BAA-09-01-PKS-Call51.doc

BAA-09-01-PKS STROEB II

Call 51 “Electro Optical Exploitation (EO-X)”

2-Step Broad Agency Announcements

Overview Information To access hyperlinks from this electronic solicitation – hit CTRL and click on the hyperlink.

Federal Agency Name: Air Force Research Laboratory, AFRL/RY Sensors Directorate Broad Agency Announcement Title: Sensor Technology Research, Development, Test & Evaluation Open-Ended Broad Agency Announcement (STROEB) II. Solicitation Number: BAA-09-01-PKS Call 51, Electro Optical Exploitation(EO-X).

Broad Agency Announcement Number: This is CALL 51 on BAA-09-01-PKS Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s): 12.800_AF

THIS WILL BE A TWO-STEP SOLICITATION:

First Step: WHITE PAPER DUE DATE AND TIME 17 Dec 2012 at 1400hrs:

Only white papers are due at this time.

Second Step: PROPOSAL DUE DATE AND TIME: To be provided in response to the Requests for Proposals sent to offerors that submit White Papers considered to meet the needs of the Air Force.

NOTE: White Paper/Proposal receipt after the due date and time shall be governed by the provisions of FAR 52.215-1(c)(3). It should be noted that this installation observes strict security procedures to enter the facility. These security procedures are NOT considered an interruption of normal Government processes, and proposals received after the above stated date and time as a result of security delays will be considered “late.” Furthermore, note that if offerors utilize commercial carriers in the delivery of proposals, they may not honor time-of-day delivery guarantees on military installations. Early white paper submission is encouraged.

Solicitation Request: Air Force Research Laboratory, AFRL/RY Sensors Directorate, Wright Research Site is soliciting white papers on the research effort described below. White Papers should be addressed to the Contracting Point of Contact (POC) stated in Section VII of the Full Text Announcement. This is an unrestricted solicitation. Small businesses are encouraged to propose on all or any part of this solicitation. The NAICS Code for this acquisition is 541712, and the small business size standard is 500 employees. There will be no other solicitation issued in regard to this requirement. White Papers/Proposals submitted shall be in accordance with this announcement. Offerors should be alert for any BAA amendments that may permit extensions to the white paper submission date.

System for Award Management (SAM) Registration (Deviation): FAR 52.204-99 is included by reference in lieu of FAR 52.204-7, Central Contractor Registration (CCR), and DFARS 252.204-7004, Alternate A, Central Contractor Registration. SAM is the primary Government repository for prospective federal awardee information and the centralized Government system for certain contracting, grants, and other assistance related processes. It replaces CCR/FedReg, On-line Representations and Certifications (ORCA) and the Excluded Parties Lists System (EPLS). Contractors shall be registered in the SAM database prior to submitting an invoice and through final payment of any contract, basic agreement, basic ordering agreement, or blanket purchasing agreement resulting from this solicitation. Contractors may obtain information on registration and annual confirmation requirements via the SAM accessed through https://www.acquisition.gov or by calling 866-606-8220.

Type of Contract/Instrument: The Air Force reserves the right to award the instrument best suited to the nature of the research proposed. Accordingly, the government may award any appropriate contract type under the FAR. However, it is anticipated that awards under this BAA will generally be Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF). Cost reimbursement type contracts require the successful offerors to have an accounting system considered adequate for tracking costs applicable to a cost type contract.

Estimated Program Cost: $2,530,000 total for all 3 topics.

Anticipated Number of Awards: The Air Force anticipates up to 4 awards for this announcement. Two awards under Topic 1 (EO/IR Tracking), one under Topic 2 (Target Classification/Long Range EO/IR Signature) and one under Topic 3 (Next Generation Phenomenology Exploitation ID at Long Range).

Brief Program Summary: The Air Force Research Laboratory, Sensors Directorate, Layered Sensing Exploitation Division (AFRL/RYA), is seeking capable sources to address an effort to develop exploitation algorithms and software to exploit Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance sensor data. This effort will focus on the development of novel techniques to detect, track and identify dismounts and vehicles.

Address technical questions to:

Dr. Vincent Velten, AFRL/RYAT, 2241 Avionics Circle, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio 4543, (937) 528-8290, Vincent.Velton@wpafb.af.mil.

Address contracting questions to:

Primary contact: Mr. Michael E. McQuinn, AFRL/RQKSR, 2310 Eighth St., Bldg 167, Wright Patterson AFB, OH. 45433-7801, (937) 255-5762, Michael.mcquinn@wpafb.af.mil.

