than one submission to the BAA. However, if multiple submissions to the BAA which include a common team member are selected, such common team members shall not receive duplicative funding (i.e., no one entity can be paid twice to perform the same task).

3.B. U.S. Academic Institutions According to Executive Order 12333, as amended, paragraph 2.7, “Elements of the Intelligence Community (IC) are authorized to enter into contracts or arrangements for the provision of goods or services with private companies or institutions in the United States and need not reveal the sponsorship of such contracts or arrangements for authorized intelligence purposes. Contracts or arrangements with academic institutions may be undertaken only with the consent of appropriate officials of the institution.”

Offerors must submit a completed and signed Academic Institution Acknowledgement Letter for each U.S. academic institution that is a part of their team, whether the academic institution is serving in the role of a prime, or a subcontractor or a consultant at any tier of their team with their technical proposal. Each Letter must be signed by a senior official from the institution (e.g. President, Chancellor, Provost, or other appropriately designated official). A template of the Academic Institution Acknowledgement Letter is enclosed in Appendix A-2.

Note that DOI shall not enter into negotiations with an Offeror whose team includes a U.S. academic institution until all required Academic Institution Acknowledgment Letters are received.

3.C. Other Eligibility Criteria 3.C.1 Collaboration Efforts Collaborative efforts and teaming arrangements among potential Offerors are strongly encouraged. Specific content, communications, networking, and team formations are the sole responsibility of interested Offerors.

SECTION 4: PROPOSAL AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

This notice constitutes the total BAA and contains all information required to submit a proposal. No additional forms, kits, or other materials are required.

4.A. Proposal Information 4.A.1 Submission Requirements Interested Offerors are required to comply with the following proposal submission requirements for proposals to be considered compliant. Proposals that are considered non-compliant will not be evaluated and will not be considered for award under this BAA. Specifically, Offerors must comply with the following:

(1) Offerors must submit current, accurate and complete proposals (Volume I initially, and Volume II if requested) for the three (3) Phases of the proposed contract award to receive consideration for award. Proposals that do not reflect all Phases will not be evaluated and will not be considered award under this BAA.

(2) Proposals must be received by the time and date specified in this BAA in order to be considered during the initial round of selections (Volume I). Proposals received after the BAA Closing Date will be deemed late, will not be evaluated, and will not be considered for award under this BAA.

(3) If a cost proposal is requested, then Offerors must use the Cost Proposal Template provided with this BAA. Offerors shall propose to all phases (Phases 1, 2, & 3); however, Offerors can submit to either, or both, Technical Areas (TA-1 & TA-2) of the Program under this BAA. Any Offeror proposing to both TAs shall submit separate proposal packages. Proposals that omit any of the phases or propose a solution outside one of the TAs, will be considered non-compliant and therefore, not eligible for award.

Cost Proposals that do not use the required template will not be evaluated and Offerors will be required to resubmit using the provided Cost Proposal Template, which may result in a delayed award or rejection if submitted after the BAA Closing Date.

(4) Proposals must comply with all the proposal format and content requirements specified in Section 4.B of this BAA.

(5) Proposals must comply with the page limitations outlined in Section 4 of this BAA. The Government will only evaluate Volume I, Technical Approach up to the page limitation specified in Section 4. The Government will not evaluate any excess pages exceeding the required page limitation.

(6) Additional supporting or background materials submitted with the proposal(s) not specified in Section 4 of the BAA will not be evaluated.

(7) Offeror selection for award remains contingent on the technical evaluation, program balance, and funding availability outlined in Section 5 of this BAA.

4.A.2 Proposal Evaluation Participants Both IARPA and DOI intend to use SETA support to provide expert advice, regarding portions of the proposals submitted to the Government and/or to provide logistical support in carrying out the evaluation and award process.

The following entities will be supporting IARPA:

· Advanced Technology Consulting

· Airin Technologies, Inc.

· ALKU

· Bluemont Technology & Research, Inc.

· Booz Allen Hamilton

· Crimson Phoenix

· Green Mountain Analytics

· NAVSTAR Inc.

· Serco, Inc.

· SiteWorks

· TekMasters

· The Infusement Group

If any additional Contractor support is identified, DOI will share this information with Offerors.

In addition to the SETA entities identified above, the following entities will be supporting T&E activities for contracts awarded under this program and shall also be considered as part of a Offeror’s OCI disclosure:

· Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)

· The MITRE Corporation (MITRE)

· Army Research Laboratory (ARL) All Government and SETA personnel shall have signed, and be subject to, the terms and conditions of non-disclosure agreements. By submission of its proposal, an Offeror agrees that its proposal information may be disclosed to employees of these organizations for the limited purposes stated above. Offerors who object to this arrangement shall provide clear notice of their objection as part of their transmittal letter. If Offerors do not send a notice of objection to this arrangement in their transmittal letter, the Government shall assume consent to the use of Contractor support personnel in assisting the review of submittal(s) under this BAA.

