Amendment_1_to_2_Step_STAT_BAA_Call_004_Skyborg_SDA.pdf

AMENDMENT 1 TO CALL 004 SKYBORG SYSTEM DESIGN AGENT (SDA) UNDER

BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT (BAA) FA8650-17-S-6001

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FOR AUTONOMOUS TEAMMATES (STAT)

Purpose: This is an Amendment to the previously posted Call 004 for unclassified and publically releasable responses to questions from interested parties. This Amendment also updates the following sections:

Communication between Prospective Offerors and Government Representatives (p. 4)

IV. White Paper/Proposal and Submission Information (p. 17)

VII. Other Information (p. 25)

AF Points of Contact (POC) for Skyborg BAA:

For technical-specific questions:

(Proprietary Questions and Clarifications) AFRL.SDPE.Skyborg@us.af.mil AFRL.SPDE.Skyborg@mail.smil.mil

For contract-specific questions:

Primary Contact Mr. Mike Wafzig, Contracting Officer michael.wafzig@us.af.mil

Secondary Contact Ms. Shayla Wray, Contracting Officer shayla.wray@us.af.mil

Question and Answer Submissions:

1.) Is the $7.15M increment of funding for FY20 expected to cover the cost of design teams?

A: Currently, $7.15M has been allocated to fund the SDA through FY20. These funds are expected to cover SDA costs for approximately six months (Mar-Sep) while accomplishing tasks identified in Phase 0 (and potentially portions of Phase 1). These tasks are primarily focused on program planning and initialization. While a potential SDA may propose using some of the FY20 funds to begin contracting with design teams, additional funding is expected to be available for these activities during Phase 1. Robust responses will include the scope of work that can be accomplished within this initial budget, as well as details where additional funding, should it become available, would be allocated.

2.) Is the scope of the Phases identified in the call for white papers flexible?

A: Yes. The government is interested in proposed, justified modifications to the initial phased plan.

3.) Who is responsible for subcontracting to the design teams?

A: The Design teams’ customer is the SDA, not the government. Design teams will be chosen by and responsible to the SDA.

4.) Will additional feedback be provided for those companies that responded to the Skyborg CRFI per FBO posting #FA8650-19-S-9340?

A: Over the past 6 months, the Skyborg program has continued to evolve and align with the Air Force’s future operating concept and incorporated updated guidance from the Air Force Science and Technology 2030 Strategy, the Air Force Capabilities Development Council and numerous Air Force senior leaders. The original CRFI emphasized a holistic hardware and software solution that could be provided through a single prime integrator.

The current Call for White Papers focus is on modularizing the system into architecturally open hardware and software subcomponents. The system design agent concept is a new USG best practice to enable this rapid innovation and iterative designs -the SDA will be working alongside the government to develop an open, government-owned autonomy and mission-system foundation that can be transferred to a family of autonomous systems. The two requests emphasize related, but separate skillsets and, as such, the government will not be providing additional feedback to companies who responded to the April CRFI. However, we encourage all responders to the original CRFI who embrace the SDA concept to participate in this call or contribute as a subcontractor to the SDA.

5.) Can you please provide the definition of “prime vendor contracts?” Does “prime vendor contracts” relate to the platform provider only? In addition, would the Government entertain allowing the SDA lead to participate in a follow-on Skyborg integration production system program if there was an approved OCI plan in place that firewalled the performers on the SDA portion from the performers on the Production program?

A: To ensure no conflict of interest and focus the SDA on delivering a “Best of Breed” product to the government, the SDA will not be a prime competitor on a follow-on Skyborg integrated production system, unless specifically negotiated otherwise as part of this SDA effort. “Prime vendor contracts” refers to both future air vehicle platform and autonomy providers. This restriction does not extend to a future SDA sub-contractor role or to the SDA subcontractors as part of a Follow-on Skyborg Production effort. Note: A Skyborg SDA award does not commit the USG to a follow-on production program.

(End of Questions)

Call Updates:

Communication between Prospective Offerors and Government Representatives: Dialogue between prospective offerors and Government representatives is encouraged until submission of second step proposals. In the interest of fairness, transparency, and time constraints, it is requested questions concerning the Call be submitted in writing to the Skyborg email inbox:

AFRL/SDPE.Skyborg@us.af.mil. Non-proprietary questions and answers will be posted as Amendments for all prospective offerors to view. Communication with any of the points of contact shall not constitute a commitment by the Government to subsequently fund or award any proposed effort. Only Contracting Officers are legally authorized to commit the Government.

IV. White Paper / Proposal and Submission Information

3. Second Step (Proposal) Instructions: NOTE: The following information is provided for awareness of proposal expectations. The Air Force will specifically notify offerors for a request to submit a proposal. Additionally, the below information is subject to change. DO NOT SUBMIT PROPOSALS AT THIS TIME.

a. General Instructions:

Paragraph (1) is revised as set forth below:

(1) The SECOND STEP consists of offerors submitting a technical and cost proposal. To aid in generation of Proposals, the Government offers respondents who have been selected to receive an RFP the opportunity to meet with the Government Skyborg team for an RFP walkthrough. This visit is limited to one day only and may include visits to selected Government facilities at Wright Patterson AFB, OH. This opportunity is offered only once per respondent. Group size is limited to no more than eight people and all personnel are subject to security requirements necessary for visit requests. All respondent questions must be submitted in writing, no later than three days in advance of the meeting, to both the contracting and technical POCs listed in this Call. All non-proprietary questions and answers will be provided to all respondents selected to receive an RFP to view. After the RFP walkthrough, the Government will answer any non-proprietary questions sent to the Skyborg inbox within 72 hours and distribute those answers to all respondents. After 72 hours, the Government will not accept follow-up questions.

The selected respondents must notify the Government within five business days of selection notification if an RFP walkthrough is requested. The RFP walkthrough date will be scheduled based on Government availability and on a first-come first-served basis.

To accommodate the RFP walkthrough for each of the requested respondents, the proposal submittal timeframe is extended and now planned to be within 45 calendar days of the date of RFP.

After receipt, proposals will be evaluated in accordance with the award criteria in Section V. below. Proposals will be categorized and subsequently selected for negotiations.

VII. Other Information

2. Support Contractors: Only Government employees will evaluate proposals for selection.

However, offerors are advised that support contractor employees under contract to the Government may be used to administratively process proposals, provide expert advice regarding portions of the proposals, monitor contract performance, or perform other administrative duties requiring access to other contractors' proprietary information.

These support contracts include nondisclosure agreements prohibiting their contractor employees from disclosing any information submitted by other contractors or using such information for any purpose other than that for which it was furnished. By submission of its proposal, an offeror agrees that its proposal information may be disclosed to support contractors for the limited purposes stated above. Offerors who object to this arrangement shall provide clear notice of their objection as part of their white paper submission. If offerors do not send notice of objection to this arrangement, the Government shall assume consent to the use of support contractors in assisting the review of submittal(s) under this BAA Call. Only Government personnel shall make evaluation and award determinations under this BAA Call.