BAA-RVKV-2013-0006_-_Revised1.pdf

BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT

BAA-RVKV-2013-0006

BAA-RVKV-2013-0006

TABLE OF CONTENTS

BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT FULL TEXT:

I. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Statement of Objective/Needs:

Deliverable Items:

Schedule:

Other Requirements:

II. OTHER INFORMATION:

Government Furnished Property (GFP) availability:

Base Support/ Network Access:

Data Rights Desired:

III. AWARD INFORMATION

IV. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

V. PROPOSAL/APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION:

Content and Form of Submission for Full Proposals:

VI. PROPOSAL/APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION:

VII. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION:

VIII. AGENCY CONTACTS

IX. OTHER INFORMATION

Proposal Content Checklist:

BAA-RVKV-2013-0006

NAICS CODE: 541712

FEDERAL AGENCY NAME: Air Force Research Laboratory, Space Vehicles Division, Space Experiments and Programs Branch (AFRL/RVEP)

BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT TITLE: ESPA Augmented Geostationary Laboratory Experiment’s (EAGLE) Hypertemporal Imaging (HTI) Space Experiment (SpX) Instrument

BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE: This is the Initial Announcement

CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE (CFDA) NUMBER(S):

There are no grant or agreement opportunities.

PROPOSAL DUE DATE AND TIME: Proposals are due by 12:00 p.m. MDT, 31 October 2013 delivered to Air Force Research Laboratory (Det 8)(AFRL/RVKVI) 3550 Aberdeen Ave SE, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, 87117-5776. Proposals received after this due date and time shall be governed by the provisions of Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) 52.215-1(c)(3). All offerors should note 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.” Note: If offerors use commercial carriers for delivery of proposals, carriers may not honor time-of-day delivery guarantees on military installations. Early proposal submission is encouraged.

BRIEF PROGRAM SUMMARY: This is a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) to develop a Hypertemporal Imaging research flight instrument in support of the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Space Vehicles Directorate Hypertemporal Imaging Space Experiment (HTI SpX). AFRL/RVEP anticipates a single award of a contract instrument(s) with a period of performance of 60 months. The express intent of the HTI space experiment is to address critical S&T questions for furthering AFRL scientific studies (HTI phenomenology and experimental validation of physics models). In order to better inform AFRL of the full capabilities of the HTI method, multiple instrument design approaches and alternatives are expected. AFRL is interested in highly innovative payload designs capable of collecting data of a wide range of target signatures in varied background environments. The primary / baseline capability of the instrument is hypertemporal imaging (HTI) data collection experiment with option(s) to leverage the instrument to collect data in other wavelength bands to augment the science return of the instrument. The successful flight instrument will be compatible with and fly via the Air Force Research Laboratory’s ESPA Augmented GEO Laboratory Experiment (EAGLE) platform.

The full BAA announcement follows below.

ESTIMATED PROGRAM COST: The Government estimates the cost of this program to be $23.1M (a notional funding profile: FY 14 $8.9M; FY 15 $8.2M; FY 16 $5.5M; FY 17 $0.5M). This funding profile is an estimate only and not a contractual obligation for funding. This does not include any requested option(s) specified in this BAA. All funding is subject to change due to Government discretion and availability. Potential offerors should be aware that, due to unanticipated budget fluctuations, funding may change with little or no notice.

GENERAL INFORMATION: This acquisition is unrestricted. Small businesses are encouraged to propose. The NAICS Code for this acquisition is 541712 (for Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology), and the small business size standard is 1000 employees. This BAA is issued under the provisions of FAR 6.102(d)(2) that provides for the competitive selection of research proposals. Proposals submitted in response to this 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 Public Law 98-369, the Competition in Contracting Act of 1984. There will be no other announcement issued for this requirement. Offerors should be alert for any BAA amendments that may permit extensions to the proposal submission date or make other changes to the announcement.

TYPE OF CONTRACTS/INSTRUMENTS: The Air Force reserves the right to award the instrument best suited to the nature of research proposed.