Alternate contact: Mr. Barry E. Kain, AFRL/RQKSR, 2310 Eighth St., Bldg. 167, Wright Patterson AFB, OH. 45433-7801, (937) 656-9837, Barry.Kain@wpafb.af.mil

Program Description: The Air Force Research Laboratory, Sensors Directorate, Electro-Optical Exploitation Technology Branch (AFRL/RYAT), Wright Research Site (WRS), is soliciting white papers (and later technical and cost proposals) in the area of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) sensor exploitation. There are two main goals: 1) develop novel classification techniques to discover new ways to capture exploitable dismount signatures indicative of threat from airborne sensors, and 2) develop a capability for target classification using next generation phenomenology such as laser vibrometery (VIBE), synthetic aperture laser (SAL), and long wave HSI. Proposed research should investigate novel approaches for the exploitation of ISR sensor data. Research should include ways to utilize new sensing capabilities such as synthetic aperture LIDAR and LASER vibrometry.

1. Statement of Objective/Needs:

See attachment 1.

2.

Deliverable Items:

a. Data Items: See attachment 2 The Government desires technical data to be delivered with Unlimited Rights as defined in DFARS 252.227-7013. Offers that propose delivery of technical data subject to other than unlimited rights i.e. Limited Rights or Specifically Negotiated License Rights will be considered; however, in this case offerors should explain how Government funding of the proposed research subject to the identified limitations on use of the research results will meet Government needs. Refer to the White Paper and Proposal Evaluation Criteria in Section _V.

b. Software: All software used or developed will be delivered to the government with unlimited rights. Software deliveries will include all source code, scripts and libraries needed to run the delivered software. In addition, a full build tree needs to be provided along with input and output files needed to run, test and verify the software is operating properly.

c. Hardware: No hardware is anticipated.

3. Schedule:

a. Overall effort: Topic 1: 24 total months based on 21 months for the technical effort and 3 months for final report. Topic 2: 48 total months based on 45 months for the technical effort and 3 months for final report. Topic 3: 48 total months based on 45 months for the technical effort and 3 months for final report.

b. Data Items: Will be specified on individual Contract Data Requirement Lists(CDRLs), (see attachment 2.)

c. Software: Submitted every six months with final delivery due at the end of the technical effort of the respective topics.

d. Hardware: None.

4.

Other Requirements

a. Program security classification: Topic 1: Unclassified Topic 2: Unclassified Topic 3: SECRET (See attachment 3).

b. TEMPEST requirements: None.

c. Export Control: Information involved in this research effort will be subject to Export Control (International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR) 22 CFR 120-131. A Certified DD Form 2345, Militarily Critical Technical Data Agreement, will be required to be submitted with proposal.

d. Export controlled Items: As prescribed by DFARS 204.7303, DFARS 252.204-7008 (April 2010) applies to this BAA.

5. Other Information:

a. Government Furnished Property (GFP) availability: GFP will be provided. The government will provide sensor data for algorithm development. This data will be made available within the first 30 days of contract.(See attachment 4).

In accordance with FAR 45.201(b) The contractor is responsible for all costs related to making the property available for use, such as payment of all transportation, installation or rehabilitation costs.

If GFP is included in the solicitation or requested in the proposal the following clauses/provisions apply:

i. FAR 52.245-1 Government Property or FAR 52.245-1, Alt II if the resulting contract is with a nonprofit organization or applied research at nonprofit organizations (AUG 2010),

ii. FAR 52.245-9 Use and Charges (AUG 2010),

iii. DFARS 252.211.7007, Reporting of Government-Furnished Equipment in the DoD Item Unique Identification (IUID) Registry (NOV 2008),

iv. DFARS 252.245-7001, Tagging, Labeling, and Marking of Government-Furnished Property (FEB 2011), v. DFARS 252.245-7002, Reporting Loss of Government Property will also be included in any resulting contract (FEB 2011)

vi. DFARS 252.245-7004, Reporting, Reutilization, and Disposal (AUG 2011)

b. Base Support/ Network Access: Not applicable

c. Multiple awards subject to Fair Opportunity are not anticipated.

d. Human subjects may be used in the research studies under this effort. Clause 252.235-7004, Protection of Human Subject (Jul 2009), will be included in all contracts awarded under this BAA.

e. Data Rights Desired:

(1) Technical Data: Unlimited Rights

(2) Non-Commercial Software (NCS): Unlimited Rights

(3) NCS Documentation: Unlimited Rights

(4) Commercial Computer Software Rights: Customary License

The Air Force Research Laboratory is engaged in the discovery, development, and integration of warfighting technologies for our air, space, and cyberspace forces. As such, rights in technical data and NCS developed or delivered under this contract are of significant concern to the government. The Government will therefore carefully consider any restrictions on the use of technical data, NCS, and NCS documentation which could result in transition difficulty or less-than full and open competition for subsequent development of this technology.

In exchange for paying for development of the data, the Government expects technical data, NCS, and NCS documentation developed entirely at Government expense to be delivered with Unlimited Rights.

Technical data, NCS, and NCS documentation developed with mixed funding are expected to be delivered with at least Government Purpose Rights. Offers that propose delivery of technical data, NCS, or NCS documentation subject to Government Purpose Rights should fully explain what technical data, NCS, or NCS documentation developed with costs charged to indirect cost pools and/or costs not allocated to a Government contract will be incorporated, how the incorporation will benefit the program, and address whether those portions or processes are segregable. The Government expects that delivery of technical data, NCS, and NCS documentation subject to Government Purpose Rights will fully meet program needs.

