F02 HQ0034-SCO-24-BAA-0001.pdf

BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT

HQ0034-SCO-24-BAA-0001

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

STRATEGIC CAPABILITIES OFFICE

Issued by:

WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SERVICES – ACQUISITION

DIRECTORATE

I. OVERVIEW INFORMATION

• Issuing Acquisition Agency: Washington Headquarters Services Acquisition Directorate

(WHS/AD)

• Funding Opportunity Title: Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)

• Announcement Type: Initial Announcement

• Funding Opportunity Number: HQ0034-SCO-24-BAA-0001

• Deadlines: All deadlines will be established in calls for submissions or individually

• Anticipated Awards: Multiple awards

• Anticipated Award Types: Procurement contract or Other Transaction (OT) agreement

• Effective dates: BAA will remain in effect until January 16, 2029

• Issuing Agency Contact*: Erin Eslinger, Contracting and Agreements Officer whs.mc-alex.ad.mbx.broad-agency-announcement-email@mail.mil

• Technical Point of Contact*: John Stastny, Director, Strategy and Architecture sco.baa@sco.mil Strategic Capabilities Office

ATTN: HQ0034-SCO-24-BAA-0001

1155 Defense Pentagon Washington, D.C. 20301-1155

*Reference BAA number HQ0034-SCO-24-BAA-0001 in all correspondence. The issuing agency contact is for general BAA questions. All technical questions should be addressed to the Technical Point of Contact.

mailto:whs.mc-alex.ad.mbx.broad-agency-announcement-email@mail.mil mailto:whs.mc-alex.ad.mbx.broad-agency-announcement-email@mail.mil mailto:SCO_BAA@sco.mil

II. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Overview and Authority

SCO is an organization within the Office of the Secretary of Defense which seeks to identify, analyze, and prototype disruptive applications of new systems, unconventional uses of existing systems, and implement emerging technologies to create operational strategic effects. SCO is a rapid prototyping organization focused on delivering capabilities in 3-5 years to address high priority operational and strategic challenges.

The purpose of this BAA, issued under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) parts 6.102(d)(2) and 35.016, is to solicit research submissions for funding consideration in the five areas of technical interest established herein. Procurement contracts, as well as OT agreements for research or prototypes under the authorities of 10 United States Code (U.S.C.) §§ 4021-4022, respectively, may result from this BAA.

B. General Award Information

Multiple awards are anticipated. The amount of resources made available under this BAA will depend on the quality of submissions received and the availability of funds.

The Government reserves the right to the following:

o Select for proposal request and negotiation some, all, one, or none of the white papers received in response to this BAA o Accept proposals in their entirety, or select only portions for award o Conduct discussions and/or negotiations at its discretion o Fund awards in phases with options for continued work, both priced and unpriced o Request any additional documents it deems necessary once it makes the award instrument or contract type determination o 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 SCO permission before publishing any information or results on the program.

o Remove offerors from award consideration should the parties fail to reach agreement on award terms, conditions, and/or cost/price within a reasonable time as determined by the Government, or for failure of the offeror to timely provide requested information.

o Select the appropriate award vehicle for a successful submission, be it a procurement contract or an OT.

o Deviate from the BAA procedures where an OT award is anticipated or add steps where the Government considers doing so reasonable, appropriate, and fair.

In accordance with 10 U.S.C 4022(f), and upon a determination that the prototype project has been successfully completed, in part or in whole, any competitive prototype OT agreement awarded under this BAA may result in the award of a follow-on production transaction or contract without the use of competitive procedures. Follow-on production, if considered, will constitute a separate negotiation.

Awardees will be required to submit invoices for payment electronically via Wide Area Workflow (WAWF), access through the Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment at https://piee.eb.mil, unless an exception applies. Registration in WAWF is required prior to any award under this BAA.

(This space left intentionally blank.)

https://piee.eb.mil/

III. TOPICS OF INTEREST

Through this BAA, SCO will solicit innovative submissions in the BAA’s five primary technical areas. Included in the five primary technical areas are recommended subcategories; however, offerors may submit a concept that falls under one of the primary technical categories but does not fall under any of the listed subcategories. Concepts that have application across multiple military services or defense/intelligence operations are strongly preferred.

SCO is interested in submissions that describe new and unconventional uses of existing systems and/or near-term emerging technologies that can be rapidly fielded to deter or defeat U.S.

adversaries. Submissions should investigate innovative approaches that enable revolutionary advances in science, devices, or systems. Submissions focused on basic or applied science and technology are discouraged for this BAA. Specifically excluded from consideration under this BAA is research that primarily results in evolutionary improvements to the existing state of practice.

