BAA FA8650-18-S-1201 Amd 07.pdf

2-Step Open Broad Agency Announcement Overview Information

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NAICS Code: The NAICS Code for this acquisition is 541715 (Research and Technology in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology), and the small business size standard is 1,000 employees.

Federal Agency Name: Air Force Research Laboratory, Sensors Directorate, Aerospace Components and Subsystem Technology Division (AFRL/RYD)

Broad Agency Announcement Title: Assured and Trusted Microelectronics Solutions (ATMS)

Broad Agency Announcement Type: Amendment 07

Broad Agency Announcement Number: FA8650-18-S-1201

THIS WILL BE A TWO-STEP SOLICITATION:

First Step: WHITE PAPER DUE DATE AND TIME: The BAA is open and effective until 29 November 2023. White papers will be considered if received any time prior to 29 November 2023 at 5:00pm EST. Only white papers are due at this time.

Second Step: PROPOSAL DUE DATE AND TIME: To be provided in the Requests for Proposals sent to offerors that submit White Papers considered to meet the needs of the Air Force.

NOTE: White Paper/proposal receipt after the due date and time shall be governed by the provisions of FAR 52.215-1(c)(3). It should be noted that this installation observes strict security procedures to enter the facility. These security procedures are NOT considered an interruption of normal Government processes, and proposals received after the above stated date and time as a result of security delays will be considered “late.”

Furthermore, note that if offerors utilize commercial carriers in the delivery of proposals, they may not honor time-of-day delivery guarantees on military installations. Be advised, if the U.S. Postal Service is used, this building only receives U.S. Postal Mail twice a week and delivery by that means may not meet the proposal due date and time established herein. Early white paper/proposal submission is encouraged.

Submission: White Papers must be submitted to Taylor Zimmerman, taylor.zimmerman.2@us.af.mil and carbon copied to Omar Eldadah, omar.eldadah@us.af.mil and Angelica Hibbert,angelica.hibbert@us.af.mil.

mailto:taylor.zimmerman.2@us.af.mil mailto:omar.eldadah@us.af.mil mailto:angelica.hibbert@us.af.mil

Solicitation Request: Air Force Research Laboratory, Sensors Directorate, Aerospace Components and Subsystem Technology Division (AFRL/RYD), Wright- Patterson Air Force Base is soliciting white papers on the research effort described below. Offerors should be alert for any BAA amendments that may alter the technical objectives or that may change the white paper submission date.

System for Award Management (SAM) Registration: FAR 52.204-7, System for Award Management (SAM) (JUL 2013), and DFARS 252.204-7004, Alternate A, System for Award Management (SAM) (FEB 2014) are included by reference. SAM is the primary Government repository for prospective federal awardee information and the centralized Government system for certain contracting, grants, and other assistance related processes. It replaces CCR/FedReg, On-line Representations and Certifications (ORCA) and the Excluded Parties Lists System (EPLS). By submission of an offer, the offeror acknowledges the requirement that a prospective awardee shall be registered in the SAM database prior to award, during performance, and through final payment of any contract, basic agreement, basic ordering agreement, or blanket purchasing agreement resulting from this solicitation. Contractors may obtain information on registration and annual confirmation requirements via the SAM accessed through https://www.acquisition.gov or by calling 866-606-8220.

Type of Contract/Instrument: The Air Force reserves the right to award the instrument best suited to the nature of research proposed. Accordingly, the Government may award any appropriate contract type under the FAR or Other Transaction (OT) for Prototype, grant, cooperative agreement, or OT for Research.

The Air Force may also consider award of an appropriate technology transfer mechanism if applicable. It is anticipated that awards under this BAA will generally be Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF). Cost reimbursement contracts require successful offerors to have an accounting system considered adequate for tracking costs applicable to the contract.

Estimated Program Cost: The total program value is $299,950,000 with multiple awards ranging from $2,000,000 to $20,000,000 (the Government reserves the right to exceed this amount if necessary).

Anticipated Number of Awards: The Air Force anticipates awarding multiple awards for this announcement. However, the Air Force reserves the right to award zero, one, or more contracts for all, some or none of the solicited effort based on the offeror’s ability to perform desired work and funding fluctuations.

Brief Program Summary: Research and Development for Trust solutions that broaden the utility of commercial technology and ensure robust performance of DoD systems within the following seven (7) research areas:

1. Design Assurance: Innovative design, manufacturing, imaging, tagging, control and assessment approaches for protecting DoD’s microelectronics supply chain and IP.

2. FPGA Assurance: Mechanisms to provide assurances for COTS FPGAs at the hardware, bit stream, and software levels to enable a comprehensive FPGA assurance framework across the lifecycle of the FPGA.

3. Validation and Verification: Test and verification methodologies in support of verifying the trust and assurance of components and systems.

4. Enhanced Fabrication: Advanced node microelectronics fabrication and packaging capabilities at existing foundries.

5. DoD Unique Needs: Innovative design, manufacturing and assessment approaches for trusted, strategic radiation-hardened electronics and specialized non-CMOS radio frequency & optoelectronic components.

