FA8650-19-S-5018_-_Organic_Light_Emitting_Diode_(OLED)_RFI.pdf

FA8650-19-S-5018

Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III Program

Technology Market Research

Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) Microdisplay Technology

Production Capability

CONTRACTING OFFICE ADDRESS

Department of the Air Force, Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) – Wright Research Site, Manufacturing Technology Section, AFRL/RQKMT, Area B, Bldg 45, 2130 8th Street, Wright-

Patterson AFB, OH, 45433-7541.

ADDITIONAL GENERAL INFORMATION

This is a Request For Information (RFI) only as defined in FAR 15.201(e) to obtain information about U.S. national security industrial base shortcomings, risks, and opportunities which may be addressed by investments made under provisions in Title III of the Defense Production Act

(DPA). Of particular interest are the technical, manufacturing and market barriers to establishing a viable business for the technology of interest. This RFI is not a request for competitive proposals; therefore, responses to this notice are not considered offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Companies that respond will not be paid for the information submitted except as an allowable cost under other contracts as provided in FAR

31.205-18, “Bid and Proposal Costs.” The Government will be utilizing non-government personnel under this RFI. The role of these non-government personnel is to function as technical advisors to the Government reviewers. These non-government personnel will have access to the information submitted in response to the RFI, and will provide technical expertise and/or advice as required. All non-government personnel have Non-Disclosure Agreements on file with the

Government.

Contractor Support Companies

Northrop Grumman Technology Services

Integrated Logistics and Modernization

4065 Col. Glenn Highway

Beavercreek, OH 45431

U.Group

2231 Crystal Dr #401

Arlington, VA 22202

NOTE: Responses to this RFI are due no later than 30 days after posting. If late information is received, it may be considered by the Government reviewers, depending on the agency time constraints.

Parties contemplating responding to this RFI are requested to e-mail the Contracting Point of

Contact: Timothy.Kramer.5@us.af.mil, stating their intention to do so within one week of the RFI release.

GENERAL INTENT

DESCRIPTION

The Air Force, as the Department of Defense (DoD) Executive Agent for the Defense

Production Act (DPA) Title III Program, provides this Request For Information (RFI) inviting industry to provide information on the technology of interest for the DPA Title

III Program. Industry responses to the RFI will be assessed and may assist in potential future Title III actions.

Note: There is no guarantee that Organic Light Emitting Diode Microdisplay

Technology will become a Title III project, and responders to this RFI will have no competitive advantage in receiving awards related to the submitted topic area. The information submitted in all responses may be utilized to help the Government further define its requirements. If the Government develops a Title III project that addresses any submitted or similar topic, the resulting procurement will address technology and business specific requirements as defined by the Government to achieve Title III program objectives.

BACKGROUND

Title III of the Defense Production Act of 1950 (50 U.S.C. App. § 2061 et seq.) grants the

President of the United States the authority to provide appropriate incentives to create, maintain, restore, modernize, and expand the production capacities of domestic sources for critical components, critical technology items, and industrial resources essential for the execution of the national security strategy of the United States.

There are a number of incentive forms available under Title III of the DPA. These include: making purchases to create or expand (scale-up) production capacity; improving quality and yield; purchasing test quantities for process validation and qualification testing; developing and implementing business and marketing plans, and purchasing and installing production equipment. Purchase commitments that provide a guaranteed market to incentivize companies to establish production capability are also possible.

The DPA itself contains three criteria that every Title III project must meet before any funds may be obligated on a Title III activity. The DPA stipulates that the President must certify to the Congress that the activity satisfies the criteria. The statutory criteria state that: (1) The industrial resource, material, or critical technology item is essential to the national defense; (2) Without Presidential action under the DPA Title III, United States industry cannot reasonably be expected to provide the capability for the needed industrial resource, material, or critical technology item in a timely manner and; (3) Actions under

Title III are the most cost-effective, expedient, and practical alternative for meeting the need. (The problem/issue should be amenable to Title III business solutions. Title III authorities and funding are not intended to be used as supplemental to the normal DoD materiel acquisition or R&D programs).