A. Autonomous Systems: The use of autonomous systems in military operations provides several advantages, including allowing warfighters to avoid performing overly tedious or hazardous tasks and improved decision making for time-critical operations. SCO is interested in technologies that can help accelerate and expand the DoD’s use of autonomous systems as well as concepts for deterring or defeating an adversary’s attempts to do the same. Recognizing the rapid advance of commercial autonomy applications, SCO particularly encourages the research and investigation of concepts that leverage commercial investments in autonomy technologies. Sub-categories of interest under Autonomous Systems include, but are not limited to, research of the following:

• Improved Human/Autonomous System Interaction and Collaboration (HASIC) solutions for ground, sea and air vehicles

• Manned/unmanned Army ground vehicle collaboration that reduces risk to mission or risk to force

• Manned/unmanned tactical aircraft collaboration that improves targeting or weapon magazine depth for 5th generation aircraft

B. Deep Learning: The ability to analyze large datasets quickly using deep learning algorithms could potentially provide significant military capabilities in the areas of indications and warnings (I&W) and automatic target recognition (ATR). Recent advances in computer vision, natural language processing, and neural networks, as well as the availability of massive amounts of computational power have made the prospect of fielding military systems that leverage deep learning in the near term a real possibility. SCO is interested in innovative concepts that benefit the warfighter by leveraging deep learning approaches. Sub-categories of interest under Deep Learning include, but are not limited to, research of the following:

• Deep learning enabled by graphics processing unit (GPU) computing

• Approaches that use synthetic data to train neural networks

• Semantic processing

C. Cyber: As U.S. adversaries have invested heavily in developing offensive cyber capabilities, the DoD has implemented a cyber-defense strategy designed to deter adversaries by ensuring that the military can detect, respond and remain resilient under cyber-attack. SCO is interested in leveraging advanced cyber related technologies that will enable the U.S. military to stay ahead of the evolving cyber threat. Sub-categories of interest under Cyber include, but are not limited to, research of the following:

• Network protection tools that provide ways to identify network vulnerabilities and provide automated operational security capabilities

• Novel cyber-defensive techniques that leverage commercial advances in anomaly-based detection, data analytics and/or encryption methods

D. Cross-Domain Kill Chains: Finding new ways to connect sensors with weapons to complete kill chains across the air, surface, and undersea domains is critical to countering near peer adversaries. The ability to link any capable sensor with any weapon transforms the concept of a “kill chain”, where any individual link is a single point of failure, to that of a “kill web”, where it will be difficult for an adversary to prevent a successful engagement. SCO is interested in exploring alternative combinations of existing or near-term sensors, communications, and weapons. Sub-categories of interest under Cross-Domain Kill Chains include, but are not limited to, research of the following:

• Cross-domain fires/distributed lethality concepts

• Providing existing weapons with new capabilities (e.g., giving defensive weapons offensive capabilities, and vice versa)

• Low probability of intercept, low probability of detection (LPI/LPD) communication waveforms and architectures for air, land, or sea platforms

• Machine-to-machine network tools that allow for seamless translation across multiple data formats and waveforms

E. Non-traditional Defense Technologies: This category is intended to allow for submission of technology concepts that, while not originally developed for defense/military purposes, might be repurposed to create or enhance military capabilities. The development for many non-traditional DoD technologies is largely driven by a fast-paced and rapidly evolving commercial market. Therefore, leveraging commercial innovation is a key element of DoD’s strategy for ensuring emerging needs for technology innovation are met. Offerors wishing to submit a concept under this primary category are encouraged to consider a wide range of enhanced or new DoD relevant capabilities enabled by repurposing technologies that are not primarily used in defense applications. Examples of concepts that would be appropriate under this category include, but are not limited to, research of the following:

• Using high speed computing enabled by graphics processing units (GPUs) to increase the capabilities of DoD sensor systems

• Leveraging advances in driverless vehicle technology to enable DoD unmanned ground vehicles

• Applying big data analytics developed for business intelligence to DoD decision making tools

• Repurposing cybersecurity tools built to protect the Internet of Things (IoT) to defend DoD networks

IV. PROCESS

A. Eligibility

1. Eligible Sources

All responsible sources capable of satisfying the Government’s needs may submit a white paper for consideration by SCO. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), Small Businesses, Small Disadvantaged Businesses, and Minority Institutions are encouraged to submit white papers and join others in submitting white papers; 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 research for exclusive competition among these entities. Responsible sources shall be registered in the System for Award Management at www.sam.gov prior to and throughout the duration of award.

a. Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) and Government Entities

1) FFRDCs are subject to applicable direct competition limitations and cannot propose to this BAA in any capacity, including as awardee or sub-awardee, unless they meet the following conditions. (i) FFRDCs must clearly demonstrate that the proposed work is not otherwise available from the private sector. (ii) FFRDCs must provide a letter, on official letterhead from their sponsoring organization, that (A) cites the specific authority establishing their eligibility to propose to Government solicitations and compete with industry, and (B) certifies the FFDRC’s compliance with the associated sponsor agreement’s terms and conditions.