6. Microelectronics Supply Chain Security: Novel mechanisms for traceability, threat analysis, or risk data associated with commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) microelectronics devices.

7. Other: Assured and Trusted Microelectronic Solution ideas not covered above.

*The Complete Statement of Objectives (SOO) is Attachment 6 to this BAA.

Communication Between Prospective Offerors and Government Representatives: The acquisition team intends to manage communications in a manner best designed to facilitate optimal proposals while not providing any unfair competitive advantage or encouraging a protest. Technical communications will be managed by the Program Engineer (PM), Mr. Kevin McCamey, under guidelines established by the Contracting Officer, Ms. Angelica Hibbert. Open communication is encouraged up to the receipt of the white papers. Responses from the PM will not provide any unfair competitive advantage and no guidance related to technical approach will be given. However, questions related to the objectives of the effort, or prior similar efforts will be answered. If there is any doubt as to whether a response provides a competitive advantage, the answer will be posted publicly for all contractors to review. Dialogue between prospective offerors and Government representatives is encouraged until submission of proposals. Discussions 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.

Address technical questions to the Technical POC: Kevin McCamey, AFRL/RYDT, 2241 Avionics Circle, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433, 937-371-3677, Kevin McCamey@us.af.mil.

Address contracting questions to the Contracting POC: Omar Eldadah, AFRL/RYKSE, Bldg 45, 2130 8th St., Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433-7541, 937- 713-9938, omar.eldadah@us.af.mil

Or

Angelica Hibbert, AFRL/RYKSE, Bldg 45, 2130 8th St., Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433-7541, 937-713-5642, angelica.hibbert@us.af.mil

Full Text Announcement

I. Program Description: Assured and Trusted Microelectronics Solutions

Air Force Research Laboratory, Sensors Directorate, Aerospace Components and Subsystems Technology Division (AFRL/RYD), is soliciting white papers (and later technical and cost proposals) on the following research effort:

1. Statement of Objective/Description of Technical Area(s): See

Statement of Objectives (SOO) (Attachment 6). White papers may be submitted addressing any of the technical areas found in the SOO.

2. Within Scope Modifications: Potential offerors are advised that due to the inherent uncertainty of research and development efforts, awards resulting from this announcement may be modified during performance to make within scope changes, to include but not limited to, modifications which increase overall contract ceiling amount.

3. Deliverable Items:

a. Data Items: See attached DD Form 1423-1 CDRLS (Attachment 5).

b. Software: Software deliverables to be determined (TBD) based on proposal, if applicable.

c. Hardware: Hardware deliverables to be determined (TBD) based on proposal, if applicable.

4. Schedule:

a. Overall effort: Approximately 12-36 months period of performance per contract award.

b. Data Items: Specified on individual CDRL(s)

c. Software: Software deliverables date to be determined (TBD), if applicable.

d. Hardware: Hardware deliverables date to be determined (TBD), if applicable.

5. Other Requirements:

a. This announcement incorporates FAR and supplement provisions and clauses by reference. The full text of provisions and clauses can be found at http://farsite.hill.af.mil/

b. Program Security Classification: This effort may require a SECRET facility clearance and SECRET safeguarding capability. A solicitation-ready DD254 is included as Attachment 4. See DD254 -- Offerors must verify their Cognizant Security Office information is current with Defense Security Service (DSS) at www.dss.mil. No classified White Papers are being received at this time.

http://farsite.hill.af.mil/ http://www.dss.mil/

c. OPSEC: See the attached SOO for OPSEC Guidance.

d. Export Control: Information involved in this research effort may be subject to Export Control (International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR) 22 CFR 120-131, or Export Administration Regulations (EAR) 15 CFR 710- 774). If effort is subject to export control then Certified DD Form 2345, Militarily Critical Technical Data Agreement, will be required to be submitted with proposal.

e. Export-Controlled Items: As prescribed by DFARS 225.7901-4, DFARS 252.225-7048, “Export-Controlled Item (JUN 2013)” is contained in this solicitation. This clause shall be contained in ALL solicitations and resulting contracts.

f. Organization Conflict of Interest (OCI): In order to mitigate any potential OCI (per FAR Subpart 9.5), AFFARS provisional clause 5352.209-9001 is incorporated below and AFFARS clause 5352.209-9000 will be added to any resultant contract(s). If an OCI is anticipated, contractor should provide appropriate mitigation plan for Government review as part of their Business Proposal.

5352.209-9001 Potential Organizational Conflict of Interest (Oct 2010)

(a) There is potential organizational conflict of interest (see FAR Subpart 9.5, Organizational and Consultant Conflicts of Interest) due to the potential of the contractor to gain access to another contractor’s proprietary information during contract performance. Accordingly:

(1) Restrictions are needed to protect the proprietary information and prevent the contractor from an unfair competitive advantage in concurrent or future acquisitions. The applicable time period for this restriction is during contract performance.

(2) As a part of the proposal, the offeror shall provide the Contracting Officer with complete information of previous or ongoing work that is in any way associated with the contemplated acquisition.

