BAA RV-10-02-Final 25Feb10.docx

BAA-RV-10-02

BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT

FOR THE AIR FORCE RESEARCH LABORATORY

SPACE VEHICLES SPACE WEATHER CENTER OF EXCELLENCE

SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING (SSAEM)

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

BAA RV-10-02

25 Feb 10

Issuing Office: AFRL Space Vehicles Directorate Kirtland AFB

TABLE OF CONTENTS

a. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

b. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

9.) PROPOSAL REVIEW AND EVALUATION PROCEDURES 15-16

a. GENERAL

b. EVALUATION CRITERIA

c. REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS

d. AWARD NOTICES

e. DEBRIEFINGS

10.) OTHER INFORMATION 16-18

a. SUBCONTRACTING PLANS

b. WIDE AREA WORKFLOW NOTICE

c. ASSOCIATE CONTRACTOR AGREEMENTS

d. ITEM IDENTIFICATION AND VALUATION

e. PREAWARD CLEARANCE

f. EXCESSIVE PASS-THROUGH CHARGES

g. POST-AWARD SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM REREPRESENTATION

BAA-RV-10-02

Air Force Research Laboratory Space Vehicles Directorate

ANNOUNCEMENT OVERVIEW

BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT TITLE: Space Situational Awareness Environmental Monitoring (SSAEM) – Kirtland

BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER: RV-10-02

BRIEF PROGRAM SUMMARY: This is a 2-year Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) with individual CALLs to solicit research proposals for the United States Air Force Research Lab, Space Vehicles Research Directorate, Battlespace Environment Division.

Multiple awards of contracts of various values are anticipated with a period of performance ranging from 6 months to 24 months. Periodically over the 2-year period, proposal call announcements (CALLS) may be issued through FedBizOpps/EPS to request proposals for specific research efforts as the technical topic area is identified. These subsequent CALLS will contain specific descriptions of the research effort to be addressed, the anticipated period of performance, the information peculiar to the specific research technical topic area, and the estimated funding profile specific to the CALL.

PROPOSAL DUE DATE AND TIME: This BAA will remain open for a period of 2 years from the date of publication. NO PROPOSALS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED AGAINST THE BAA. Proposal due dates and times will be specified in each CALL. Proposals received after the due date and time specified in the CALL shall be governed by the provisions of FAR 52.215-1(c) (3), Instructions to Offerors – Competitive Acquisition.

ESTIMATED PROGRAM COST: Anticipated funding for the program (not per contract or award): $40M. This funding is an estimate only and will not be a contractual obligation for funding. All funding is subject to change due to government discretion and availability. Each CALL will contain funding profiles specific to that effort. All potential offerors should be aware that due to unanticipated budget fluctuations, funding in any or all areas may change with little or no notice.

GENERAL INFORMATION: The applicable NAICS code for this announcement is 541712 with a size standard of 1000. This acquisition is unrestricted. The BAA is issued under the provisions of Federal Acquisition Regulation paragraph 6.102(d)(2), Use of Competitive Procedures, that provides for the competitive selection of research proposals. Proposals submitted in response to CALLS issued pursuant to the BAA that are selected for award are considered to be the result of full and open competition and in full compliance with the provisions of PL 98-369, the Competition In Contracting Act of 1984. There will be no other announcement issued for this requirement. Offerors MUST monitor FedBizOpps/EPS http://www.fbo.gov in the event this announcement is amended or CALLS are issued.

TYPE OF CONTRACTS: The Air Force reserves the right to award contracts best suited to the nature of research proposed. Accordingly, the Government may award any appropriate contract type under the Federal Acquisition Regulation. It is anticipated that awards under each CALL will generally be cost plus fixed fee, completion form contracts, which require successful offerors to have an accounting system considered adequate for tracking costs applicable to the contract.

ANTICIPATED NUMBER OF AWARDS: The Air Force anticipates awarding a minimum of one contract per specific CALL. However, the Air Force does reserve the right to make multiple awards or no awards pursuant to a CALL.