2) Government entities (e.g., government/national laboratories, military educational institutions, etc.) are subject to applicable direct competition limitations. Government entities must clearly demonstration 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 and compete with industry. This information is required for government entities proposing to be awardees or sub-awardees.

3) Authority and Eligibility

At the present time, SCO does not consider 15 U.S.C. § 3710a to be sufficient authority to establish legal eligibility for participation under this BAA. While 10 U.S.C. § 4892 may be the appropriate statutory starting point for some entities, specific supporting regulatory guidance, together with evidence of agency approval, will be required to fully establish eligibility. SCO will consider FFRDC and government entity eligibility submissions on a case-by-case basis; however, the burden to prove eligibility for all team members rests solely with the offeror.

http://www.sam.gov/

b. Other Applicants

Non-US 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 or regulations applicable under the circumstances.

2. Conflicts of Interest

In accordance with FAR 9.5, offerors are required to identify and disclose all facts relevant to potential organizational conflicts of interests (OCI) involving the offeror’s organization and any proposed team member with each white paper. The disclosure must include the offeror’s, and as applicable, any proposed team member’s, OCI mitigation plan. The OCI mitigation plan must include a description of the actions the offeror has taken, or intends to take, to prevent the existence of conflicting roles that might bias the offeror’s judgment and to prevent an unfair competitive advantage. Any OCI mitigation plans will specifically discuss the disclosed OCI in the context of each of the OCI limitations outlined in FAR 9.505-1 through 9.505-4.

In accordance with FAR 9.503, 9.504, and 9.506, the Government will evaluate OCI mitigation plans to avoid, neutralize, or mitigate potential OCI issues prior to award and determine whether it is in the Government’s interest to grant a waiver. The Government will only evaluate OCI mitigation plans for white papers that are deemed selectable under the BAA evaluation criteria and funding availability. The Government may require offerors to provide additional information to assist the Government in evaluating the offeror’s OCI mitigation plan. If the Government determines that an offeror failed to fully disclose an OCI, failed to provide additional information requested by the Government to assist in evaluating the offeror’s OCI mitigation plan, or that the conflict cannot be satisfactorily avoided or mitigated, the Government may reject the white paper and withdraw it from consideration for award.

In addition, SCO has a supplemental OCI policy prohibiting contractors/performers from concurrently providing Scientific Engineering Technical Assistance (SETA), Advisory and Assistance Services (A&AS), or similar support services and being a technical performer.

As part of the disclosure requirement above, an offeror must affirm whether the offeror or any proposed team member (sub-awardee, consultant) is providing SETA, A&AS, or similar support to any SCO program, project or activity under: (a) a current award or sub-award, or (b) a past award or sub-award that ended within one calendar year prior to the white paper’s submission date. If such support is being or was being provided to any SCO program, project, or activity, the submission must include:

o The name of the SCO project manager receiving the support;

o The prime contract number;

o Identification of proposed team member (sub-awardee, consultant) providing the support; and o An OCI mitigation plan in accordance with FAR 9.5.

B. Topics of Interest Calls

The Government will solicit submissions under this BAA via individual calls in one or more of the five topics of interest technical areas. Unsolicited submissions may or may not be reviewed at the sole discretion of the Government.

1. Posting

The Government will post calls and instructions via amendment to this BAA. Interested parties are encouraged to check www.sam.gov for updates and amendments.

http://www.sam.gov/

V. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS AND EVALUATION

Competitions under this BAA will generally consist of a white paper phase, a down-select, a proposal phase, and a final selection decision. Multiple awards may result from a call. The government may select none, all, part of, or a combination of submissions.

The Government, at its discretion, may include additional steps, such as rolling down-selects or oral presentations/pitches, as it deems reasonable, appropriate, and fair. When the Government anticipates an OT award, the Government may further deviate from the general selection process.

The Government will not pay for costs associated with the white paper, proposal, or additional steps such as a pitch unless otherwise stipulated.

An offeror may withdraw a white paper or proposal at any time prior to award by emailing the Awarding Agency Contact and Technical Point of Contact listed in Section I. Withdrawals are effective upon receipt by the Awarding Agency and Technical Points of Contact.