Accordingly, the Government may award any appropriate contract type under the FAR. The Air Force may also consider award of an appropriate technology transfer mechanism if applicable. The Government anticipates that awards under this BAA will generally be cost reimbursement. Cost reimbursement contracts require successful offerors to have an accounting system considered adequate for tracking costs applicable to the contract per FAR 16.301-3(a)(3).

SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT (SAM): Unless exempted by FAR

4.1102 all offerors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database prior to award. Offerors can access registration instructions from the SAM home page at http://www.sam.gov.

In addition, for potential offerors to be eligible for an award, they must submit annual Electronic Representations and Certifications on the SAM website. These FAR and DFARS level representations and certifications are required in addition to the representations and certifications specific to this acquisition.

ANTICIPATED NUMBER OF AWARDS: The Air Force anticipates awarding one contract. However, the Air Force reserves the right to make more than one award or no awards pursuant to this BAA.

I. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Air Force Research Laboratory, Space Vehicles Directorate, Space Experiments and Programs Branch is soliciting technical and cost proposals for the following research effort:

Statement of Objective/Needs: The goal of the HTI SpX program is to collect data to quantify the performance of newly developed sensing techniques to expand the AF’s knowledge of HTI science developed and patented by AFRL. The express intent of the HTI space experiment is to address critical science and technology questions to further AFRL scientific studies (HTI phenomenology and experimental validation of physics models). In order to better inform AFRL of the full capabilities of the HTI method, multiple instrument design approaches and alternatives are expected. AFRL is interested in highly innovative payload designs capable of collecting data of a wide range of target signatures in varied background environments. A successful design of the instrument will result in high stability (low jitter at image plane) and will be optimized for thermal control of the associated optics when hosted on a platform for best performance of this pass-band. Design of the instrument should allow modular integration of cryocooling (passive or active) to support thermal management. The instrument must incorporate fast framing capabilities to support frame co-addition for high photoelectron harvesting rates and may be dynamically stabilized sufficiently to ensure low jitter at the focal plane array. Focal plane array size and well-depth, aperture size, image stability, and frames rates must be selected sufficiently to ensure the high photoelectron harvesting rates and total collection sufficient for hypertemporal imaging. The successful instrument design will also include the provision for multiple spectral filters. The design should consider the need/value for inclusion of an on-board calibrator(s) or on-board health monitor as well as ground controllable focus mechanism for the primary optical subsystem. Accommodations for co-locating a star-camera assembly close to the image plane in support of instrument pointing knowledge and geo-location should be considered in the design.

The successful flight instrument will be compatible with and fly via the Air Force Research Laboratory’s ESPA Augmented GEO Laboratory Experiment (EAGLE) platform. A successful design must conform as a Tier 1 payload on this platform as defined in the attachments to the SOO (available on the VDL).

The Government is also interested in innovative approaches to leverage the HTI instrument to collect additional spectral bands to address research interests in multiple Air Force mission areas. There will be two options considered. If exercised, these options will begin approximately 3-4 months after award.

– OPTION 1 - MWIR Channel: The Government is exploring leveraging the HTI instrument by augmenting the instrument with an additional channel to collect mid-wave infrared (MWIR) data. Offerors must include a separately priced option, both technical and cost, for developing, testing, and integrating a MWIR Channel as part of the HTI instrument. The separately priced MWIR Channel option must meet all EAGLE HTI SpX mission objectives and requirements. No later than the Preliminary Design Review (PDR), the Government will decide whether to award the offeror’s priced option. The additional imaging channel in the mid-wave infrared band (MWIR) shall utilize the primary HTI optics and additional beam-splitting optics may be added. The optional MWIR channel may include independent relay optics (as required) controls and thermal management allowing simultaneous imaging and shall result in minimal changes to the HTI fore optics.

– OPTION 2 – M/LWIR Channel: The Government is exploring leveraging the HTI instrument by augmenting the instrument with an additional channel to collect mid/long wave infrared (M/LWIR).

