BAA_NEEC_FY25_0003-Final.pdf

NSWCDD BAA N00178-25-0003

INTRODUCTION:

This publication constitutes a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) as contemplated in 2 CFR 200 of the Code of Federal Regulations. A formal Request for Proposals (RFP), solicitation, and/or additional information regarding this announcement will not be issued.

Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Dahlgren Division (DD) will not issue paper copies of this announcement. NSWC DD reserves the right to select for award all some or none of the proposals in response to this announcement. NSWC DD reserves the right to fund all, some or none of the proposals received under this BAA. NSWC DD provides no funding for direct reimbursement of proposal development costs. Technical and cost proposals (or any other material) submitted in response to this BAA will not be returned. All proposals will be treated as sensitive competitive in formation and will be protected from unauthorized disclosure.

NSWCDD BAA N00178-25-0003

GENERAL INFORMATION

A. Agency Name:

B. Research Opportunity Title C. Program Name D. Funding Opportunity Number E. Response Date:

F. Research Opportunity Description NSWC Indian Head G. Points of Contact:

H. Instrument Types:

I. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number:

J. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Title:

K. Amendments:

L. Other Information

AWARD INFORMATION:

A. Funding Amount and Period of Performance B. Awards

ELIGIBILTIY INFORMATION

APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION (ONE-STEP BAA

PROCESS)

A. Application and Submission Process B. Content and Format of Proposals C. Significant Dates and Times D. Submission of Late Proposals E. Submission of Grant Proposals through Grants.gov

a. Electronic Delivery

b. How to Register to Apply through Grants.gov

c. How to Submit an Application via Grants.gov

d. Create a Workspace

e. Complete a Workspace

f. Submit a Workspace

g. Track a Workspace

EVALUATION INFORMATION

A. Evaluation Criteria

a. Technical

b. Student participation Options B. Evaluation Panel C. General Information Regarding the Review and Selection Process for

Grants

AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

A. North American Industry Classification System (NAICS):

B. System for Award Management (SAM):

C. Access to your Grant

OTHER INFORMATION

A. Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006:

B. Military Recruiting on Campus (DoDGARS Part 22.520):

C. Certification regarding Restrictions on Lobbying:

D. Representation Regarding an Unpaid Delinquent Tax Liability or a Felony

Conviction Under any Federal Law - DOD Appropriations:

E. Representation Regarding the Prohibition on Using FY15 Funds with

Entities that Require Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements:

F. Codes of Conduct and Conflicts of Interest:

G. Reporting:

Reporting of Matters Related to Recipient Integrity and Performance H. Security Classification:

I. Institutional Dual Use Research of Concern:

J. Project Meetings and Reviews:

K. Reporting Executive Compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards: . 27 L. Organizational Conflicts of Interest

AWARD NOTICES

DEBRIEFINGS

GENERAL INFORMATION

A. Agency Name:

Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division 6149 Welsh Road Dahlgren, VA 22448

B. Research Opportunity Title

Naval Engineering Education Consortium (NEEC) Broad Agency Announcement for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 (FY25).

C. Program Name

NEEC

D. Funding Opportunity Number

NSWCDD BAA N00178-25-0003.

E. Response Date:

Full Proposal Due: 06 January 2025 Eastern Daylight Time 12:01 pm (NOON)

F. Research Opportunity Description

This BAA is open only to colleges and universities.

On behalf of the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Warfare Centers, NSWC DD is soliciting research of interest in support of the NEEC. The topics of interest are listed below:

NSWC Indian Head Technical POC: Amanda Wilmot

IH-03: This initiative seeks to develop biomarker-based tools for predicting disease contagiousness before or after symptom onset. Proposers should create novel assays or adapt existing technologies to target host- or pathogen-derived biomarkers, with a focus on minimally-or non-invasive clinical samples such as saliva, sweat, or blood. Assays must be implemented in compact, portable, and field-deployable platforms capable of producing a contagiousness score (numerical or binary) within 60 minutes. Solutions must meet or exceed PCR-level sensitivity, operate with low or no power requirements, and function across bacterial, viral, and fungal agents. Prototypes must be shelf-stable, reproducible, and scalable for mass production, ensuring readiness for surge capacity and minimal reliance on cold-chain logistics. The end product should be simple to operate, highly sensitive, and capable of determining contagiousness under diverse conditions, including exposure to novel biological threats.

It is expected the NEEC university partner will collaborate with Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division scientists/engineers, that the proposal will describe how the grant deliverables will be transitioned to the Navy and provide opportunities to students (undergraduate and/or graduate) in support of DoD workforce development.

