DARPA-BAA-13-22_-_Amendment_01_-_04-09-2014.pdf

DARPA BAA-13-22

Broad Agency Announcement

Innovative Systems for Military Missions

Tactical Technology Office (TTO)

DARPA-BAA-13-22

April 9, 2013 ddonaghue Typewritten Text Amendment No. 01: As amended on 04/09/2014 ddonaghue Typewritten Text ddonaghue Typewritten Text ddonaghue Typewritten Text ddonaghue Typewritten Text ddonaghue Typewritten Text ddonaghue Cross-Out

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Contents

Part 1. Overview Information 3 Part 2. Full Text of Announcement 4

I. Funding Opportunity Description 4 A. Program Overview 4 B. TTO Mission and Strategy 6 C. Detailed Description of TTO Focus Areas 7

II. Award Information 12 III. Eligibility Information 13

A. Eligible Applicants 13 B. Procurement Integrity, Standards of Conduct, Ethical Considerations, and Organizational Conflicts of Interest 13 C. Cost Sharing/Matching 14

IV. Application and Submission Information 14 A. Address to Request Application Package 14 B. Content and Form of Application Submission 15

V. Application Review Information 28 A. Evaluation Criteria 28 B. Review and Selection Process 29

VI. Award Administration Information 30 A. Selection Notices 30 B. Administration and National Policy Requirements 31 C. Reporting 37 D. Electronic Systems 37

VII. Agency Contacts 37 VIII. Other Information 38

A. Intellectual Property Procurement Contract Proposers 38 B. Non-Procurement Contract Proposers – Noncommercial and Commercial Items (Technical Data and Computer Software) 39 C. All Proposers – Patents 39 D. All Proposers – Intellectual Property Representations 40

Part 1. Overview Information

a. Federal Agency Name: Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Tactical Technology Office (TTO).

Funding Opportunity Title: Innovative Systems for Military Missions Announcement Type: Initial Announcement Funding Opportunity Number: Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) DARPA-

BAA-13-22

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Numbers (CFDA): 12.910 Research and

Technology Development Dates o Posting Date: 9 April 2013 o Executive Summary Due Date: 4 PM Eastern Time on 9 January 2014 o White Paper Due Date: 4 PM Eastern Time on 7 February 2014 o Proposal Due Date : 4 PM Eastern Time on 23 April 2014

Concise description of the funding opportunity The Tactical Technology Office of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is soliciting executive summaries, white papers and proposals for advanced research and development of Innovative Systems for Military Missions. This solicitation seeks system and subsystem level technologies that enable revolutionary improvements to the efficiency and effectiveness of the military. Novel concepts are sought in the following focus areas: Ground Systems, Maritime Systems, Air Systems, and Space Systems. Proposals may be submitted at any time while this solicitation is open. TTO may publish groups of special topics as modifications to this BAA throughout the year. TTO also welcomes classified submissions (see page 14).

Anticipated individual awards – Multiple awards are anticipated.

Types of instruments that may be awarded – Procurement (FAR based) contract, other transaction agreement, cooperative agreement, or grant.

Agency contact The BAA Coordinator for this effort can be reached via

DARPA-BAA-13-22@darpa.mil

DARPA/Tactical Technology Office

ATTN: BAA-13-22

675 North Randolph Street Arlington, VA 22203-2114

FAX: (703) 248-4869

PHONE: (703) 248-1512

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Part 2. Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

DARPA often selects its research efforts through the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) process. The BAA will appear first on the FedBizOpps website, http://www.fbo.gov and Grants.gov website at http://www.grants.gov. It will then appear on the agency website, http://www.darpa.mil/Opportunities/Solicitations/TTO_Solicitations.aspx. The following information is provided to those wishing to respond to the BAA.

A. Program Overview

The Tactical Technology Office (TTO) of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is soliciting executive summaries, white papers and proposals for advanced research, development and demonstration of innovative systems for military missions. Innovative systems are integrated systems or critical systems components that often incorporate emerging advanced technologies, and enable revolutionary improvements to the capability, efficiency and effectiveness of the military.

TTO seeks responses relating to the following Focus Areas:

1. Ground Systems

a. Soldier/Squad Technologies

b. Combat Vehicles

c. Tactical Operations in Urban Environments

2. Maritime Systems

3. Air Systems

a. Novel Air Vehicles

b. Hypersonic Platforms

4. Space Systems

a. Spacecraft Technologies

b. Space Situational Awareness

c. Systems for Access

Proposal responses to the focus areas may be submitted at any time during the open period of this solicitation. Executive Summary and White Paper responses must be submitted by the deadlines specified in Section IV.B.6 (Submission Dates and Times).

This solicitation focuses on the very high payoff, high risk development, integration, demonstration and evaluation of innovative systems or critical systems components enabled by, and incorporating, new or emerging technologies. Proposed efforts must also show significant promise to provide the U.S. military with revolutionary new mission capabilities, enable significant increases in mission effectiveness, or dramatically reduce system costs.