Offerors must include a separately priced option, both technical and cost, for developing, testing, and integrating a M/LWIR Channel as part of the HTI instrument. The separately priced M/LWIR Channel option must meet all EAGLE HTI SpX mission objectives and requirements.

No later than the Preliminary Design Review (PDR), the Government will decide whether to award the offeror’s priced option. The additional imaging channel in the mid/long-wave infrared band (M/LWIR) shall utilize the primary HTI optics and additional beam-splitting optics may be added. The optional M/LWIR channel would include independent relay optics (as required) controls and thermal management allowing simultaneous imaging and shall result in minimal changes to the HTI fore optics.

The Government reserves the right to exercise both, either, or neither option.

For more information regarding the requirements description of this BAA, offerors may request access to our Virtual Distributed Laboratory (VDL) shared space. Any U.S. Citizen, potential DoD contractor may apply.

Please send an email requesting access to Lt. Daniel McCarty at daniel.mccarty@kirtland.af.mil. In addition, send an official visit request form with the intended user's information to the fax number 505-846-7795 from your security office. Please include the following information:

a. NAME

b. SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER

c. JOB TITLE/POSITION

d. DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH

e. CITIZENSHIP

f. LEVEL OF CLEARANCE

g. DATE OF CLEARANCE

h. YOUR COMPANY NAME, ADDRESS, AND PHONE NUMBER

i. SIGNATURE OF YOUR SECURITY MANAGER

j. NAME OF YOUR SECURITY MANAGER

Deliverable Items:

a. Data Items: There are data items related to this effort. See the model contract for draft DD Forms 1423.

b. Software: Software for control of payload.

c. Hardware:

i. Integrated optical payload assembly unit with Mechanical Ground Support Equipment and Electrical Ground Support Equipment.

ii. Engineering Model (EM) unit(s) and flight unit spare(s) of critical components.

Schedule:

a. Overall effort: 60 Months (57 Month Technical Effort + 3 Months for Final Report)

b. Data Items: Specified on individual CDRL(s)

c. Software: 25 Months

d. Hardware: 25 Months

Other Requirements:

a. Program security classification: Secret.

i. A DD254 is applicable; offerors must verify their Cognizant

Security Office information is current with Defense Security Service (DSS) at www.dss.mil.

ii. A draft DD254 can be found on the VDL.

b. Export Control: Information involved in this research effort will be subject to Export Control (International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR) 22 CFR 120-131, or Export Administration Regulations

(EAR) 15 CFR 710-774).

i. A Certified DD Form 2345, Militarily Critical Technical Data

Agreement, is required to be submitted with proposal.

http://www.dlis.dla.mil/jcp/

II. OTHER INFORMATION:

Government Furnished Property (GFP) availability: The following GFP is available for use under any resulting contract by the date shown below (detailed information regarding the GFP is available on the VDL):

Name/Part Number/ Item Description/Manufacturer

Model Number/Serial Number and National

Stock Number

UID Bar Code

Number

QTY/Unit of Measure “As Is” Date to be

Provided

1. Cryocooler Electronics (CCE) N/A 1 Yes 1QFY15

2. Payload Integrated Avionics Unit (PIAU)

N/A 1 Yes 2QFY14

3. Digital Focal Plane Array N/A 1 Yes 3QFY14

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.

The following clauses/provisions apply:

i. FAR 52.245-1 Government Property (APR 2012) or FAR 52.245-1, Alt II (APR 2012) if the resulting contract is for basic or applied research at a nonprofit institution of higher education or at a nonprofit whose primary purpose is the conduct of scientific research.

ii. FAR 52.245-9 Use and Charges (APR 2012),

iii. DFARS 252.211.7007 Reporting of Government-Furnished

Equipment in the DoD Item Unique Identification (IUID) Registry

(AUG 2012),

iv. DFARS 252.245-7001 Tagging, Labeling, and Marking of Government-Furnished Property (APR 2012),

v. DFARS 252.245-7002 Reporting Loss of Government Property

(APR 2012)

vi. DFARS 252.245-7004 Reporting, Reutilization, and Disposal (MAY 2013).