Only Government personnel will make evaluation and award determinations under this BAA.

4.B. Proposal Format and Content To facilitate the evaluation of the proposal, the government encourages Offerors to submit proposals which: are clear and concise; are limited to essential matters sufficient to demonstrate a complete understanding of the Government’s requirements; include sufficient detail for effective evaluation; and provide a convincing rationale to address how the Offeror intends to meet these requirements and objectives, rather than simply rephrasing or restating the Government’s requirements and objectives.

All proposals shall be in the format outlined below. Non-compliant proposals may be rejected without review. Proposals shall consist of “Volume I - Technical and Management Proposal” and, only if requested “Volume II - Cost Proposal.” All proposals shall be written in English.

Additionally, when printed, text shall be black and paper size 8-1/2 by 11-inch, white in color with 1” margins from paper edge to text or graphic on all sides. IARPA desires Times New Roman font with font size not smaller than 12-point. IARPA desires that the font size for figures, tables and charts not be smaller than 10-point. All content shall be clearly legible with the unaided eye. Excessive use of small font, for other than figures, tables, and charts, or unnecessary use of figures, tables, and charts to present information may render the proposal non-compliant. Text and graphics, if applicable, may be printed on both sides of a sheet (double-sided). Front and backside of a single sheet are counted as two (2) pages if both sides are printed upon. Foldout pages are not permitted. The page limitation for full proposals includes all figures, tables, and charts. All pages shall be numbered. No other materials may be incorporated in any portion of the proposal by reference, to circumvent page count limitations. All information pertaining to a volume shall be contained within that volume. Any information beyond the page limitations will not be considered in the evaluation.

The Government anticipates proposals submitted under this BAA will be UNCLASSIFIED. Proposals that contain classified information will not be evaluated.

Each proposal submitted in response to this BAA shall consist of the following:

Volume I – Technical & Management Proposal (Reference Section 4.B.1 below) Section 1 - Cover Sheet (Reference Appendix A) & Transmittal Letter (A Table of Contents is not required but if included, will not be considered in the page count) Section 2 – Summary of Proposal Section 3 – Detailed Proposal Section 4 – Attachments. Attachments are not included in the overall page limitation for Volume I. No research proposals involving human subjects are anticipated under this BAA; however, proposals that include human use testing must include an Attachment #10.

Templates for Attachments 1-5 are in Appendix A of the BAA.

Attachment 1 – Academic Institution Acknowledgment Letter (Reference Appendix A-2. Template is required, if applicable) Attachment 2 – Intellectual Property (IP) Rights (Reference Appendix A-3), estimated not to exceed 4 pages Attachment 3 – OCI Notification or Certification (Reference Appendix A-4. Template is required, if applicable) Attachment 4 – A Three Chart Summary of the Proposal (Reference Appendix A-5. Template is required) Attachment 5 – Research Data Management Plan (Reference Appendix A-6. Template is required) Attachment 6 – Privacy Plan, (No Template Provided), no page limit Attachment 7 – Bibliography (No Template Provided) Attachment 8 – Relevant Papers (up to three) (No Template Provided) Attachment 9 – Consultant Letters of Commitment (No Template Provided) Attachment 10 – Human Use Documentation (Reference Section 6.B.3) (No Template Provided) - Not Anticipated for the End-Gen Program

Volume II – Cost Proposal (Reference Section 4.B.2 below) (To be submitted only upon request of the CO) Section 1 – Cover Sheet (Reference Appendix B-1 for Template) Section 2 – Estimated Cost Breakdown (Reference Appendix B-2) Section 3 – Supporting Information 4.B.1 Volume I: Technical and Management Proposal Volume I shall not exceed 25 pages for proposals addressing all technical areas. Any pages exceeding this limit will not be considered during the evaluation process. Proposals shall be accompanied by an Official Transmittal Letter, using contractor format.

Volume I may include an attached bibliography of relevant technical papers or research notes (published and unpublished), which document the technical ideas and approach on which the proposal is based. No more than three copies of relevant papers can be included with the submission. Other supporting materials will not be evaluated.