Innovative system concepts of interest to TTO typically address emerging technical opportunities, advanced systems concepts, emergent threats, or new technology-enabled concepts of operation. TTO strongly encourages respondents to adopt a complete systems engineering approach to the problems. Respondents must address life cycle costs when considering mission application. Respondents should address “agile” software and hardware development approaches as part of their systems approach.

This BAA solicits executive summaries, white papers and proposals for proposed efforts.

Submitting an executive summary and white paper are opportunities for proposers to have DARPA review their proposed technical concept and receive feedback regarding the relevance of their idea to the TTO mission. Proposers are strongly encouraged to initially submit a one (1) page executive summary describing the technology area and new ideas of interest prior to submitting a white paper or proposal. Executive summaries will be reviewed as they are received. Based on a favorable review of an executive summary, proposers will be encouraged to submit a six (6) page white paper describing the proposed concept prior to submitting a full proposal. A DARPA Program Manager may contact you to further discuss the idea in your executive summary or white paper. This procedure is intended to minimize unnecessary cost and effort in proposal preparation and review. However, submission of an executive summary and/or white paper is not required prior to submitting a full proposal.

Proposers are encouraged to review and monitor TTO’s public website at http://www.darpa.mil/our_work/TTO/ in order to better understand past and current TTO mission systems development efforts.

For the purposes of this BAA, relevance to the TTO mission applies to all submissions and is evaluated as follows:

1. The proposed technical effort is evaluated as applicable to the focus areas.

2. The proposal is important to TTO’s areas of responsibility as outlined in the

BAA.

3. The submission is suitably structured to produce a TTO systems level demonstration or product.

4. The submission substantiates a revolutionary military capability within the TTO portfolio.

5. The proposed approach clearly identifies current limitations that will be overcome.

6. The submission identifies barriers to implementing new operational concepts and postulates solutions.

7. The proposed effort conveys technology significantly beyond the state of the art.

The determination of relevance to the TTO mission need not be based on a detailed technical evaluation of the submission, but may take into account the technical risks of the proposed work.

Executive summaries and white papers that are determined not to be relevant per the above definition will receive a “No Interest” or “Discourage” letter. All full proposals must first be deemed acceptable under the evaluation criterion “Potential Contribution and Relevance to the DARPA/TTO Mission” (see Sec. V.) in order to receive a full review. Proposals that are determined not to be relevant to the TTO mission or which fall outside of areas outlined in this BAA will receive a “Non-Responsive” letter.

TTO will respond to executive summaries with a letter of interest or no interest in the topic based on relevance to the TTO mission and interest in the technology topic. A letter of interest will encourage the submission of a white paper. Otherwise, a letter discouraging submission of a white paper will be sent to the proposer.

TTO will respond to white papers with a letter encouraging or discouraging the submission of a full proposal. This recommendation will be based on the proposed effort’s relevance to the TTO mission, a preliminary assessment of the scientific or technical merit, and interest in the technology concept.

All proposals deemed “Relevant to the TTO Mission” in accordance with Sec. V. will be fully reviewed and evaluated. The submission of an executive summary or white paper, or a favorable review of an executive summary or white paper, is not required prior to submitting a proposal.

A favorable response to an executive summary or white paper is not an assurance that a full proposal on the executive summary or white paper’s topic will ultimately be selected for contract award.

During the open period of this solicitation, TTO may publish amendments to this solicitation which seek executive summaries, white papers and proposals for “special topics.” Proposers are encouraged to monitor FedBizOpps (http://www.fedbizopps.gov) or Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov) for such modifications to DARPA/TTO BAA-13-22.

B. TTO Mission and Strategy

1. TTO Mission

The mission of DARPA (TTO) is to provide or prevent strategic and tactical surprise with very high payoff, high risk development of revolutionary new platforms, weapons, critical technologies and systems, approaches addressing affordability, as well as rapid agile development.

2. TTO Strategy

TTO investments are structured across a range of focus areas, encompassing multiple mission domains and cross-cutting enabling capabilities. The TTO strategy includes global capabilities with precision and endurance applicable to all combat environments. The TTO strategy includes the development and demonstration of system level technologies and capabilities that outpace adversary capabilities and force structures. TTO is interested in advanced autonomy for ground, maritime, air, and space systems performing tasks in an integrated and collaborative fashion across various mission domains. This includes model-based approaches to autonomy, swarming, counter-swarm, multi-platform coordination, and multi-modal human-machine interaction optimized for human physiology. TTO is also interested in improved unmanned platform efficiencies and performance within the respective operating environments, enhanced endurance, reliability management, health monitoring, damage detection, adaptation, and reconfiguration as well as approaches that allow for system and/or task performance analysis, testing, and evaluation of advanced concepts. TTO is explicitly not interested in approaches or technologies that make incremental or evolutionary advancements over the state-of-the-art. TTO is interested in research, design, development, and demonstration of systems which create a decisive overmatch or asymmetric capability in accordance with the TTO mission.