Base Support/ Network Access: Not Required

Data Rights Desired:

i. Technical Data: Government Purpose

ii. Non-Commercial Software (NCS): Government Purpose

iii. NCS Documentation: Government Purpose

iv. 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.

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.

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 per DFARS 252.227-7013(b)(1).

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 must 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 less than Government Purpose Rights (Limited Rights, Restricted Rights, or Specifically Negotiated License Rights), the proposal must 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 delivered/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. If basis for assertion is development exclusively at private expense, supporting documentation shall be provided with assertion. 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.

III. AWARD INFORMATION

Anticipated Funding: The Government estimates the cost of this program to be $23.1M (a notional funding profile: FY 14 $8.9M; FY 15 $8.2M; FY 16 $5.5M; FY 17 $0.5M). This funding profile is an estimate only and not a contractual obligation for funding. This does not include any requested option(s) specified in this BAA. This cost 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. Potential offerors should be aware that, due to unanticipated budget fluctuations, funding in any or all areas may change with little or no notice.

Anticipated Number of Awards: The Air Force anticipates awarding one contract. However, the Air Force reserves the right to make multiple awards or no awards pursuant to this BAA.

Anticipated Award Date: 07 March 2014

IV. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

Eligible Offeror/Applicants: This is an unrestricted announcement. Small businesses are encouraged to propose.

NOTICE TO LARGE BUSINESS ON SMALL BUSINESS OBJECTIVES:

The Government anticipates that certain portions of this effort can be subcontracted to small businesses in order to meet the statutory goals. Large businesses shall consider, to the highest extent possible, subcontracted opportunities with small businesses. For proposed awards to be made as contracts (that exceed $650,000) to other than small Businesses, Subcontracting Plans will be required in accordance with the requirements set forth in FAR 19.704, Subcontracting Plan requirements, and DFARS 219.704.

As such, Subcontracting Plans will be negotiated to ensure that submissions are compliant with FAR Subpart 19.7.

For proposed Subcontracting Plans that are below the statutory goals, the offeror will provide additional information which demonstrates how it intends to provide meaningful subcontracting opportunities and rationale to why the goals were not attainable.

Subcontracting FY 2013 Small Business 36.7% HUBZone SB 3.0% Service-Disabled Vet 3.0% Small Disadvantaged 5.0% Women-Owned SB 5.0% http://www.acq.osd.mil/osbp/gov/sbProgramGoals.shtml http://www.acq.osd.mil/osbp/gov/sbProgramGoals.shtml

Cost Sharing or Matching: Cost sharing is not a requirement.

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 an announcement. 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 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.

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.

Other:

a. Foreign participation: Foreign Participation is not permitted.

b. 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 announcement. 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. http://www.dlis.dla.mil/jcp/

c. There are no limits to the number of proposals an offeror may submit.

d. You may be ineligible for award if all requirements of this announcement and any amendments are not met on the proposal due date as identified above.

V. PROPOSAL/APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION:

Application Package: THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY

ANNOUNCEMENT.

Proposals submitted shall be in accordance with this announcement. There will be no other announcement issued in regard to this requirement. The Government will not be conducting oral presentations or demonstrations. The Government intends to evaluate proposals and award some, all, or none of the proposals received without negotiation/discussion;

however, the Government reserves to right to negotiate with offeror(s) selected for funding.

Content and Form of Submission for Full Proposals: The paragraphs below identify proposal format and content. Proposals should be addressed and delivered as specified in this announcement.

a. General Instructions: Offerors should apply the restrictive notice prescribed in 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 at the following URL:

http://www.wpafb.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-120614- 075.pdf. This guide is specifically designed to assist the offeror in understanding the BAA proposal process. Should any information in the Guide contradict with this BAA, information contained in this BAA shall take precedence. Technical/management and cost volumes should be submitted in separate volumes, and must be valid for 180 days. Proposals must reference the BAA announcement number. Offerors must submit 5 hard copies, accompanied by 5 CD-Rs,of their proposals. The cost of preparing proposals in response to this BAA 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. Offerors are advised that only contracting officers are legally authorized to contractually bind or otherwise commit the Government.

