Questions and Government Responses Part II (BAA-NOAA-SSA-STC-2025).pdf

TraCSS Space Situational Awareness (SSA) Research and Technology Development

Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)

BAA. #: BAA-NOAA-SSA-STC-2025

Part II Government Responses to Questions submitted after Community Day (April 3, 2025)

Reference SAM.gov for Part I for responses before April 3, 2025

The Question & Answer Period has Closed.

No further questions/clarifications will be considered by the Government.

SN Offeror’s Question Government’s Response

Evaluation Criteria: Could you confirm whether a formal scoring rubric will be used to evaluate white papers and, if so, what factors (e.g., technical merit, innovation, potential impact, cost realism) will be prioritized?

There is no rubric. The white paper will be evaluated in accordance with the BAA Section 4.0 White Paper and Proposal Guidelines.

Funding Range or Ceiling: Is there a general funding range per project that respondents should be aware of when framing the scope of proposed efforts?

No. There is no funding range. The estimated funding for this inaugural BAA is a combined total of approximately $9.9M for all awards.

Teaming and Partnerships: Are there any restrictions or preferences regarding teaming arrangements with universities, non-profits, or international collaborators?

Reference BAA Section 3 Eligibility Information.

Security Requirements: Are there any security clearance or data handling requirements expected for performers given the Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) designation on the platform?

There are no additional handling requirements for the performers. Should the performer request and get access to CUI data, the performer will need to adhere to CUI guidelines.

Feedback Process: Will NOAA provide individual feedback on submitted white papers, regardless of selection status?

Debriefings for White Paper evaluations will not be provided.

Are there any additional formatting requirements for the White Paper that can help guide Offerors’preparation? For example, if it's preferred for the BAA number, contact information, area of interest,etc. to be in rows of a table at the top of the 5 pages, listed on the cover page, or some other format.If so, could the TraCSS team offer an example of the white paper format, similar to those offered inExhibits A and B for the PWS and Past Performance References, to facilitate uniformity amongst the submissions?

There are no additional formatting guidelines. Reference BAA Section 4 White Paper and Proposal Guidelines

SN Offeror’s Question Government’s Response

Will any live SSA data (commercial sensor observations, conjunction summary messages, or similar live data types) be made available to research participants? If so, what are these live data types?

The government will consider requests for access to live data and will determine the feasibility of such requests on a case-by-case basis[SM1] .

General:

To what degree should TRL be described in the white paper stage?

The Technology Readiness Level of the proposed research should be clearly stated in the White Paper.

SSAD:

How much will organizational management (people, culture, governance) be weighted in the proposals?

Reference BAA Section 5 Proposal Evaluation Information

SSAD:

What are the current key challenges the office is facing regarding SSA Data?

Reference BAA for Areas of Interest/Research being solicited under this effort.

Risk Assessment:

What is the current methodology for risk assessment in space operational activities?

The question is too broad to provide an adequate response.

Risk Assessment:

What type of approach would OSC like to see?

e.g., a framework, a technical solution?

Reference BAA for Areas of Interest/Research being solicited under this effort.

Risk Assessment:

Would this approach eventually be standardized more broadly, including globally?

The Government cannot make a determination on the utility of an approach that is not yet defined.

General other technology:

Are there any technology areas that should be excluded from consideration in this section?

Reference BAA for Areas of Interest/Research being solicited under this effort.

General other technology:

How many use cases and to what depth would you like to see these general technologies activated in?

Reference BAA for Areas of Interest/Research being solicited under this effort.

Under the "Topic: General Category for Space Situational Awareness Technologies", is OSC interested in new sources of data, e.g. from on-orbit sensors, or is the BAA entirely focused on the processing of data that's already being captured?

The General Category for Space Situational Awareness Technologies is intended to cover areas not specifically mentioned elsewhere and solicit for new ideas.

Any possibility of a cover letter, in addition to a cover page, being allowed for the submissions?

A cover letter will count towards the five pages allotted for white paper narrative. A one-page cover page and one-page addendum are required.

In regards to the Not to Exceed Price- If the submitter offers “tiered” pricing or more than one price as an option for OSC to choose, is that okay? Or does OSC prefer that only one price is submitted alongside each submission?

The Government prefers only one price to be submitted with each submission.