(b) If award is made to the offeror, the resulting contract may include an organizational conflict of interest limitation applicable to subsequent Government work, at either a prime contract level, at any subcontract tier, or both. During evaluation of proposals, the Government may, after discussions with the offeror and consideration of ways to avoid the conflict of interest, insert a special provision in the resulting contract which shall disqualify the offeror from further consideration for award of future contracts.

(c) The organizational conflict of interest clause included in this solicitation may be modified or deleted during negotiations.

6. Other Information:

a. Government Furnished Property (GFP) Availability: Government Furnished Property (GFP) is not anticipated but may be available if the use of such GFP is found to be in the best interest of the Government.

Appropriate clauses are included in model contract.

b. Base Support/Network access is not anticipated to be made available under this contract. If contractor determines use of available base support to be in their best interest, it must be included as such in the paper and proposal. Use of available base support will not be assumed during technical review unless proposed. If it is determined to apply, language is in SOW Supplemental Requirements Document (Attachment 7).

c. Multiple awards subject to Fair Opportunity are not anticipated.

d. Data Rights Desired:

(1) Technical Data: Unlimited Rights

(2) Non-Commercial Software (NCS): Unlimited Rights desired.

Delivery/incorporation/use of proprietary software or technical data, in whole or in part, will be considered, but must be clearly identified with its proposed particular use(s). Conditions and costs for government to have unlimited rights should be included along with providing possible nonproprietary alternatives in any areas that might present transition difficulties or increased risk or cost to the Government under the proposed proprietary solution.

(3) NCS Documentation: Unlimited Rights

(4) Commercial Computer Software Rights: Customary License

The Air Force Research Laboratory is engaged in the discovery, development, and integration of warfighting technologies for our air, space, and cyberspace forces. As such, rights in technical data and NCS developed or delivered under this contract are of significant concern to the Government. The Government will therefore carefully consider any restrictions on the use of technical data, NCS, and NCS documentation which could result in transition difficulty or less-than full and open competition for subsequent development of this technology.

In exchange for paying for development of the data, the Government expects technical data, NCS, and NCS documentation developed entirely at Government expense to be delivered with Unlimited Rights.

Technical data, NCS, and NCS documentation developed with mixed funding are expected to be delivered with at least Government Purpose Rights. Offers that propose delivery of technical data, NCS, or NCS documentation subject to Government Purpose Rights should fully explain how the data was developed at private expense. Specifically, offers must explain what technical data, NCS, or NCS documentation developed with costs charged to indirect cost pools and/or costs not allocated to a Government contract will be incorporated, how the incorporation will benefit the program, and address whether those portions or processes are segregable.

Offerors that propose delivery of technical data, NCS, or NCS documentation subject to Limited Rights, Restricted Rights, or Specifically Negotiated License Rights will be considered. Proposals should fully explain what technical data, NCS, or NCS documentation developed with costs charged to indirect cost pools and/or costs not allocated to a Government contract will be incorporated and how the incorporation will benefit the program and whether those portions or processes are segregable.

Offerors shall include the data rights assertions as required by DFARS 252.227-7017, Identification and Assertion of Restrictions on the Government’s Use, Release, or Disclosure of Technical Data or Computer Software. The assertions list is included in Section K and due at time of proposals. Assertions must be completed with specificity. Each assertion must identify both the data and each such item, component, or process listed. Nonconforming assertions lists will be rejected.

Terms used in this section are defined in the clauses at 252.227-7013, Rights in Technical Data-Noncommercial Items, and 252.227-7014, Rights in Noncommercial Computer Software and Noncommercial Computer Software Documentation.

THIRD PARTY SOFTWARE (COMMERCIAL AND NONCOMMERCIAL):

DFARS 252.227-7014(d) describes requirements for incorporation of third party computer software. Any third party software (commercial and noncommercial) to be incorporated into a deliverable must be clearly identified in the proposal. Prior to delivery of any third party software, the contractor will obtain an appropriate license for the Government, and the written approval of the contracting officer.

Any third party software to be delivered to the Government that are not reasonably identifiable at proposal submission, must still be approved by the contracting officer prior to incorporation into a system deliverable.

This obligation to obtain pre-approval by the contracting officer, as described above, continues throughout contract administration.

The Government will neither accept nor execute a DD Form 250 for the software deliverables until the Contractor obtains from all third party software suppliers and/or vendors (Licensor) licenses that comply with the following terms and conditions for the Government (Licensee):

1. The license shall not subject the Government to liability that is indefinite or indeterminate, such as an indemnification clause, as it would constitute an obligation in advance or in excess of an appropriation and violate the Anti-Deficiency Act.

2. The license shall not create a contingent liability for the Government.

This includes, but is not limited to: unilateral price increases, automatic assessment of charges, and automatic renewal of the license.

3. The license shall be governed by Federal Statutes, Case Law, and Federal Regulations, and shall not be subject to the laws or jurisdiction of any municipality, state, or foreign country.

4. The license shall not include non-substitution language that would preclude or limit the Government from using another vendor/reseller and/or product to fulfill Government requirements.

5. The license shall not comment on entitlement to attorney fees.

6. The Licensor shall not have the authority to unilaterally terminate the license. All remedies available shall be consistent with the Disputes Clause in the underlying basic contract.