G. Points of Contact:

Business:

Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division Jennifer Montrief, Grant Specialist Contracting, 0241 Email: jennifer.e.montrief.civ@us.navy.mil Phone: (540) 273-2519

Business Alternate:

Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division Crystal Breen, Grant Officer Contracting, 0241 Email: crystal.p.breen.civ@us.navy.mil Phone: (540) 487-6408

Technical:

Title/Location Name Phone Email

NEEC Program Manager Sally Sutherland Pietrzak (401) 832-8735 Sally.sutherlandpietrzak.civ@us.navy.mil

NSWC IHD (IHD) Amanda Wilmot (240) 541-1439 Amanda.s.wilmot.civ@us.navy.mil

Questions concerning this announcement can be emailed to the respective point of contact above and must include the BAA announcement number and applicable topic number.

Questions of a technical nature should be submitted to the appropriate technical POC in the above table with a Cc to the business point of contact.

H. Instrument Types:

Awards will take the form of grants. Any assistance instrument awarded under this BAA will be governed by the award terms and conditions that conform to DoD’s implementation of OMB circulars applicable to financial assistance. Terms and conditions may include revisions to reflect DoD implementation of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance set forth in 2 CFR Part 200, “Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards;” applicable terms and conditions provided in DoDGARS;

and the current DoD Research and Development (R&D) General Terms and Conditions (Grant Terms and Conditions | Office of Naval Research (navy.mil)). Any resultant award will be set at a Not-to-exceed cost. No fee or profit is allowed.

I. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number:

12.300 mailto:jennifer.e.montrief.civ@us.navy.mil mailto:crystal.p.breen.civ@us.navy.mil mailto:Sally.sutherlandpietrzak.civ@us.navy.mil mailto:Amanda.s.wilmot.civ@us.navy.mil https://www.onr.navy.mil/work-with-us/manage-your-award/manage-grant-award/grants-terms-conditions

J. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Title:

Department of Defense (DoD) Basic and Applied Scientific Research

K. Amendments:

Amendments to this BAA will be posted to https://www.grants.gov as needed to reflect changes in topics, instructions, or points of contact. Interested parties are encouraged to periodically check this website for updates and to establish automated alerts notifying them of any amendment postings.

L. Other Information

Work funded under a BAA may include basic research, applied research and some advanced technology development research. With regard to any restrictions on the conduct or outcome of work funded under this BAA, NSWC DD will follow the guidance on and definition of “contracted fundamental research” as provided in the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics) Memorandum of 24 May 2010 or any updated guidance that supersedes this memorandum. DoD Policy on Fundamental Research (osd.mil)

As defined therein, the definition of “contracted fundamental research” in a DoD grant or contractual context includes research performed under grants and contracts that are (a) funded by Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation Budget Activity 1 (Basic Research), whether performed by universities or industry or (b) funded by Budget Activity 2 (Applied Research) and performed on campus at a university. The research shall not be considered fundamental in those rare and exceptional circumstances where the applied research effort presents a high likelihood of disclosing performance characteristics of military systems or manufacturing technologies that are unique and critical to defense, and where agreement on restrictions have been recorded in the contract or grant.

Pursuant to DoD policy, research performed under grants and contracts that are (a) funded by Budget Activity 2 (Applied Research) and NOT performed on-campus at a university or (b) funded by Budget Activity 3 (Advanced Technology Development) does not meet the definition of “contracted fundamental research.” In conformance with the USD (AT&L) guidance and National Security Decision Directive 189, NSWC DD will place no restriction on the conduct or reporting of unclassified “contracted fundamental research,” except as otherwise required by applicable federal statute, regulation, or executive order. For certain research projects, it may be possible that although the research being performed by the prime awardee is restricted research, a Sub-awardee may be conducting “contracted fundamental research.” In those cases, it is the prime awardee’s responsibility in the proposal to identify and describe the subcontracted unclassified research and include a statement confirming that the work has been scoped, negotiated, and determined to be fundamental research according to the prime awardee and research performer.__ (osd.mil).

https://www.acq.osd.mil/dpap/dars/pgi/docs/2012-D054%20Tab%20D%20OUSD%20(ATL)%20memorandum%20dated%20May%2024%202010.pdf https://www.acq.osd.mil/dpap/dars/pgi/docs/National_Security_Decision_Directive_189.pdf

Contracts and grants and other assistance agreements made under BAAs are for scientific study and experimentation directed towards advancing the state of the art and increasing knowledge or understanding.

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT FOR THE ACQUISITION OF TECHNICAL,

ENGINEERING, AND OTHER TYPES OF SUPPORT SERVICES.

AWARD INFORMATION:

A. Funding Amount and Period of Performance

Awards made from this BAA plan to be approximately $100,000 to $400,000 total for the base year with two 12-month option years for a potential range of $300,000-$1,200,000 inclusive of options. Average award value for FY24 NEEC submissions was $410k. Anticipated award date is 1 May 2025.

