CSO-AFLCMC-WIIK-2020-0001.pdf

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AIR FORCE LIFE CYCLE MANAGEMENT CENTER

MEDIUM ALTITUDE UAS DIVISION

COMMERCIAL SOLUTIONS OPENING

CSO-AFLCMC-WIIK-2020-0001

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Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

2. PURPOSE

3. CSO APPROACH AND OVERVIEW

4. GENERAL INFORMATION

5. SUBMISSION INFORMATION

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1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

The Medium Altitude Unmanned Air System (MAUAS) program is comprised of the MQ-9 aircraft, GCS, and support equipment that have been specially configured to meet mission requirements of Air Combat Command (ACC) and US Special Operations Command

(USSOCOM). This Unmanned Air System (UAS) is employed around the globe and works in a range of environments from established bases to austere runways. The MQ-1/9 program develops cutting-edge equipment to meet the emerging requirements of ACC, USSOCOM, AFSOC, and various other government agencies.

The MQ-9 Program Office (AFLCMC/WII), through this Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO), is pursuing nontraditional and traditional defense contractors to carry out prototype projects that are directly relevant to enhancing the mission effectiveness of the MQ-9 platform, systems, components, or materials proposed to be acquired or developed by the Department of Defense, or improvement to the MQ-9 platform, including systems, components, or materials.

2. PURPOSE

2.1 This Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO), issued in accordance with DFARS Class

Deviation 2018-O0016 – Defense Commercial Solutions Opening Pilot Program, is a competitive solicitation for proposals focused on technologies to support MAUAS missions. AFLCMC/WII seeks innovative solutions or potential new capabilities that fulfill requirements, close capability gaps, or provide potential technological advancements in support of our mission.

2.2 "Innovative" means any technology, process, or method, including research and development that is new as of the date of submission of a proposal, or any application that is new as of the date of submission.

2.3 Please Note: This is NOT a request for Solution Briefs or Proposals. Areas of Interest

(AoIs) with specific requests for Solution Briefs will be issued via Calls to this announcement at a later date.

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3. CSO APPROACH AND OVERVIEW

3.1 This CSO seeks the best approaches to meet various technology objectives of

AFLCMC/WII. All items, technologies, and services acquired using a CSO will be treated as commercial items. The Government reserves the right to award all, some, or none of the proposals received, or any combination of proposals which offer the best overall value to the Government. Awards of efforts as a result of this announcement will be in the form of FAR Part 12 commercial contracts.

3.2 This CSO will solicit Solution Briefs for specific AoIs via Calls to be published at a later date. AoIs are focused topic categories that will be published and posted to beta.sam.gov. All Solution Briefs submitted in response to a Call for an AoI will be received, managed, and evaluated in accordance with paragraph 5 and Attachment 6 of this CSO.

3.3 The Government may publish Calls for Solution Briefs for AoIs at any time.

3.4 All coordination and communication between Offerors and the Government will be conducted using the Beta.Sam.Gov website and the points of contact associated with this CSO, as specified in paragraph 4.1.

4. GENERAL INFORMATION

4.1 POINT OF CONTACTS. Questions regarding the administrative content of this CSO must be addressed to the Contracting Office below. Questions regarding the technical content of this CSO must be addressed to the

Technical Point of Contact (POC) below.

Contracting Office POC:

Primary: Loren Fekete

Loren.Fekete@us.af.mil

937-904-8168

Alternate: Kelli White

Kelli.White@us.af.mil

937-255-8701

Technical POC:

Primary: Jamieson Pierce

Jamieson.Pierce.1.ctr@us.af.mil

312-785-4579

Alternate: Sterling Roseneau

Sterling.Rosenau.1.ctr@us.af.mil mailto:Loren.Fekete@us.af.mil mailto:Kelli.White@us.af.mil mailto:Jamieson.Pierce.1.ctr@us.af.mil mailto:Sterling.Rosenau.1.ctr@us.af.mil

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937-255-9051

4.2 CLASSIFIED INFORMATION. Offerors are encouraged to submit unclassified solution briefs to simplify and expedite reviews and response by the

Government. If an offeror deems that a solution brief contains classified information refer to paragraph 5.2.1.3 for submission instructions. Classified submissions must be handled, labeled, and stored in accordance with the

National Industrial Security Program (NISP) Operating Manual.

Offerors must possess all required personnel security clearances, facility clearances, and other infrastructure requirements necessary to perform any proposed classified work in accordance with the Contract Security Classification

Specification (DD Form 254) without reliance on Government resources.

