DARPA-BAA-15-27.pdf

DARPA-BAA-15-27

Broad Agency Announcement Innovative Systems for Military Missions

Tactical Technology Office (TTO)

April 27, 2015

Contents Part I: Overview Information Part II: Full Text of Announcement

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

II. Award Information A. Contracting Awards B. Fundamental Research

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

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

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

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

VII. Agency Contacts VIII. Other Information

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

Part I: Overview Information

• 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 – DARPA-BAA-15-27

• Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Numbers (CFDA) – 12.910

Research and Technology Development

• Dates o Posting Date: 27 April 2015 o Proposal Due Date: 4 PM Eastern Time on 27 April 2016

• 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 20).

• Anticipated individual awards – Multiple awards are anticipated.

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

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

DARPA-BAA-15-27@darpa.mil

DARPA/Tactical Technology Office

ATTN: DARPA-BAA-15-27

675 North Randolph Street Arlington, VA 22203-2114

FAX: (703) 248-4869

PHONE: (703) 248-1512

mailto:DARPA-BAA-15-27@darpa.mil

Part II: Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) often selects its research efforts through the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) process. The BAA will first appear on the Federal Business Opportunities (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 for 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 platforms, weapons, 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 Complex (Urban, Forest/Jungle, and Arctic)

Environments

2. Maritime Systems (Surface and Undersea)

a. Expanded Platform Performance

b. Cross Domain Applications

c. Defense of Maritime Forces

d. Enhanced Autonomy

3. Air Systems

a. Novel Air Vehicles

b. Hypersonic Platforms

4. Space Systems

a. Spacecraft Technologies

b. Space Situational Awareness

c. Systems for Access

d. Future Space Operations

e. Propellants and Propulsion

This solicitation focuses on the very high payoff, high risk development, integration, demonstration and evaluation of innovative systems or critical systems http://www.fbo.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.darpa.mil/Opportunities/Solicitations/TTO_Solicitations.aspx 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 systems development (time focused) 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 submission 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.

http://www.darpa.mil/our_work/TTO/

8. The submitted work provides sufficient information to assess the technical performance claims which enable new capabilities beyond 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 Section 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 DARPA/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 DARPA-

BAA-15-27.

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 and demonstration of revolutionary new platforms in Ground Systems, Maritime Systems, Air Systems, and Space Systems. In addition, TTO focuses on the following cross-cutting themes: agile http://www.fedbizopps.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ development approach, cooperative autonomy, unmanned systems, power and propulsion.

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 is focused on preventing and creating strategic surprise. TTO seeks global (to include space) capabilities with endurance, precision, and survivability in all environments. The TTO strategy seeks the development and demonstration of system level technologies and prototypes which outpace adversary capabilities and force structures. TTO is interested in advanced capabilities in all physical domains: Ground, Maritime, Air and Space.

As part of this, TTO is focused on autonomous systems and advanced autonomy in all physical domains. TTO is interested in advanced research and development in supervised autonomy science and novel human to machine interfaces that lead to unmanned platform system capabilities. These capabilities enable collaborative operations in complex environments among multiple manned and unmanned teams operating across all physical domains (Ground, Maritime, Air, and Space). TTO is interested in the development and application of robotic system/automation technologies to enhance warfighter capabilities, improve platform efficiency, and reduce resources and operations required to perform critical mission tasks. TTO seeks innovations in the interaction of autonomous robotics system behaviors with sparse supervisory human control in applied to warfighter operations. Finally, TTO has significant interest in model-based approaches to autonomy, swarming, counter-swarming, multi-platform coordination, and multi-modal human interaction optimized for various warfighter needs.

TTO is greatly interested in approaches that stress reduced systems cost and lifecycle affordability. TTO seeks to develop/employ cost imposing strategies on our adversaries: develop and employ novel systems which cost much less to satisfy current and future missions against adversaries, or force adversaries to expand great resources to mitigate our new capabilities (“invert the cost equation”). As part of new system demonstrations, TTO is interested in agile time to market driven approaches for systems development, which explicitly use a “design to cost” paradigm, within a fixed period of time.

TTO is interested in addressing global transport and logistical challenges, also called “strategic lift.” Intermodal transport and staging concepts are also of interest.

Advanced robotics and automation as applied to logistics challenges are of interest with the strategic lift challenges. Automated/robotic technologies which support rapid on/off-loading and distribution are also of interest. Strategic lift can be comprised of new platforms, systems of system architectures, and theater/intra-theater considerations.