Awards will take the form of grants. Any assistance instrument awarded under this BAA will be governed by the award terms and conditions that conform to DoD’s implementation of OMB circulars applicable to financial assistance. Terms and conditions may include revisions to reflect DoD implementation of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance set forth in 2 CFR Part 200, “Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards;” applicable terms and conditions provided in DoDGARS;

and the current DoD Research and Development (R&D) General Terms and Conditions (Grant Terms and Conditions | Office of Naval Research (navy.mil)). Any resultant award will be set at a Not-to-exceed cost. No fee or profit is allowed.

B. Awards

The Government may make multiple awards. The Government reserves the right to select for negotiation all, some, one, or none of the proposals received in response to this BAA and to make awards without discussions with proposers. The Government also reserves the right to conduct discussions if determined to be necessary. The Government reserves the right to request any additional necessary documentation once it makes the award instrument determination. Such additional information may include but is not limited to Representations and Certifications. The Government reserves the right to remove proposers from award consideration should the parties fail to reach agreement on award terms, conditions, and cost/price within a reasonable time or the proposer fails to provide requested additional information in a timely manner.

ELIGIBILTIY INFORMATION

A. All responsible sources from academia may submit proposals under this BAA.

B. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Institutions (MIs) are highly encouraged to submit proposals and join others in submitting proposals. However, no portion of this BAA will be set aside for HBCU and MI participation, due to the impracticality of reserving discrete or severable items of this research for exclusive competition among such entities.

C. Federally Funded Research & Development Centers (FFRDCs), including the Department of Energy National Laboratories, are not eligible to receive awards under this BAA. This exclusion also applies to faculty, PIs, and advisors.

D. Navy laboratories and warfare centers as well as other Department of Defense and civilian agency laboratories are not eligible to receive awards under this BAA.

E. University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs) are not eligible to submit proposals under this BAA. This exclusion also applies to faculty, PIs, and advisors.

F. U.S. export control legislation and authorities may apply to proposals submitted under this

BAA. Proposers are solely responsible for ensuring compliance with all U.S. export control laws and regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). In some cases, developmental items funded by the Department of Defense are now included on the United States Munition List (USML) and are therefore subject to ITAR jurisdiction. Proposers should address in their proposals whether export control restrictions apply or do not apply, such as in the case where research products would have both civil and military (dual-use) applications, to the work they are proposing to perform. The USML is available online at http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/textidx?node=pt22.1.121; the Commerce Control List (CCL) is available through https://www.bis.doc.gov/index.php/regulations/commerce-control-list-ccl . Additional information regarding the President’s Export Control Reform Initiative can be found at http://export.gov/ecr/index.asp.

G. Students must be US citizens.

APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION (ONE-STEP BAA PROCESS)

A. Application and Submission Process

Interested proposers may submit full technical and cost proposal in response to any of the topics areas identified above. Interested proposers may submit proposals under more than one topic of interest and there is no limit to the number of technical proposals a single interested proposer may submit. However, interested proposers may not submit the same technical proposal to more than one warfare center or activity identified in this BAA. Additional topics of interest may be added to the BAA via an amendment at any time during the open period of this BAA.

Proposers shall submit full proposals in accordance with the instructions below. The technical proposals will be evaluated in accordance with Section I of this BAA.

B. Content and Format of Proposals

Proposals submitted under this BAA are expected to be unclassified. Do not put proprietary markings in or on the Statement of Work. For proposals containing data that the Proposer does http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/textidx?node=pt22.1.121 http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/textidx?node=pt22.1.121 https://www.bis.doc.gov/index.php/regulations/commerce-control-list-ccl http://export.gov/ecr/index.asp not want disclosed to the public for any purpose, or used by the Government except of evaluation purposes, the Proposer shall mark the title page with the following legend:

This proposal includes data that shall not be disclosed outside the Government and shall not be duplicated, used, or disclosed – in whole or in part – for any purpose other than to evaluate the proposal. If, however, a grant is awarded to this Proposer as a result of – or in connection with – the submission of this data, the Government shall have the right to duplicate, use, or disclose the data to the extent provided in the resulting grant. This restriction does not limit the Government’s right to use information contained in this data if it is obtained from another source without restriction. The data subject to this restriction are contained in (insert numbers or other identification of sheets).

Also, mark each sheet of data that the Proposer wishes to restrict with the following legend:

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

Titles given to the proposals should be descriptive of the work they cover and should not be merely a copy of the title of this BAA or a research area of interest noted above. Additionally, proposers may not submit the same proposal to more than one warfare center or activity identified in this BAA.

a. SF 424 (R&R) Application for Federal Assistance Form

The SF 424 (R&R) Application for Federal assistance form must be your cover page. No pages may precede the SF 424 (R&R).