5. SUBMISSION INFORMATION

5.1 SUBMISSION OVERVIEW. This CSO consists of a two-step process. Phase I submissions shall include both the Quad Charts and Solution Briefs prepared in accordance with the formats at Attachments 1 and 2, respectively. Published AoIs may also provide further specific requirements for Phase I. The Government will invite select offerors to submit full proposals based on favorable evaluation results of Phase I submissions. Phase II submissions will be requested ONLY by the

Contracting Officer and will contain separate submission instructions and timelines within the Request for Proposal (RFP) letter.

5.2 TWO-PHASED SUBMISSION. This CSO will be conducted in two phases as follows:

5.2.1 Phase I. Phase I submissions shall include both the Quad Charts and Solution

Briefs prepared in accordance with the formats at Attachments 1 and 2 respectively. Phase I submissions will be evaluated against criteria as described in Attachment 6 of this CSO.

5.2.1.1 All Quad Charts should include the information indicated on the sample template in Attachment 1.

5.2.1.2 The Solution Brief narrative expands on the Quad Chart presentation.

Instructions for format and content are located in Attachment 2. Each offeror shall include in the Solution Brief a preliminary Technology

Readiness Level (TRL) assessment of the proposed technology that conforms to the technology objectives and an expected TRL at the conclusion of the effort. The offeror shall perform a TRL assessment according to the Department of Defense Technology Readiness

Assessment Guidance.

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5.2.1.3 Solution Brief and Quad Chart submissions shall be sent mailto:to

Loren.Fekete@us.af.mil for review. If there is a need for a classified

Solution Brief/Quad Chart submission, send an email to

Loren.Fekete@us.af.mil to receive instructions for classified submissions.

5.2.2 Notification of Selection. All offerors providing Phase I submissions will be contacted by the Government, either with an email letter informing them that the effort proposed is not of interest to the Government at this time or with a request for a formal price and technical proposal by a specific date.

5.2.3 Phase II “Proposal Submissions”. Proposals will only be accepted from offerors who, upon review of Phase I submissions, are invited by the Contracting Officer to submit a full proposal. In order to be considered for award under Phase II, offerors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) at www.sam.gov, be considered responsible within the meaning of FAR Part 9.1, Responsible Prospective Contractors, have a satisfactory performance record, and otherwise be eligible for award based on federal law and regulation.

5.2.3.1 Proposal Submission. Upon notification for a proposal by the

Contracting Officer, offerors have 30 calendar days to prepare and submit a proposal in accordance with the format and instructions at Attachments 3-5. Each proposal shall include a Statement of Work (SOW) and detailed pricing. All pages shall be numbered. If selected for Phase II, more specific proposal instructions will be included in the RFP.

5.2.3.2 Proposal Review, Evaluation and Selection Process. Each proposal will be evaluated by the Government and the proposal must stand on its own technical merit. Proposals will be evaluated in accordance with the evaluation criteria and process specified in Attachment 6. In accordance with the DoD Pilot

Program, the primary basis for selecting proposals for acceptance shall be technical, importance to agency programs, and fund availability. In order to provide the desired evaluation, qualified Government personnel will conduct reviews and (if necessary) convene panels of experts in the appropriate areas.

mailto:

mailto:aftac.baa.mailbox@us.af.mil http://www.sam.gov/

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ATTACHMENT 1: QUAD CHART FORMAT

The following information must be included in the Phase I Quad Chart. Quad Charts shall not exceed 1-page in landscape view. Quad Charts must follow the formatting guidelines on the slide template below.

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ATTACHMENT 2: PHASE I SOLUTION BRIEF FORMAT

The Solution Brief narrative expands on the Quad Chart presentation, and must be 8.5 x 11 inches with one-inch margins, no longer than two pages, single-spaced, with text in Times New Roman, no smaller than 12 point font. All Solution Briefs must specify a project title, the offeror’s organization, and the specific topic number associated with the proposal (see Attachment 6).

Pages in excess of the page limitation will not be read or evaluated. Solution Briefs must not exceed a file size of 10 MB.

