RECOVERY - PRENOTICE TO CALL 0018 BAA VS-07-03.doc

RECOVERY -- THIS NOTICE IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY.

NO PROPOSALS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED AGAINST THIS NOTICE.

BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT

BAA-VS-07-03

Air Force Research Laboratory/Space Vehicles Directorate

PRE- PROPOSAL ANNOUNCEMENT

CALL 0018

BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT TITLE: Space Components Technology Open 5 Year Broad Agency Announcement

BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER: BAA-VS-07-03

PROPOSAL CALL ANNOUCEMENT (CALL) TITLE: Topic Area #3, entitled, Advanced Space Power Technologies, CALL #0018 entitled: high efficiency, lightweight multijunction crystalline solar cells.

PROPOSAL CALL ANNOUNCEMENT (CALL) NUMBER: 0018; No Proposals should be submitted against this announcement. This is a pre-proposal CALL announcement. Anticipated efforts are subject to final Recovery Act approval and funding. Contractors should wait for receipt of a formal solicitation before incurring proposal preparation costs. NOTICE: The CALL announcement will not be released as an amendment to BAA VS-07-03 within FedBizOps. Therefore automated notifications will not be released from FedBizOps. Due to specialized reporting fields associated with Recovery Act funding, BAA VSA-07-03, CALL 0018 will be released as a standalone solicitation.

TECHNICAL POINT OF CONTACT: The technical point of contact for this CALL:

Technical point of contact for Subparagraph C, Topic Area # 3:

John Merrill, AFRL/RVSV, (505) 853-3427, Fax NONE, Email: john.merrill@kirtland.af.mil

CONTRACTING POINTS OF CONTACT: The contracting points of contact for this CALL:

Contracting Specialist/ Contracting Officer:

Sally Walton, Det 8 AFRL/RVKV, Kirtland AFB, NM, Phone 505-846-7201, Fax NONE, Email: sally.walton@kirtland.af.mil or Jean Barnes, Det 8 AFRL/RVKV, Kirtland AFB, NM, Phone 505-846-4695, Fax NONE, Email: jean.barnes@kirtland.af.mil

REQUIREMENT DESCRIPTION:

The Air Force Research Laboratory is soliciting proposals in Space Components Technology under subparagraph C of the Space Components Technology Area, TOPIC 3, Advanced Space Power Technologies of the Broad Agency Announcement VS-07-03 posted on 02 November 2006. See the following for detailed information:

Subparagraph C of Topic 3, Advanced Space Powers Technologies.

AFRL is soliciting proposals in subparagraph C, Topic 3, Advanced Space Power Technologies, specifically for Photovoltaic Cells for Space and Near Space Solar Power Applications in the following area.

High Efficiency Solar Cells for Space and Near Space Applications - High efficiency 37% photovoltaics. The development effort will be for high efficiency solar cells to achieve 37% AM0 solar cells at a TRL 3 or greater within the program timeline of 2 years. This effort seeks to investigate advanced photovoltaic devices based on inverted metamorphic-like structures and/or crystalline semiconductor chemistry. Proposals should include the following gates for performance: large area 33% AM0 TRL 4 at 9 months (should include a task for engineering confidence testing and characterization), small area 35% AM0 TRL 3 at 1 year, and both large area 35% AM0 TRL 4 and small area 37% AM0 TRL 3 at 2 years. Proposer should include additional, individually priced and clearly measurable, intermediate milestones for each of the gates above. A clear pathway to manufacturability and integration into solar module/array must exist and be described in the proposal. Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) are defined below. Large area solar cells are defined as >20 cm2 and small area solar cells >4 cm2.

Option 1: At 36 months demonstrate a large area 37% AM0 TRL 4 solar cell. (option 1 is expected to last 12 months beginning at ~24 months from date of award of base)

TECHINICAL READINESS LEVELS DESCIPTIONS:

*In addition to TRL 3, it is expected that processes to create the prototype cell are clearly repeatable.

ANTICIPATED FUNDING (Topic 3, Subparagraph C): The government’s anticipated funding for this sub-area (not per contract or award) is: FY09/ FY11 - $12.5 ($11M Recovery Act and $1.5M non-Recovery Act Funding) for the basic effort; FY12 - $7M (non-Recovery Act Funding) for option 1. It is anticipated that no single award for a basic effort is anticipated to exceed $6M. 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. Anticipated efforts are subject to final Recovery Act approval and funding. Contractors should wait for receipt of a formal solicitation before incurring proposal preparation costs.

ANTICIPATED NUMBER OF AWARDS: The Air Force anticipates awarding two or more contracts. However, the Air Force reserves the right to make multiple awards or no awards pursuant to this CALL.

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE (Topic 3, Subparagraph C): The anticipated technical period of performance for individual awards resulting from this CALL is between 18 to 24 months in duration. The period of performance is to be proposed in the format “includes 18– 24 months for the technical effort and an additional 3 months for Final Report preparation.” Option 1 anticipated period of performance is 12 months to run consecutively beginning approximately at the end of the base program.

PROPOSAL DUE DATE AND TIME: No proposals should be submitted against this pre-proposal announcement. Contractors should wait for receipt of a formal solicitation before incurring proposal preparation costs. Offerors should monitor FedBizOps/EPS http://www.fbo.gov for the release of the proposal CALL announcement.

ANTICIPATED TYPE OF CONTRACTS/INSTRUMENTS: It is anticipated that awards under this BAA CALL will generally be cost plus fixed fee, completion form contracts. However, pursuant to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Air Force will consider to the highest extent possible firm fixed price contracts. The government reserves the right to award the instrument best suited to the nature of research proposed under the Federal Acquisition Regulation. All cost plus fixed fee contracts will require successful offerors to have an accounting system considered adequate for tracking costs applicable to the contract.