C. Detailed Description of TTO Focus Areas

1. Ground Systems

TTO is interested in developing systems and technologies to define the next generation of ground combat systems. TTO’s interests include enhancing the capabilities of the soldier, the squad, and ground combat vehicles. TTO is interested in enhancing the mobility, logistics, performance, health, lethality, and survivability of individual soldiers and their ability to operate in complex environments. TTO is interested in the aggregate performance improvement of the combat squad in the conduct of their mission to include mobility, robotics, weapons, sensing, and communications. TTO is interested in developing the next generation of combat vehicles focused on the total system performance, to include agility, extreme lethal and non-lethal precision, and survivability while minimizing weight and cost. TTO is seeking advanced performance propulsion concepts for ground systems. Of particular interest are technologies that enable new missions or deliver increased power, power density, proficiency and/or an order of magnitude increase in key performance parameters (thrust, endurance, top speed, and time on target). TTO is interested in platform systems which support special operations executed in a low-profile manner aimed at achieving the advantage of speed in tactical environments, surprise, and the application of overwhelming force against specified targets. Key areas of interest include:

a. Soldier/Squad Technologies

1. TTO is interested in technologies that dramatically enhance the capabilities of the individual soldier and squad by an order of magnitude. Approaches are sought to improve the quality and range of situational awareness including knowledge of the status of friendly forces, hostile forces, and the environment both in visual range and beyond. Improvements in the ability of a squad to neutralize opposing forces rapidly, through precisely tailored means, and improved precision of effects are of special interest. This includes integrated and networked munitions enabling rapid, precise tailored means, and improved precision of effect for squad level forces and tactical units. TTO seeks approaches to improve squad mobility and endurance for both mounted and dismounted situations. Improvements in effectiveness in urban environments are sought, especially in the areas of situational awareness and tailorable effects derived from advanced electromagnetic warheads, advanced reactive materials , and advanced hybrid warheads.

2. TTO’s interest also includes interaction of autonomous system behaviors with sparse supervisory human control in application-of-force scenarios; technologies enabling efficient human to robotic interaction; unmanned platform, perception, control, and interaction technologies to assist with completing tasks associated with human assistance and disaster relief scenarios; and new approaches to reduce the cost of defense by countering the increasing cost of manpower and technologies to reduce the operator burden/workload.

3. Means to support small unit command including communication, planning, and execution are also of interest. Methods to leverage unmanned systems to promote personnel safety and stand-off engagement are of interest as well as improvements in the soldier-system interfaces. Approaches to reducing soldier load are of interest including light-weight means of providing power, and light-weight weapon systems.

4. A focus of Soldier/Squad Technologies includes: scalable adaptive machine learning developments enabling effective autonomous platforms, and cooperative manned and unmanned operations across multiple domains; technologies to provide situational awareness to support decision making beyond basic data gathering; built-in platform technologies to provide the attributes necessary to build real-time interpretive models to enable operations in contested and complex environments; and game changing cooperative engagement of manned and sparsely supervised autonomous unmanned vehicle systems with distributed engagement of remote capabilities to service critical targets that support the defeat of all types of enemy forces.

b. Combat Vehicles

1. TTO seeks a means to improve combat vehicles (platforms) in dimensions such as weight reduction, transportability and supportability, survivability, load capability, and endurance. TTO is interested in enhanced combat vehicle lethality (small to large caliber).

2. TTO is interested in game changing ground systems that encompass: innovative thermal management and acoustic signature reduction technologies to enable effective reconnaissance in close contact to rapidly develop situation awareness; an efficient means for detection and neutralization of explosives at extended standoff ranges while reducing soldier burden and workload; and agile avoidance and adaptive self-protection capabilities.

3. TTO is also interested in combat ground vehicle technology that leverages autonomy to promote mechanized infantry survivability, lethal stand-off engagement, and/or personnel safety. This includes novel approaches to the combat ground vehicle system which incorporates light-weight weapon systems and/or a light-weight means of providing power.

c. Tactical Operations in Urban Environments

1. TTO seeks means to enhance urban mobility though novel approaches to circumvent urban obstructions and by leveraging subterranean and the vertical dimensions.

Effective means of urban soldier resupply and reach-back support are also sought.

2. Means to improve situational awareness in the complex urban environment are sought. This includes detecting, tracking, and targeting of mobile and fixed threats including those above and below street level as well as those concealed in buildings and other urban artifacts. Technologies for providing reliable blue force situational awareness are sought as an approach for continuously tracking threats through complex urban environments.