The Solution Brief must be limited only to further explanation of the information conveyed in the Quad Chart, as deemed necessary by the offeror. The information should provide sufficient information on the research being proposed (e.g., the hypothesis, theories, concept, approaches, data measurements, and analysis, etc.) to allow for an assessment by a technical expert. Expand as deemed necessary on the following sections of the Quad Chart: Objective; Description of the

Effort; Benefits of the Proposed Technology; Technical Challenges; Technology Readiness

Level (TRL) of the technology at project start and planned TRL at project completion; Major

Goals/Milestones by Government fiscal year. Do not include corporate or personnel qualifications, past experience, or any supplemental information not requested in the Quad

Chart.

Solution briefs and Quad Charts shall be sent to the Contracting Officer identified herein for review and evaluation. If there is a need for a classified Solution Brief/Quad Chart submission, send an email to Loren.Fekete@us.af.mil to receive instructions for classified submissions.

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ATTACHMENT 3: PHASE II TECHNICAL PROPOSAL FORMAT

The Technical Proposal portion of the Phase II submission shall not exceed 10 pages, excluding cover page and table of contents. Any pages submitted in excess of the 10-page limit will not be considered or evaluated.

Suggested page limitations for individual sections are listed below; however, these are guidelines not strict limitations.

I. ABSTRACT. [1 page suggested.]

II. SCOPE. This proposal is submitted in response to the Air Force Life Cycle

Management Center Medium Altitude UAS (AFLCMC/WII) Commercial Solutions

Opening (CSO) on….. [Cite the Project Title. 8 pages suggested.]

a. Objective. [A clear and concise description of the objective of the proposed project.]

b. Background. [Provide the necessary technical and scientific background to support the scientific and technical merits of the proposed project.]

c. Programmatics. This effort will support the AFLCMC/WII initiative [topic number] aimed at developing [capability area or topic title] technologies or methodologies. [Describe the Offeror’s management plan for the proposed project; list supporting and collaborating organizations and subcontractors;

clearly identify roles and responsibilities of each organization and subcontractor supporting the project].

d. Relevance. [Describe the relevance of the proposed project in terms of

AFLCMC/WII mission, end-user needs and the technology maturity of the proposed project.]

III. CREDENTIALS. [Describe the Offeror’s qualifications to perform the proposed work. Summarize the relevant credentials of the primary performing center, and supporting academic and industrial partners. Describe specific examples of similar work performed, and equipment and/or facilities available to perform the proposed work. List summary qualifications of the Key Personnel. Focus on information directly relevant to the proposed work. 4 pages suggested.]

a. Summary of Credentials.

b. Summary of Qualifications for Key Personnel.

c. Summary of Facilities to Perform the Proposed Work.

IV. WORK TO BE PERFORMED. [Provide details of the work to be performed by task and subtask. 9 pages suggested.]

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a. General. [Provide an overview.]

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b. Detailed Tasks. [Describe the details of all tasks needed to perform the proposed work. Clearly distinguish base period tasks and option tasks as appropriate.]

i. BASE PERIOD (YEAR 1)

1. Task 1: Task Title 1 [Describe what will be accomplished, how the task will be performed, the resources allocated to the task

(personnel, hours, materials, etc.), appropriate metrics to measure progress, and deliverables from the task. Describe applicable subtasks. Ensure task description clearly identifies why the task is necessary to accomplish project objectives. Do not include pricing details here.]

2. Task 2: Task Title 2

3. Task N: Task Title N [Define as many tasks as necessary to achieve the stated objective(s).]

ii. OPTION 1 (YEAR 2) [Define as many Option Periods as necessary to achieve the state objective(s). Proposed work shall not exceed 5 years.]

1. Task N+1: Task Title N+1

2. Task N+2: Task Title N+2

3. Task N+M: Task Title N+M

V. PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE. [Depict the tasks and sub-tasks and the duration of performance of each in a Gantt chart or other suitable chart. Briefly describe the proposed period of performance. 2 pages suggested.]

VI. REFERENCES. [List any relevant documents used to develop the technical approach. 1 page suggested]

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ATTACHMENT 4: PHASE II PRICE PROPOSAL FORMAT

The price proposal must include pricing information sufficiently detailed for meaningful evaluation of the proposal. If the Contracting Officer determines additional information is necessary to support a determination of a fair and reasonable price, other than certified cost and pricing data may be requested. For pricing purposes, offerors should assume a contract start date of approximately ninety (90) days after submission of the proposal. The responsibility for providing adequate supporting data and attachments lies solely with the offeror. Further, the offeror must also bear the burden of proof in establishing reasonableness of proposed prices;

therefore, it is in the offeror’s best interest to submit a fully supportable and well-prepared price proposal.