ANTICIPATED AWARD DATE: NLT 17 June 2009 INTENT TO PROPOSE: Potential offerors are requested to advise the contracting point of contact (by e-mail) if they intend to submit a proposal in response to the released CALL. Notifications are not required under this pre-proposal announcement. Offerors are requested to wait until official release of the CALL. Such notification is merely a courtesy and is not a commitment by the offeror to submit a proposal.

DELIVERABLES ITEMS: The intent of this project is described in the Requirement Description above. Offerors should propose data, hardware, and/or software deliverables consistent with tracking progress, verifying performance, and otherwise establishing the objectives of the project.

NOTICE ON ADDITIONAL REPORTING REQUIREMENTS: Federal agencies are required to include terms and conditions in contract documents necessary to ensure the transparency and accountability objectives of the Recovery Act are met. Section 1512(c) of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Pub. L. 111-5) (Recovery Act) requires, as a condition of receipt of funds, quarterly reporting by the prime contractor on the use of funds. FAR Case 2009-0009 is preparing an Interim Rule to be issued in mid-March (effective immediately) to require contractors to report information including, but not limited to the following items:

1.) Government contract / order number 2.) The dollar amount of contractor invoices for work funded by recovery act funds

3.) A detailed list of all services performed or supplies delivered, including construction, for which the contractor has invoiced, including:

a. Program or project title

b. A description of the overall purpose and expected outcomes or results of the contract

c. An assessment of the progress towards completion of the overall purpose and expected outcomes or results of the contract

d. An estimate of the number of jobs created by the contractor, in the United

States and outlying areas (narrative rather than discrete numbers)

e. An estimate of the number of jobs retained by the contractor, in the United

States and outlying areas (narrative rather than discrete numbers)

f. Names and total compensation of each of the five most highly compensated officers for the calendar year in which the contract is awarded (subject to certain conditions) The Recovery Act and FAR Case 2009-0009 also requires the prime contractor to report specific information on first-tier subcontractors as follows:

1) For subcontracts valued < $25,000 or any subcontracts awarded to an individual or to a subcontractor which in the previous tax year had gross income < $300,000, the Contractor shall report the aggregate number of such first tier subcontracts awarded and dollar amount. For first-tier subcontract > $25,000 and not subject to aggregate reporting above:

a. Unique identifier (DUNS Number) for the subcontractor receiving the award

b. Unique identifier (DUNS Number) for the subcontractor’s parent company, if there is one

c. Name of the subcontractor

d. Amount of the subcontract award

e. Date of the subcontract award

f. The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code

g. Funding agency

h. A description of the products or services (including construction) being provided under the subcontract, including the overall purpose and expected outcomes or results of the subcontract

i. Subcontract number (the contract number assigned by the prime contractor)

j. Subcontractor‘s physical address including street address, city, state, and country. Also include the nine-digit zip code and congressional district if in U.S.

k. Subcontract primary performance location including street address, city, state, and country. Also include the nine-digit zip code and congressional district if in U.S.

l. Names and total compensation of each of the subcontractor’s five most highly compensated officers, for the calendar year in which the subcontract is awarded (subject to certain conditions)

Note: Many of these data elements come from the reporting requirements of the Federal Financial Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA), which the Recovery Act requires by reference.

Other terms and conditions related to data collection as well as any mechanisms (including penalties and sanctions) deemed appropriate to avoid impropriety in the use of Recovery Act funding may be incorporated into contracts. Correspondingly, AFRL will also require data collection with respect to monthly technical and financial Status Reports and a Final Technical Report in accordance with AFRLI 61-201, AFRL ANSI-Based Format Guidelines, are required data items.

OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION:

1. Program security classification for this call is UNCLASSIFIED; however classified processing may be required.

2. ITAR/Export Control: 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. It is envisioned that the developed item may trigger ITAR and Export Control restrictions. Offerors should explain how ITAR and Export Control restrictions will be met in the context of their development, manufacturing, and marketing strategy. Status Reports and the Final Technical Report are assumed to be under ITAR restrictions (DD Form 2345 required).

3. Government furnished property, equipment, or facilities needed for this requirement should be specified in the proposal.

4. Aerospace Corporation is prohibited from submitting a proposal.

5. Foreign owned firms are advised to contact the Contracting Officer or the Program Manager to determine if there are no restrictions to receiving awards.

6. Other: Specialized information or requirements which are believed to be pertinent to the requirement shall be provided by the offeror in written form and incorporated into the proposal.

7. Item Identification and Valuation: Any contract award resulting from the CALL may include the clause at DFARS 252.211-7003, Item Identification and Valuation, (Apr 2005). See baseline BAA for additional details.

NOTICE FOR PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS: The website referenced in the Baseline BAA http://www.vs.afrl.af.mil/PK has moved. In order to access contracting information the new website is http://www.kirtland.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=8124. Information for Cost Proposal Instructions, Broad Agency Announcements, Wide Area Workflow and other Additional Information is located there.

APPLICABILITY OF BASELINE BAA: All requirements of BAA-VS-07-03, including modifications, apply unless specifically amended and addressed in this CALL. For complete information regarding BAA-VS-07-03, refer to the initial opened-ended BAA as amended. It contains information applicable to all CALLS issued under the BAA and provides information on the overall program, proposal preparation and submission requirements, proposal review and evaluation criteria, award administration, agency contacts, etc. Direct questions to the points of contact identified above. The baseline BAA VS-07-03 may be accessed at FedBizOps/EPS http://www.fbo.gov or directly via the below link.

https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&tab=core&id=45332858e0460e50b7efe9761cff8dae&_cview=0

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