Offers that propose delivery of technical data, NCS, or NCS documentation subject to Limited Rights, Restricted Rights, or Specifically Negotiated License Rights will be considered. Proposals should fully explain what technical data, NCS, or NCS documentation developed with costs charged to indirect cost pools and/or costs not allocated to a government contract will be incorporated and how the incorporation will benefit the program.

Offerors are reminded that the Identification and Assertion of Restrictions on the Government’s Use, Release, or Disclosure of Technical Data or Computer Software (the assertions list), required under DFARS 252.227-7013 and DFARS 252.227-7014, is included in Section K and due at time of proposals. Assertions must be completed with specificity with regard to each item, component, or process listed. Nonconforming assertions lists will be rejected.

Note that DFARS 252.227-7014(d) describes requirements for incorporation of third party computer software (commercial and nonconmmercial). Any commercial software to be incorporated into a deliverable must be clearly identified in the proposal. Because many commercial software licenses are not transferrable or may not be acceptable to the Government, commercial software licenses proposed for delivery to the Government must be approved by the contracting officer prior to award.

As used in this subparagraph, the terms Unlimited Rights, Government Purpose Rights, Specifically Negotiated License Rights, and Limited Rights in technical data are as defined in DFARS 252.227-7013. The terms Unlimited Rights, Government Purpose Rights, Specifically Negotiated License Rights, and Restricted Rights in noncommercial computer software and noncommercial software documentation are as defined in DFARS 252.227-7014. The term Commercial Computer Software is as defined in DFARS 252.227-7014.

II. Award Information

1. Anticipated Award Date: Topic 1: 30 March 2013 Topic 2: 30 June 2013 Topic 3: 30 June 2013

2. Anticipated funding for the program (not per contract): $2,530,000. The $2,530,000 includes $1,420,000 under Topic 1(2 awards @ $710,000 each), $530,000 under Topic 2 (1 award @ $530,000) and $580,000 under Topic 3 (1 award @ $580,000).This funding profile is an estimate only and will not be a contractual obligation for funding as all funding is subject to change due to Government discretion and availability

3. Number of awards anticipated: Topic 1: 2 Topic 2: 1 Topic : 1 III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Offeror: This is an unrestricted solicitation. Small businesses are encouraged to propose on all or any part of this solicitation

2. Cost Sharing or Matching: Cost Sharing is not required. Ratio: 0 / 0

3. Federally Funded Research and Development Centers: The following guidance is provided for Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) contemplating submitting a proposal, as either a prime or subcontractor, against this BAA. FAR 35.017-1(c)(4) prohibits an FFRDC from competing with any non-FFRDC concern in response to a Federal agency request for proposal for other than the operation of an FFRDC (with exceptions stated in DFARS 235.017-1(c)(4)). There is no regulation prohibiting an FFRDC from responding to a solicitation. However, the FFRDC’s sponsoring agency must first make a determination that the effort being proposed falls within the purpose, mission, general scope of effort, or special competency of the FFRDC, and that determination must be included in the FFRDC’s proposal. In addition, the non-sponsoring agency (in this case AFRL) must make a determination that the work proposed would not place the FFRDC in direct competition with domestic private industry. Only after these determinations are made would a determination be made concerning the FFRDC’s eligibility to receive an award.

4. Government Agencies: If a Government agency is interested in performing work, contact the Program Office identified in the BAA. If those discussions result in a mutual interest to pursue your agency's participation, the effort will be pursued independent of this announcement.

5.

Other:

a. Foreign participation: Foreign Participation is NOT permitted at the prime level. Any subcontracting arrangements will be handled in accordance with the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR).

b. Notice to Foreign-Owned Firms: Such firms are asked to immediately notify the Contracting POC cited in Section VII before deciding to respond to this announcement. Foreign contractors should be aware that restrictions apply which could preclude their participation in this acquisition.

c. This acquisition involves data that are subject to export control laws and regulations. Only contractors who are registered and certified with the Defense Logistics Services Center (DLSC) and have a legitimate business purpose may participate in this solicitation. Contact the Defense Logistics Services Center, 74 Washington Avenue N., Battle Creek, Michigan 40917-3084 (1-800-352-3572) for further information on the certification process. You must submit a copy of your approved DD Form 2345, Militarily Critical Technical Data Agreement, with your proposal.

d. There are no limits to the number of white papers/proposals an offeror may submit.

e. You may be ineligible for award if all requirements of this solicitation are not met on the white paper (and later proposal) due date as identified above.

f. Technology Protection Planning will be considered for all DS&TI as appropriate in accordance with AFPD 63-17, AFRL Pamphlet 63-17, and DOD 5200.39. General Operations Security (OPSEC) procedures, policies, and awareness are required in an effort to reduce program vulnerability from successful adversary collection and exploitation of critical information. OPSEC will be applied throughout the lifecycle of the contract. The Critical Information List will be provided upon request by the AFRL/RYOY Security Office.