The offeror shall prepare the Price Proposal (with the exception of the narrative information described below) using Microsoft Excel format, but shall merge all Price Proposal documents into one Adobe PDF file for ultimate proposal submission. Include the Topic Number and the

Project Title on all pages. The offeror shall retain the Excel version of all Price Proposal documents for subsequent submission to the Government should the offeror’s proposal be selected for award.

a. Format. Price proposals shall be formatted as follows.

(1) Paper Size – 8.5 X 11-inch paper

(2) Margins 1-inch

(3) Spacing – single

(4) Font – Times New Roman, 12 Point

(5) Electronic Software: Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe Acrobat

b. Additional Information: The following information should be contained in a cover sheet attached to the price proposal:

(1) Full company name and address

(2) CSO number submitting proposal against

(3) Point of contact, name, title, and phone and fax number

(4) CAGE code

(5) DUNS number

(6) Will you require the use of any Government property in the performance of this work? If yes, identify.

NOTE: If an offeror takes exceptions to the requirements called out in the announcement, the exceptions should be clearly stated in the price proposal.

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ATTACHMENT 5: PHASE II STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW) FORMAT

A SOW must be included with the full proposal as part of the Phase II submission. The SOW does not have a page limit, but should be approximately 3–5 pages in length and must be a separate and distinct document suitable for incorporation into the procurement instrument. Do not include proprietary data or markings in the SOW. Pages should be numbered and the initial page should have a date (document date) shown under the title.

The proposed SOW must accurately describe the work to be performed. The proposed SOW must also contain a summary description of the technical methodology as well as the task description, but not in so much detail as to make the SOW inflexible. The SOW template should include the following sections and specifically respond to the Statement of Objectives

(SOO) the Government provided with the Request for Proposal (RFP):

1. OBJECTIVE. This section is intended to give a brief overview of the project and should describe why the work is being pursued and what the offeror intends to accomplish.

2. SCOPE. This section includes a statement of what the SOW covers. This should describe the capability area (as described in the AoI) to be investigated, goals, and milestones for the effort.

3. BACKGROUND. The offeror must identify appropriate documents that are applicable to the effort to be performed. This section includes any information, explanations, or constraints that are necessary to understand the project tasks and requirements. This section should describe the effort’s relationship to previous and ongoing efforts.

4. TASKS AND TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS. This section contains the detailed description of tasks that are necessary to perform the proposed work. These tasks will represent the work to be performed in any potential contract award, and, thus, shall be considered contractually binding. This section should be developed in an orderly progression and presented in sufficient detail to establish the feasibility of accomplishing the overall program goals. This section should clearly distinguish base period tasks from option tasks. The sequence of performance must be presented by fiscal year and task order, as in Section IV of the Technical Proposal. The SOW must contain every task to be accomplished. Note that the Government reserves the right to modify and negotiate the language in the SOW prior to any potential contract award.

4.1. Task descriptions must be definite, realistic, and clearly stated. Use the phrase “the contractor shall” whenever the work statement expresses a provision that is binding.

Use “should” or “may” whenever it is necessary to express a declaration of purpose.

Use “will” in cases where no offeror requirement is involved (e.g., power will be supplied by the Government. Use active voice in describing work to be performed.

4.2. Do not use acronyms or abbreviations without first defining them. Place abbreviations and acronyms in parentheses following the first usage of the spelled-

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4.3. If presentations and meetings are identified in the offeror’s schedule, the offeror

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4.4. The desired project structure consists of base period tasks, focused on demonstrating the feasibility of the technology, and option tasks, which cover design, fabrication, testing, and evaluation of the final product. Execution of option tasks will be dependent upon and determined by the contractor’s performance during and the results produced from the base period tasks.

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ATTACHMENT 6: EVALUATION CRITERIA AND SELECTION PROCESS

The Government will review each Quad Chart/Solution Brief (Phase I) and select the offerors that have the greatest potential to meet the needs of AFLCMC/WII technology requirements identified in the associated AOI. Initially, a determination will be made if each offeror is technically qualified and has a comprehensive understanding to undertake the development of the technology based on the information stated in the Quad

Chart/Solution Brief. The Government will determine the most technically competent and capable of the qualified offerors using the criteria below.

Criteria (Factors) for Selecting Quad Chart/Solution Brief for Full Proposal

Submission:

o Technical merit/applicability, o Importance to agency programs, and o Fund availability

Relative Importance: All Factors are of equal importance

Method of Evaluation: Peer or scientific review