4.B.1.1 Section 1: Cover Sheet & Transmittal Letter A. Cover sheet: (Reference Appendix A for template) B. Transmittal Letter The transmittal letter shall include the following (not to exceed one page):

Introduction of Offeror and team (subcontractors and consultants), the BAA number DOI-BAA-ENDGEN-FY25-02, IARPA program name, Offeror’ Program name, the proposal validity period, the type of contract vehicle being requested (procurement contract) with a short rationale, any non-negotiable conditions on which the offer is based such as contract type (cost reimbursement), IP restrictions, etc., and the Offeror’s points of contact information including: name, e-mail and phone number for both technical and administrative issues.

Note: Any information required elsewhere in the proposal must be included in the appropriate section of the proposal (i.e., including the information in the transmittal letter alone may not be sufficient). If there is a conflict between the transmittal letter and the proposal, the proposal shall control.

4.B.1.2 Section 2: Summary of Proposal (not to exceed 5 pages) Section 2 shall provide an overview of the proposed work as well as introduce associated technical and management issues. This section shall contain a description of the technical approach to the research as well as a succinct portrayal of the uniqueness and benefits of the proposed work. It shall make the technical objectives clear and quantifiable and shall provide a project schedule with definite waypoints, decision points, and endpoints.

The Summary shall include the elements specified in the sections below:

A. A technical overview of the proposed research and plan. This section is the centerpiece of the proposal and shall succinctly describe the proposed approach and research. The overview shall clearly articulate the approach and design, technical rationale, and constructive plan for accomplishment of technical objectives and deliverable production. The approach will be supported by basic, clear calculations. Additionally, proposals shall clearly explain the innovative claims and technical approaches that will be employed to meet or exceed each program metric along with an explanation outlining why the proposed approaches are feasible. Proposals must also clearly identify any technical uncertainties and potential mitigations. The use of non-standard terms and acronyms shall be avoided. This section shall be supplemented with a more detailed plan in Volume I, Section 3 of the proposal.

B. Summary of the products, transferable technology and deliverables associated with the proposed research results. Define measurable deliverables that show progress toward achieving the stated program milestones. All proprietary claims to the results, prototypes, IP, or systems supporting and/or necessary for the use of the research, results, and/or prototype shall be detailed in Appendix A-3. Government assumes that all deliverables will be delivered to the USG with Unlimited Rights IAW FAR 52.227-14.

C. Schedule and milestones for the proposed research. Summarize, in table format the schedule and milestones for the proposed research. Do not include proprietary information with the milestone chart.

D. Related research. Include a general discussion of other research in this area, comparing the significance and plausibility of the proposed innovations against competitive approaches to achieve Program objectives.

E. Project contributors. Include a clearly defined organizational chart of all anticipated project participants and affiliations (e.g. subcontractor, consultant), organized under functional roles for the effort, along with the associated task number responsibilities for each individual.

F. Technical Resource Summary: (NOTE: The full Cost Volume is not required unless requested by the CO; therefore, it is critical that Offerors address the items below in their technical proposal so the Government can evaluate Resource Realism.)

· Summarize the total level of effort by labor category/technical discipline (e.g., research scientist/ chemist/ physicist/ engineer/ administrative) and affiliation (e.g., prime/ subcontractor/ consultant). All Key Personnel and significant contributors shall be identified by name. Provide a brief description of the qualifications for each labor category/ technical discipline (e.g., education, certifications, and years of experience).

· Summarize level of effort by labor category/technical discipline for each major task.

· Identify software and IP required for performance, by affiliation. List each item separately, identifying the task number for which the software or IP is required and the Performer team requiring it.

· Identify materials or equipment (such as IT) required for performance. List each item separately, identifying the task number for which the material or equipment is required and the Performer team requiring it.

· Identify any other resources required to perform (e.g., services, data sets, data set repository, facilities, Government furnished property). List each item separately, identifying the task number for these other resources are required and the Performer team requiring it.

· Estimated travel, including purpose of travel and number of personnel per trip, by affiliation. The above information shall cross reference to the tasks set forth in the Offeror’s Statement of Work (SOW) and shall be supported by the detailed cost and pricing information provided in the Offeror’s Volume II Cost Proposal.

4.B.1.3 Section 3: Detailed Proposal Information This section of the proposal shall provide the detailed, in-depth discussion of the proposed research as well as supporting information about the Offeror’s capabilities and resources. Specific attention shall be given to addressing both the risks and payoffs of the proposed research and why the proposed research will achieve the goals, objectives, metrics, and milestones in this BAA. The Government reserves the right to reject a proposal if the information requested below is not adequately addressed. This part shall provide:

A. Statement of Work - Clearly define the technical tasks and sub-tasks to be performed, their durations and the dependencies among them. For each task and sub-task, provide:

· A general description of the objective;

· A detailed description of the approach to be taken, developed in an orderly progression and in enough detail to establish the feasibility of accomplishing the goals of the task;

· Identification of the primary organization responsible for task execution (prime, subcontractor, team member, etc.) by name;

· The exit criteria for each task/activity (i.e., a product, event, waypoint, or milestone that defines its completion); and

· Identification of all deliverables (e.g., data rights, reports, software) to be provided to the Government.