IV. White Paper/Proposal Preparation Instructions:

1. Application Package: This Announcement consists of a Two-Step Process described in detail below. White Papers/Proposals submitted shall be in accordance with this announcement. ONLY WHITE PAPERS ARE BEING SOLICITED AT THIS TIME. Offerors should be alert for any BAA amendments that may permit extensions to the white paper submission date. There is no additional information to be provided There will be no other solicitations issued in regard to this requirement. The government intends to evaluate white papers/proposals and award some, all or none of the proposals received at this time; WITHOUT negotiation/discussion; however, the Governments reserves the right to negotiate with those offeror(s) whose proposal is selected for funding.

2. First Step (White Paper) Instructions:

a. General: The FIRST STEP requests a white paper and a rough order of magnitude (ROM) cost. The white papers will be due 30 days after the BAA call is posted. See White Paper Due Date and Time on Page 1 of the BAA. The white paper shall include a discussion of the nature and scope of the research and the offeror’s proposed technical approach. The Government will evaluate the white papers in accordance with the FIRST STEP evaluation criteria, set forth in Section V. below. Based on this evaluation, the Government will determine which of them have the potential to best meet the Air Force’s needs. Offerors will be notified of the disposition of their white paper. It is anticipated that Government review of the white papers submitted will take 15 working days. Those offerors submitting white papers assessed as meeting Air Force needs will be asked to submit a technical and cost proposal. Those offerors not requested to submit a technical and cost proposal will be notified but may, however, still elect to submit a technical and cost proposal. An offeror submitting a proposal without first submitting a white paper will not be eligible for an award. The cost of preparing white papers in response to this Solicitation is not considered an allowable direct charge to any resulting or any other contract; however, it may be an allowable expense to the normal bid and proposal indirect cost as specified in FAR 31.205-18.

b. Page Limitation: The White Paper shall be limited to 6 pages per topic, prepared and submitted in Word format. Font shall be standard 10-point business font Arial. Character spacing must be “normal,” not condensed in any manner. Pages shall be double-spaced (must use standard double-space function in Microsoft Word), double-sided(each side counts as one page), 8.5 by 11 inches, with at least one-inch margins on both sides, top and bottom. Lines between text lines must also be 10-point. All text, including text in tables and charts, must adhere to all font size and line spacing requirements listed herein. Font and line spacing requirements do not have to be followed for illustrations, flowcharts, drawings, and diagrams. These exceptions shall not be used to circumvent formatting requirements and page count limitations by including lengthy narratives in such items. Pages shall be numbered starting with the cover page being Page 1, and the last page being no greater than Page 6. The page limitation covers all information including indices, photographs, foldouts (counted as 1 page for each 8.5 by 11 portion) tables, charts, appendices, attachments, resumes, etc. The Government will not consider pages in excess of these limitations. Offerors should submit 1 original and 5 hard copies and a CD of the White Paper via mail to the Contracting POC, identified in Section VII. A CD with the WORD version of your White Paper must be submitted with the hard copies of the White Paper, and must match the hard copy.

c. Format: The white paper will be formatted as follows: Section A: Title of Program, Name of Company, Company’s Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) number, Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number, Contracting POC and Technical POC with appropriate telephone numbers, fax numbers, and email addresses for the POCs; Section B: Period of Performance and Task Objectives; Section C: Technical Summary and proposed deliverables; and Section D: Cost of Task (Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM)).

d. Pages shall be double-spaced (must use standard double-space function in Microsoft Word), double-sided(each side counts as one page), 8.5 by 11 inches, with at least one-inch margins on both sides, top and bottom. Lines between text lines must also be 10-point.

e. Technical Portion: The technical portion of the white paper shall include a discussion of the nature and scope of the research and the offeror’s proposed technical approach/solution. It may also include any proposed deliverables. Resumes, descriptions of facilities and equipment, a proposed Statement of Work are NOT required at this point.

f. Cost Portion: The cost portion of the white paper shall include a ROM cost estimate. No detailed price or cost support information should be forwarded; only a time-phased bottom line figure should be provided.

g. Other Information: Multiple white papers within the purview of this announcement may be submitted by each offeror. If the offeror wishes to restrict its white papers, they must be marked with the restrictive language stated in FAR 15.609(a) and (b).

h. White Paper/Proposal Content Summary: You may be ineligible for award if all requirements of this solicitation are not met on the proposal due date. Reference Section VIII for a Checklist of the requirements.

i. White Paper Due Date and Time: See Overview Information at the beginning of the Solicitation.

3. Second Step (Proposal) Instructions:

a.