3. TTO is interested in weapon systems adapted to the urban environment including those with autonomy-enabled rapid response and the capability to engage at extreme short range without fratricide. Means are sought to effect seamless target handoffs and coordinated engagements for increased impact. TTO desires weapons that are rapidly tailorable across the spectrum of non-lethal to lethal and across a wide range of target hardness. Means to improve effect precision to avoid collateral damage are desired. Systems are sought that increase force projection effectiveness, yet are easily ported through the environment by individual soldiers.

4. TTO seeks capabilities to temporarily or permanently disable urban infrastructure and transportation platforms. Also sought are creative uses of autonomy adapted to the urban environment to reduce exposure, enhance mobility, improve situational awareness, and serve as a force multiplier. This includes advanced strike methods or technologies that improve end-game precision engagement such as target detection, identification, location, tracking, attack, and assessment.

2. Maritime Systems

TTO is interested in demonstrator platforms to test and evaluate new technologies that significantly advance functionality and radically expand the performance envelope and capabilities of current maritime platform operations. This includes innovation in multi-platform integration across all domains that further enhance the sub-surface and surface maritime presence and operational capability, transformational shape structures as well as platform system designs that are able to operate in dynamic and adverse weather conditions. Central themes for maritime systems include:

1. Platform technologies that enable a dramatic improvement in key operating parameters of maritime and sub-surface vessels (speed and endurance in high sea state, crush and cruising depth, etc.).

2. Sea-based unmanned air vehicles focusing on innovative aero designs, novel launch and recovery of unmanned platforms. These would expand operational reach of the maritime surface vessels with limited deck space.

3. Methods by which human operators effectively perform tasks through remote unmanned systems operations utilizing minimal data content and communications bandwidth.

4. Non-lethal approaches to disable maritime platforms that are interspersed with non-combatant surface vessels.

5. Advanced extended range high speed propulsive agile torpedo engagement with reduced signatures.

6. Innovations in rail gun, coil gun, light gas gun, and advanced cannon technologies.

7. Technologies that enable new/novel and cost-effective platform approaches to traditional maritime missions.

8. Kinetic and non-kinetic defeat of non-traditional threats and high volume precision engagement against near-peer offensive systems.

9. Novel technologies that cost-effectively expand and bridge maritime and sub-surface platform use with other domains such as: maritime-to-air, maritime-to-space, sub-surface-to-ground, and sub-surface-to-air.

10. Propulsion technologies that enable new missions or deliver increased power, power density, proficiency and/or an order of magnitude increase in key performance parameters (thrust, endurance, top speed, and time on target).

3. Air Systems

TTO has an interest in a full range of hypersonic systems, novel air vehicles, and X-plane demonstrator technologies which encompasses air-breathing and non-air-breathing propulsion concepts, advance rotor innovations, aerodynamic structures, thermal management, guidance, navigation, flight controls, sensors, and advanced payloads all aimed at expanding a spectrum of performance capabilities within the field of aerodynamics. TTO is interested in platform systems which support special operations executed in a low-profile manner aimed at achieving the advantage of speed in tactical environments, surprise, and the application of overwhelming force against specified targets. Air systems include augmentation of tailored lethality through the use of enhanced precision, electromagnetics, plasma, atmospherics, acoustics, intelligent projectiles, micro-robotics, variable yield capabilities, novel energetics, or reformulation of explosives. Key areas of interest include:

a. Novel Air Vehicles

1. Technologies that support extreme range, high speed, low cost unmanned air vehicle system operations and advances in design which could enable extended loiter.

2. Research in emergent materials, devices and tactics for both fixed and rotary wing air vehicle applications.

3. Advanced propulsion, control laws and maneuver techniques enabling agile and efficient flight characteristics.

4. Novel air vehicle technologies include, but are not limited to: vertical take-off and landing, sustained hover, and purposeful autorotation. Concepts related to rotary-wing and powered-lift platforms are of interest, as well as related sub-system technologies. These may include concepts for distributed propulsion, heterogeneous power systems, and aircraft control systems. Relevant sub-systems that would demonstrably increase the capabilities of VTOL aircraft are also of interest, such as actuators, landing gear, downwash footprint control concepts, signatures, and maneuverability. Aircraft concepts may include manned or unmanned configurations, and span the range of weight classes.

5. Exotic and non-traditional weapon concepts and technologies enabling strategic and tactical engagement across all domains including time sensitive targets at strategic ranges and subterranean targets. Precision hypersonic strike capabilities and projectiles with g-hardened avionics, high temperature materials, advanced sensor-seekers and algorithms enabling advanced autonomy.

6. Propulsion technologies that enable new missions or deliver increased power, power density, proficiency and/or an order of magnitude increase in key performance parameters (thrust, endurance, top speed, and time on target).

b. Hypersonic Platforms

1. Flight environment of interest: TTO is seeking technologies that would enable hypersonic platforms to attain a wide range of operational altitudes from sea level to low earth orbit, depending on application. These hypersonic platforms must be able to operate through moderate-to-extremely high g-loads, while experiencing moderate-to-extremely high heat stresses, depending on application.