Submissions will not be returned. An electronic copy of each submission received will be retained at SCO and all other non-required copies destroyed. A certification of destruction may be requested, provided the formal request is received by SCO within 5 days after notification that a proposal was not selected. The Awarding Agency may retain a copy of all submissions.

SCO will accept both unclassified and classified submissions. Classified submissions should NOT be submitted through SCO's BAA Website (https://baa.sco.mil), although offerors will need to visit https://baa.sco.mil to register their organization (or verify an existing registration) to ensure the BAA office can verify and finalize the submission, and must use the BAA website to generate an unclassified cover page and control number to be included in any classified submission. White papers will not be accepted if submitted via Grants.gov.

Should an offeror wish to submit classified information, they should first submit an unclassified entry with an unclassified cover page on the BAA portal to generate a control number. That control number must be included in any classified submissions.

Offerors may indicate if they prefer a particular contracting approach (i.e., procurement contract or OT agreement) and why; however, the Government will have the final decision as to whether use of a particular authority is appropriate.

Offerors are responsible for clearly identifying proprietary information. Submissions containing proprietary information must have the cover page and each page containing such information clearly marked. Do not mark as “confidential.”

A. White Paper

White papers shall only address those technical areas solicited in the relevant call for submissions.

Those desiring to submit under multiple technical areas must submit separate white papers. There is no limit to how many white papers an entity may submit against the BAA’s five primary technical areas through its effective date. However, an entity may only submit one white paper per specific technical area per individual call for submissions. Nonconforming submissions may be rejected without further review.

1. Unclassified Submission

Unclassified white papers sent in response to this BAA shall be submitted via SCO’s BAA website (https://baa.sco.mil). Note: If an account has recently been created for the SCO BAA Website, this account may be reused. Accounts are typically disabled and eventually deleted following 75-90 days of inactivity – if you are unsure when the account was last used, it is recommended that you create a new account. If no account currently exists for the SCO BAA Website, visit the website to complete the two-step registration process.

Submitters will need to register for an Extranet account (via the form at the URL listed above) and wait for two separate e-mails containing a username and temporary password.

The “Password Reset” option at the URL listed above can be used if the password is not received in a timely fashion. After accessing the Extranet, submitters may then create an account for the SCO BAA website (via the "Register your Organization" link along the left side of the homepage), view submission instructions, and upload/finalize the submission.

Note: Even if a submitter’s organization has an existing registration, each user submitting a proposal must create their own Organization Registration.

Submission dates as well as dates for Q&As will be established in individual calls for submissions. Submissions received after the dates and times established in the call will not be reviewed. All unclassified submissions through SCO's BAA Website must be uploaded as zip archives (i.e., files with a .zip or .zipx extension). The final zip archive should be no greater than 100 MB in size. Only one zip archive will be accepted per submission – subsequent uploads for the same submission will overwrite previous uploads, and submissions not uploaded as zip archives will be rejected by SCO.

Offerors using the SCO BAA website may encounter heavy traffic on the submission deadline date; offerors should start this process as early as possible. Technical support for SCO's BAA Website may be reached at BAAT_Support_SCO@sco.mil, and is typically available during regular business hours (Monday-Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Eastern Time).

An identifying control number will be automatically generated by the SCO BAA website when a new submission is created. This control number must be included on the unclassified cover page. This control number must be included in any classified or Special Access Program (SAP) submissions as well. Overall tracking of all submissions will be via the SCO BAA website and through this control number.

Offerors submitting proposals involving the pursuit and protection of SCO information designated as CUI must have, or be able to acquire prior to contract or OT award, an information system authorized to process CUI information in accordance with National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-171 and DoDI 8582.01.

For unclassified proposals containing CUI, offerors will ensure personnel and information systems processing CUI security requirements are in place.

If an unclassified submission contains CUI or the suspicion of such, as defined by Executive Order 13556 and 32 CFR Part 2002, the information must be appropriately and conspicuously marked CUI in accordance with DoDI 5200.48.

2. Classified Submissions

At this time, SCO anticipates that proposals submitted in response to this BAA may generate or involve access to classified information. Classified submissions shall be transmitted and marked in accordance with the security classification guidance via a Security Classification Guide (SCG) and/or DD Form 254, “DoD Contract Security Classification Specification,” may be provided as an attachment to the BAA or may be provided at a later date.

If a submission contains Classified National Security Information or the suspicion of such, as defined by Executive Order 13526, the information must be appropriately and conspicuously marked with the proposed classification level and declassification date.

Submissions requiring SCO 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)”

NOTE: Classified submissions must indicate the classification level of not only the submitted materials, but also the classification level of the anticipated award.

Submissions containing both classified information and CUI must be appropriately and conspicuously marked with the proposed classification level as well as ensuring CUI is marked in accordance with DoDI 5200.48.