Complete all required fields in accordance with the “pop-up” instructions on the SF 424 (R&R) form. The completion of most fields is self-explanatory. You can turn on Grants.gov “Help Mode” to provide additional instructions for forms. “Help Mode” is turned on by the icon with the pointer and question mark at the top of the form.

Specific instructions for completion of SF 424 (R&R) are provided:

Block 4a, Federal Identifier – Enter N00178

Block 4b, Agency Routing Number – Enter the abbreviation for the warfare center the proposal is being submitted to and the Technical POC’s name, last name first, in brackets. The abbreviation and Technical POC’s name can be obtained from the chart of technical POCs on page 13 of this BAA. Failure to provide the technical POC in this block could deem your proposal invalid.

Block 4c Previous Grants.gov Tracking ID – Enter the Grants.gov tracking number of the previous proposal submission if this submission is for a changed/corrected application; otherwise, leave blank.

Select “I Agree” to:

Certify (1) to the statements contained in the list of certifications* and (2) that the statements herein are true, complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge. I also provide the required assurances * and agree to comply with any resulting terms if I accept an award. I am aware that any false, fictitious, or fraudulent statements or claims may subject me to criminal, civil, or administrative penalties. (U.S. Code, Title 18, Section 1001)Agreements are true, complete, and accurate to the best of your knowledge.

You may have to attach the completed D.3.c. SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying

Activities if you have lobbying activity that you must disclose.

Attach your Publicly Releasable Abstract using form Project Abstract Summary.

Attach your Project Technical Proposal using form Research and Related Other Project Information via the attachment in section 8.

Attach your Bibliography and References Cited using form Research and Related Other Project Information via the attachment in section 9.

Attach a Facilities and Other Resources description document here if you need to supplement your facilities and resources section using form.

Research and Related Other Project Information via the attachment in section

10. You may supplement your Budget Justification by attaching an Equipment Justification here. Do not duplicate information included on your budget justification. If you attach an Equipment Justification, make sure you reference the attachment in your budget justification.

Attach the Sub-award Budget Attachments Form (if applicable) and not attached elsewhere. You should have budgets and justifications for all sub-awards proposed attached within this form before attachment.

b. Publicly Releasable Project Summary /Abstract

You must attach the Project Summary / Abstract to field 7 of the R&R Other Project Information form.

You must submit the “NEEC Abstract” an attachment with the proposal submission. You must provide concise abstract of 300 words or less with your proposal (no more than 2000 characters). You must mark this abstract publically releasable. Your abstract should use terms the public can understand to describe the research objective, technical approach, anticipated outcome, and potential impact of the specific research.

Your abstract header should include the Topic number from Section F above along with the technical POC.

If you receive an award, we must publish your abstract to a searchable website available to the general public in accordance with Public Law 113-235. The website address is https://publicaccess.dtic.mil/search/#/grants/simpleSearch.

c. Technical Proposal

Technical proposals are limited to ten (10) pages. The cover page, table of contents, and resumes are excluded from the page count.

Paper Size – 8.5 x 11-inch paper

Margins – 1 inch

Spacing – single or double spaced

Font – Times New Roman, 12 point

Cover Page: This should include the words “Technical Proposal: and the following:

o BAA Number: N00178-25-0003 o Title of Proposal;

o NEEC Technical POC (Listed on page 10) & Topic Number o Identity of prime Proposer and complete list of sub-awards, if applicable;

o Technical contact (name, address, phone/fax, e-mail address) and;

o Proposed period of performance (identify both the base period and any options, if included).

Table of Contents: An alphabetical/numerical listing of the sections within the proposal, including corresponding page numbers.

https://publicaccess.dtic.mil/search/#/grants/simpleSearch

Technical Approach and Justification: The major portion of the proposal should consist of a clear description of the technical approach being proposed. This discussion should provide the technical foundation/justification for pursuing this particular approach/direction and why one would expect it to enable the objectives of the proposal to be met.

Project Schedule and Milestones: A summary of the schedule of events and milestones.

Reports: Proposers are to identify all reports to be provided as deliverables.

The following are sample reports that are typically required under a research effort:

Technical and Financial Progress Report

Final Report

Management Approach: Identify which personnel and Sub-awardees/sub-recipients (if any) will be involved. Include a description of the facilities that are required for the proposed effort, along with a description of any Government furnished equipment/hardware/software/information required, by version and/or configuration.

Qualifications: A discussion of the qualifications of the proposed Principal

Investigator and any other key personnel. Include resumes or curricula vitae for the Principal Investigator, other key personnel and consultants. The resumes/curricula vitae shall be attached to the proposal.

Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM): Identify the estimated cost of the project. The ROM is the best guess of the anticipated cost of the effort. Do not include a cost proposal or any of the material that normally accompanies a cost proposal.

d. Bibliography and References Cited

You must attach your narrative Bibliography and References to field 9 of the R&R Other Project Information Form.

e. R&R Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Form

You must attach a short biographical sketch and list of significant publications (vitae) for each Senior/Key Person. You must also attach a list of current and pending support as discussed in Principal Investigator (PI) and Senior Personnel Time including title and objectives; the percentage per year to be devoted to the other projects; the total amount of support the individualism receiving in connection to each of the other research projects or will receive if other proposals are awarded; name and address of the agencies and/or parties supporting the other research projects; and period of performance for the other research projects.

You must list all key persons proposed for the research on the R&R Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Form. Key persons are generally the PI, any Co-PIs, and senior staff. We use this information to evaluate the qualifications of you and your research team.

f. R&R Budget Form

You must provide all information requested. You must estimate the total research project cost.

You must categorize funds by year and provide separate annual budgets for projects lasting more than one year. A budget justification must be included.

You must include enough budget related information in your proposal to support your costs as reasonable and realistic, and in compliance with 2 CFR 200 Subpart E - Cost Principles.

Not having enough information in your proposal to understand if your costs are reasonable and realistic is the most common reason awards are delayed.

g. Budget Justification

Use the following notional schedule to determine proposed period of performance and associated budget:

Estimated Award Date: 01 May 2025

Estimated Approximate Award amount: $100,000 to $400,000 base (typically a base and 2 option years). If funded for all three years, the total would generally be $300,000 to $1,200,000.

You must provide a detailed budget justification for each year that clearly explains the need for each item. The entire budget justification and supporting documentation must be combined into single file and attached to field L of the R&R Budget Form. The budget narrative submitted with the application must match the dollar amounts on all required forms. Please explain each calculation and provide a narrative that supports each budget category. This detailed budget justification must match the proposed budget categories. Each year of the budget justification narrative must stand alone; lump sum budget justifications are not allowed. If options are proposed, option detailed budget justifications must stand alone as well, no lump sum justifications allowed.

(1) Direct Labor: The budget justification must identify the basis for proposed labor (hours and unburdened labor rates). A clear breakdown of direct labor is required for each proposed period. If escalation is provided for out years, the escalation rate shall be identified. If proposed labor rates are based on actual salary, this should be stated in the budget justification.

Verification of salary may be requested if selected for award.

(2) Administrative and Clerical Labor: Salaries of administrative and clerical staff are normally indirect costs (and included in an indirect cost rate).

Direct charging of these costs may be appropriate when a major project requires an extensive amount of administrative or clerical support greater than normal and routine levels of support. Budgets proposing direct charging of administrative or clerical salaries must be supported with a budget justification which adequately describes the major project and the administrative and/or clerical work to be performed and associated salary.

Number of hours per person/labor category and unburdened rate for each period is required.

(3) Fringe Benefits and Indirect Costs: The proposal must show the rates and calculations of the costs for each rate category. If the rates have been approved/negotiated by a Government agency, provide a copy of the memorandum/agreement. If the rates have not been approved/negotiated, provide sufficient detail to enable a determination of allowability, allocability and reasonableness of the allocation bases, and how the rates are calculated. Additional information may be requested, if needed. If composite rates are used, provide the calculations used in deriving the composite rates.

(4) Fully Burdened Rates: If a proposer includes a fully burdened labor rate in excess of $187 per hour (with indirect rates applied), then the proposer shall provide a narrative to justify any such Labor Category.

(5) You must itemize travel. Estimate the cost and purpose of each trip proposed, the number of trips, the number of travelers, the destination, the duration, and the basis for calculating costs such as airlines and hotels. Provide the basis of your travel costs (university travel policy, Joint Travel Regulations (JTR), etc.)

(6) You must itemize materials/supplies. List all material/equipment by type and kind with associated costs. Indicate what your costs are based on, such as vendor quotes, historical data and/or engineering estimates. You should include vendor quotes and/or catalog pricing data.

(7) Proposals including request to purchase equipment must include equipment quotes or vendor agreements. "Equipment" is nonexpendable, tangible personal property with a unit cost of $5,000 or more having a useful life of more than 1 year, unless determined otherwise by recipient’s internal policy. Items that do not meet the

"equipment" definition can be included under supplies. List each piece of equipment to be purchased and provide description of how it will be used in the project. Budget narrative should explain why the equipment is necessary for successful completion of the project. Provide quotes in U.S. Dollars if available, or indicate the basis of equipment cost. If you have any sub-award(s), you should describe how you determined sub-award costs were determined fair and reasonable. Your business office usually makes this determination.