2. Airframe Structures: TTO is seeking novel materials and design approaches for airframe structures that enable hypersonic air-breathing platforms, space access, and long range strike weapons. Relevant technologies include light-weight, high strength hypersonic airframe structures for fuselage, lifting surfaces, flight controls, propulsion tanks, propulsion system flow paths, etc.

3. Thermal Protection Systems: TTO is seeking new/novel materials and design approaches for thermal protection/management to enable the previously referenced hypersonic platform applications. Of interest are technologies applicable to hypersonic platforms experiencing short duration, extremely high peak heating stresses, as well as platforms that experience long-duration moderate-to-high average heat loads, and may include passive or active thermal protection approaches.

4. Advanced Manufacturing Technology: TTO is interested in advanced manufacturing technology that enables the use of new/novel aerospace materials and agile design practices for fabrication of hypersonic airframe structures, such as additive manufacturing techniques that enable the design and fabrication of complex hypersonic airframe structures that cannot currently be produced by traditional material removal machining approaches. Of special interest are additive techniques that can be cost effectively used across all steps in system development such as:

design, prototyping, engineering development, and production.

4. Space Systems

TTO is interested in innovative approaches across a wide range of space technologies and concepts which will enable protection and survivability of space assets; situational awareness required to effectively respond to threats; novel and affordable approaches to obtain coverage and persistence of space capabilities; and rapid, responsive, and affordable access to space and freedom of movement within the space environment. TTO’s focus on affordable approaches also includes: pioneering advancements in hybrid robotic/satellite technology, modular and fractionated space systems, enabling architectures adaptable to multiple space vehicles, techniques that radically reduce launch costs, technologies that enable extreme performance in space systems, and innovative power generation and propulsion for spacecraft. Key areas of interest include:

a. Spacecraft Technologies: TTO is interested in advanced technologies that support existing force structure against disruption and degradation. TTO is extremely interested in technologies that reduce space operation cost, increase efficiency in space manufacturing processes, and advance space sensor and nano-micro satellite innovations that enable new military missions and capabilities. Desired innovations include technologies that can lead to dramatic improvements in space system performance.

b. Space Situational Awareness: TTO is interested in technologies and concepts of operations that enable twenty four hours/seven days a week (24/7) space situational awareness, from search/detect/track to initial/in-depth object characterization, in all orbital regimes using multiple or new/novel phenomenologies. TTO is also interested in the development of advanced space situational awareness data fusion algorithms, enhancing the nation’s ability to effectively respond to threats to our space capabilities.

c. Systems for Access: TTO is interested in technologies that provide a robust, reliable, affordable, and innovative means for achieving access to space. The focus is on revolutionizing the responsiveness and flexibility of space systems by introducing rapid and pervasive "aircraft-like" space access. TTO is also interested in space vehicle technologies that enable access to a wide range of altitudes and inclinations as well as highly efficient on-orbit maneuvers.

II. Award Information

Multiple awards are anticipated. The number of awards made under this BAA will depend on the quality of the proposals received and the availability of funds. In general, awards are anticipated to be for less than $1 million and less than 18 months duration, although options that follow the base effort may also be proposed.

The Government reserves the right to select for negotiation all, some, one, or none of the proposals received in response to this solicitation, and to make awards without discussions with proposers. The Government also reserves the right to conduct discussions if it is later determined to be necessary. If warranted, portions of resulting awards may be segregated into pre-priced options. Additionally, DARPA reserves the right to accept proposals in their entirety or to select only portions of proposals for award. In the event that DARPA desires to award only portions of a proposal, negotiations may be opened with that proposer. The Government reserves the right to fund proposals in phases with options for continued work at the end of one or more of the phases.

Awards under this BAA will be made to proposers on the basis of the evaluation criteria listed below (see section labeled “Application Review Information”, Sec. V.), and program balance to provide overall value to the Government. Proposals identified for negotiation may result in a procurement contract, other transaction agreement, a cooperative agreement, or a grant depending upon the nature of the work proposed, the required degree of interaction between parties, and other factors. The Government reserves the right to request any additional, necessary documentation once it makes the award instrument determination. Such additional information may include but is not limited to Representations and Certifications. The Government reserves the right to remove proposers from award consideration should the parties fail to reach agreement on award terms, conditions and cost/price within a reasonable time or the proposer fails to provide requested additional information in a timely manner. Any requests for or assumptions regarding Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) or Government Furnished Information (GFI) should be clearly stated in the proposal.