7. The Licensor shall not have the right to enter the premise or monitor the networks of Licensee for the purpose of auditing the use of the license.

8. The Licensor shall not use any injunctive relief clauses as the Licensor cannot prevent the Licensee from performing mission operations.

9. The Licensor shall not have the authority to control any litigation between a third party and the Licensee.

10. The Licensor shall not use the fact that the Licensee is using the Licensor's products in any notification to the public (e.g., no publicity rights permitted).

Additionally, the Contractor may be required to obtain licenses that comply with the following terms and conditions, based on the Government’s needs:

1. The license shall not disclaim all warranties through use of an “as is” provision.

2. The license shall neither restrict the Government from using the product at various sites nor limit use of the product by various Government agencies or third parties performing work on behalf of the Air Force under the ATMS Program. In performance of the ATMS Program, Government personnel as well as Government contractors may use the software.

3. The license shall not limit the Government’s use of the software at other Government and Government contractor sites.

4. The license shall not require automatic updates or give Licensor the authority to unilaterally replace the software.

5. The Licensee shall not be restricted from copying or embedding elements of accessible code into other applications (e.g., nesting code, derivative works).

The Contractor may obtain agreement from the Licensor to insert the clause below to its respective software licenses intended to be transferred to the Government:

“In the event that any of the provisions of the [Software License] are determined to be inconsistent with Federal law and/or do not otherwise satisfy the Government's needs, the parties to the [Software License] hereby agree that such provisions shall be null and void as they pertain to the Government. Specifically, the following sections are hereby deleted from the [Software License] [and/or amended as indicated below]:

[Section X: deleted; Section Y: amended as follows […]”

If the Licensor will not agree to the terms and conditions cited herein and/or as contained in DFARS 227.72, the Contractor shall retain the current license on behalf of and for the benefit of the US Government if permissible under its license and such use will not subject the Government to the terms of the license.

The Contractor shall provide documentation to clearly correlate or map software license(s) to:

a) Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINS);

b) Contract Deliverables (CDRLS);

c) Paragraphs in the statement of work (SOW); and

d) Portions of any functional block diagrams and/or system architecture diagrams, so that it can be readily determined where certain commercial software corresponding to certain software license agreement(s) are physically located on the system to be delivered under the contract.

II. Award Information

1. Anticipated Award Date: Award dates will vary. White papers will be accepted for review through 29 November 2023.

2. Anticipated funding for the program, not per contract:

FY 18 FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 Total $8.75M $26.5M $53.5M $57.2M $51.5M $51.5M $51.0M $299.95M

This funding profile is an estimate only and not a contractual obligation for funding. All funding is subject to change due to Government discretion and availability. Potential offerors should be aware that due to unanticipated budget fluctuations funding in any or all areas may change with little or no notice.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Offeror: This is an unrestricted solicitation. Small businesses are encouraged to propose.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching: Cost Sharing is not required, but is allowed.

3. Federally Funded Research and Development Centers: The following guidance is provided for Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) contemplating submitting a proposal, as either a prime or subcontractor. FAR 35.017-1(c)(4) prohibits an FFRDC from competing with any non-FFRDC concern in response to a Federal agency request for proposal for other than the operation of an FFRDC (with exceptions stated in DFARS 235.017-1(c)(4)). There is no regulation prohibiting an FFRDC from responding to a solicitation. However, the FFRDC’s sponsoring agency must first make a determination that the effort being proposed falls within the purpose, mission, general scope of effort, or special competency of the FFRDC, and that determination must be included in the FFRDC’s proposal. In addition, AFRL must make a determination that the work proposed would not place the FFRDC in direct competition with domestic private industry. Only after these determinations are made, would a determination be made concerning the FFRDC’s eligibility to receive an award.

4. Government Agencies: If a Government agency is interested in performing work, contact the Program Manager identified in the BAA. If those discussions result in a mutual interest to pursue your agency's participation, the effort will be pursued independent of this announcement.

5. Other:

a. Foreign Participation: Foreign participation is authorized.

b. Notice to Foreign-Owned Firms: Such firms are asked to immediately notify the Contracting Officer before deciding to respond to this announcement. Foreign contractors should be aware that restrictions might apply which could preclude their participation in this acquisition.

c. This acquisition involves data that are subject to export control laws and regulations. Only contractors who are registered and certified with the Defense Logistics Services Center (DLSC) and have a legitimate business purpose may participate in this solicitation. Contact the Defense Logistics http://www.dlis.dla.mil/jcp/

Services Center, 74 Washington Avenue N., Battle Creek, Michigan 40917-3084 (1-800-352-3572) for further information on the certification process. You must submit a copy of your approved DD Form 2345, Militarily Critical Technical Data Agreement, with your proposal.

d. There are no limits on the number of white papers/proposals an offeror may submit.

e. You may be ineligible for award if all requirements of this solicitation are not met on the white paper (and later proposal) due date as identified above.