Technical Points of Contact: The technical point of contact for the baseline BAA is Dr. Thomas R. Caudill, Space Situational Awareness Environmental Monitoring Program Manager, AFRL/RVBX, Phone 505-846-2978, E-mail: thomas.caudill@kirtland.af.mil.

Contracting Points of Contact: The contracting points of contact for the baseline BAA are:

Contract Specialist: Ms. Ellen Foster, Det 8 AFRL/RVKB, Kirtland AFB, NM, Phone: 505-846-0938, Fax: 505-846-0945, Email: ellen.foster@kirtland.af.mil.

Contracting Officer: Ms. Jean A. Barnes Det 8 AFRL/RVKB, Kirtland AFB, NM, Phone: 505-846-4695, Fax: 505-846-0945, Email: jean.barnes@kirtland.af.mil.

Note! Specific Technical and Contracting Points of Contact will be identified in each CALL. The aforementioned POCs should be used for the BAA.

BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT

BAA-RV-10-02

Air Force Research Laboratory Space Vehicles Directorate

FULL TEXT ANNOUNCEMENT

1. REQUIREMENT DESCRIPTION

A. The Air FORCE RESEARCH LABORATORY (AFRL) Space Vehicles Directorate’s Space Weather Center of Excellence (AFRL/RVBX) is interested in receiving proposals from all offerors to advance the state-of-the-art for ionospheric environmental monitoring in order to achieve better space situational awareness for senior DoD decision makers and Combatant Commanders.

B. Multiple awards of contracts of various values are anticipated with a period of performance ranging from 6 to 24 months. This 2 year Environmental Monitoring investigation is being initiated via release of BAA-RV-10-02. Periodically over the 2-year period (calculated from the baseline BAA publication date), proposal call announcements (CALL) under the BAA may be issued in the FebBizOpps/EPS to request proposals for specific research efforts as technical topic areas are identified. These subsequent CALLs will contain specific descriptions of the research effort to be addressed, anticipated period of performance, information peculiar to the specific research technical topic area, and the estimated funding profile specific to the CALL. Each CALL will specify a proposal due date and time. Proposals received after the stated due date and time will be governed by FAR 52.215-1(c)(3), Instructions to Offerors – Competitive Acquisition. Multiple subsequent CALLs are anticipated and may be announced sequentially or concurrently in the FedBizOpps/EPS. The government reserves the right to re-issue a previously announced CALL area with a second, subsequent proposal period.

2. RESEARCH REQUIREMENTS

A. Mission Statement:

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) leads the discovery, development, and timely transition of affordable, integrated technologies that keep our Air Force the best in the world. AFRL is organized into ten technology directorates. AFRL’s Space Vehicles Directorate’s mission is to develop and transition high pay-off space technologies, as well as provide knowledgeable support to both the acquisition community and warfighters. The Space Weather Center of Excellence (AFRL/RVBX) is part of the Space Vehicles Directorate and provides world-class leadership in developing space environment algorithms and models including global ionospheric models to forecast the space environment and its effects on AF systems. Its primary research focus includes the specification and forecast of space environments, satellite drag and reentry determination, and demonstrations of integrated space technologies to monitor, specify, and predict the natural spacecraft environment.

B. Topic Area:

The general scope of this research area is to investigate innovative technology solutions for environmental monitoring of ionospheric conditions in order to establish more accurate and timely space situational awareness, and support improved forecasting of satellite reentry, precise orbit determination, and avoidance of collisions with space objects. Proposals are being sought for innovative concepts and technologies that expand functional capability and adaptability, increase reliability and on-orbit life, and significantly reduce power and weight of current environmental monitoring sensors. Also of interest are integrated sensor suite concepts and improved data collection approaches that could be leveraged to support generation of in situ environmental data and enable improved nowcasts and forecasts of: the ionospheric density profile; the onset of scintillation-producing irregularities; and the thermospheric neutral density, winds and composition.