Offerors submitting classified information must have, or be able to obtain prior to contract or OT award, cognizant security agency approved facilities, information systems, and appropriately cleared/eligible personnel to perform at the classification level proposed. All offeror personnel performing Information Assurance (IA)/Cybersecurity related duties on classified Information Systems shall meet the requirements set forth in DoD Directive 8140 and DoD Manual 8140.03. For 8140 inquiries, please contact the DoD CIO Workforce Innovation Directorate at osd.mc-alex.dod.mbx.cyberspace-workforce-tag@mail.mil.

Offerors choosing to submit classified information from other collateral classified sources (i.e., sources other than SCO) must ensure (1) they have permission from an authorized individual at the cognizant Government agency (e.g., Contracting Officer, Program Manager); (2) the proposal is marked in accordance with the source SCG from which the material is derived; and (3) the source SCG is submitted along with the proposal.

When a proposal includes a classified portion, and when able according to security guidelines, offerors must send an email to sco.security@sco.mil and sco.baa@sco.mil as notification that there is a classified portion to the proposal. DO NOT SEND CLASSIFIED INFORMATION TO THESE MAILBOXES. SCO security and SCO BAA POCs will provide instructions for submitting classified portions of BAA white papers or proposals on a case-by-case basis depending on existing classified IT system access for the offeror.

Security classification guidance and guidance on the DD Form 254 will be provided in the event that an offeror intends to submit a classified white paper or classified proposal.

Successful offerors may be sponsored by SCO for access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI). Sponsorship must be aligned to an existing DD Form 254 where SCI has been authorized.

3. SAP information must be marked in accordance with DoDM 5205.07 Volume 4 and transmitted by specifically approved methods which will be provided by the Technical Office Program Security Officer (PSO) or their staff.

Offerors choosing to submit SAP information from an agency other than SCO are required to provide the SCO Technical Office Security written permission from the source material’s SAP materials cognizant program manager. For clarification regarding this process, contact the SCO security and the SCO BAA mailbox at sco.security@sco.mil and sco.baa@sco.mil respectively. DO NOT SEND CLASSIFIED OR SAP

INFORMATION TO THESE MAILBOXES.

Additional SAP security requirements regarding facility accreditations, information security, personnel security, physical security, operations security, test security, classified transportation plans, and program protection planning may be specified in the DD Form 254.

NOTE: All proposals containing SAP information must be processed on a SAP IT system that has received an Approval-to-Operate (ATO) from an applicable SAP IT Authorizing Official. If you intend to submit a classified (SAP and SCI included) proposal, contact sco.baa@sco.mil for specific instructions tailored to your use case.

SAP IT disposition procedures must be approved in accordance with current DCIO for SAP IT guidance.

mailto:sco.security@sco.mil mailto:sco.baa@sco.mil

4. Format and Content

White papers shall be in the following format:

o Single PDF formatted file as an email attachment, not to exceed 5 MB total, clearly labeled with the BAA number, offeror organization, and proposal title/proposal short title.

o Formatted for printing on 8-1/2- by 11-inch paper with 1-inch margins o Written in English with font size not smaller than 10-point. Smaller font sizes may be used for figures, tables, and charts. All monetary references shall be in U.S.

dollars.

o Include a cover sheet, technical approach, and quad chart.

o Total length of the technical approach shall not exceed 6 pages. Pages exceeding this limit will not be evaluated.

White Papers shall consist of a cover sheet and a technical approach.

The cover sheet shall reference this BAA number, the control number (generated within the BAA website upon new submission creation), include a white paper title and date submitted, and shall include the following:

o Technical area, including technical subcategory if applicable o Lead submitting organization o Type of submitting organization selected among the following (select only one):

Large Business, Small Disadvantaged Business, Other Small Business, HBCU, Minority Institution, Other Education, Other Nonprofit, Nontraditional Defense Contractor, Nonprofit Research Institution, or Traditional Defense Contractor o Other team members (if applicable) and type of organization for each o Technical and administrative points of contact, to include salutation, first and last name, address, telephone, and email o Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) cost, and the amount of cost share (if applicable) o Table of Contents

The technical approach shall not exceed 6 pages and shall include the following:

o Executive Summary, which shall describe:

Submitted concept and what makes it novel Anticipated benefit to the warfighter, described as quantitatively as possible Existing systems/subsystems or near-term technologies the concept employs How rapidly the concept can be fielded Cost and project cost across concept’s life cycle If proposing an optional prototype development and demonstration phase, how the anticipated warfighter benefits will be highlighted in a final demonstration

Plan to transition the technology to the research, industrial, and/or operational military communities in such a way to enhance US defense o Summary of Technical Approach Describe a 6-12-month Phase I study to demonstrate technical feasibility, potential for near-term fielding and operational utility of the proposed concept via detailed analysis, modeling, and simulation or other technical means. Identify major tasks, to include major milestones and deliverables.