Awarded contracts will not contain a proprietary SOW. Offerors may include a proprietary SOW and information in the Technical and Management Volume; however, any offerors selected for award, the resulting contract will reference the proposal in Section B (SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS) of the contract and contain a non-proprietary SOW in Section C (DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATION/SOW).

At the end of this section of the proposal, provide a Gantt chart, showing all the tasks and sub-tasks on the left with the performance period (in years/quarters) on the right. All milestones shall be clearly labeled on the chart. If necessary, use multiple pages to ensure legibility of all information.

B. A detailed description of the objectives, scientific relevance, technical approach and expected significance of the work. Clearly identify the key elements of the proposed work and how they relate to each other. Describe the technical methods or approaches that will be used to meet or exceed each program milestone along with an explanation outlining why the proposed methods/approaches are feasible. Additionally, describe any anticipated risks along with possible mitigations. Proposals containing only a general discussion of the problem without detailed description of approaches, plausibility of implementation, and critical metrics may be deemed not selectable.

C. State-of-the-Art. Compare with the proposed approach to other on-going research, highlighting the uniqueness of the proposed approach and differences between the proposed effort and the current state-of-the-art. Identify advantages and disadvantages of the proposed work with respect to potential alternative approaches.

D. Data sources. Identify and describe data sources to be utilized in pursuit of the stated research goals.

Offerors proposing to use existing data sets shall provide written verification that said data sets were obtained IAW U.S. laws and, where applicable, use will be in compliance with End User License Agreements, Copyright Laws, Terms of Service, and laws and policies regarding privacy protection of U.S. Persons. Offerors proposing to obtain new data sets shall ensure that their plan for obtaining the data complies with U.S. Laws and, where applicable, with End User License Agreement, Copyright Laws, Terms of Service, and laws and policies regarding privacy protection of U.S. Persons. Offerors shall also address IP restrictions on the use or transfer of such data sets, in Appendix A.3, as described in Section 4.B.1.d.

E. Deliverables. Based on the required deliverables, clearly identify the data to be delivered, including technical data and computer software. In Appendix A.3 Offerors shall address IP rights in such data.

F. Cost, Schedule, Milestones. Describe the cost, schedule, and milestones for the proposed research, including cost estimates by cost element for base period, the option period(s) and the total program summary, and company cost share, if any, as well as costs by technical area(s) and tasks. The milestones shall not include proprietary information (Offeror can use their own format for milestones).

(Note: Volume II - Cost Proposal is not required unless requested by the CO; therefore, it is critical that Offerors address this element in their technical proposal so the Government can evaluate funding availability.

SAMPLE FORMAT

(12 Months) Phase 2 – Option (18 months) Phase 3 – Option (12 Months)

Labor

Subcontracts/Consultant

Materials & Equipment

Travel

Other Direct Costs

(Cost Share, if any)

Total

G. Offeror’s previous accomplishments. Discuss previous accomplishments and work in this or closely related research areas and how these will contribute to and influence the current work.

H. Facilities. Describe the facilities that shall be used for the proposed effort, including computational and experimental resources.

I. Detailed Management Plan. Provide the Management Plan that clearly identifies both organizations and individuals within organizations that make up the team, and delineate the expected duties, relevant capabilities, and task responsibilities of team members and expected relationships among team members. Identify the expected levels of effort (percentage time, or fraction of a Full Time Equivalent, FTE) for all Key Personnel. Additionally, include a description of the technical, administrative, and business structure of the team along with an internal communications plan. Describe project/function/sub-contractor relationships (including formal teaming agreements), Government research interfaces, and planning, scheduling, and control practices utilized, as well as the team leadership structure. Provide a brief biography of all Key Personnel (including alternates, if desired) and significant contributors who shall be involved in the research along with the amount of effort to be expended by each person during the year. Participation by all Key Personnel and significant contributors is expected to exceed 25% of their time. A compelling explanation is required for any variation from this figure.

If the team intends to use consultants, they shall also be included in the organizational chart with an indication of whether the person shall be an “individual” or “organizational” consultant (i.e., representing themselves or their organization), and organizational affiliation.

Reference Table below for the required format.

Team organization (Example) *if applicable

Participants

Org

Role Unique, Relevant Capabilities

Role: Tasks

Time

J. Resource Share. Include the type of support, if any, the…