General: The SECOND STEP consists of offerors submitting a technical and cost proposal within 30 calendar days of the proposal request. After receipt, proposals will be evaluated in accordance with the award criteria in Section V. below. Proposals will be categorized and subsequently selected for negotiations. Offerors should apply the restrictive notice prescribed in the provision of FAR 52.215-1(e) Instructions to Offerors—Competitive Acquisition. Offerors should consider proposal instructions contained in the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) Guide for Industry , which can be accessed on line at http://www.wpafb.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=9218. This guide is specifically designed to assist the offeror in understanding the BAA proposal process. Technical/management and cost volumes should be submitted in separate volumes, and must be valid for 180 days. Proposals must reference the announcement number 09-01-PKS Call 51 “Electro Optical Exploitation”. Offerors must submit one-original and 5 copies of their proposals and a CD to the Contracting POC, identified in Section VII. Offerors are advised that only contracting officers are legally authorized to contractually bind or otherwise commit the government. The cost of preparing proposals in response to the Request for Proposals is not considered an allowable direct charge to any resulting or any other contract; however, it may be an allowable expense to the normal bid and proposal indirect cost as specified in FAR 31.205-18.

b. Page Limitations: The following describes the page limitations on the proposal submittal:

a. Proposal shall be limited to 25 pages per topic, prepared and submitted in Microsoft Word format.

b. Font shall be standard 10-point business font Arial. Character spacing must be “normal,” not condensed in any manner.

c. Pages shall be double-spaced (must use standard double-space function in Microsoft Word), double-sided(each side counts as one page), 8.5 by 11 inches, with at least one-inch margins on both sides, top and bottom. Lines between text lines must also be 10-point.

d. All text, including text in tables and charts, must adhere to all font size and line spacing requirements listed herein. Font and line spacing requirements do not have to be followed for illustrations, flowcharts, drawings, and diagrams. These exceptions shall not be used to circumvent formatting requirements and page count limitations by including lengthy narratives in such items.

e. Pages shall be numbered starting with the cover page being Page 1, and the last page being Page 25. The page limitation covers all information including indices, photographs, foldouts (counted as 1 page for each 8.5 by 11 portion) tables, charts, appendices, attachments, resumes, etc.

f. The proposal page limit does not include the offeror’s proposed Statement of Work (SOW); however, the same formatting rules apply to the SOW, which is limited to 5 pages per topic. The SOW should include at a minimum: a scope paragraph to include any summary background info, applicable documents paragraph and requirements/ tasks paragraphs.

g. A CD with the WORD version of your Technical/Management Proposal and the SOW must be submitted with the hard copies of the proposal, and must match the hard copy.

h. NOTE: the Government will check the proposal and SOW for conformance to the stated requirements. Any pages in excess of the stated page limitation after the format check will not be considered.

c.

Technical/Management Section: The proposal shall include a discussion of the nature and scope of the research and the technical approach. Additional information on prior work in this area, descriptions of available equipment, data and facilities and resumes of personnel who will be participating in this effort should also be included as attachments to the technical proposal. It is encouraged to provide a complete discussion on the approach to solving the challenges for the program, including a detailed risk analysis. A very thorough timeline and budge should also be proposed that outlines all of the tasks and milestones in sequential order.

Do not include any proprietary information in the SOW. Refer to the BAA Guide for Industry referenced above to assist in SOW preparation.

If Government Furnished Property is requested you are required to submit the following information with your offer—

1) A list or description of all Government property that the offeror or its subcontractors propose to use on a rent-free basis. The list shall identify the accountable contract under which the property is held and the authorization for its use (from the contracting officer having cognizance of the property);

2) The dates during which the property will be available for use (including the first, last, and all intervening months) and, for any property that will be used concurrently in performing two or more contracts, the amounts of the respective uses in sufficient detail to support prorating the rent;

3) The amount of rent that would otherwise be charged in accordance with FAR 52.245-9, Use and Charges; and

4) The voluntary consensus standard or industry leading practices and standards to be used in the management of Government property, or existing property management plans, methods, practices, or procedures for accounting for property.

Any questions concerning the technical proposal or SOW preparation shall be referred to the Technical POC cited in Section VII.

d.

Cost/Business Section:

i. Separate the proposal into a business section and cost section. Adequate price competition is anticipated. The business section should contain all business aspects to the proposed contract, such as type of contractual instrument, any exceptions to terms and conditions of the announcement model contract, any information not technically related, etc. Provide rationale for exceptions and identify any technical data or computer software to be delivered with less than unlimited rights. Cost proposals have no page limitations; however, offerors are requested to keep cost proposals to 100 pages as a goal. The proposal shall be furnished with supporting schedules/information and shall contain a person hour breakdown to include direct labor category/description e.g., program manager, software engineer, scientist, hourly rate, any applied indirects and ODC’s per SOW tasking and specific topic. Since adequate price competition is anticipated, certified cost and pricing data per FAR 15.403-4 IS NOT required. However, data other than certified cost and pricing data as defined FAR 2.101 IS required in order for the government to evaluate cost realism.(See FAR 15.402(a)(3) and (4) and FAR 15.403-3). This data is included in the 100 page goal discussed previously. Refer to the BAA Guide for Industry mentioned in paragraph IV.3.a. above for detailed proposal instructions.

ii. Subcontracting plans, for efforts anticipated to exceed $650,000, shall be submitted along with the technical and cost proposals. Reference FAR 19.704, DFARS 219.704, and AFFARS 5319.704(a)(1) for subcontracting plan requirements. Small business concerns are exempt from this requirement.

e. Proposal Content Summary: You may be ineligible for award if all requirements of this solicitation are not met on the proposal due date. Reference Section VIII for a Checklist of the requirements

4. (Second Step) Proposals for Grants and Cooperative Agreements

None. Grants and Cooperative Agreements will not be considered.