Include a concise statement of project risk and mitigation strategies.

If proposing an optional Phase II prototype development and demonstration, include Phase II tasks, milestones, deliverables, risks and mitigation strategies o Intellectual Property (IP) A brief overview of IP management, to include IP that may be used in the conduct of the proposed effort, as well as ownership or possession of the appropriate licensing rights for the IP.

Include data assertions list in this volume o Capabilities and Management Plan

Provide a brief summary of the team’s expertise, including sub-awardees and key personnel. Although teaming arrangements need not be finalized at this stage, a discussion of potential teaming and/or collaboration arrangements is encouraged.

o Cost/Price and Schedule Table Provide a ROM for cost/price and notional schedule for development or prototyping of the concept within the DoD

The quad chart shall follow the template provided in Appendix A of this BAA.

B. Proposal

Based upon the Government’s evaluation detailed in Section VI, the Government may issue a request inviting an offeror to develop and submit a proposal.

Proposals must include a non-proprietary version of the proposed Work Statement. Do not put proprietary data or markings in these documents. It is recommended that offerors develop their proposed Work Statement so that each phase of the program is separately defined. Disjointed efforts should not be included in a single proposal. Nonconforming submissions may be rejected without further review. The Government requesting a proposal does not guarantee an award.

1. Submission

Submission instructions and applicable attachments will be provided in the proposal request.

The proposal shall reference HQ0034-SCO-24-BAA-0001 Proposal Submission [Control Number] [Topic Area] [descriptive title]. The proposal submission shall include both a Technical Section and a Cost/Price Section.

Offerors are responsible for clearly identifying proprietary information. Proposals containing proprietary information must have the cover page and each page containing such information clearly marked. Do not mark as “confidential.”

2. Format and Content

Proposals shall be in the following format:

o Formatted for printing on 8-1/2-inch by 11-inch paper with 1-inch margins o Font size not smaller than 10-point. Smaller font sizes may be used for figures, tables, and charts.

o Microsoft Excel spreadsheets shall be in a usable condition to aid the Government with its evaluation, with each appropriate cell, inputs, formulae, and calculations visible o All documents submitted in such condition to allow the Government to print and copy text, images, and other contents o Pages in excess of stated maximum page limits will not be reviewed

Proposals shall consist of two volumes: Technical and Management Proposal and a Cost/Price Proposal.

Volume I, Technical and Management Proposal must include the following:

Section I: Administrative (no maximum page count). Cover sheet, to include:

o BAA and call numbers o Technical area (and sub-area, if applicable) o Lead organization submitting proposal o Type of organization, selected among the following categories: Large Business, Small Disadvantaged Business, Other Small Business, HBCU, Minority Institution, Other Educational, or Other Nonprofit o Proposal title o Company/entity name, SAM UEI number and CAGE o Point of contact name, email address, phone, and address of any subcontractors or team members o Type of organization for all subcontractors or team members o Total funds requested, and amount of cost share (if any) o Date of submittal

Section II: Summary of Proposal (8 pages maximum)

Technical rationale, technical approach, and constructive plan for accomplishment of technical goals in support of innovative claims and deliverable creation. This section is the centerpiece of the proposal and should succinctly describe the uniqueness and benefits of the proposed approach relative to the current state-of-art alternate approaches. Deliverables associated with the proposed research and the plans and capability to accomplish technology transition and commercialization. Include in this section all proprietary claims to the results, IP, or systems supporting and/or necessary for the use of the research or results. Data assertions lists can be attached to this summary. Include a general discussion of other research in this area.

Include a clearly defined organization chart for the program team which includes, as applicable:

The programmatic relationship of team members The unique capabilities of team members The tasking and responsibilities of team members The teaming strategy among the team members The key personnel along with the amount of effort to be expended by each person during each year

Section III: Detailed Proposal Information (20 pages maximum, excluding Work Statement) o Proposed Work Statement The Work Statement should be developed so that each phase of the program is separately defined. Do not include any proprietary information in the Work Statement.

Clearly define the technical tasks/subtasks to be performed, their durations, and dependencies among them. For each task/subtask or activity, provide a general description of the objective and a detailed description of the approach to be taken to accomplish it.

Identify the primary organization responsible for task execution (prime, sub, team member, etc.)