One additional screening criteria is also considered by the Title III Program Office in determining the applicability of the use of Title III authorities; the combination of U.S.

national defense (military) demand and foreseeable non-defense (commercial) demand should be greater than the total domestic industrial capability resulting at the conclusion of the Title III activity. (Title III activities must consider the impact of potentially creating excess capacity. While the projected military demand for a technology or component is the key consideration from a DoD perspective, the projected commercial demand for use in the civilian market can be included to address this issue. Considering whether demand will exceed supply addresses the likelihood that an economically viable industry will result from the Title III activity and that additional financial incentives will not be necessary to maintain the business).

Note that the DPA is concerned with only domestic sources. Foreign capabilities will not be considered. Title III cannot be used to create or expand a foreign source, regardless of the essentiality of the technology to U.S. defense requirements. The DPA defines domestic source to be a business concern that performs in the United States or Canada substantially all of the research and development, engineering, manufacturing, and production activities required of such business concern under a contract with the United States relating to a critical component or a critical technology item and that procures from such concerns substantially all of any components and assemblies required under a contract with the United States relating to a critical component or critical technology item. Territories and possessions of the United States, and the

District of Columbia are considered part of the domestic United States.

Within the DoD, Title III is recognized as a set of statutory authorities for addressing industrial base/technology transition issues, not a source of funds. Funding for Title III initiatives may be provided in the President’s budget, or by Joint or Service Program

Offices of Record, or by Defense Agencies or other Federal Agencies as funding offsets for specific Title III efforts.

The DPA Title III Program Office periodically publishes Title III Requests for

Information (RFIs) that provide industry the opportunity to offer insight to the technology transition/industrial base needs of the specified critical technologies of interest to the

Government.

FA8650-19-S-5018 REQUEST DETAILS

The Title III program has identified Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) micro-displays as a technology area of interest for its future activities, and interested firms are encouraged to determine if they have information pertaining to this topic. For the purpose of this RFI, the

Government is defining Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) micro-displays as information displays with a minimum format of 640x480 and a pixel pitch no larger than 15-µm. OLED micro-displays must be qualified to function in military environments to include weapon shock and wide temperature ranges (-40°/+65°C) while maintaining contrast ratios >10,000:1 and a minimum dimming range down to 0.1-fL for white. The focus shall be on improving the industrial base and domestic manufacturing capability for currently fielded technology: high brightness monochrome OLED >3,000-fL and RGB color OLED >50-fL while also including information for advancing the technology of high brightness RGB color OLED micro-displays.

These advancements must address achieving daylight readability (1.2:1 in 10,000-fL environment) and maintain night time performance (dimming to <0.01-fL) while in a see-through optical system with >1,000:1 contrast. The advancements also must address achieving a

2,048x2,048 color pixel format within a 1.25” package that is capable of displaying a minimum of 256 measurably different gray levels. Firms should also include pertinent information on current and future manufacturing capabilities that will help to create an economically viable DoD and commercial supplier of military grade OLED micro-displays.

REQUIRED RESPONSES

Limit RFI responses to 10 single-sided, double-spaced pages. Responses must be unclassified and any Proprietary information provided must be marked accordingly. To protect such data, each line or paragraph on the pages containing such data must be specifically identified and marked with a legend similar to the following:

“The following contains proprietary information that (name of Responder) requests not be released to persons outside the Government, except for the purposes of review and evaluation.”

Note: See Format and Page Limitations and Submission of Documentation paragraphs for additional instructions. Responses are preferred in the following suggested format:

TITLE: Identify the technology area.

SUBMITTER INFORMATION: Responses should include the company name, location of production facility(ies), and the title, telephone number, and mail and e-mail addresses of a point of contact having authority and knowledge to discuss the submission.

GOVERNMENT CUSTOMERS/INTERESTED ORGANIZATIONS:

Identify the Government customer organizations; e.g., Program Executive Officer, acquisition program office, or suggested other Government organizations cognizant of the technology/production issues and challenges. This should be organizations/agencies that have the technical or programmatic expertise for assessing the values of the technology to potential Government customers.