IV. White Paper / Proposal and Submission Information

1. Overview: This Announcement consists of a Two-Step Process described in detail below. White Papers/Proposals submitted shall be in accordance with this announcement. There will be no other solicitation issued in regard to this requirement. The Government intends to review white papers/proposals and award some, all, or none of the proposals received without negotiation/discussion; however, the Government reserves the right to negotiate with those offeror(s) whose proposal is selected for funding.

ONLY WHITE PAPERS ARE BEING SOLICITED AT THIS TIME.

Offerors should be alert for any BAA amendments that may permit extensions to the white paper submission date.

For additional information, a copy of the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) Guide for Industry is located at http://www.wpafb.af.mil/Portals/60/documents/afrl/AFRL-broad-agency-announcement-guide.pdf?

Note: Assistance Instruments are not anticipated with this BAA. However, if an offeror identifies a public interest within their white paper submission, an Assistance Instrument may be contemplated. If an offeror’s white paper identifies such a public interest and is of interest to the Government, instructions for the proper submittal of an Assistance Instrument will be provided with the second step Request for Proposal (RFP).

2. First Step (White Paper) Instructions:

a. General: The FIRST STEP requests a white paper and a rough order of magnitude (ROM) cost. The white paper shall include a discussion of the nature and scope of the research and the offeror’s proposed technical approach. The Government will review the white papers in accordance with the FIRST STEP Peer or Scientific Review criteria, set forth in Section http://www.wpafb.af.mil/Portals/60/documents/afrl/AFRL-broad-agency-announcement-guide.pdf http://www.wpafb.af.mil/Portals/60/documents/afrl/AFRL-broad-agency-announcement-guide.pdf

V below. Based on this review, the Government will determine which of them have the potential to best meet the Air Force’s needs. Offerors will be notified of the disposition of their white paper. It is anticipated that Government review of the white papers submitted will take 30 working days. Those offerors submitting white papers assessed as meeting Air Force needs will be asked to submit a technical and cost proposal. Those offerors not requested to submit a technical and cost proposal will be notified but may, however, still elect to submit a technical and cost proposal. An offeror submitting a proposal without first submitting a white paper will not be eligible for an award. The cost of preparing white papers in response to this Solicitation is not considered an allowable direct charge to any resulting or any other contract; however, it may be an allowable expense to the normal bid and proposal indirect cost as specified in FAR 31.205-18.

b. Page Limitation: The White Paper shall be limited to 5 pages, prepared and submitted in Word format. Font shall be standard 10-point business font Arial. Character spacing must be “normal,” not condensed in any manner. Pages shall be double-spaced (must use standard double-space function in Microsoft Word), double-sided (each side counts as one page),

8.5 by 11 inches, with at least one-inch margins on both sides, top and bottom. All text, including text in tables and charts, must adhere to all font size and line spacing requirements listed herein. Font and line spacing requirements do not have to be followed for illustrations, flowcharts, drawings, and diagrams. These exceptions shall not be used to circumvent formatting requirements and page count limitations by including lengthy narratives in such items. Pages shall be numbered starting with the cover page being Page 1, and the last page being no greater than Page 5. The page limitation covers all information including indices, photographs, foldouts (counted as 1 page for each 8.5 by 11 portion) tables, charts, appendices, attachments, resumes, etc. The Government will not consider pages in excess of these limitations.

Offerors should submit White Papers via e-mail to Taylor Zimmerman, taylor.zimmerman.2@us.af.mi and carbon copied to Omar Eldadah, omar.eldadahmailto: andAngelica Hibbert, angelica.hibbert@us.af.mil.

c. Format: The white paper will be formatted as follows:

(1) Section A: BAA Number, Title of Program, Research Topic Area, Name of Company, Business Size, Company’s Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) number, Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number, Contracting POC and Technical POC with appropriate telephone numbers, fax numbers, and email addresses for the POCs. Add the following information for classified submissions: Classified level at which company is cleared, contactor address for forwarding classified material (name, address, zip code), cognizant security office (name, address, zip code), and offeror’s security officer’s name and telephone number.

(2) Section B: Period of Performance and Task Objectives;

(3) Section C: Technical Summary and Proposed Deliverables; and mailto:taylor.zimmerman.2@us.af.mi mailto:

(4) Section D: Cost of Task (Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM)).

d. Technical Portion: The technical portion of the white paper shall include a discussion of the nature and scope of the research and the offeror’s proposed technical approach/solution. It may also include any proposed deliverables. Resumes, descriptions of facilities and equipment, a proposed Statement of Work are not required at this point.

e. Cost Portion: The cost portion of the white paper shall include a ROM cost estimate. No detailed price or cost support information should be forwarded; only a time-phased bottom line figure should be provided.

f. Other Information: Multiple white papers within the purview of this announcement may be submitted by each offeror. If the offeror wishes to restrict its white papers, they must be marked with the restrictive language stated in FAR 52.215-1(e).

g. White Paper/Proposal Content Summary: You may be ineligible for award if all requirements of this solicitation are not met on the proposal due date.

3. Second Step (Proposal) Instructions:

a. General Instructions:

(1) The SECOND STEP consists of offerors submitting a technical and cost proposal within 30 working days of the proposal request. After receipt, proposals will be reviewed in accordance with the award criteria in Section V. below. Proposals will be categorized and subsequently selected for negotiations.