(8) Other Direct Costs: Provide an itemized list of all other proposed other direct costs such as Graduate Assistant tuition, laboratory fees, report and publication costs, and the basis for the estimate (e.g., quotes, prior purchases, catalog price lists, university policy, etc.).

(9) Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)/Office of Naval Research

(ONR) Rate Agreement: If you use a Government rate agreement to propose indirect cost rates and/or fringe benefit rates, you must attach a signed DHHS or ONR copy of the agreement you used. You must provide the latest signed rate agreement with your proposal.

C. Significant Dates and Times

A full technical and cost proposal shall be submitted by 12:01 PM EST, 06 January 2025.

D. Submission of Late Proposals

The Government reserves the right to not review proposals submitted after 12:01 PM EST, 06 January 2025, or after a successor to this BAA is issued, whichever occurs first. Grants.gov recommends submitting your application package at least 24-48 hours prior to the close date to provide you with time to correct any potential technical issues that may disrupt the application submission.

E. Submission of Grant Proposals through Grants.gov

This section provides the application submission and receipt instructions for applications.

Please read the following instructions carefully and completely.

a. Electronic Delivery

NEEC is participating in the Grants.gov initiative to provide the grant community with a single site to find and apply for grant funding opportunities. All applicants must submit their applications online through Grants.gov.

b. How to Register to Apply through Grants.gov

Instructions: Read the instructions below about registering to apply for NEEC funds. Applicants should read the registration instructions carefully and prepare the information requested before beginning the registration process. Reviewing and assembling the required information before beginning the registration process will alleviate last-minute searches for required information.

The registration process can take up to four weeks to complete. Therefore, registration should be done in sufficient time to ensure it does not impact your ability to meet required application submission deadlines.

Organization applicants can find complete instructions here:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html

(1) Obtain a UEI Number: All entities applying for funding, including renewal funding, must have a Unique Entity Identifier from SAM.gov. Applicants must enter the UEI number in the data entry field labeled "UEI" on the SF- 424 form.

(2) For more detailed instructions for obtaining a UEI number, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html

(3) Register with SAM: In addition to having a UEI number, organizations applying online through Grants.gov must register with the System for Award Management (SAM) https://sam.gov/content/home. All organizations must register with SAM in order to apply online. Failure to register with SAM will prevent your organization from applying through Grants.gov.

(4) For more detailed instructions for registering with SAM, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-

(5) Create a Grants.gov Account: The next step in the registration process is to create an account with Grants.gov. Applicants must know their organization's UEI number to complete this process. Completing this process automatically triggers an email request for applicant roles to the organization's E-Business Point of Contact (EBiz POC) for review. The EBiz POC is a representative from your organization who is the contact listed for SAM. To apply for grants on behalf of your organization, you will https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html need the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) role.

(6) For more detailed instructions about creating a profile on Grants.gov, refer to: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-

(7) Authorize Grants.gov Roles: After creating an account on Grants.gov, the EBiz POC receives an email notifying them of your registration and request for roles. The EBiz POC will then log into Grants.gov and authorize the appropriate roles, which may include the AOR role, thereby giving you permission to complete and submit applications on behalf of the organization. You will be able to submit your application online any time after you have been approved as an AOR.

(8) For more detailed instructions and information on roles and creating a profile on Grants.gov, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/authorize-roles.html

(9) Track Role Status: To track your role request, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/track-role-status.html

(10) Electronic Signature: When applications are submitted through Grants.gov, the name of the organization's AOR that submitted the application is inserted into the signature line of the application, serving as the electronic signature. The EBiz POC must authorize individuals who are able to make legally binding commitments on behalf of the organization as an AOR;

*THIS STEP IS OFTEN MISSED AND IT IS CRUCIAL FOR VALID AND TIMELY SUBMISSIONS.

c. How to Submit an Application via Grants.gov

Grants.gov applicants can apply online using Workspace. Workspace is a shared, online environment where members of a grant team may simultaneously access and edit different web forms within an application. For each Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), you can create individual instances of a workspace. Below is an overview of applying on Grants.gov.

For access to complete instructions on how to apply for opportunities, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/authorize-roles.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/authorize-roles.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/track-role-status.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/track-role-status.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html

d. Create a Workspace

Creating a workspace allows you to complete it online and route it through your organization for review before submitting.

e. Complete a Workspace

Add participants to the workspace, complete all the required forms, and check for errors before submission.