Note! Specific Technical and Contracting Points of Contact will be identified in each CALL.

3. ANTICIPATED FUNDING

Anticipated funding for the program (not per contract or award): $40M.

THIS FUNDING PROFILE IS AN ESTIMATE ONLY AND WILL NOT BE A CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION FOR FUNDING.

All funding is subject to change due to government discretion and availability. Each CALL will contain funding profiles specific to that effort. All potential offerors should be aware that due to unanticipated budget fluctuations, funding in any or all areas may change with little or no notice.

4. POINTS OF CONTACT

Technical Points of Contact: The technical point of contact for the baseline BAA is Dr. Thomas R. Caudill, Space Situational Awareness (SSA) Environmental Monitoring (EM) Program Manager, AFRL/RVBX, Phone 505-846-2978, E-mail: thomas.caudill@kirtland.af.mil.

Contracting Points of Contact: The contracting points of contact for the baseline BAA are:

Contract Specialist: Ms. Ellen Foster, Det 8 AFRL/RVKB, Kirtland AFB, NM, Phone: 505-846-0938, Fax: 505-846-0945, Email: ellen.foster@kirtland.af.mil.

Contracting Officer: Ms. Jean A. Barnes Det 8 AFRL/RVKB, Kirtland AFB, NM, Phone: 505-846-4695, Fax: 505-846-0945, Email: jean.barnes@kirtland.af.mil.

Note! Specific Technical and Contracting Points of Contact will be identified in each CALL. The aforementioned POCs should be used for the baseline BAA.

OMBUDSMAN: AFFARS CLAUSE 5352.201-9101, Ombudsman (AUG 2005) is hereby incorporated into this BAA and will be made a part of any awards based on this solicitation. The ombudsman for AFRL is Ms. Karen Sue Hunter, AFRL/PK, 1864 4th Street, Bldg 15, Room 225, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, 45433-7130, Phone 937.255.0432, Fax 937.255.5036, E-mail Karen.Hunter@wpafb.af.mil.

5. COMMUNICATIONS

A. Prospective offerors are reminded to contact the Technical Point Of Contact (TPOC) to verify interest in the effort to be proposed and the funding availability PRIOR to committing any resources to the preparation of any proposals in response to a call. These firms are advised to contact the Contracting Points of Contact or TPOC before submitting a proposal to determine whether there are restrictions on receiving an award.

B. 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.

C. NO PROPOSALS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED AGAINST THE BASELINE BAA. Proposal due dates and times will be specified in each CALL. Proposals received after the due date and time specified in the CALL shall be governed by the provisions of FAR 52.215-1(c)(3), Instructions to Offerors – Competitive Acquisition.

D. There will be no other announcement issued for this requirement. Offerors MUST monitor FedBizOpps/EPS http://www.fbo.gov in the event this announcement is amended or CALLs are issued. Offerors must monitor this system to ensure they receive the maximum proposal preparation time for subsequent amendments as this is the official notification vehicle to request proposals.

E. Potential offerors are requested to advise the contracting officer if they intend to submit a proposal in response to a CALL. Such notification is merely a courtesy and is not a commitment by the offeror to submit a proposal.

6. GENERAL INFORMATION

Potential offerors are advised of the following:

A. The applicable NAICS code for this announcement and any CALLS issued pursuant to this BAA is 541712 with a size standard of 1000.

B. This acquisition is unrestricted. The BAA is issued under the provisions of Federal Acquisition Regulation paragraph 6.102(d)(2), Use of Competitive Procedures, that provides for the competitive selection of research proposals. Proposals submitted in response to CALLS issued pursuant to the BAA that are selected for award are considered to be the results of full and open competition and in full compliance with the provisions of PL 98-369, the Competition In Contracting Act of 1984. Due to the nature of this requirement(s), no Foreign Company proposals shall be considered for award.