(2) Offerors should apply the restrictive notice prescribed in FAR 52.215- 1(e) Instructions to Offerors—Competitive Acquisition. Offerors should consider proposal instructions contained in the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) Guide for Industry, which can be accessed on line at http://www.wpafb.af.mil/Portals/60/documents/afrl/AFRL-broad-agency-announcement-guide.pdf?

This guide is specifically designed to assist the offeror in understanding the BAA proposal process.

(3) Technical/management and cost/business volumes should be submitted in separate volumes and must be valid for 180 days.

(4) Proposals must reference the announcement number FA8650-18-S- 1201.

(5) Offerors must submit one electronic copy of their proposals to the Taylor Zimmerman, taylor.zimmerman.2@us.af.milBrooke Jett, brooke.jett.ctr@us.af.mil and carbon copied toOmar Eldadah, omar.eldadah@us.af.mil and Angelica Hibbert, angelica.hibbert@us.af.mil http://www.wpafb.af.mil/Portals/60/documents/afrl/AFRL-broad-agency-announcement-guide.pdf http://www.wpafb.af.mil/Portals/60/documents/afrl/AFRL-broad-agency-announcement-guide.pdf mailto:brooke.jett.ctr@us.af.mil

(6) Offerors must include the cost file(s) spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel and include the formulas for calculating cost element bases (i.e., G&A, O/H, etc.)

(7) Offerors are advised that only Contracting Officers are legally authorized to contractually bind or otherwise commit the Government.

(8) The cost of preparing proposals in response to this BAA is not considered an allowable direct charge to any resulting or any other contract; however, it may be an allowable expense to the normal bid and proposal indirect cost as specified in FAR 31.205-18.

b. Technical/Management Proposal:

(1) Page Limitations: The following describes proposal page limitations:

a) The Technical/Management Proposal shall be limited to 30 pages.

Technical/Management proposals and Statements of Work must be provided in Microsoft Word. Signed pages may be submitted in Adobe.

b) Font shall be standard 10-point business font Arial.

c) Character spacing must be “normal,” not condensed in any manner.

d) Pages shall be double-spaced (must use standard double-space function in Microsoft Word), double sided (each side counts as one page), 8.5 by 11 inches, with at least one-inch margins on both sides, top and bottom.

e) All text, including text in tables and charts, must adhere to all font size and line spacing requirements listed herein. Font and line spacing requirements do not have to be followed for illustrations, flowcharts, drawings, and diagrams. These exceptions shall not be used to circumvent formatting requirements and page count limitations by including lengthy narratives in such items.

f) Pages shall be numbered starting with the cover page being Page 1, and the last page being no greater than Page 30. The page limitation covers all information including indices, photographs, foldouts (counted as 1 page for each 8.5 by 11 portion) tables, charts, appendices, attachments, resumes, etc.

g) The proposal page limit does not include the offeror’s proposed Statement of Work (SOW); however, the same formatting rules apply to the SOW, which is limited to 10 pages.

h) Please Note: The Government will check the proposal and SOW for conformance to the stated requirements. Any pages in excess of the stated page limitation after the format check will not be considered for review purposes.

i) Proposals shall include a quad chart using the template shown below:

(2) The Technical/Management proposal(s) shall include a discussion of the nature and scope of the research and the technical approach.

Additional information on prior work in this area, descriptions of available equipment, use of base support (if desired), data and facilities and resumes of personnel who will be participating in this effort should also be included as attachments to the technical proposal. These volumes shall include a SOWs detailing the technical tasks proposed to be accomplished under the proposed effort and suitable for contract incorporation. Do not include any proprietary information in the SOW. Refer to the BAA Guide for Industry referenced above to assist in SOW preparation.

(3) Any questions concerning the technical proposal or SOW preparation shall be referred to the Technical or Contracting POC.

c. Cost/Business Proposal:

Project Title Lead Organization/PI/Total budget/List of Subs

Innovative Claims:

• What is the problem? Why is the solution challenging?

• How is it done today, and what are the limits of current practice?

• What is unique about your approach? Why will it succeed?

• Include a graphic that summarizes the proposed effort if supportive.

Technical Area and Impact:

• Which technical area does this proposal address?

• List the proposed performance goals and timeline as quantitative metrics.

• What is the potential impact of the proposed effort?

• What is potential technology transition strategy?

• List potential transition partners within DoD and/or commercial industry.

Technical Rationale and Approach(es):

• What are you trying to do? Articulate objectives using minimal jargon.

• Outline plans to accomplish proposed technical goals.

• What enabling technology is needed for this technology approach? What are the major technical risk elements and how do you plan to address/mitigate them?

• Include a figure that captures the technical approach if supportive.