Provide title, contract number, and points of contact with current or pending DoD and other Federal contracts relevant to the technology related to this RFI. Identify the appropriate Government Programs of Record (and point of contact), including organization, mailing address, e-mail address, and telephone number. Points of contact that can provide additional information useful to the RFI submission reviewers should be included in an Appendix. (Pages in the Appendix do not count in the page limitation.)

TECHNOLOGY NEED: This section provides essential background information on the technology (defined by the DPA as “critical technology items” and “industrial resources”) and necessary investments. It addresses the technology’s importance to national defense and the need for Title III assistance.

This section should include at least the following:

1. Technology Description. The technology and its current and future uses.

2. Benefits. The advantages of the proposed technology over existing technologies and substitutes in terms of cost, performance, and other factors.

Cite specific benefits to the national defense and/or the national economy of creating production capacity for the proposed technology.

3. Problem Statement. The nature of the problem (e.g., lack of production-scale capability, need for lower cost item), its impact on defense capabilities, and any other considerations that increase the need for the project.

4. Role of Title III. How Title III can solve the problem.

TECHNOLOGY DEMAND: A primary requirement of Title III is that defense and commercial demand for a technology must exceed existing and foreseeable domestic supply. This section describes, in as much detail as possible, current and future demand for the technology. It should include:

1. Projected DoD demand for the next five to seven years. Cite demand by item of equipment and material quantities and types, for existing and new programs. Be sure to indicate which military departments require the technology, and projected demand. If projections are based on past sales, include recent annual production.

2. Projected commercial demand (if applicable) for the same period. Be as specific as possible about technology applications, quantities, revenues, and

Total Available Market for the product or technology. Cite third party sources of projections where applicable. If projections are based on past sales, include recent annual production.

INDUSTRY CAPABILITIES: This section describes industry’s current and expected capability to produce the technology. It should include:

1. Domestic (U.S. and Canada) and worldwide production sources. Current and planned capabilities and capacity for specific firms, as available. Note current

DoD and commercial sources of supply for competing or similar technologies that will satisfy demand. Estimated quantity of material to be produced over the next five to seven years (with and without Title III assistance).

2. Market dynamics. Explain how competition and other market factors have affected domestic industrial capabilities. Provide details and insight on similar and competing products or technologies for both defense and commercial applications, and the strengths and weaknesses of your technology. Cite market shares and trends, if possible.

3. Constraints. Factors affecting industry’s ability and willingness to meet DoD demand without Title III incentives.

RISKS: Include a discussion of technical and business risks and issues that must be addressed and resolved (or accepted) before initiating investments to establish a viable source of supply.

1. Business Risks. Include an assessment of the time and cost to bring the new capacity on-line and the product’s competitiveness with other sources

(domestic or foreign) or with alternative technologies. Address all factors, including the company’s current financial position and long-term financial stability, which would affect the sale of the technology and the long-term viability of the source with and without a Title III project.

2. Technical Uncertainties. Include requirements for new processes, significant scale-up of existing technologies, remaining development risks, product qualification requirements, and Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) and

Manufacturing Readiness Levels (MRLs). Indicate the availability of specifications.

IMPLEMENTATION CONCEPT: Discuss an initial implementation concept to assist reviewers in better understanding of the execution framework.

1. Technical approach. State recommended technical objectives and outline the technical approach. Identify what the implementation would accomplish and how. Describe what work and investments would be necessary to increase the production capacity, increase yields, decrease costs, etc. Identify needed major equipment purchases or upgrades to existing equipment. Include a time-phased plan for major elements of the approach.

2. Business approach. State the proposed business case for the implementation.

Identify current and future markets including customers, projected revenues, employee growth, and market share (include U.S. and world markets). State total investment needed, sources for the investment (own company, Title III funds, other government sources, etc.). Estimate the amount of cost share investment industry would be likely to make in this project. The extent of cost sharing between the Government and project contractor(s) is considered important to Title III. Proposed cost share indicates industry understands that

Title III investments will position a domestic firm to make substantial returns

(especially in the commercial market) after Title III investments cease, and it also indicates industry’s commitment to being a long term supplier to the

Department of Defense and to other Government customers.