C. Organizational Conflicts of Interest may apply to this action but cannot be determined prior to issuance of this announcement or subsequent CALLS. This issue and the need for applicable clauses will be resolved prior to the award of any contract resulting from an offeror’s proposal.

D. An “Administrative Access to Proprietary Information” consent provision is applicable to this announcement with anticipation of incorporation of the provision by reference into any resulting award. A provision consent will be attached to each CALL released under this BAA. Offerors will be required to both sign and submit the provision with the proposal or indicate objections as stated on the consent form.

E. Department of Defense (DOD) Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) (C31 Lab, Lincoln Laboratory, or Software Engineering Institute) may submit proposals in response to this announcement. Other FFRDCs or contractors that propose using FFRDCs not discussed herein shall provide rationale in its proposal that the research is within the purpose, mission, general scope of effort or special competency of the FFRDC and that research to be performed would not place the FFRDC in direct competition with the private sector. The Government does not intend that FFRDCs use privileged information or access to facilities to compete with the private sector. If a contractor proposes using a FFRDC as a subcontractor, other than DOD-sponsored FFRDCs in the capacities discussed in DFARS 235.017, it must provide rationale in its proposal that supports the unique capability of the FFRDC. Also, the contractor’s proposal must demonstrate that the FFRDC can accept work from other than the sponsor.

F. Research areas may involve technology that is subject to U.S. Export Control Laws. Therefore, only offerors who are certified by the Defense Logistics Information Service (DLIS) may submit proposals. For questions, contact DLIS on-line at http://www.dlis.dla.mil/jcp or at DLIS, US/Canada Joint Certification Center, Federal Center, 74 North Washington, Battle Creek MI 49017-4312, (800) 352-3572.

G. Security Requirement: The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) requires that a DD Form 254 be incorporated in each classified contract. The DD Form 254 provides to the contractor (or a subcontractor) the security requirements and the classification guidance that would be necessary to perform on a classified contract. If a Contract Security Classification Specification, DD254, is required, it will be identified in the CALL per FAR 52.204-2.

7. AWARD INFORMATION

A. It is anticipated that the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) will remain open for a period of 2 years from the date of publication. The BAA will be reviewed annually. Any updates or possible cancellation will be issued as an amendment to the BAA. This annual review and subsequent amendment to the BAA shall meet the requirement of FAR 35.016, Broad Agency Announcement, to publish the BAA no less frequently than annually.

B. TYPE OF CONTRACT: The Air Force reserves the right to award contracts best suited to the nature of research proposed. Accordingly, the Government may award any appropriate contract type under the Federal Acquisition Regulation. The anticipated type of contract will be issued in each CALL. Prospective offerors are encouraged to discuss the type of contract proposed with the appropriate contracting point of contact prior to preparing a proposal.

It is anticipated that a mix of contract types will be used throughout the life of the BAA. Generally awards under the BAA will be cost plus fixed fee, completion form contracts, which require successful offerors to have an accounting system considered adequate for tracking costs applicable to the contract. The Air Force reserves the right to award contracts best suited to the nature of research proposed.

C. ANTICIPATED NUMBER OF AWARDS: The Air Force anticipates awarding a minimum of one contract per specific CALL. However, the Air Force does reserve the right to make multiple awards or no awards pursuant to a CALL.

8. PROPOSAL PREPARATION

A. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:

1. The BAA and associated CALLS are expressions of interest only and do not commit the Government to pay for proposal preparation cost. The cost of preparing proposals in response to CALLS placed pursuant to the BAA is not considered an allowable direct charge to any resulting contract or to any other contract. However, it may be an allowable indirect expense as specified in FAR 31.205-18, Independent Research and Development and Bid and Proposal Costs.

2. Proposals must reference the BAA number, the CALL number, and include a unique contractor generated proposal identification number. Unnecessarily elaborate brochures or presentations beyond that sufficient to present a complete and effective proposal are not desired.