Platforms of interest include high speed naval vessels, surface effect ships, advanced naval propulsion, airships, intra-theater heavy lift, and novel naval architectures.

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 mobility, 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 would 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. Offerers should take into consideration the size, weight, power, and cost of the technologies aimed at the soldier/squad level. TTO is interested in swarming ground system platforms and technologies. 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. TTO is also interested in tailorable precision non-kinetic capabilities.

2. TTO’s interests 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. TTO seeks a means to support small unit command including communication, planning, and execution. 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. TTO’s interest in 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 agility, extreme mobility, weight reduction, transportability and supportability, survivability, load capability, crew augmentation, and endurance. TTO is interested in enhanced combat vehicle lethality (small to large caliber) utilizing precision.

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 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 Complex (Urban, Forest/Jungle, and Arctic)

Environments

1. TTO seeks a means to enhance urban mobility through novel approaches to circumvent urban obstructions and by leveraging subterranean and the vertical dimensions. TTO seeks means to enhance forest and jungle mobility through novel approaches to maneuver around or through dense forested environments. TTO seeks means to enhance arctic mobility through novel approaches to overcome challenges of the unique terrain and environmental effects of extreme cold conditions. Effective means of urban soldier resupply and reach-back support are also sought.

2. TTO is interested in a means to improve situational awareness in the complex urban environment. For urban terrain, 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. In forest/jungle terrain, this includes custody of threats at and above canopy level as well as those concealed between different layers of canopy and underground. Under arctic conditions, this includes custody above/below the surface as well as those concealed by snowstorms or other weather events. TTO is also interested in technologies for providing reliable blue force situational awareness as an approach for continuously tracking threats through complex urban, natural, and extreme weather environments.

3. TTO is interested in weapon systems adapted to the urban, forest/jungle, and arctic environments including those with autonomy-enabled rapid response and the capability to engage at extreme short range without fratricide. Additionally, TTO seeks capabilities for engaging in all environments under degraded visual conditions. Means are sought to affect 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 infrastructure and transportation platforms. Also sought are creative uses of autonomy adapted to the urban, forest/jungle, and arctic environments 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. TTO is interested in swarming maritime systems and technologies. Central themes for maritime systems include:

a. Expanded Platform Performance

1. TTO seeks sensing and control technologies to improve the ability of agile manned and unmanned vessels to operate in high sea states through wave awareness, prediction, and adaptation.

2. TTO is interested in 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); this also includes extreme drag reduction approaches.

3. TTO seeks 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.).

b. Cross Domain Applications

1. TTO seeks 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.

2. TTO is interested in 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.

c. Defense of Maritime Forces

1. TTO seeks non-lethal approaches to disable maritime platforms that are interspersed with non-combatant surface vessels.

2. TTO is interested in advanced extended range high speed propulsive agile torpedo engagement with reduced signatures.

3. TTO is looking for innovations in rail gun, coil gun, light gas gun, and advanced cannon technologies to propel high speed or long range projectiles.

4. TTO seeks kinetic and non-kinetic defeat of non-traditional threats and high volume precision engagement against near-peer offensive maritime systems.

d. Enhanced Autonomy

1. TTO is looking for methods by which human operators effectively perform tasks through remote unmanned systems operations utilizing minimal data content and communications bandwidth.

2. TTO seeks technologies that enable new/novel and cost-effective platform approaches to traditional maritime missions.

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. TTO is interested in manned-unmanned teaming in collaborative air systems and operations. 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. Based on the phenomenology of unmanned air systems, TTO is interested in investment technologies that would enable an innovative, cost effective and efficient means to detect, track, identify and engage low, slow and small unmanned air vehicles within operationally relevant environments (urban, tactical, and strategic domains).

Demonstration and prototype technologies should emphasize rapid development timelines. Key areas of interest include:

a. Novel Air Vehicles

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

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

3. TTO is looking for advanced propulsion, control laws and maneuver techniques enabling agile and efficient flight characteristics.

4. TTO seeks novel air vehicle technologies that include, but are not limited to: vertical take-off and landing, sustained hover, and purposeful autorotation. In addition, 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. TTO is seeking 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).

6. TTO is interested in advanced multifunctional engines with greatly enhanced power to weight ratio, reduced specific fuel consumption, reduced parts count, and enhanced reliability.

7. TTO seeks advanced weapon warhead technologies demonstrating non-traditional effects with tailorable lethality. Technologies should address high lethality within weight/range considerations as well as conformal shapes, compatibility with high-speed platforms, and other integration challenges. TTO is also interested in weapon system technologies that enable strategic and tactical engagement across all domains including time sensitive targets.

