GVSC_PIA_RFI_UPDATED.DOCX

Request for Information

Federal Agency Name: US Army CCDC Ground Vehicle Systems Center

Opportunity Announcement Title: Partnership Intermediary Agreements Concerning Improving Technology Transfer and Non-traditional Defense Industry Engagement

Opportunity Announcement Type: Initial Request

Opportunity Announcement Number:

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number:

Contracting Points of Contact:

Jason MacFarland, jason.c.macfarland.civ@mail.mil; (586) 282-6349; and David DiRoma, david.j.diroma.civ@mail.mil; (586) 282-4975

Technical Points of Contact:

Erin Dunn; (Erin.k.dunn10.civ@mail.mil); and Katarzyna Szkubiel (Katarzyna.k.szkubiel.civ@mail.mil)

Background: The United States CCDC Ground Vehicle Systems Center, located at the Detroit Arsenal in Warren, MI, has is interested in entering into one or multiple Partnership Intermediary Agreement(s) (PIA), under the authority of 15 U.S.C. 3715, with a Partnership Intermediary, as defined in 15 U.S.C. 3715 (c), to provide services for executing the mission of the GVSC to increase the likelihood of success in the conduct of collaborative or joint activities between the Army and small business firms and educational institutions to stimulate and promote technology development, and outbound and inbound transfer of technology (T2) between GVSC and academia, industry, and federal laboratories. Any resultant PIA(s) will be non-Federal Acquisition Regulations based agreement made pursuant to the authority of 15 U.S.C. 3715.

Description/Objective: The government/GVSC is requesting white papers from those entities that are eligible to enter into a PIA as defined in 15 U.S.C. 3715 (c). In accordance with 15 U.S.C. 3715, eligibility to receive a PIA is limited to an agency of a State or local government, or a nonprofit entity owned in whole or in part by, chartered by, funded in whole or in part by, or operated in whole or in part by or on behalf of a State or local government, that assists, counsels, advises, evaluates, or otherwise cooperates with small business firms, institutions of higher education as defined in section 1141(a) of title 20, or educational institutions within the meaning of section 2194 of title 10, that need or can make demonstrably productive use of technology-related assistance from a Federal laboratory, including State programs receiving funds under cooperative agreements entered into under section 5121(b) of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 2781).

Objectives:

1) Develop and foster a collaborative and innovative working environment at a facility outside of the Detroit Arsenal capable of housing up to two Bradley-size vehicles to engage a variety of traditional and non-traditional vendors towards accomplishing GVSC objectives.

Bradley-like Fighting Vehicle Dimensions (up to 2 space requested)

2) Provide technology "matchmaking" to labs & companies - Identifying new technology for potential prototype acquisition by the U.S. Army, with a special focus on innovation from non-traditional defense contractors.

3) Provide referrals among and between DoD laboratories to ensure researchers share technology and knowledge applicable to multi-domain operations and cross functional teams.

4) Post and market technologies created by GVSC researchers, whether patented or not.

5) Identify promising technologies and products from industry, academia, and other federal labs that may be beneficial to GVSC mission.

6) Facilitate technology demonstration projects, licenses, and other opportunities to achieve its mission

7) Identify a manufacturing community for GVSC prototyping and businesses looking to license government inventions.

8) Identify opportunities for research and development collaboration between the GVSC, private companies, research universities, and other agencies including by surveying online technology communities conducting research in fields relating to the Ground Vehicle Systems Center's areas of interest

9) Market GVSC’s technology portfolio for dual-use commercialization, including facilitating the licensing of its patent portfolio

10) Coordinate and host special events that inspire innovative collaborative problem solving with various vendors such as Prize Challenges, Shark Tank events, Innovation/Invention pitch days (mil-to-civ or civ-to-mil), and innovation workshops with specialized working groups.

11) Facilitate technology incubation by serving as a forum for introductions between private equity and small businesses to mature potentially dual-use technologies for potential prototype acquisition by the U.S. Army.

12) Identify technology, techniques, and methodologies for transfer and transition between GVSC, small businesses, and Army stakeholders.

13) Develop and grow a network of associates or an ecosystem to engage in collaborative problem solving.

14) Conduct intellectual property workshops and meetings with GVSC that drive invention disclosures and patent applications.

15) Develop and maintain relationships with the entrepreneur community and communities of interest to GVSC researchers and focus areas

16) Assess the merit of technology concepts from GVSC and external sources

17) Forecast future technology directions, disruptive innovations, and other opportunities for technologies to meet future Army needs

18) Establish a working structure that will engage with entrepreneurs, academia, industry, and subject matter experts.

19) Provide personnel with requisite expertise and experience to fulfill requirements.

20) Support the PIA with an organizational capability that can provide additional supervisory, technical, Subject Matter Expert (SME), and logistics capability if reach-back is needed by the resident Partnership Intermediary (PI) personnel Format: White papers submitted in response to this announcement should not contain proprietary information. If proprietary information is submitted, the government will make every effort to protect the confidentiality of the submission and any documents produced in the course of consideration. However, under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requirements, such information (or portions thereof) may potentially be subject to release. If protection is desired for proprietary or confidential information, the respondent must mark the white paper and/or submission with a protective legend found in FAR 52.215-1(e), Instructions to Offerors – Competitive Acquisition, (modified to permit release to outside non-government evaluators and support contractors retained by the government) It is the respondent’s responsibility to notify the government of white papers containing proprietary information and to identify the relevant portions of its papers that require protection. The entire white paper (or portions thereof) without protective markings or otherwise identified as requiring protection will be considered to be furnished voluntarily to the government without restriction and will be treated as such for all purposes.

White papers should not exceed 10 pages and should address the offeror’s capabilities/ability to meet the objectives outlined above its qualification as a Partnership Intermediary, and its eligibility under 15 U.S.C. § 3715(c). An entity does not need to respond to every objective.

Content:

· Organization name, address, and cage code. Point of contact including name, title, telephone number, and email addresses.

· Information on the status of the organization as a qualifying partnership intermediary under 15 U.S.C. § 3715.

· Describe how the organization would approach the tasks and vision described in this Special Notice, addressing at a minimum 10 of the collaboration mechanisms listed herein.

· Discuss the organization assessment of the risks in executing the effort.

· Discuss the organization’s vision of how it would setup the base effort to achieve the GVSC’s objectives

· Identify any resource constraints.

· Any organizational experience in conducting these types of activities, along with identified references for the GVSC to contact.

· Provide a rough order of magnitude to achieve GVSC’s objectives.

· White papers and all questions are to be e-mailed to:

Jason MacFarland, jason.c.macfarland.civ@mail.mil;

David DiRoma, david.j.diroma.civ@mail.mil;

Emerging Technologies Team – R&D Services 6501 E. 11 Mile Road, MS 322 Warren, MI 48397-5000

Erin Dunn; Erin.k.dunn10.civ@mail.mil; and Katarzyna Szkubiel; Katarzyna.k.szkubiel.civ@mail.mil CCDC Ground Vehicle Systems Center 6501 E. 11 Mile Road, MS 221 Warren, MI 48397-5000

Due Date and Time: The due date for white papers submitted in response to this announcement is no later than 3:00PM local time on 20 May 2020.

Funding: The government is under no obligation to enter into a PIA with any respondent. No funds will be committed or obligated by virtue of responding to this RFI or entering into a PIA. Entering into an agreement will not guarantee funding for any submission, nor shall it be construed as a guarantee of future funding.

DISTRIBUTION A. Approved for public release; distribution unlimited. OPSEC# 3556.

UNCLASSIFIED