3. Offerors shall identify proposal information considered proprietary by marking their proposals with the restrictive language contained in FAR 52.215-1(e), Instructions to Offerors—Competitive Acquisition.

4. DOD policy, per DFARS 227.7103-1, Policy, for Noncommercial Items or Processes, is to acquire only the technical data and the rights in that data, necessary to satisfy government needs. The Government anticipates receiving, as a minimum, “Government Purpose Rights” to technical data developed under contracts awarded based on proposals received in response to this announcement. Data rights offered other than “Unlimited Rights,” as defined in DFARS 227.7103-5, Government Rights, should be identified in DFARS clause 252.227-7017, Identification and Assertion of Use, Release, or Disclosure Restrictions, and addressed in the business section of the cost proposal.

5. There are no limits to the number of proposals an offeror may submit for any given CALL unless otherwise specified in the CALL.

6. You may be ineligible for award if all requirements of this announcement are not met by the proposal due date and time as identified in each CALL.

B. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

1. Submit with a cover letter, an original, three paper copies, and one electronic copy of the technical proposal and the cost/business proposal. The original and paper copies of technical and cost/business proposals must be in separate volumes. The electronic copy must be submitted on a compact disk (CD-R) in a PC compatible file format and must be readable by Microsoft Office. The electronic copy of the cost proposal worksheets must be in Microsoft Office Excel 2003 or later version and must contain all cell formulas.

2. Proposals for FAR type contracts should be submitted to: Det 8 AFRL/RVKB, Attn: Contracting Officer, 2251 Maxwell St SE, Bldg 424, (Mail Room – West Area), Kirtland AFB, NM, 87117-5773. Proposals sent to any inappropriate address are ineligible for award. Proposals for FAR contracts sent via facsimile or electronic means will not be accepted.

3. ON-LINE REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS: Potential offierors are notified that effective 01 Jan 2005 to eligible for an award and in compliance with FAR 52.204-7 and DFARS 252.204-7007 Alternate A, they must submit annual Electronic Representations and Certifications, otherwise known as On-line Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA) via the Business Partner Network (BPN) at http://www.bpn.gov/orca. These FAR level representations and certifications are required in addition to the representations and certifications specific to this acquisition. Before submitting the Electronic Representations and Certifications, contractors must be registered in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) Database. On-line registration instructions can be accessed from the DISA CCR home page at: http://www.ccr.gov.Offerors must complete other required representations and certifications at http://www.kirtland.af.mil/prs. Offerors may be required to provide proposal specific representations and certifications identified and requested by the cognizant contracting officer, on individual CALLs.

4. Offerors are advised that data included in the technical and cost/business proposals submitted to the Government in response to the BAA CALL, may be released to non-Government advisors for review and analysis. Any non-Government advisor will strictly serve in an advisory capacity only to the Government evaluators. Non-Government advisors will have appropriate Organizational Conflict of Interest clauses in their contracts with AFRL and will initiate any required Non-Disclosure Agreements. The use and identification of any non-Government advisor will be posted in the Call. All offeror’s shall clearly indicate in their proposals if they have any objections or concerns regarding the use of non-Government advisors. Offerors will be contacted prior to the release of a proposal to a non-Government advisor.

C. SPECIFIC PROPOSAL PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cover letter

A cover letter shall accompany each proposal. The cover letter should identify the BAA number CALL number, and technology area under which the proposal is submitted, a statement that the proposal is valid for 120 days from the due date specified in the CALL, provide technical and contracting points of contact, CAGE code, and include statement indicating if the firm is a small business, veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business, HUBZone small business, small disadvantaged business, 8(a), or women-owned small business concern. The proposal must be signed and dated by an authorized official of the organization.

2. Technical Proposal

a. Content. The technical proposal must convey an understanding of the problems or limitations of the general technology area and the intended application(s). The technical proposal shall include the following items.