8. TTO is interested in advanced propellants and propulsion technologies particularly for intermediate sized systems (between 7 and 21 inch diameters).

9. TTO is interested in swarming air systems and technologies.

10. TTO seeks turbine based combined cycle engines and technologies.

b. Hypersonic Platforms

1. TTO seeks 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. 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. 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. 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.

5. TTO is interested in advanced guidance, navigation, and control technologies which include energy management and optimal trajectory approaches for hypersonic vehicles. TTO is also interested in precision hypersonic strike capabilities and projectiles with g-hardened avionics, high temperature materials, advanced sensor-seekers and algorithms enabling advanced autonomy.

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 resilient space architectures, 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 rockets and spacecraft. Key areas of interest include:

a. Spacecraft Technologies

1. TTO seeks advanced technologies that support existing force structure against disruption and degradation.

2. TTO is 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 reduce the size, weight, and power of satellite subsystems, and that lead to dramatic improvements in space system performance.

3. TTO seeks advanced space propulsion capabilities. This includes technology which reduces complexity in thruster design, enables extreme efficiency, incorporates novel plasma sources, and provides stable operations at high power generation levels. TTO’s key interest includes development technologies which expands the operational regions, range, and performance of space vehicles.

4. TTO is interested in advanced space based systems including light weight optics and structures, sparse aperture imaging systems and algorithms to include novel imaging approaches.

b. Space Situational Awareness

1. 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.

2. TTO is 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.

3. TTO is interested in the development and validation of real-time space domain awareness architectures and technologies.

c. Systems for Access

1. 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.

2. TTO is interested in technologies that advance the state of the art in rocketry to include new propellants, additively manufactured rocket components, and other novel breakthrough technologies that apply to rockets.

3. TTO is interested in space vehicle technologies that enable access to a wide range of altitudes and inclinations as well as highly efficient on-orbit maneuvers.

d. Future Space Operations

1. TTO is interested in technologies that provide increased resilience and reduced vulnerability of present and future space assets. These technologies could reside on-orbit, or be capable of rapid delivery to orbit. They could also enable on-orbit replacement of modular spacecraft components resulting in improved space logistics that leverage TTO investments in space robotic capabilities.

2. TTO is interested in technologies that leverage on-orbit robotic systems to provide increased space system performance, throughput, affordability and resilience.

3. TTO is interested in ideas that take advantage of robotic assembly, inspection, manipulation, upgrading and reconfiguration.

4. TTO is interested in non-traditional orbit concepts.

e. Propellants and Propulsion

1. TTO is interested in advanced propellants of a solid and liquid nature, in terms of variable thrust, electronic control and novel formulation.

II. Award Information

A. Contracting Awards

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. 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. Proposals identified for negotiation may result in a procurement contract, grant, cooperative agreement, or other transaction, depending upon the nature of the work proposed, the required degree of interaction between parties, whether or not the research is classified as Fundamental Research, and other factors. Any requests for or assumptions regarding Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) or Government Furnished Information (GFI) should be clearly stated in the proposal.

In all cases, the Government contracting officer shall have sole discretion to select award instrument type and to negotiate all instrument terms and conditions with selectees. Proposers are advised that if they propose grants or cooperative agreements, the Government Contracting Officer may select other award instruments, as he or she deems appropriate. DARPA will apply publication or other restrictions, as necessary, if it determines that the research resulting from the proposed effort will present a high likelihood of disclosing performance characteristics of military systems or manufacturing technologies that are unique and critical to defense. Any award resulting from such a determination will include a requirement for DARPA permission before publishing any information or results on the program. For more information on publication restrictions, see the section below on Fundamental Research.

B. Fundamental Research

It is DoD policy that the publication of products of fundamental research will remain unrestricted to the maximum extent possible. National Security Decision Directive (NSDD) 189 established the national policy for controlling the flow of scientific, technical, and engineering information produced in federally funded fundamental research at colleges, universities, and laboratories. The Directive defines fundamental research as follows:

'''Fundamental research' means 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."

As of the date of publication of this BAA, the Government cannot identify whether the work under this BAA may be considered fundamental research and may award both fundamental and non-fundamental.

Proposers should indicate in their proposal whether they believe the scope of the research included in their proposal is fundamental or not. While proposers should clearly explain the intended results of their research, the Government Contracting Officer shall have sole discretion to select award instrument type and to negotiate all instrument terms and conditions with selectees. Appropriate clauses will be included in resultant awards for non-fundamental research to prescribe publication requirements and other restrictions, as appropriate.