Team organization, funding profile, schedule, key milestone/deliverables:

• Describe proposed team organization and responsibilities

• List funding profile

• Provide high level schedule highlighting key technical milestones and deliverables

Team Logos http://www.afrl.af.mil/contract/default.htm http://www.afrl.af.mil/contract/default.htm

(1) Separate the proposal into a business section and cost section.

a) See Attachment 1 for the Model Contract. Note that the document awarded may include contract line items (CLINs)/clauses/articles in addition to those in the model(s), and/or some of the CLIN/clauses/articles in the model(s) may be deleted, depending on the specific circumstances of the individual award. Any additions or deletions will be negotiated with the offeror prior to award.

b) The business section should contain all business aspects to the proposed contract, such as type of contract, any exceptions to terms and conditions of the announcement including the model contract, any information not technically related, etc. Provide rationale for exceptions.

c) Associate Contractor Agreements: Associate Contractor Agreements (ACAs) are agreements between contractors working on Government contracts that require them to share information, data, technical knowledge, expertise, or resources. The contracting officer may require ACAs when contractors working on separate Government contracts must cooperate, share resources or otherwise jointly participate in working on contracts or projects. Prime contractor to subcontractor relationships do not constitute ACAs.

For each award, the contracting officer will identify associate contractors with whom agreements are required.

d) Identify any technical data that will be delivered with less than unlimited rights.

e) Subcontracting Plans: For efforts to exceed $700,000, Subcontracting Plans shall be submitted in the cost/business proposal. Reference FAR 19.704, DFARS 219.704, and AFFARS 5319.704(a)(1) for subcontracting plan requirements. Small business concerns are exempt from this requirement.

f) Limitations on Pass-Through Charges: As prescribed in FAR 15.408(n)(1) & 15.408(n)(2), provisions 52.215-22, “Limitations on Pass Through Charges- Identification of Subcontract Effort (Oct 2009),” apply.

g) Completed Certifications and Representations (Section K) are due with the proposal. Certifications and Representations (Section K) can be found at Attachment 2. Offerors may also be required to submit updated or supplemental Certifications and Representations based on the specifics of their proposal.

h) If an offeror proposes the use of Government Furnished Property (GFP), other than GFP identified in the BAA, the offer must specifically identify each piece of GFP in the Cost/Business Proposal and propose and substantiate a rental cost for evaluation purposes in accordance with FAR 45.202. Include the following information in the proposal:

(i) A list describing all Government property that the offeror or its subcontractors propose to use on a rent-free basis. The list shall identify the accountable contract under which the property is held and the authorization for its use (from the contracting officer having cognizance of the property);

(ii) The dates during which the property will be used and, for any property that will be used concurrently in performing two or more contracts, the amounts of the respective uses in sufficient detail to support prorating the rent;

(iii) The amount of rent that would otherwise be charged in accordance with FAR 52.245-9, Use and Charges; and

(iv) The voluntary consensus standard or industry leading practices and standards to be used in the management of Government property, or existing property management plans, methods, practices, or procedures for accounting for property.

(2) Cost Element Breakdown: Clear, concise, and accurate cost proposals reflect the offeror's financial plan for accomplishing the effort contained in the technical proposal. As a part of its cost proposal, the offeror shall submit the information outlined below, together with supporting breakdowns. All direct costs (labor, material, travel, computer, etc.) as well as labor and overhead rates should be provided by contractor fiscal year (CFY). Detailed cost element breakdowns by Government Fiscal Year or calendar year are not required. The supporting schedules may include summary level estimating rationale used to generate the proposed costs. The cost element breakdown(s) should include the following if applicable.

a) Direct Labor: Direct labor should be detailed by number of labor hours by category of labor.

b) Labor and Overhead Rates: Direct labor hours, with their applicable rates, must be broken out and the bases used clearly identified. The source of labor and overhead rates and all pricing factors should be identified. For instance, if a Forward Pricing Rate Agreement (FPRA) is in existence, that should be noted, along with the Administrative Contracting Officer’s (ACO's) name and telephone number. If the rates are based on current experience in your organization, provide the historical base used and clearly identify all escalation, by year, applied to derive the proposed rates. If computer usage is determined by a rate, identify the basis used and rationale used to derive the rate.

c) Material/Equipment: List all material/equipment items by type and kind with associated costs and advise if the costs are based on vendor quotes, data and/or engineering estimates; provide copies of vendor quotes and/or catalog pricing data.

d) Subcontractor Costs: Submit all subcontractor proposals and analyses with your cost proposal (See FAR 15.404-3(b)). If the subcontractor will not submit cost and pricing information to the offeror, this information must be submitted directly to the Government for analysis. On all subcontracts and interdivisional transfers, provide the method of selection used to determine the subcontractor and the proposed contract type of each subcontract.

An explanation shall be provided if the offeror proposes a different amount than that quoted by the subcontractor. The offeror’s proposal must:

(i) Identify principal items/services to be subcontracted.

(ii) Identify prospective subcontractors and the basis on which they were selected. If non-competitive, provide selected source justification.

(iii) Identify the type of contractual business arrangement contemplated for the subcontract and provide rationale

(iv) Identify the basis for the subcontract costs (e.g., firm quote or engineering estimate, etc).

(v) Identify the cost or pricing data submitted by the subcontractor.