(1) Executive Summary: Describe the proposed program, objectives, and approach. A description of the innovation and benefits of the proposed approach and relationship to previous efforts should be discussed. It should summarize the technical issues addressed by the offeror’s proposal without repeating the requirements. This should provide a vision of what will ultimately be achieved and what solution this effort will produce.

(2) Program Description: Describe the techniques, methods, materials, or ideas that will be addressed in this proposal, their innovation, and to what degree they advance the state-of-the-art.

(3) Program Plan: Describe in detail the planned approach and how the plan will be executed. This section should include all technical aspects of the approach. Provide technical detail and analysis necessary to support the technical approach proposed. Clearly identify the core of the intended approach. The “new and creative” solution to the problem(s) should be developed and analyzed in this section. Include a risk assessment of key technical, schedule or cost areas and their potential impact on the program. Identify why proposed subcontractors were selected and what tasks they are to perform.

(4) Contractor’s Statement of Work (C-SOW):

(A) The C-SOW, a stand-alone document, should detail the research to be accomplished under the technical area and should be suitable for incorporation into the awarded document. The proposed C-SOW should summarize the technical methodology and the task description, but not to the extent to make the awarded instrument inflexible. Do not include any proprietary information in the C-SOW. Contractors may request copies of our contracts under the Freedom Of Information Act. Consequently, it is imperative that no company-sensitive information be included in the C-SOW. The C-SOW should include the anticipated deliverables (hardware, software, reports, etc.).

(B) The following is offered as a recommended format for the C-SOW. The C-SOW should be structured in three sections; Scope, Applicable Documents, And Requirements.

SCOPE: This section includes a statement of what the program covers. This should include the technology area to be investigated, objectives/goals, and major milestones for the effort. It defines the breadth and limitations of the work to be done.

APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS: This section includes reference documents needed to identify or clarify the work to be performed.

REQUIREMENTS: This section identifies the specific work to be performed. The work effort should be arranged into major tasks and identified in separately numbered paragraphs. Each numbered major task should delineate by subtask the work to be performed and should follow an outline numbering scheme. The C-SOW must identify all reviews and when/where (identify by milestone or task) that will be conducted. It must also identify any and all items (hardware, software, reports, etc.) to be delivered to the Government as a result of the program.

(5) Milestone Chart: A Milestone Chart should indicate when specific objectives are expected to be met in the overall program schedule and should identify the specific accomplishments necessary to proceed to the next task. Provide a schedule of when the deliverable items identified in the CALL are to be delivered.

(6) Facilities and Equipment description: Describe the facilities that can be used to achieve the goals of the program, in terms of manufacturing capability, testing facilities, and/or any relevant specialized equipment.

(7) Description of Relevant Prior Work: Provide a list of related previous or current government, commercial, or internally funded work during the past five years. For each such effort, provide the principal investigator, title of effort, contract number, brief summary of results, dollar value, and a technical and contracting point of contact, including phone numbers, for the funding organizations.

(8) Management Plan: Offerors should provide an approach that demonstrates the ability to effectively and efficiently manage and administer the research program to a successful conclusion.

(9) Resumes of Key Individuals: Include brief summaries of resumes of relevant key individuals including any consultants or subcontractors that might be proposed.

b. Page Limitations. The technical proposal including the C-SOW shall be limited to 30 pages single spaced, double-sided, 8.5 by 11-inch pages. Select an easy to read font no smaller than 12 pitch fixed or proportional font size 10 or larger. Smaller type may be used in figures and tables as long as it is clearly legible. The page limitation includes all information i.e., indices, photographs, foldouts (2 page), appendices, attachments, resumes, C-SOW, etc. Each printed side counts as one page. Blank pages, title pages, tables of content, lists, tabs or cover sheets are not included in the page count. The Government will not consider pages in excess of this limitation. These page limitations may be changed in individual CALL.