Completion criteria for each task/activity, such as a product, milestone, or event

Define all deliverables (reports, data, software, etc.) to be provided to the Government in support of the proposed research tasks/activities

Clearly identify any tasks/subtasks that will be accomplished on-campus at a university, if applicable o Description of results, products, transferable technology, and expected technology transfer path to supplement information included in the summary in Section II.

This should address mitigation of life cycle and sustainment risks associated with transitioning IP for U.S. military applications, if applicable. (~3 pages) Detailed technical approach enhancing and completing Section II (~3 pages) Comparison with other ongoing research indicating advantages and disadvantages of the proposed effort (~2 pages) Discussion of previous accomplishments and work in closely related research areas (~2 pages) Description of security management architecture and/or approach for the proposed effort. Detail unique additional security requirements information system certification expertise for CUI or classified processing, OPSEC, program protection planning, test planning, transportation plans, work being performed at different classification levels, and/or utilizing test equipment not approved at appropriate classification level. (~3 pages)

Description of facilities that would be used for the proposed effort (if applicable) (~2 pages)

Detailed support enhancing Section II, including formal teaming agreements required to execute the project (if applicable) (~2 pages)

Provide description of milestone cost and accomplishments (~3 pages).

Volume II, Price or Cost Proposal must include the following:

Cover Sheet, to include:

o Proposed contract type (cost contract-no fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost sharing, etc.)

o Place(s) and period(s) of performance o Total proposed cost/price separated by basic award and option(s), if any o Name, address, telephone of the cognizant Defense Contract Management

Agency administration office and Defense Contract Audit Agency audit office (if known) o CAGE, TIN, and SAM UID o Sub-awardee information o Proposal validity period (minimum 90 days)

Additional Price or Cost Proposal Information

Include supporting cost and pricing information in sufficient detail to substantiate the summary cost estimates and include a description of the method used to estimate costs, as well as supporting documentation.

Detailed cost breakdown information includes, but is not limited to:

o Total program costs broken down by major cost items (direct labor, labor categories, subcontracts, material, other direct costs, overhead charges, etc.) and further broken down by task and phase o Itemization of major subcontracts and equipment purchases o Documentation supporting the reasonableness of proposed equipment costs (vendor quotes, past purchases, detailed engineering estimates, etc.) shall be provided o Itemization of any information technology purchase, as defined in

FAR 2.101

o Source, nature, and amount of any industry cost-sharing

D. Other Information

Pursuant to Section 8(d) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. § 637(d)) and FAR 19.702(a)(1), each offeror being considered for award of a negotiated procurement contract for R&D may be required to submit a subcontracting plan. If required, the plan format is outlined in FAR 19.704.

Offerors must complete the assertions table from DFARS 252.227-7017. If no restrictions are intended, the offeror should state “none.” The table below captures the requested information:

Technical Data Computer

Software To be Furnished With

Restrictions

Basis for Assertion

Asserted Rights Category

Name of Person Asserting

Restrictions

(LIST) (LIST) (LIST) (LIST)

Data assertions may be included as indicated in the above sections and they will not count toward the maximum page number.

The following provisions or clauses that apply to all procurement contracts include, but are not limited to:

- 52.203-18 Prohibition on Contracting with Entities that Require Internal Confidentiality Agreements or Statements – Representation

- 52.204-7 System for Award Management (unless an exception in 4.1102 applies)

- 52.204-13 System for Award Management Maintenance

- 52.204-23 Prohibition on Contracting for Hardware, Software, and Services Developed or

Provided by Kaspersky Lab and Other Covered Entities

- 52.204-24 Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance

Services or Equipment

- 52.204-25 Prohibition on Contracting for Certain Telecommunications and Video

Surveillance Services or Equipment

- 52.204-26 Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services – Representation

- 52.204-27 Prohibition on a ByteDance Covered Application

- 52.209-2 Prohibition on Contracting with Inverted Domestic Corporations –

Representation

- 52.209-10 Prohibition on Contracting with Inverted Domestic Corporations

- 52.209-11 Representation by Corporations Regarding Delinquent Tax Liability or a Felony

Conviction under any Federal Law

- 252.204-7003 Control of Government Personnel Work Product

- 252.204-7008 Compliance with Safeguarding Covered Defense Information Controls

- 252.204-7012 Safeguarding Covered Defense Information and Cyber Incident Reporting

- 252.204-7019 Notice of NIST SP 800-171

- 252.204-7020 NIST SP 800-171

In accordance with FAR 4.1102 and 4.1201, offerors must complete electronic annual representations and certifications at https://www.sam.gov/.