For certain research projects, it may be possible that although the research being performed by the prime contractor is restricted research, a subcontractor may be conducting contracted fundamental research. In those cases, it is the prime contractor’s responsibility to explain in their proposal why its subcontractor’s effort is contracted fundamental research.

The following statement or similar provision will be incorporated into any resultant non-fundamental research procurement contract or other transaction:

There shall be no dissemination or publication, except within and between the contractor and any subcontractors, of information developed under this contract or contained in the reports to be furnished pursuant to this contract without prior written approval of DARPA’s Public Release Center (DARPA/PRC). All technical reports will be given proper review by appropriate authority to determine which Distribution Statement is to be applied prior to the initial distribution of these reports by the contractor. With regard to subcontractor proposals for Contracted Fundamental Research, papers resulting from unclassified contracted fundamental research are exempt from prepublication controls and this review requirement, pursuant to DoD Instruction 5230.27 dated October 6, 1987.

When submitting material for written approval for open publication, the contractor/awardee must submit a request for public release to the PRC and include the following information: (1) Document Information: document title, document author, short plain-language description of technology discussed in the material (approx. 30 words), number of pages (or minutes of video) and document type (e.g., briefing, report, abstract, article, or paper); (2) Event Information:

event type (conference, principal investigator meeting, article or paper), event date, desired date for DARPA's approval; (3) DARPA Sponsor: DARPA Program Manager, DARPA office, and contract number; and (4) Contractor/Awardee's Information: POC name, e-mail and phone. Allow four weeks for processing; due dates under four weeks require a justification. Unusual electronic file formats may require additional processing time. Requests may be sent either by-mail to prc@darpa.mil or via 675 North Randolph Street, Arlington VA 22203-2114, telephone (571) 218-4235. Refer to the following for link for information about DARPA’s public release process:

http://www.darpa.mil/NewsEvents/Public_Release_Center/Public_Release_Cente r.aspx.

III. Eligibility Information

All responsible sources capable of satisfying the Government's needs may submit a proposal that shall be considered by DARPA.

A. Eligible Applicants

1. Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) and Government entities (e.g., 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 meet the following conditions: (1) FFRDCs must clearly demonstrate that the proposed work is not mailto:prc@darpa.mil http://www.darpa.mil/NewsEvents/Public_Release_Center/Public_Release_Center.aspx http://www.darpa.mil/NewsEvents/Public_Release_Center/Public_Release_Center.aspx otherwise available from the private sector. (2) FFRDCs must provide a letter on official letterhead from their sponsoring organization citing the specific authority establishing their eligibility to propose to Government solicitations and compete with industry, and their compliance with the associated FFRDC sponsor agreement and terms and conditions. This information is required for FFRDCs proposing to be prime contractors 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 and contractual authority, if relevant, 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 FFRDC 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 (see proposal format section under IV.B); 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).

2. Non-U.S. organizations and/or individuals may participate to the extent that such participants comply with any necessary nondisclosure agreements, security regulations, export control laws, and other governing statutes applicable under the circumstances.

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 U.S.C. §§ 203, 205, and 208). Once the proposals have been received, and prior to the start of proposal evaluations, the Government will assess potential conflicts of interest and will promptly notify the proposer if any appear to exist. The Government assessment does NOT affect, offset, or mitigate the proposer’s responsibility to give full notice and planned mitigation for all potential organizational conflicts, as discussed below.

Without prior approval or a waiver from the DARPA Deputy 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. As part of the proposal submission, all members of the proposed team (prime proposers, 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). 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 a conflict of interest exists or may exist (whether organizational or otherwise) or has questions on what constitutes a conflict of interest, the proposer should send his/her contact information and a summary of the potential conflict to the DARPA-BAA-15-27@darpa.mil before time and effort are expended in preparing a proposal and mitigation plan.

C. Cost Sharing/Matching

Cost sharing is not required; however, it 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 solicitation. No additional information is available, except as provided at FBO.gov or Grants.gov, nor will a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) or additional solicitation regarding this announcement be issued. Requests for the same will be disregarded.

B. Content and Form of Application Submission

1. Security and Proprietary Issues

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

Prior to sending any classified submissions, performers must provide advance notification to the BAA Coordinator via DARPA-BAA-15-27@darpa.mil.

For instructions on how to provide advanced notification at an unclassified level, refer to Section IV.B.2 and IV.B.3.

The Government anticipates that executive summaries, white papers, and proposals submitted under this BAA will be unclassified. However, if a submission 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 submissions, 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 classified executive summaries, white papers, or proposals 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.