b. Cover letter: A cover letter shall accompany each proposal. The cover letter shall include the following:

i. The BAA number

ii. A statement similar to the following: “the proposal is valid for

180 days from the due date specified in this announcement”

iii. Technical and contracting points of contact

iv. Business CAGE code http://www.wpafb.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-120614-075.pdf http://www.wpafb.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-120614-075.pdf

v. Cognizant DCAA office location and POC with phone number

vi. Cognizant DCMA office location and POC with phone number

vii. A 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.

c. Technical/Management Proposal:

i. Page Limitation: The Proposal shall be limited to 50 pages, prepared and submitted in Microsoft Word format. Font shall be no smaller than standard 12-point font Arial. Character spacing must be “normal,” not condensed in any manner.

Pages shall be double-spaced, double-sided (each side counts as one page), 8.5 by 11 inches, with at least one-inch margins on all sides. 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 50. The page limitation covers all information including indices, photographs, foldouts (counted as one page for each 8.5 by 11 portion), tables, charts, appendices, attachments, etc. The offeror must provide separate sections for the two options, which shall be included in the 50 page limit. The proposal page limit does not include resumes or the offeror’s proposed Statement of Work (SOW); however, the same formatting rules apply to the C- SOW. The options shall be included as separate sections within the C-SOW. A CD-R with the Microsoft Word version of your Technical/Management Proposal and the C-SOW must be submitted with the hard copies of the proposal, and must match the hard copy. Please note: The Government will check the proposal and C-SOW for conformance to the stated requirements. Any pages in excess of the stated page limitation regarding the proposal after the format check will not be considered.

CLASSIFIED INFORMATION IS NEITHER DESIRED NOR

REQUESTED. NO CLASSIFIED INFORMATION SHOULD

BE INCLUDED IN PROPOSAL.

ii. The proposal shall include a discussion of the nature and scope of the research and the technical approach. This volume shall include a C-SOW detailing the technical tasks proposed to be accomplished under the proposed effort and suitable for contract incorporation. Do not include any proprietary information in the C-SOW. Refer to the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) Guide for Industry referenced above to assist in C-SOW preparation. A version of the C- SOW that is editable in MS Word format must be included on the submission CD-R. If Government Furnished Property is requested, other than what is listed in Section II – OTHER INFORMATION, you are required to submit the following information with your offer—

a. A list or description of all Government property that the offeror or its subcontractors propose to use. 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);

b. The dates during which the property will be required 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;

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

and

d. 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.

iii. 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.

a. 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.

b. 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.

c. 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.

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

i. 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.).

ii. 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 program/technical 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.

e. 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 BAA are to be delivered.

f. 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.

g. 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.

h. 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.

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

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

d. Cost/Business Proposal:

i. Separate the proposal into a cost section and business section.

ii. Business: The business section should contain all business aspects to the proposed contract, such as type of contractual instrument, disclosures, representations and certifications, any exceptions to terms and conditions of the announcement and model contract, any information not technical in nature, etc. Provide rationale for exceptions. Identify any technical data that will be delivered with less than unlimited rights.

iii. The Subcontracting plan, for efforts anticipated to exceed $650,000, shall be in the business section of the proposal.

Reference FAR 19.704, DFARS 219.704, and AFFARS 5319.704(a)(1) for subcontracting plan requirements. Small businesses are exempt from this requirement.

iv. Cost: The contracting officer has determined that adequate price competition is NOT anticipated. As such, certified cost or pricing data from the offeror shall be required in accordance with FAR 15.403-4. Submit the electronic copy of the cost proposal worksheets on a compact disk (CD-R) in a PC compatible Microsoft Office Excel 2003 or later version file format. The Excel file must contain all cell formulas.

Refer to Attachment 1, “Cost Proposal Instructions – FAR Requirement (Non-APC)” for detailed proposal instructions.

