FA8651-22-S-0001 CALL 03.pdf

BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT (BAA)

AIR DELIVERED EFFECTS BAA FA8651-22-S-0001

BAA CALL 03

UNIVERSITY DAY 2023

I. OVERVIEW OF THE CALL

This CALL is open to U.S. Universities only. The purpose of this CALL is to solicit leading-edge research from new academic collaborators that currently does not have a relationship with AFRL/RW.

However, AFRL/RW will consider all U.S. Universities’ proposals. AFRL/RW intends to award short-term seedling projects in five research areas. Offerors shall propose against ONE research area topic only. Only those Offerors who meet the highly selectable and/or selectable categories will be invited to the virtual pitch day.

A. OVERVIEW

Federal Agency Name:

Government Research Laboratory, Munitions Directorate 101 W. Eglin Blvd Eglin AFB, FL 32542-6810

CALL Title: University Day 2023

CALL Announcement Type: This is the initial announcement.

CALL Number: FA8651-22-S-0001/CALL 03

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Numbers (s): 12.800 Government Defense Research Sciences Program

CALL Due Date: Proposal Due Date and Time: 18 May 2023, 3:00 P.M. Central Standard Time (CST).

Total Amount Available: ~$75K-$100K each

Number of Awards Anticipated: 4-5 awards.

NAISC Code: 541715 – Research and Technology in Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology); small business size is 1000 employees.

II. INFORMATION ABOUT THE CALL

A. Program Description

1. This CALL is open to U.S. Universities only. The purpose of this CALL is to solicit leading-edge research from new academic collaborators that currently do not have a relationship with AFRL/RW.

However, AFRL/RW will consider all U.S. Universities’ proposals. AFRL/RW intends to award short-term seedling projects only in the following five research areas that will allow AFRL/RW Government researchers to assess the value and the partnering relationship feasibility, technical quality, and return on investment. Proposal(s) submitted in response to this CALL that are selected for award are the results of full and open competition and in full compliance with the provisions of PL 98-369, the Competition in Contracting Act of 1984.

Research Area Topics:

• RA 1 - Weapon Airframe Systems Technology Research

• RA 7 - Navigation and Estimation Technology

• RA 9 - Lethality, Vulnerability, and Survivability

• RA 19 - Cyber Survivability for Precision-Guided Munitions

• RA 20 - Strategic Planning, Prototyping, and Experimentation

2. CALL 03 for proposals is issued under the overarching BAA FA8651-22-S-0001, which was published in beta.SAM.gov and Grants.gov on 30 March 2023 (Attachment 1). Offerors must refer to FA8651-22-S- 0001, which must be read and adhered to in conjunction with this CALL for proposals. This CALL for proposals will be governed by the process described in Section VII “Two-Step BAA With CALLs” of the overarching BAA FA8651-22-S-0001 and the information provided in this CALL for proposals.

3. All requirements of the FA8651-22-S-0001 apply unless specifically amended and addressed in this CALL announcement and proposal instructions. The overarching BAA contains information applicable to all CALLS issued under FA8651-22-S-0001 and provides information on the overall program. If there are any conflicts between the BAA and CALL, the instruction in this CALL takes precedent. You may direct questions to the Agency Contacts identified below.

B. Federal Award Information

1. Type of Instrument: The Government reserves the right to award the instrument best suited.

Accordingly, the Government intends to award grants.

2. Anticipated Number of Awards: The Government anticipates awarding 4-5 proposals for this announcement. However, the Government reserves the right to award zero, one, or more for all, some or none of the solicited effort based on the offeror’s ability to perform desired work.

3. Anticipated Award Date: ~21 June 2023

4. Deliverable: A final report is anticipated.

5. Schedule: Period of performance is 12 months with an estimated 10 months for the research and 2 months for the final report.

6. Anticipated Funding Amount: Anticipated funding is $75-$100K for each award. All funding is subject to change due to Government discretion and availability.

7. Science and Technology (S&T) Protection: In accordance with Government Research Laboratory Instruction (AFRLI) 61-113, “Science and Technology (S&T) Protection for the Government Research Laboratory”, offerors are required to submit the following as part of their proposal:

a. Documentation of a Security Program Plan in support of the AFRLI 61-113 Initial Institution

S&T Protection Program Review requirement. This must include, at a minimum, a completed Security Program Questionnaire (Attachment 2). Submittal may also include a pre-existing plan that the offeror uses as a matter of course or plan developed specifically for this acquisition. The purpose of requesting the plan is to assess the offeror’s capacity for protection of the Government’s S&T. Failure to demonstrate a plan adequate to meet the needs of the requirements, as determined by the Government in its sole discretion, may be grounds for considering the proposal unawardable.

b. The Government may require the offeror to submit additional information and/or a mitigation plan for any identified S&T protection risks. If the Government determines the offeror failed to provide adequate additional information; or an acceptable mitigation plan; or it is determined the offeror’s S&T protection approach is high risk and does not provide adequate protection of S&T information, the Government may reject the proposal and withdraw it from consideration for award.

C. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Offeror: U.S. Universities are eligible to submit proposals for this CALL.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching: Cost sharing is not required.

3. Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI): An OCI may apply to this effort but cannot be determined prior to issuance of this CALL. An OCI Disclosure of Representation must be completed and returned with the proposal.

4. Other: Foreign participation is not authorized. Offerors may be ineligible for award if all requirements of this CALL and overarching BAA requirements are not met on the proposal due date as identified below.

D. Proposal and Submission Information

1. Overview: Proposals submitted shall be in accordance with this announcement. The Government intends to review 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. Offerors shall only propose against ONE research area topic.

Only those Offerors who meet the highly selectable and/or selectable categories will be invited to the virtual pitch day and if selected same day awards will be made. Offerors should be alerted for any CALL amendments that may change the proposal requirements.

2. Proposal Due Date and Time: 18 May 2023, 3:00 P.M. CST. Proposals must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov. Offerors shall notify the Government Points of Contacts (POC)s, Adam Noffke and Brian Barnes @ afrl.afrl.rwkbaacallsworkflow@us.af.mil when a proposal is submitted electronically via Grants.gov. NOTE: Any proposal, modification, or revision received at the Government Office designated in this CALL after the exact time specified for receipt of offer is considered “late”.

3. SF 424 Forms: The following SF 424 Forms shall be included in the proposal package.

a. SF 424 Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) (Attachment 3).

i). The Degree Type and Degree Year fields will be used by DoD as the source for career information. In addition to the required fields on the form, Offerors must complete these two fields mailto:afrl.afrl.rwkbaacallsworkflow@us.af.mil for all individuals that are identified as having the project role of PD/Pl or Co-PD/Pl. Additional senior/key persons can be added by selecting the "Next Person" button.

b. SF 424 Research & Related Personal Data (Attachment 4)

i) Will be used by DoD as the source of demographic information, such as gender, race, ethnicity, and disability information for the Project Director/Principal Investigator and all other persons identified as Co-Project Director{s)/Co-Principal Investigator(s). Each proposal must include this form with the name fields of the Project Director/Principal Investigator and any Co-Project Director(s)/Co-Principal Investigator(s) completed; however, provision of the demographic information in the form is voluntary. If completing the form for multiple individuals, each Co- Project Director/Co-Principal Investigator can be added by selecting the "Next Person" button. The demographic information, if provided, will be used for statistical purposes only and will not be made available to merit reviewers. Offerors who do not wish to provide some or all of the information should check or select the "Do not wish to provide" option.

4. Reps and Certs: The Offeror shall complete the attached reps and certs (Attachment 5)

5. Statement of Objectives (SOO): The Offeror shall complete the attached SOO (Attachment 6). Do not include any proprietary information in the SOO.

6. Grants.gov Submission: Electronic Delivery – the Government is participating in the Grants.gov initiative to provide the grant community with a single site to find and apply for CALLs. Offerors must submit their proposals online through Grants.gov in the accordance with the CALL. Offerors can find complete instructions at the following link: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/Offerors/organization-registration.html

7. Timely Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission: All proposals must be received by the due date established for each program. Proof of timely submission is automatically recorded by Grants.gov. An electronic date/time stamp is generated within the system when the proposal is successfully received by Grants.gov. The Offeror with the AOR role who submitted the proposal will receive an acknowledgement of receipt and a tracking number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) from Grants.gov with the successful transmission of their proposal. This Offeror with the AOR role will also receive the official date/time stamp and Grants.gov tracking number in an email serving as proof of their timely submission.