5. Intergovernmental Review: None.

6. Funding Restrictions: The cost of preparing proposals in response to this announcement is not considered an allowable direct charge to any resulting contract or any other contract, but may be an allowable expense to the normal bid and proposal indirect cost specified in FAR 31.205-18. Incurring pre-award costs for ASSISTANCE INSTRUMENTS ONLY is regulated by the DoD Grant and Agreements Regulations (DODGARS).

7. Other Submission Requirements: Proposals must be submitted to: If by postal mail or hand delivery based courier with authorized base access: AFRL/RQKSR, Bldg 167, 2310 8th St., Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433-7801.

V. White Paper / Proposal Review Information

1. FIRST STEP – White Paper Evaluation Criteria: The Government will evaluate White Papers to determine which of them have the potential to best meet the Air Force’s needs based on the following criteria, which are listed in equal order of importance:

a.

Unique and innovative approach proposed to accomplish the technical objectives. New and creative solutions and/or advances in knowledge, understanding, technology, and the state of the art.

b. The offeror’s understanding of the scope of the technical effort.

c. Soundness of the offeror’s technical approach.

d. Affordability (Proposed ROM Cost Estimate).

e. The potential for AFRL to transition the research and development deliverables to future Government needs. Any proposed restriction on technical data or computer software will be considered.

2.

SECOND STEP – Proposal Evaluation Criteria: The selection of one or more sources for award will be based on an evaluation of each offeror’s proposal (both technical and cost/price aspects) to determine the overall merit of the proposal in response to the announcement. The technical aspect, which is ranked as the first order of priority, shall be evaluated based on the following criteria that are of equal order of importance as well as on Agency need and funding availability.

a. Technical:

(a) Unique and innovative approach proposed to accomplish the technical objectives. New and creative solutions and/or advances in knowledge, understanding, technology, and the state of the art.

(b) The offeror’s understanding of the scope of the technical effort.

(c) Soundness of the offeror’s technical approach.

(d) The potential for AFRL to transition the research and development deliverables to future Government needs. Any proposed restrictions on technical data or computer software will be considered

(e)Availability of qualified technical personnel and their experience with the applicable

(f) Availability, from any source, of necessary research, test, laboratory or shop facilities.

b. Cost/Price: Cost/Price includes the reasonableness and realism of the proposed cost and fee and consideration of proposed budgets and funding profiles. Cost/Price is a substantial factor, but ranked as the second order of priority. (If an offeror proposes the use of GFP other than any GFP identified in this BAA, and that proposed GFP provides the offeror an unfair competitive advantage, then FAR 45.202 requires rental equivalent be applied to the Cost Factor for evaluation purposes only).

c. Proposal Risk Assessment: Proposal risk for technical, cost, and schedule will be assessed as part of the evaluation of the above evaluation criteria. Proposal risk relates to the identification and assessment of the risks associated with an offeror's proposed approach as it relates to accomplishing the proposed effort. Tradeoffs of the assessed risk will be weighed against the potential payoff.

3. SECOND STEP /PROPOSAL - Review and Selection Process

a. Categories: The technical and cost proposals will be evaluated at the same time and categorized as follows:

i. Category I: Demonstrates technical merit. Is important to agency programs. The offeror presents relevant experience and access to adequate resources. Risk is acceptable. The cost/price is reasonable and realistic. Proposals in Category I are recommended for acceptance (subject to availability of funds) and normally are displaced only by other Category I proposals.

ii. Category II: Demonstrates technical merit; is important to agency programs; and presents relevant experience and access to adequate resources, but requires further development. Risk is acceptable. The cost/price is reasonable and realistic. Category II proposals are recommended for acceptance, but at a lower priority than Category I.

iii. Category III: Does not demonstrate technical merit; does not meet agency needs; does not present adequate experience or resources; the risk level is unacceptable; or the cost/price is reasonable or realistic.

b. No other evaluation criteria will be used. The technical and cost proposals will be evaluated at the same time. The Air Force reserves the right to select for award any, all, part or none of the proposal received.

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices: Offerors will be notified whether their proposal is recommended for award, by letter or e-mail, on or about 13 Feb 2013. The notification is not to be construed to mean the award of a contract is assured, as availability of funds and successful negotiations are prerequisites to any award.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: See Section I. The following may not be all inclusive: International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), DFARS 252.204-7000 Disclosure of Information, and Public Law 98-94 Withholding of Unclassified Technical Data From Public Disclosure. DD 254 is applicable to Topic 3.