(1) Adobe Reader: If you decide not to apply by filling out web forms you can download individual PDF forms in Workspace so that they will appear similar to other Standard or administering agency forms. The individual PDF forms can be downloaded and saved to your local device storage, network drive(s), or external drives, then accessed through Adobe Reader. NOTE: Visit the Adobe Software Compatibility page on Grants.gov to download the appropriate version of the software at:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe- software-compatibility.html

(2) Mandatory Fields in Forms: In the forms, you will note fields marked with an asterisk and a different background color. These fields are mandatory fields that must be completed to successfully submit your application.

(3) Complete SF-424 Fields First: The forms are designed to fill in common required fields across other forms, such as the applicant name, address, and DUNS number. To trigger this feature, an applicant must complete the SF-424 information first. Once it is completed, the information will transfer to the other forms.

f. Submit a Workspace

An application may be submitted through workspace by clicking the Sign and Submit button on the Manage Workspace page, under the Forms tab. Grants.gov recommends submitting your application package at least 24-48 hours prior to the close date to provide you with time to correct any potential technical issues that may disrupt the application submission.

g. Track a Workspace

After successfully submitting a workspace package, a Grants.gov Tracking Number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) is automatically assigned to the package. The number will be listed on the Confirmation page that is generated after submission.

For additional training resources, including video tutorials, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html

Applicant Support: Grants.gov provides applicants 24/7 support via the toll-free number 1-800- 518-4726 and email at support@grants.gov. For questions related to the specific grant http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html mailto:support@grants.gov opportunity, contact the number listed in the application package of the grant you are applying for.

If you are experiencing difficulties with your submission, it is best to call the Grants.gov Support Center and get a ticket number. The Support Center ticket number will assist the administering agency with tracking your issue and understanding background information on the issue.

EVALUATION INFORMATION

A. Evaluation Criteria

Awards under this BAA, if any, will be made to proposers on the basis of the evaluation criteria listed below, and program balance to provide overall value to the Government. NSWC DD reserves the right to request any additional, necessary documentation once it makes the award instrument determination. NSWC DD reserves the right to remove proposers from award consideration should the parties fail to reach agreement on award terms, conditions, and cost/price within a reasonable time, or the proposer fails to provide requested additional information in a timely manner. Technical proposals will first be screened by an evaluator at each warfare center or activity identified in the BAA to determine if the proposal falls under the topic under which it was submitted. After this screening process, evaluations will be conducted using the following evaluation criteria:

a. Technical

Technical evaluation will be based on the following. The criteria are all of equal relative importance.

1. Overall scientific and technical merits of the technical proposal and SOW;

2. Potential Naval relevance and contributions of the effort to the Navy’s specific mission;

3. The proposer’s capabilities, related experience, facilities, techniques or unique combinations of these which are integral factors for achieving the proposal objectives; and

4. The qualifications, capabilities and experience of the proposed Principal Investigator (PI), team leader, and key personnel who are critical in achieving the proposal objects.

b. Student participation

This includes educational quality of the effort, number of students and education levels pursued.

Although not required, Proposers are encouraged to include students from underrepresented and/or underserved populations. Additionally, proposed students must be eligible for Navy intern programs and/or eligible for membership in the Navy’s civil service, and have the ability to obtain a security clearance. (Students must be U.S. citizens to obtain a security clearance.)

The primary basis for selecting proposals for acceptance shall be technical, importance to agency programs and student participation.

c. Cost

Cost is also a factor for award and will be evaluated. Cost realism and reasonableness may be considered to the extent considered appropriate by the Government in its sole discretion.

Options

The Government will evaluate options for award purposes by adding the total cost for all options to the total cost of the basic requirement. Evaluation of options will not obligate the Government to exercise the options during conduct of grant performance.

B. Evaluation Panel

Technical and cost proposals submitted under this BAA will be protected from unauthorized disclosure using the same protections as awardee proposal information under FAR 3.104-4 and

15.207. The Government scientific experts will perform the evaluation of technical proposals.

C. General Information Regarding the Review and Selection Process for Grants

a. Prior to making an award, NSWC DD shall review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM.

b. The applicant, at its option, may review information in the designated integrity and performance systems available through SAM and comment on any information itself that a Federal awarding agency previously entered and is currently in the designated integrity and performance systems available through SAM.

c. NSWC DD will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the other information in the designated integrity and performance system, in making a judgment about the applicant’s integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by the applicant as described in Title 2, Part 200, Subsection 200.206 Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants.

d. NSWC DD will also ensure that a Proposer is not debarred or suspended prior to making an award.

AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

A. North American Industry Classification System (NAICS):

The NAICS code for contracts under this announcement is “541715” with a small business size standard of “1,000 employees”.

B. System for Award Management (SAM):

All Proposers submitting proposals or applications must:

a. be registered in the SAM prior to submission;

b. maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application under consideration by any agency; and

c. Provide its UEI number in each application or proposal it submits to the agency.