3. Cost/Funding Estimates. Provide a top-level breakdown of estimated project costs. Identify recommended type of investments needed, e.g., production scale-up, engineering costs, equipment purchase costs, business development costs, process optimization, samples and qualification costs, or purchase commitments, etc. Title III acknowledges that the amount and phasing of funds will vary considerably, depending on the technology problem, the incentive type, and the selected approach.

REQUESTS FOR CLARIFICATION OR CONTROLLED INFORMATION/

POINTS OF CONTACT:

A responder may request clarification in writing from the Contracting Office for any requirement that is unclear by sending an e-mail to the Contracting Points of Contact:

timothy.kramer.5@us.af.mil

Any requests for clarification must be received no later than seven (7) business days prior to the close of this RFI in order to receive a timely response. Clarifications may be posted on the RFI announcement website to benefit all interested responders. Interested responders are encouraged to periodically check the website during the response period for clarifications.

Any requests for access to controlled information must be received no later than seven (7) business days prior to the close of this RFI in order to receive a timely response.

FORMAT & PAGE LIMITATION

Your submittal should be provided on standard letter size 8-1/2 by 11 inch paper, limited to a maximum of 10 single-sided, double-spaced pages. The font for text should be Times New

Roman 12-point or larger. The Responder may use oversize pages (including “foldouts”) where appropriate to contain graphic presentations. Oversize pages do not count as extra pages within the page limitations. Submitted responses should be in Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat format. Existing commercial documentation and product literature can also be submitted and is not subject to a page limitation. Note: Responses must be unclassified. Reponses may contain proprietary information but must be appropriately marked.

SUBMISSION OF DOCUMENTATION

mailto:adrianna.menker@us.af.mil

Documentation shall be delivered to the Contracting Office at the following address:

AFRL/RQKMT

ATTN: Timothy Kramer

2130 Eighth Street, Bldg 45

Wright-Patterson AFB OH 45433-7541

Telephone: (937) 713-9886

E-mail: timothy.kramer.5@us.af.mil

INFORMATION APPROACH

The Title III Program may or may not select any of the listed technology areas for use as a Title III project. Projects developed from these topics, as with all Title III projects, may be competed in a full and open competition. The Air Force, as the DoD Executive Agent for the DPA Title III Program, is not required to provide feedback to responders. The Air

Force may respond directly to obtain additional or clarifying information.

DISCLAIMER

This is a Request For Information (RFI) only as defined in FAR 15.201(e) to obtain information about Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs), Manufacturing Readiness

Levels (MRLs), capabilities and market information related to the technology of interest for planning purposes. Of particular interest are the technical, manufacturing and market barriers to establishing a viable business for the technology of interest. This RFI is not a request for competitive proposals; therefore, responses to this notice are not considered offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Companies that respond will not be paid for the information submitted.

No telephone calls will be accepted requesting a bid package or solicitation. There is no bid package or solicitation at this time.

All information received shall be safeguarded from unauthorized disclosure. Responses must be unclassified.

OPERATIONS SECURITY (OPSEC) REQUIREMENTS:

OPERATIONS SECURITY (OPSEC) REQUIREMENTS:

All responses to this document shall follow appropriate OPSEC measures. This is required in an effort to reduce program vulnerability from successful adversary collection of possible sensitive unclassified and/or proprietary information, and violations of export control requirements.

Guidance can be provided by AFRL/RX Security as needed.

Program Protection Plan (PPP) - Any potential critical program information (CPI) generated as part of this response will be reviewed to determine the need for a PPP or to be included as part of an existing PPP.

mailto:%20timothy.kramer.5@us.af.mil

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Additional Title III information is available on the following website: DPA Title III website: https://www.businessdefense.gov/Programs/DPA-Title-III/

All responsible sources may submit information in response to this RFI. Responses to this RFI are due no later than 18 April 2019. If late information is received, it may be considered by the Government reviewers, depending on agency time constraints. Please note: the Government is not required to provide feedback to RFI responders.

Direct all inquiries to the Contracting Points of Contact or Technical Points of Contact listed in the Requests for Clarification or Controlled Information/ Points of Contact paragraph.