As of the date of publication of this BAA, DARPA cannot identify whether or not the work under this BAA may be considered 'fundamental research,' i.e., basic and applied research in science and engineering, the results of which ordinarily are published and shared broadly within the scientific community, as distinguished from proprietary research and from industrial development, design, production, and product utilization, the results of which ordinarily are restricted for proprietary or national security reasons. Notwithstanding this statement of expectation, DARPA is not prohibited from considering and selecting research proposals that, while perhaps not qualifying as 'fundamental research' under the foregoing definition, still meet the BAA criteria for submissions. Proposers should indicate in their proposal whether they believe the scope of the research included in their proposal is fundamental or restricted, with the understanding that in all cases, the DARPA contracting officer shall have sole discretion to select award instrument type and to negotiate all instrument provisions with selectees. See Section VI.B.4 for further information on fundamental, non-fundamental and restricted research.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

All responsible sources capable of satisfying the Government's needs may submit a proposal that shall be considered by DARPA. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Small Businesses, Small Disadvantaged Businesses and Minority Institutions (MIs) are encouraged to submit proposals and join others in submitting proposals; however, no portion of this announcement will be set aside for these organizations’ participation due to the impracticality of reserving discrete or severable areas of this research for exclusive competition among these entities.

Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) and Government entities (Government/National laboratories, military educational institutions, etc.) are subject to applicable direct competition limitations and cannot propose to this BAA in any capacity unless they address the following conditions. FFRDCs must clearly demonstrate that the proposed work is not otherwise available from the private sector AND must also provide a letter on letterhead from their sponsoring organization citing the specific authority establishing their eligibility to propose to government solicitations and compete with industry, and compliance with the associated FFRDC sponsor agreement and terms and conditions. This information is required for FFRDCs proposing to be prime or subcontractors. Government entities must clearly demonstrate that the work is not otherwise available from the private sector and provide written documentation citing the specific statutory authority (as well as, where relevant, contractual authority) establishing their ability to propose to Government solicitations. At the present time, DARPA does not consider 15 U.S.C. 3710a to be sufficient legal authority to show eligibility.

While 10 U.S.C. 2539b may be the appropriate statutory starting point for some entities, specific supporting regulatory guidance, together with evidence of agency approval, will still be required to fully establish eligibility. DARPA will consider eligibility submissions on a case-by-case basis; however, the burden to prove eligibility for all team members rests solely with the Proposer. All proposers are expected to address transition/technology transfer (see sections II & III of proposal format under IV.B.5.1); transition is part of the evaluation criteria in section V.A.

However, given their special status, FFRDCs should describe how and when a proposed technology/system will transition to which Non-FFRDC organization(s).

B. Procurement Integrity, Standards of Conduct, Ethical Considerations, and Organizational Conflicts of Interest

Current federal employees are prohibited from participating in particular matters involving conflicting financial, employment, and representational interests (18 USC 203, 205, and 208).

Prior to the start of proposal evaluation, the Government will assess potential conflicts of interest and will promptly notify the proposer if any appear to exist. (Please note the Government assessment does NOT affect, offset, or mitigate the proposer’s own duty to give full notice and planned mitigation for all potential organizational conflicts, as discussed below.)

Without prior approval or a waiver from the DARPA Director, in accordance with FAR 9.503, a Contractor cannot simultaneously provide scientific, engineering, technical assistance (SETA) or similar support and also be a technical performer. Therefore, all Proposers as well as proposed subcontractors and consultants must affirm whether they (their organizations and individual team members) are providing SETA or similar support to any DARPA technical office(s) through an active contract or subcontract. All affirmations must state which office(s) the Proposer, subcontractor, consultant, or individual supports and identify the prime contract number(s).

Affirmations shall be furnished at the time of proposal submission. All facts relevant to the existence or potential existence of organizational conflicts of interest (FAR 9.5) must be disclosed. The disclosure must include a description of the action the Proposer has taken or proposes to take to avoid, neutralize, or mitigate such conflict. If in the sole opinion of the Government after full consideration of the circumstances, a proposal fails to fully disclose potential conflicts of interest and/or any identified conflict situation cannot be effectively mitigated, the proposal will be rejected without technical evaluation and withdrawn from further consideration for award.

If a prospective Proposer believes that any conflict of interest exists or may exist (whether organizational or otherwise) or has questions on what constitutes a conflict of interest, the Proposer should promptly raise the issue with DARPA by sending his/her contact information and a summary of the potential conflict to the BAA mailbox, DARPA-BAA-13-22@darpa.mil, before time and effort are expended in preparing a proposal and mitigation plan.

C. Cost Sharing/Matching

Cost sharing is not required for this particular solicitation; however, cost sharing will be carefully considered where there is an applicable statutory condition relating to the selected funding instrument (e.g., for any Other Transactions under the authority of 10 U.S.C. § 2371).

Cost sharing is encouraged where there is a reasonable probability of a potential commercial application related to the proposed research and development effort.

IV. Application and Submission Information

A. Address to Request Application Package

This solicitation contains all information required to submit a proposal. No additional forms, kits, or other materials are needed. This notice constitutes the total BAA. No additional information is available, nor will a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) or additional solicitation regarding this announcement be issued. Requests for same will be disregarded.