3. Cost/Business Proposal

Separate this proposal into a Cost section and a Business section.

a. Cost Section. Adequate price competition is determined not to exist. The Government will require certified cost or pricing data from the offeror whose proposal exceeds the threshold listed at FAR 15.403-4. . Each CALL issued will contain the appropriate cost proposal instructions based upon the type of instrument the Government anticipates awarding. Submit the electronic copy of the cost proposal worksheets on a compact disk (CD-R) in a PC compatible file format in Microsoft Office Excel 2003 or later version. The file must contain all cell formulas. Cost proposals have no page limitations but offerors are requested to keep cost proposals to 75 pages as a goal.

b. Business Section. The business section should contain all business aspects to the proposed contractual arrangement, such as type of contract/instrument, any unique terms and conditions, any exceptions to terms and conditions of the announcement or CALL, and any information not technically related. Provide rationale for exceptions. As a goal, offerors are requested to keep the business section to 20 pages. This section should include the following items as appropriate. The referenced documents will be attached to an issued CALL.

(1) Signed “Administrative Access to Proprietary Information” consent provision or a detailed statement outlining the basis for the objection.

(2) Completed representations and certifications and any specific representations and certifications identified in a CALL.

(3) Sample Model Contracts should be reviewed. Include a statement as to acceptance of the terms and conditions contained in the model contracts.

(4) Completed Proposal Content Checklist. Failure to provide a complete proposal may result in a determination that the proposal is non-responsive and may be eliminated from consideration for award.

9. PROPOSAL REVIEW AND EVALUATION PROCEDURES

A. GENERAL.

The Government reserves the right to select for award to responsible offerors/ Contractors any, all, part, or none of the proposals that are received in response to CALLS issued under the announcement, subject to the availability of funds. You may be ineligible for award if all requirements of this announcement and requirements in subsequent CALLS are not met by the proposal due date and time. At minimum, incomplete proposals may be given lower priority and, although technically acceptable, not awarded due to funding limitations.

B. EVALUATION CRITERIA.

The selection of one or more sources for award will be based on an evaluation of each offeror’s proposal to determine the overall merit of the proposal in response to CALLS issued under this announcement. Proposals will be evaluated in accordance with FAR 35.016, Broad Agency Announcement. The proposals will be evaluated utilizing a peer or scientific review process and shall be evaluated based on the following criteria that are listed in “DESCENDING” order of importance:

1. Overall scientific and technical merits of the proposal;

2. Importance to AFRL/RVBX programs;

3. Fund availability/affordability

Once selected for possible award, price will be evaluated for realism and reasonableness.

No further evaluation will be used. However, the Government reserves the right to tailor evaluation criteria as needed for individual CALLS.

C. REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS.

The proposals will be evaluated. and categorized as follows:

Category I: Proposal is well conceived, scientifically and technically sound, pertinent to the program goals and objectives, and offered by a responsible contractor with the competent scientific and technical staff and supporting resources needed to ensure satisfactory program results. Proposals in Category I are recommended for acceptance (subject to availability of funds) and normally are displaced only by other Category I proposals.

Category II: Proposal is scientifically or technically sound, requiring further development and is recommended for acceptance, but at a lower priority than Category I.

Category III: Proposal is not technically sound or does not meet agency needs.

D. AWARD NOTICES.

Offerors will be notified in writing whether or not their proposal is recommended for award. An award recommendation is not to be construed to mean the award of a contract as availability of funds and successful negotiations are prerequisites to any award.

E. DEBRIEFINGS.

When requested, a debriefing will be provided. The debriefing process will follow the time guidelines set out in FAR 15.505 and 15.506.