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

Proposal Submission Dates and Times: Proposals are due by 12:00 PM MDT on or before 31 October 2013. Proposals received after the due date and time specified shall be governed by the provisions of FAR 52.215-1(c)(3).

Funding Restrictions: The cost of preparing proposals in response to this announcement is not considered an allowable direct charge to any resultant 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.

Other Submission Requirements: Electronic submission is not permitted.

Proposals must be submitted to:

Kevin Price, Contract Specialist Air Force Research Laboratory (Det. 8) (AFRL/RVKVI) 3550 Aberdeen Ave SE Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico 87117-5776

VI. PROPOSAL/APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION:

Evaluation Criteria: The following criteria, which are listed in descending order of importance, will be used to determine whether one or more sources will be selected for award. The Government reserves the right to select all, part, or none of the proposals received in response to this announcement, subject to the availability of funds.

a. Overall scientific and technical merits of the proposal

b. Importance to agency programs.

c. Funds availability

No further evaluation criteria will be used. Individual proposal evaluations will be performed using these evaluation criteria without regard to other proposals submitted under this BAA. Cost realism and reasonableness shall also be considered to the extent appropriate.

Proposal Risk Assessment: Proposal risk for technical, cost, and schedule will be assessed as part of the listed 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.

Review and Selection Process: Upon completion of the proposal evaluation the proposal will be categorized as follows:

d. Highly Recommended: Well-conceived scientifically and technically sound proposals important to agency goals and objectives which are affordable and for which funds are available. Proposals are displaced only by other Highly Recommended proposals.

e. Selectable: Scientifically or technically sound proposals important to agency goals and objectives, however the proposal may require further development. Proposal may be recommended for acceptance if sufficient funding is available, but proposal is at a lower priority than all “Highly Recommended” proposals. Proposal must still be important to agency goals and objectives, must be affordable, and funds must be available. To ensure a diversity of approaches, a Selectable proposal may be prioritized over a Highly Recommended proposal if the Selectable proposal presents a unique approach unlike any of the Highly Recommended proposals.

f. Not Selectable: Proposals not technically sound, do not meet program goals and objectives, or are not affordable. Even if sufficient funding existed, the proposal will not be funded.

Note: The Government reserves the right to award some, all, or none of proposals. When the Government elects to award only part of a proposal, the selected part may be categorized as Highly Recommended or Selectable, though the proposal as a whole may not merit such a categorization.

VII. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION:

Award Notices: Offerors will be notified whether their proposal is recommended for award, by letter or e-mail, on or about 22 November 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. Prospective offerors are advised that only the Contracting Officer is legally authorized to commit the Government.

VIII. AGENCY CONTACTS

Questions of a technical nature shall be directed to the technical points of contact, as specified below:

Stan Straight, EAGLE/HTI Chief Engineer, stanley.straight@kirtland.af.mil

Wellesley Pereira, HTI SpX Dep. Principal Investigator, wellesley.pereira@kirtland.af.mil.

Questions of a contractual/business nature shall be directed to the contracting points of contact, as specified below:

Kevin Price, Contract Specialist, kevin.price@kirtland.af.mil

Teofilo Bautista, Jr., Contracting Officer, teofilo.bautista@kirtland.af.mil mailto:stanley.straight@kirtland.af.mil mailto:wellesley.pereira@kirtland.af.mil mailto:kevin.price@kirtland.af.mil mailto:teofilo.bautista@kirtland.af.mil

Any correspondence must reference the BAA title and number.

Ombudsman: The Ombudsman clause, AFFARS 5352.201-9101 Ombudsman (APR 2010) will be contained in any contracts resulting from this Announcement. The AFRL Ombudsman is Barbara G. Gehrs, Director of Contracting, AFRL/PK, (937) 904-4407, email: Barbara.Gehrs@wpafb.af.mil.

IX. OTHER INFORMATION

Acquisition of Commercial Items: Based upon market research, the Government is not using the policies contained in FAR 12, Acquisition of Commercial Items, in its announcement 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.