3. Reporting: Reporting requirements and frequency, refer to paragraph I.2.a. Contract Data Requirements Lists (CDRLs). See attachment 2.

VII. Agency Contacts

1. Address technical questions to: Dr Vincent Velten, AFRL/RYAT, 2241 Avionics Circle, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio 45433, (937) (937) 528-8290, vincent.velten@wpafb.af.mil.

2. Address contracting questions to:

Primary contact: Mr. Michael E. McQuinn, AFRL/RQKSR, 2310 Eighth Street, Building 167, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio 45433, (937) 255-5762, michael.mcquinn@wpafb.af.mil Alternate contact: Mr. Barry Kain, AFRL/RQKSR, Bldg 167, 2310 Eighth Street, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio 45433, (937) 656-9837, barry.kain@wpafb.af.mil VIII. Other Information

1. Acquisition of Commercial Items: Based upon market research, the Government is not using the policies contained in Part 12, Acquisition of Commercial Items, in its solicitation for the described supplies or services. However, interested persons may identify to the contracting officer their interest and capability to satisfy the Government’s requirement with a commercial item within 15 days of this notice.

2. Support contractors: Only government employees will evaluate proposals for selection. Offerors are advised that employees of commercial firms under contract to the Government may be used to administratively process proposals, monitor contract performance, or perform other administrative duties requiring access to other contractors' proprietary information. These support contracts include nondisclosure agreements prohibiting their contractor employees from disclosing any information submitted by other contractors or using such information for any purpose other than that for which it was furnished.

3. Communications: Dialogue between prospective offerors and Government representatives is encouraged until submission of proposals. Discussions with any of the points of contact shall not constitute a commitment by the Government to subsequently fund or award any proposed effort. Only Contracting Officers are legally authorized to commit the Government.

4. Debriefings: When requested, a debriefing will be provided for any proposals submitted under the Second Step of the two-step process. NOTE: No debriefings will be provided for any white papers submitted under Step One of the two step process. The debriefing process will follow the time guidelines set out in FAR 15.505 and 15.506, but the debriefing content may vary to be consistent with the procedures that govern BAAs (FAR 35.016).

5. Wide Area Work Flow: NOTICE: Any contract award resulting from this solicitation will contain the clause at DFARS 252.232-7003, Electronic Submission of Payment Requests and Receiving Reports (Jun 2012), which requires electronic submission of all payment requests. . Any contract resulting from this solicitation will establish a requirement to use WAWF-RA for invoicing and receipt/acceptance, and provide coding instructions applicable to this contract via the clause at DFARS 252.232-7006, Wide Area Workflow Payment Instructions (Jun 2012). Contractors are encouraged to take advantage of available training (both web-based and through your local DCMA office), and to register in the WAWF-RA system. Information regarding WAWF-RA, including the web-based training and registration, can be found at https://wawf.eb.mil. Note: This WAWF-RA requirement does not apply to Universities that are audited by an agency other than DCAA.

6. Item Identification and Valuation. Any contract award resulting from this solicitation may contain the clause at DFARS 252.211-7003, Item Identification and Valuation, (Jun 2011) which requires unique item identification and valuation of any deliverable item for which the Government’s unit acquisition cost is $5,000 or more; subassemblies, components, and parts embedded within an item valued at $5,000 or more; or items for which the Government’s unit acquisition cost is less than $5,000 when determined necessary by the requiring activity for serially managed, mission essential, or controlled inventory. Also included are any DoD serially managed subassembly, component, or part embedded within a delivered item and the parent item that contains the embedded subassembly, component, or part. Per DFARS 211.274-3 Policy for Valuation, it is DoD policy that contractors shall be required to identify the Government’s unit acquisition cost for all items delivered, even if none of the criteria for placing a unique item identification mark applies. Therefore, your proposal must clearly break out the unit acquisition cost for any deliverable items. Per DFARS 211.274-3, Policy for Valuation, “The Government’s unit acquisition cost is the Contractor’s estimated fully burdened unit cost at time of delivery to the Government for cost type or undefinitized line, subline, or exhibit line items” (Per DoD, “fully burdened unit costs” to the Government would include all direct, indirect, G&A costs, and an appropriate portion of fee.). If you have questions regarding the Unique Item Identification requirements, please contact the Contracting Point of Contact listed above. For more information, see the following website: http://www.acq.osd.mil/dpap/pdi/uid/index.html. The contract will also include DFARS 252.211-7007, Reporting of Government Furnished Equipment in the DOD Item Unique Identification (IUID) Registry (Nov 2008).

7. Limitation on Pass-Through Charges. As prescribed in FAR 52.408(n) (1) & 52.408(n)(2), provisions 52.215-22, “Limitations on Pass Through Charges- Identification of Sub-Contract Effort (Oct 2009) and 52.215-23, “Limitations on Pass-Through Charges (Oct 2009),” are contained in this solicitation(by reference). Any contract valued greater than the threshold for cost and pricing data, except for fixed price contracts awarded on the basis of adequate price competition, resulting from this solicitation, shall contain FAR 52.215-23 (or Alt. 1).