The System for Award Management (SAM) is a free website that consolidates the capabilities you used to find in Central Contractor Registration (CCR)/Federal Agency Registration (FedReg), Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA), and Excluded Parties List System (EPLS). Future phases of SAM will add the capabilities of other systems used in Federal procurement and awards processes.

SAM may be accessed at https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/.

NOTE TO FORMER CCR REGISTRANTS: If you had an active record in CCR, you have an active record in SAM. You do not need to do anything in SAM at this time, unless a change in your business circumstances requires a change in SAM in order for you to be paid or to receive an award. SAM will send notifications to the registered user via email 60, 30, and 15 days prior to expiration of the record. You can search for registered entities in SAM by typing the DUNS number or business name into the search box.

C. Access to your Grant

NSWC DD award/modification documents are only available via the Department of Defense (DoD) Electronic Document Access System (EDA) within the Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment (PIEE) (https://piee.eb.mil/).

Unless otherwise specified by the Proposer, notifications for the posting of award and modification documents to EDA will be directed to both the Technical Point of Contact and the Business Point of Contact identified in the Proposer’s proposal.

EDA is a Web-based system that provides secure online access, storage and retrieval of awards and modifications to DoD employees and vendors.

If you do not currently have access to EDA, you may complete a self-registration request as a “Vendor” via https://piee.eb.mil/ following the steps below:

a. Click "Accept" http://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/

b. Click "Register" (top right)

c. Click "Agree"

d. In the "What type of user are you?" drop down, select "Vendor"

e. Select the systems you would like to access

f. Complete the User Profile and follow the site instructions.

Allow five business days for your registration to be processed. EDA will notify you by email when your account is approved.

To access awards after your registration has been approved, log into https://piee.eb.mil/piee-landing/, select "EDA", select either EDA location, select "Contracts", select your search preference, enter the Grant Number, and select "View."

Registration questions may be directed to the EDA help desk toll free at 866-618-5988, commercial at 801-605-7095, or via email at disa.ogden.esd.mbx.cscassig@mail.mil (Subject:

EDA Assistance).

OTHER INFORMATION

A. Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006:

The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (Public Law 109- 282), as amended by Section 6202 of Public Law 110-252, requires that all agencies establish requirements for recipients reporting information on subawards and executive total compensation as codified in 2 CFR Part 170. Any company, non-profit agency or university that applies for financial assistance (either grants, cooperative agreements or other transaction agreements) as either a prime or sub-recipient under this BAA must provide information in its proposal that describes the necessary processes and systems in place to comply with the reporting requirements identified in 2 CFR Part 170 Appendix A. Entities are required to meet reporting requirements unless an exception or exemption applies. Please refer to 2 CFR Part 170, including Appendix A, for a detailed explanation of the requirements, exceptions, and exemptions.

B. Military Recruiting on Campus (DoDGARS Part 22.520):

This applies to domestic U. S. colleges and universities. Appropriate language from 32 CFR 22.520, Campus access for military recruiting and Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), will be incorporated in all university grant awards.

C. Certification regarding Restrictions on Lobbying:

Grant and Cooperative Agreement awards greater than $100,000, as well as, require a certification of compliance with a national policy mandate concerning lobbying. Grant applicants shall provide this certification by electronic submission of SF424 (R&R) as a part of the electronic proposal submitted via Grants.gov. The following certification applies likewise to each Cooperative Agreement and normal Other Transaction Authority (OTA) applicant seeking federal assistance funds exceeding $100,000:

mailto:disa.ogden.esd.mbx.cscassig@mail.mil

a. No Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant, to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of an agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with the awarding of any Federal contract, the making of any Federal grant, the making of any Federal loan, the entering into of any cooperative agreement, and the extension, continuation, renewal, amendment, or modification of any Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement.

b. If any funds other than Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with the Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement, the applicant shall complete and submit Standard Form-LLL, “Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying,” in accordance with its instructions.

c. The applicant shall require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all sub-awards at all tiers (including subcontracts, sub grants, and contracts under grants, loans, and cooperative agreements) and that all sub-recipients shall certify and disclose accordingly.

This certification is a material representation of fact upon which reliance was placed when this transaction was made or entered into. Submission of this certification is a prerequisite for making or entering into this transaction imposed by Section 1352, title 31, U.S.C. Any person who fails to file the required certification shall be subject to a civil penalty of not less than $10,000 and not more than $100,000 for each such failure.

D. Representation Regarding an Unpaid Delinquent Tax Liability or a Felony Conviction

Under any Federal Law - DOD Appropriations:

Financial Assistance Certification: The Federal Assistance Certifications Report is an attestation that the entity will abide by…