Support Contractors: Only Government employees will evaluate the proposals for selection. Offerors are advised that employees of Aerospace Corporation may be used as technical advisors to the Government evaluators. 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.

Any objection to advisory or administrative access must be in writing to the Contracting Officer and shall include a detailed statement of the basis for the objection.

Communication: Dialogue between prospective offerors and Government representatives is encouraged until submission of proposals by 12:00 PM MDT on or before 31 October 2013. 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.

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, but the debriefing content may vary to be consistent with the procedures that govern BAAs (FAR 35.016).

mailto:Barbara.Gehrs@wpafb.af.mil

Wide Area Work Flow Notice: Any contract award resulting from this announcement 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. The clause cites three possible electronic formats through which to submit electronic payment requests. Pursuant to the clause, the Department of Defense uses Wide Area Work Flow-Receipt and Acceptance (WAWF-RA), as the electronic format for submission of electronic payment requests. Any contract resulting from 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/. Note:

WAWF-RA requirement does not apply to Universities that are audited by an agency other than DCAA.

Item Identification and Valuation: Any contract award resulting from this announcement may contain the clause at DFARS 252.211-7003, Item Identification and Valuation, (JUN 2013) 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 (AUG 2012).

Forward Pricing Rate Agreements: Offerors who have forward pricing rate agreements (FPRAs) and forward pricing rate recommendations (FPRRs) shall submit them with their proposal and include them in the cost proposal section.

Pre-Award Clearance: Pursuant to Far 22.805, a preaward 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 or more unless the contractor is listed in OFCCP’s National Preaward Registry 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 preaward clearance from the OFCCP.

Limitations on Pass-Through Charges: As prescribed in FAR 15.408(n)(1) & 15.408(n)(2), provisions 52.215-22, “Limitations on Pass Through Charges

– Identification of Subcontract Effort (Oct 2009),” and 52.215-23, “Limitations on Pass-Through Charges (Oct 2009),” are contained in this announcement.

Associate Contractor Agreements: Associate Contractor Agreements (ACAs) are agreements between contractors working on Government contracts 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. The following are known associate contractors with whom agreements are required: ATA – Aerospace Corporation. The contracting officer may identify other associate contractors prior to award.

Post-Award Small Business Program Rerepresentation: As prescribed in FAR 19.309, FAR Clause 52.219-28, Post-Award Small Business Program Rerepresentation (JUL 2013), is incorporated by reference in this announcement. This clause will be contained in any contracts resulting from this announcement. 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.

Employment Eligibility Verification: As prescribed by FAR 22.1803, FAR Clause 52.222-54, Employment Eligibility Verification (AUG 2013), is hereby incorporated by reference in this announcement. 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. This clause provides the requirement of contractors to enroll as a Federal Contractor in the E-Verify program within 30 days after contract award.

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 (JUL 2013) is hereby incorporated by reference in this announcement. Any contract valued at $25,000 or more, excluding classified contracts or contracts with individuals, must contain this clause.

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 FAR 52.209- 7, shall contain the clause/article, FAR 52.209-9 Updates of Publicly Available Information Regarding Responsibility Matters (JUL 2013).

Contractor Business Systems: DFARS 252.242-7005, Contractor Business Systems (FEB 2012), is hereby incorporated by reference.

Organizational Conflict of Interest: Offerors are required to identify any potential Organizational Conflicts of Interest as described by FAR Subpart 9.5 and DFARS Subpart 209.5.

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

a. Proposals are due to the specified point of contact.

b. Proposals are due no later than the due date and time specified in this announcement.

c. Proposal page limits are strictly enforced. See Section IV of the announcement for page limits.

d. Completed Certifications and Representations (Section K) are due with the proposal. Certifications and Representations (Section K) are included as an attachment to this BAA.

e. The Cost/Business Proposal must contain all information described in the Content and Form of Proposal Section.

f. For any subcontracts proposed, the Cost/Business Proposal must contain a subcontractor analysis IAW FAR 15.404-3(b) to be included in the cost section.

g. The Cost/Business Proposal must contain any exceptions to the…