8. Ombudsman: The Ombudsman clause, 5352.201-9101 Ombudsman (May 2011 will be contained in any contracts or agreements resulting from this Solicitation. The AFRL Ombudsman is Ms Barbara G. Gehrs, Director of Contracting, AFRL/PK, (937) 904-4407, email: Barbara.Gehrs@wpafb.af.mil.

9. Post-Award Small Business Program Representation: As prescribed in FAR 19.308, FAR Clause 52.219-28, “Post-Award Small Business Program Rerepresentation (Apr 2009),” is incorporated by reference in this solicitation. This clause will be contained in any contracts resulting from this solicitation. This clause requires a contractor to rerepresent its size status when certain conditions apply. The clause provides detail on when the rerepresentation must be complete and what the contractor must do when a rerepresentation is required.

10. Employment Eligibility Verification: As prescribed by FAR 22.1803, FAR Clause 52.222-54, “Employment Eligibility Verification (Jan 2009),” is hereby incorporated by reference in this solicitation. Any contract awarded as a result of this BAA that is above the Simplified Acquisition Threshold, and contains a period of performance greater than 120 days, shall include this clause in its contract. This clause provides the requirement of contractors to enroll as a Federal Contractor in the E-Verify program within 30 days after contract award.

11. Reporting Executive Compensation and First-Tier Sub-contract/Sub-recipient Awards: As prescribed by FAR 4.1403(a), FAR 52.204-10, “Reporting Executive Compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards,” is hereby incorporated by reference in this solicitation. Any contract valued at $25,000 or more, excluding classified contracts or contractors with individuals, must contain this clause. Any grant or agreement award resulting from this announcement may contain the award term set forth in 2 CFR, Appendix A to Part 25 http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=c55a4687d6faa13b137a26d0eb436edb&rgn=div5&view=text&node=2:1.1.1.4.1&idno=2#2:1.1.1.4.1.2.1.1.

12. Forward Pricing Rate Agreements: Offerors who have forward pricing rate agreements (FPRA’s) and forward pricing rate recommendations (FPRR’s) should submit them with their proposal.

13. Updates of Publicly Available Information Regarding Responsibility Matters: Any contract or assistance award that exceeds $500,000.00; and when an offeror checked “has” in paragraph (b) of the provision 52.209-7, shall contain the clause/article, 52.209-9, “Updates of Publicly Available Information Regarding Responsibility Matters (Jan 2011).”

14. Contractor Business Systems: DFARS 252.242-7005, Contractor Business Systems, is hereby incorporated by reference.

15. White Paper/Proposal Content Checklist: You may be ineligible for award if all requirements of this solicitation are not met on the proposal due date.

i. Step One: White Papers are due to the Contracting POC.

ii. Step One: White Papers are due no later than the due date and time specified in this announcement.

iii. Step One and Step Two: White Paper and Proposal page limits are strictly enforced. See Section IV.2.b. and IV.3.b. of the solicitation for page limits.

iv. Step One and Step Two: Proposals and White Papers must be submitted in the format specified in Section IV.

v. Step Two: Completed Certifications and Representations (Section K) are due with the proposal. Certifications and Representations (Section K) can be found at http://www.wpafb.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=6790 under the Sample Contract Documents title of the Business Resources Header. .

vi. Step Two: The Cost/Business Proposal must contain all information described in Section IV. 3.d.

vii. Step Two: For any subcontracts proposed, the Cost/Business Proposal must contain a subcontractor analysis IAW FAR 15.404-3(b).

viii. Step Two: The Cost/Business Proposal must contain any exceptions to the sample Model Contract Terms and Conditions. (See http://www.wpafb.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=6790 for sample model contracts.) However, be advised that the document awarded may include contract line items (CLINs)/clauses/articles in addition to those in the models, and/or some of the CLIN/clauses/articles in the models may be deleted, depending on the specific circumstances of the individual program. Any additions or deletions will be discussed with the offeror prior to award of the document. In the interest of streamlining and in order to be in position to award within days of completion of the technical evaluation, it is imperative that you review the model contract appropriate for your business type and provide with your proposal any exceptions to terms and conditions.

ix. Step Two: Offerors other than small businesses are to include a subcontracting plan in Microsoft Word Readable Format on a CD ROM as well as a hard copy.

x. Step Two: Offerors who have Forward Pricing Rate Agreements (FPRA’s) and Forward Pricing Rate Recommendations (FPRR’s) should submit them with their proposal.

xi. Step Two: If a DD254 is applicable, offerors must verify their Cognizant Security Office information is current with Defense Security Service (DSS) @ www.dss.mil.

xii. Step Two: If export control is applicable, offerors must submit a Certified DD Form 2345, Militarily Critical Technical Data Agreement, with proposal.