(vi) Provide an analysis of the proposed subcontract in accordance with FAR 15.404-3(b). Provide an analysis concerning the reasonableness, realism and completeness of each subcontractor’s proposal. If the analysis is based on comparison with prior prices, identify the basis on which the prior prices were determined to be reasonable. The analysis should include, but not be limited to, an analysis of: materials, labor, travel, other direct costs and proposed profit or fee rates.

e) Special Tooling or Test Equipment: When special tooling, and/or test equipment is proposed, attach a brief description of items and indicate if they are solely for the performance of this particular contract or project and if they are or are not already available in the offeror's existing facilities. Indicate quantities, unit prices, whether items are to be purchased or fabricated, whether items are of a severable nature and the basis of the price. These items may be included under Direct Material in the summary format.

f) Consultants: When consultants are proposed to be used in the performance of the contract, indicate the specific project or area in which such services are to be used. Identify each consultant, number of hours or days to be used and the consultant's rate per hour or day. State the basis of said rate and give your analysis of the acceptability of the consultant's rate.

g) Travel: Travel costs must be justified and related to the needs of the project. Identify the number of trips, the destination and purpose. Travel costs should be broken out by trip with number of travelers, airfare, per diem, lodging, etc.

h) Computer Use: Detail the amount and kind of computer usage, the cost, and how the costs were derived.

i) Facilities Capital Cost of Money: If Facilities Capital Cost of Money is proposed, a properly executed DD Form 1861 is required.

j) Project Funding Profile: Offerors should include a project funding profile by Government Fiscal Year (GFY) (1 Oct through 30 Sept) for budgetary purposes. This will enable the Government to easily identify program funding needs by GFY.

k) If an offeror takes exceptions to the requirements called out in the announcement (e.g., base support, Government-furnished property (GFP), CDRLs), the exceptions should be clearly stated in the cost proposal.

l) Forward Pricing Rate Agreements: Offerors who have forward pricing rate agreements (FPRA’s) and forward pricing rate recommendations (FPRR’s) should submit them with their proposal.

m) Cost/Business proposals have no page limitations.

d. Proposal Content Summary: You may be ineligible for award if all requirements of this solicitation are not met on the proposal due date.

4. Funding Restrictions: The cost of preparing proposals in response to this announcement is not considered an allowable direct charge to any resulting contract or any other contract, but may be an allowable expense to the normal bid and proposal indirect cost specified in FAR 31.205-18.

V. White Paper / Proposal Review Information

1. FIRST STEP – White Paper Peer or Scientific Review Criteria: The Government will review White Papers to determine which of them have the potential to best meet the Air Force’s needs based on the following criteria, which are listed in equal order of importance:

Notice to Offeror(s): Funds are not presently available for this effort. No award will be made under this solicitation until funds are available. The Government reserves the right to cancel this solicitation, either before or after the closing date. In the event the Government cancels this solicitation, the Government has no obligation to reimburse an offeror for any costs

a. Unique and innovative approach proposed to accomplish the technical objectives. New and creative solutions and/or advances in knowledge, understanding, technology, and the state of the art.

b. The offeror’s understanding of the scope of the technical effort.

c. Soundness of the offeror’s technical approach.

d. Affordability (Proposed ROM Cost Estimate).

2. SECOND STEP – Proposal Peer or Scientific Review Criteria: Proposals will be reviewed against the criteria listed below. The technical aspect, which is ranked as the first order of priority, shall be reviewed based on the following criteria that are of descending order of importance.

a. Technical:

(1) Unique and innovative approach proposed to accomplish the technical objectives. New and creative solutions and/or advances in knowledge, understanding, technology, and the state of the art.

(2) The offeror’s understanding of the scope of the technical effort.

(3) Soundness of the offeror’s technical approach including whether the proposal identifies major technical risks, clearly defines feasible mitigation efforts, and demonstrates related experience and qualifications of technical personnel.

(4) The potential to transition the research and development deliverables to future Government needs. Any proposed restriction on technical data or computer software will be considered.

b. Cost/Price: The cost/price criterion includes the realism of the proposed cost. Cost/Price is a substantial factor, but ranked as the second order of priority. (If an offeror proposes the use of GFP other than any GFP identified in this BAA, and that proposed GFP provides the offeror an unfair competitive advantage, then FAR 45.202 requires rental equivalent be applied to the Cost Factor for evaluation purposes only).

3. SECOND STEP / PROPOSAL - Review and Selection Process

a. Categories: Based on the Peer or Scientific Review, proposals will be categorized as Highly Recommended, Selectable or Not Selectable (see definitions below). The selection of one or more sources for award will be based on the Peer or Scientific Review, as well as importance to agency programs and funding availability.

(1) Highly Recommended: Proposals are recommended for acceptance if sufficient funding is available, and normally are displaced only by other Highly Recommended proposals.

(2) Selectable: Proposals are recommended for acceptance if sufficient funding is available, but at a lower priority than Highly Recommended Proposals. May require additional development. To ensure a diversity of approaches, a Selectable proposal may be prioritized over a Highly Recommended proposal if the Selectable proposal presents a unique approach unlike any of the Highly Recommended proposals.

(3) Not Selectable: Even if sufficient funding existed, the proposal should not be funded.

Note: The Government reserves the right to…