B. Content and Form of Application Submission

1. Security and Proprietary Issues

NOTE: If proposals are classified, the proposals must indicate the classification level of not only the proposal itself, but also the anticipated award document classification level.

Prior to submitting any classified effort, proposers must provide advance notification to the BAA Coordinator via DARPA-BAA-13-22@darpa.mil.

The Government anticipates proposals submitted under this BAA will be unclassified. However, if a proposal is submitted as “Classified National Security Information” as defined by Executive Order 13526 then the information must be marked and protected as though classified at the appropriate classification level and then submitted to DARPA for a final classification determination.

Security classification guidance via a DD Form 254, “DoD Contract Security Classification Specification,” will not be provided at this time, since DARPA is soliciting ideas only. After reviewing the incoming proposals, if a determination is made that the award instrument may result in access to classified information, a DD Form 254 will be issued and attached as part of the award.

Proposers choosing to submit a classified proposal from other classified sources must first receive permission from the respective Original Classification Authority in order to use their information in replying to this BAA. Applicable classification guide(s) should also be submitted to ensure the proposal is protected at the appropriate classification level.

Classified submissions shall be appropriately and conspicuously marked with the proposed classification level and declassification date. Submissions requiring DARPA to make a final classification determination shall be marked as follows:

CLASSIFICATION DETERMINATION PENDING. Protect as though classified (insert the recommended classification level: (e.g., Top Secret, Secret or Confidential)

Classified submissions shall be in accordance with the following guidance:

Confidential and Secret Collateral Information: Use classification and marking guidance provided by previously issued security classification guides, the DoD Information Security Manual (DoDM 5200.01, Volumes 1-4), and the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (DoD 5220.22-M) when marking and transmitting information previously classified by another Original Classification Authority. Classified information at the Confidential and Secret level may be submitted via ONE of the two following methods:

1. Hand-carried by an appropriately cleared and authorized courier to the DARPA CDR. Prior to traveling, the courier shall contact the DARPA CDR at 703-526-4052 to coordinate arrival and delivery.

OR

2. Mailed via appropriate U.S. Postal Service methods (e.g., (USPS) Registered Mail or USPS Express Mail). All classified information will be enclosed in opaque inner and outer covers and double wrapped. The inner envelope shall be sealed and plainly marked with the assigned classification and addresses of both sender and addressee.

The inner envelope shall be addressed to:

ATTN: DARPA/TTO

Reference: (BAA-13-22) 675 North Randolph Street Arlington, VA 22203-2114

The outer envelope shall be sealed with no identification as to the classification of its contents and addressed to:

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Security & Intelligence Directorate, Attn: CDR 675 North Randolph Street Arlington, VA 22203-2114

All Top Secret materials: Top Secret information should be hand carried by an appropriately cleared and authorized courier to the DARPA CDR. Prior to traveling, the courier shall contact the DARPA CDR at 703-526-4052 to coordinate arrival and delivery.

Special Access Program (SAP) Information: SAP information must be transmitted via approved methods. Prior to transmitting SAP information, contact the DARPA SAPCO at 703- 526-4052 for instructions.

Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI): SCI must be transmitted via approved methods.

Prior to transmitting SCI, contact the DARPA Special Security Office (SSO) at 703-526-4052 for instructions.

Proprietary Data: All proposals containing proprietary data should have the cover page and each page containing proprietary data clearly marked as containing proprietary data. It is the Proposer’s responsibility to clearly define to the Government what is considered proprietary data.

Proposers must have existing and in-place prior to execution of an award, approved capabilities (personnel and facilities) to perform research and development at the classification level they propose. It is the policy of DARPA to treat all proposals as competitive information, and to disclose their contents only for the purpose of evaluation. Proposals will not be returned. An electronic copy of each proposal received will be retained at DARPA and all other non-required copies destroyed. A certification of destruction may be requested, provided the formal request is received at this office within 5 days after unsuccessful notification.

2. Executive Summary, White Paper and Proposal Submission Information

Proposers are strongly encouraged to submit an executive summary and, if encouraged, a white paper in advance of a full proposal. A DARPA Program Manager may contact you to further discuss the idea in your executive summary or white paper. This procedure is intended to minimize unnecessary effort and cost in proposal preparation and review. Executive summaries, white papers and proposals may be submitted at any time prior to the date and time specified in Section VI. TTO will acknowledge receipt of all submissions and assign a control number that should be referenced in all further correspondence regarding these submissions.

TTO will respond to executive summaries with a letter of interest or no interest in the topic based on relevance to TTO and interest in the technology topic. A letter of interest will encourage the submission of a white paper. TTO will respond to white papers with a letter encouraging or discouraging the submission of a full proposal based on the proposed effort’s relevance to the TTO mission, a preliminary assessment of the scientific or technical merit and interest in the technology concept.