10. OTHER INFORMATION

A. SUBCONTRACTING PLANS: Small Business Subcontracting Plans are required pursuant to FAR 19.702, Statutory Requirements for the Small Business Subcontracting Program for efforts anticipated to exceed $550,000. Prospective offerors shall submit applicable subcontracting plans in accordance with the requirements set forth in FAR 19.704, Subcontracting Plans requirements, and DFARS 219.704, along with the technical and cost proposals. Small businesses are exempt from this requirement. If a company has a master subcontracting plan, as defined in FAR 19.701 or a comprehensive subcontracting plan, as described in DFARS 219.702, Statutory Requirements, a copy of the plan shall be submitted with the proposal. The subcontracting plan shall be a part of the cost/business section of the proposal and will not be included in the page count.

B. WIDE AREA WORK FLOW NOTICE: Any contract award resulting from CALLS issued under the announcement will contain the clause at DFARS 252.232-7003, Electronic Submission Of Payment Requests, which requires electronic submission of all payment requests. The clause cites three possible electronic formats through which to submit electronic payment requests. Effective 01 October 2006, the Department of Defense will adopt Wide Area Work Flow-Receipt and Acceptance (WAWF-RA), as the electronic format for submission of electronic payment requests. Any contract resulting from CALLS issued under this announcement will establish a requirement to use WAWF-RA for invoicing and receipt/acceptance, and provide coding instructions applicable to this contract. Contractors are encouraged to take advantage of available training (both web-based and through your cognizant 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/ .

C. ASSOCIATE CONTRACTOR AGREEMENTS. Associate Contractor Agreements (ACAs) are agreements between contractors working on government contract projects that specify requirements for them to share information, data, technical knowledge, expertise, or resources. The contracting officer may require ACAs when contractors working on separate government contracts must cooperate, share resources or otherwise jointly participate in working on contracts or projects. Prime contractor to subcontractor relationships do not constitute ACAs. For each award, the contracting officer will identify associate contractors with whom agreements are required.

D. ITEM IDENTIFICATION AND VALUATION. Any contract award resulting from CALLS issued under the announcement may contain the clause at DFARS 252.211-7007, Reporting of Government-Furnished Equipment in the DoD Item Unique Identification (IUID) Registry. The contract may also contain the clause at DFARS 252.211-7003, Item Identification and Valuation, (Aug 2008) 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 Unique Item Identifications 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 shall 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 Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy (DPAP) website at:

http://www.acq.osd.mil/dpap/sitemap.html

E. PREAWARD CLEARANCE. Pursuant to FAR 22.805, Procedures for Equal Employment Opportunities, a pre-award clearance must be obtained from the U.S. Department Of Labor, Employment Standards Administration, Office Of Federal Contract Compliance Program’s (OFCCP) prior to award of a contract (or subcontract) of $10,000,000.00 or more unless the contractor is listed in OFCCP’s National Pre-award Registry at: http://www.dol-esa.gov/preaward This registry indicates that the contractor has been found to be “in compliance” within the past two years with the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) regulations that the OFCCP is mandated to enforce. The registry is updated nightly and facilities reviewed more than 2 years ago are removed and new ones are added. Award may be delayed if you are not currently listed in the registry and the contracting officer must request a pre-award clearance from the OFCCP.

F. EXCESSIVE PASS-THROUGH CHARGES: Any contract award resulting from this announcement may contain the clause at DFARS 252.215-7004, Excessive Pass-Through Charges, (Apr 2007) which requires the contractor to identify in its proposal the percentage of effort to be performed by the prime contractor and the percentage expected to be performed by each subcontractor. If the contractor intends to subcontract more than 70% of the total cost of work under the contract or task order, then it shall identify the amount of the contractor's indirect costs and profit applicable to the subcontract work, and a description of the value added by the contractor. If any subcontractor intends to subcontract to a lower tier subcontractor more than 70% of the total cost of it's work, then it shall identify the amount of the subcontractor's indirect costs and profit applicable to the lower tier subcontract work, and a description of the value added by the subcontractor.

G. POST-AWARD SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM REREPRESENTATION: 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 represent its size status when certain conditions apply. The clause provides detail on when the representation must be complete and what the contractor must do when a representation is required.

image1.jpeg