Solicitation provisions and clauses in the FAR and DFARS can be found at the following sites:

FAR: https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far DFARS: https://www.acquisition.gov/dfars

Class deviations to the FAR and DFARS can be found at:

https://www.acq.osd.mil/dpap/dars/class_deviations.html https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far https://www.acquisition.gov/dfars https://www.acq.osd.mil/dpap/dars/class_deviations.html

VI. EVALUATION CRITERIA

It is SCO’s policy to ensure impartial, equitable, comprehensive evaluations based on the evaluation criteria listed herein, and to select the source (or sources) whose proposal meets the Government’s technical, policy, and programmatic goals. White papers and proposals will not be evaluated against each other since they are not submitted in accordance with a common statement of work.

White papers and proposals that fail to comply with all requirements detailed in this BAA may be deemed non-conforming and removed from consideration.

A. White Paper Selection Criteria

The white paper submissions will be evaluated by a SCO technical subject matter expert (SME) and deemed as either an “Accept” or “Do Not Accept”. In reviewing a white paper for this selection determination, the SME will consider (1) whether the white paper sufficiently addresses an area of inquiry encompassed within one of the five Topics of Interest identified in Section III, above, (2) whether the white paper demonstrates sufficient scientific or technical merit for further review, and (3) whether the white paper aligns with SCO’s program priorities. A written response will be provided to the offeror with the selection determination within 45 days of receipt.

B. Proposal Evaluation

Proposals received for consideration will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

Overall scientific and technical merit o The proposed technical approach is innovative, feasible, achievable, and complete o The proposed technical team possesses the expertise and experience to accomplish the proposed tasks. Task descriptions are complete and in a logical sequence with proposed deliverables defined such that a final outcome that achieves the goal can be expected as a result of award. Major technical risks and planned mitigation efforts are clearly identified and feasible.

o The proposed approach addresses one of the five Topics of Interest, and its potential contribution and relevance is aligned to SCO’s program and funding priorities.

o The proposed approach outlines a capability that can be developed, tested, and delivered in no more than 3-5 years o Realism of proposed schedule o The proposed schedule aggressively pursues performance metrics in an efficient timeframe, accurately accounting for the anticipated workload and identifies and mitigates potential schedule risk o Capabilities and management plan o The offeror’s prior experience in similar efforts suggests an ability to deliver products that meet the proposed technical performance within the proposed budget and schedule. The team possesses the expertise to manage cost and schedule.

Similar efforts completed or ongoing are adequately described, including identification of Government sponsors.

o Plans and capability to accomplish technology transition o The offeror clearly demonstrates capability to transition the technology to the research, industrial, and/or operational military communities in such a way as to enhance US defense. Additionally, the evaluation will consider the extent to which the proposed IP rights structure will potentially impact the Government’s ability to transition the technology.

o Cost/Price o The proposed costs are realistic for the technical and management approach and accurately reflect the technical goals and objectives.

o The proposed costs are consistent with the offeror's Work Statement and reflect a sufficient understanding of the costs and level of effort needed to successfully accomplish the proposed technical approach.

o The costs for the prime offeror and proposed sub-awardees are substantiated by the details provided in the proposal (e.g., the type and number of labor hours proposed per task, the types and quantities of materials, equipment and fabrication costs, travel and any other applicable costs and the basis for the estimates).

Price analysis for procurement contracts will be conducted using the procedures under FAR 15.4, Contract Pricing. Cost realism and reasonableness shall be considered to the extent appropriate.

Price/cost reasonableness determinations will be conducted for OT agreements. The Government may obtain and consider, among other data, commercial pricing data, market data, parametric data, or cost information.

It is expected that the effort will leverage all available relevant prior research in order to obtain the maximum benefit from the available funding. For efforts with a likelihood of commercial application, appropriate direct cost sharing may be a positive factor in the evaluation. SCO recognizes that undue emphasis on cost may motivate offerors to offer low-risk ideas with minimum uncertainty and to staff the effort with junior personnel in order to be in a more competitive posture. SCO discourages such cost strategies.

At its discretion, SCO may request additional information to inform its selection decision.

Based on a successful proposal, the Government may engage in negotiations with the offeror. A successful proposal may result in a procurement contract or an OT, as the Government deems appropriate.

C. Notice

After completion of the white paper evaluation, offerors will be notified via email of the results as stated in Section VI.A. Debriefings for white paper evaluations will not be provided.

If a proposal is requested and evaluated, upon completion of the evaluation, the Government will notify the offeror via email to the offeror’s technical and/or administrative contact that (1) the proposal has been selected for funding pending award negotiations, (2) the proposal has not been selected for funding, or (3) the proposal has not been selected due to a limitation of funds. For proposals not selected due to a limitation of funds, the Government may, at its sole discretion and for a period of 365 days after notification of evaluation results, consider such proposals for funding pending award negotiations should funds become available.

Appendix A

Quad Chart Template