TTO will respond to executive summaries and white papers with a statement as to whether DARPA is interested in the idea. TTO will attempt to reply to executive summaries and white papers via letter within thirty (30) calendar days of receipt. TTO will attempt to reply to proposals via the same method within forty-five (45) days. Should a proposer be discouraged from submitting a full proposal, the letter must contain feedback for the proposer regarding the rationale for the decision not to recommend a full proposal be submitted. Abstracts will be reviewed in the order they are received. Early submissions of abstracts and full proposals are strongly encouraged because selections may be made at any time during the period of solicitation. Regardless of DARPA’s response to an executive summary or white paper, proposers may submit a full proposal. DARPA will review all full proposals submitted using the published evaluation criteria and without regard to any comments resulting from the review of an executive summary or white paper.

Proposers are required to submit full proposals by the time and date specified in the BAA in order to be considered.

The typical proposal should express a consolidated effort in support of one or more related technical concepts or ideas. Disjointed efforts should not be included into a single proposal.

Restrictive notices notwithstanding, proposals may be handled, for administrative purposes only, by a support contractor. This support contractor is prohibited from competition in DARPA technical research and is bound by appropriate nondisclosure requirements. Proposals may not be submitted by fax or email; any so sent will be disregarded.

Proposals not meeting the format described in the BAA may not be reviewed and will receive a “non-responsive” letter.

DARPA intends to use electronic mail correspondence regarding BAA-13-22. All administrative correspondence and questions on this solicitation, including requests for information on how to submit an executive summary, white paper or full proposal to this BAA, should be submitted to the following email address:

BAA Coordinator email: DARPA-BAA-13-22@darpa.mil

Additional information is available at:

http://www.darpa.mil/Our_Work/TTO/http://www.darpa.mil/tto

BAA T-FIMS submission guidance is found at:

https://www.tfims.darpa.mil/baa/proposer_instructions.pdf (Please note that the electronic submission form refers to an abstract which means the white paper described in this document.)

DARPA TTO encourages the use of the Federal Business Opportunities website, http://www.fedbizopps.gov, for retrieving the BAA and any other related information that may subsequently be provided.

1. Executive Summary Format

Executive summary submissions are encouraged in advance of submitting white papers and full proposals in order to provide potential proposers with a rapid response and to minimize unnecessary effort. Proposers should specifically and clearly address the innovation of their proposed system or subsystem component development, the scientific or technical basis for innovative claims, and the impact of the proposed development on military mission capabilities, efficiency, or effectiveness. The executive summary should be clearly marked "EXECUTIVE SUMMARY" and the total length shall not exceed one (1) page. A page is defined as being no larger than electronically formatted page of 8.5” by 11.0” with type not smaller than 12 point.

Smaller font may be used for figures, tables and charts. No formal transmittal letter is required.

All executive summaries must be written in English.

2. White Paper Format

White paper submissions are encouraged in advance of full proposals in order to provide potential proposers with a rapid response and to minimize unnecessary effort. White papers should follow the same general format as described for Volume I Technical and Management Proposal (see section 2c), but should only include Sections I and II described in Proposal Content below. The cover sheet should be clearly marked “WHITE PAPER” and the total length should not exceed 6 pages, excluding cover page and official transmittal letter. A page is defined as being no larger than electronically formatted page of 8.5” by 11.0” with type not smaller than 12 point. Smaller font may be used for figures, tables and charts. The page limitation for white papers includes all figures, tables and charts. No formal transmittal letter is required. All white papers must be written in English. The white paper must include a statement of the anticipated rough order of magnitude (ROM) cost and the anticipated duration of the proposed effort.

3. Full Proposal Format

All full proposals must be in the formats given below. Nonconforming proposals may be rejected without review. Proposals shall consist of two volumes. All pages shall be electronically formatted for a page of 8.5” by 11.0” with type not smaller than 12 point. Smaller font may be used for figures, tables and charts. The page limitation for full proposals includes all figures, tables, and charts. Volume I, Technical and Management Proposal, described in Proposal Content below, may include an attached bibliography of relevant technical papers or research notes (published and unpublished) which document the technical ideas and approach upon which the proposal is based. Copies of not more than three (3) relevant papers can be included with the submission. The bibliography and attached papers are not included in the page counts given below. The submission of other supporting materials along with the proposals is strongly discouraged and will not be considered for review. Except for the attached bibliography and Section I, Volume I shall not exceed 30 pages (40 pages if the proposal dollar value is > $1 million). Maximum page lengths for each section are shown in braces { } below. All full proposals must be written in English.

3. T-FIMS Submissions

Executive summaries, white papers, and proposals sent in response to DARPA-BAA-13-22 should be submitted through T-FIMS. Executive summaries, white papers and proposals may not be submitted by fax or e-mail; any so sent will be disregarded. See https://www.tfims.darpa.mil/baa/ for more information on how to request an account, upload proposals including white papers and executive summaries, and use the T-FIMS tool.