7. Content and Form of Proposal Submission:

a. General Instructions

i) Technical/management and cost/business volumes shall be submitted in separate volumes and must be valid for at least 120 days.

ii) Both technical and cost proposals must reference the announcement number FA8651-22-S-

0001, CALL 03.

iii) Proposals must be submitted via Grants.gov.

iv) The cost of preparing proposals in response to this CALL is not considered an allowable direct charge to any resulting or any other agreement; however, it may be an allowable expense to the normal bid and proposal indirect cost.

v) It is expected that proposals contain unclassified information.

b. Technical/Management Proposal and SOO:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html

i) Technical/management volume shall be properly marked with appropriate classification markings.

ii) Technical/management volume shall include a cover letter (inclusive of the page count) that includes the following information: Announcement number FA8651-22-S-0001, CALL 03, Title and Proposed Research Area Topic, Cost, Name and Address of University, Commercial and Government Entity Number (cage code), Technical and Contracting Points of Contact (email and phone number).

iii) Technical/management volume shall be limited to 5 pages.

iv) Technical/management volume shall be provided in Microsoft Word.

v) Font shall be standard 10-point Times New Roman.

vi) Character spaces must be “normal”, not condensed.

vii) Line spacing shall be 1.5-spaced (must use standard 1.5-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.

viii) All text 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. For tables and charts, the formatting requirement shall be single spacing; and the font shall be Times New Roman no less than 8-point font. These exceptions shall not be used to circumvent formatting requirements and page count limitations by including lengthy narratives in such items.

ix) 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.

x) The Technical/management volume page limit does NOT include the offeror’s proposed SOO;

however, the same formatting rules apply to the SOO, which is limited to 2 pages.

c. Cost/Business Proposal: Separate the proposals into a business and cost section.

i) Business Section

(1) The business section should contain all business aspects to the proposed agreement, such as type of instrument, any exceptions to terms and conditions of the announcement and any information not technically related, etc.

(2) Same formatting rules as the Technical/management volume applies.

(3) Identify any technical data that will be delivered with less than Government Purpose

Rights.

(4) Pages shall be limited to 3 pages.

ii) 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 offeror fiscal year. Detailed cost element breakdowns by Government Fiscal Year or calendar year are not required. Cost Proposals will have no page limitations. Cost information shall be provided as a Microsoft Excel sheet with all cells unlocked and formulas intact. The cost element breakdown should include the following if applicable.

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

(2) 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 Grants/Agreements Officer’s (AGO/AAO'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.

(3) 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.

(4) Travel: Travel costs must be justified and related to the needs of the effort. 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.

(5) Other Direct Cost: Identify all other direct costs and quantities as required.

(6) Indirect Costs: Identify all indirect costs/indirect rates and basis for calculation.

d. Proposal Content Summary: The Government will check the technical and cost proposals and

SOO for conformance to the stated requirements. Any pages more than the stated page limitation after the format check will not be considered for review purposes. Additionally, you shall be ineligible for award if all requirements of this CALL are not met on the proposal due date.

E. Proposal Review Information

1. Selection Criteria: Proposals will be evaluated against the evaluation criteria outlined in the overarching BAA FA8651-22-S-0001, paragraph VII, as stated below. The following criteria are listed in descending order of importance:

a. Technical Evaluation Criteria

• A unique and innovative approach proposed to accomplish technical objectives. New and creative solutions and/or advances in knowledge, understanding, technology, and the state of the art being pursued by AFRL/RW and described in the 5 research areas of the BAA (Call 03).

• The offeror's understanding of the scope of the technical effort.

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

• Potential to transition the R&D deliverables to future Government needs. (Any proposed restrictions on technical data/computer software will be considered).

b. Cost Proposal Criteria:

• The reasonableness and realism of proposed cost and fees, if any, the proposed cost share (for Cooperative Agreements and Technology Investment Agreements), and/or the offeror’s projected progress to the desired solution within the parameters of available funding. Cost proposals have no page limitations.

c. Proposal Risk Assessment: Proposal risk for technical, cost, and schedule will be.

assessed for formal proposals, as part of the evaluation of the above evaluation criteria. Proposal risk relates to the identification and assessment of the risks associated with an offeror's proposed approach as it relates to accomplishing the proposed effort. Tradeoffs of the assessed risk will be weighed against the potential scientific benefit. Proposal risk for schedule relates to an assessment of the risks associated with the offeror's proposed number of hours, labor categories, material, or other cost elements as it relates to meeting the proposed period of performance.

• Proposal Risk Assessment o Low: Little potential to cause disruption of schedule, increase in cost, or degrade desired performance. Normal effects will probably be able to overcome issue.

o Moderate: Can potentially cause some disruption of schedule, increase cost, or degrade desired performance. Special monitoring required to overcome issues.

o High: Likely to cause significant disruption of schedule, increased cost, or fail to meet performance goals. Risk may be unacceptable even with special efforts.

2. Review and Selection Process: The evaluation described above will generally result in proposals being placed in one of the three categories below:

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

• 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.

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

3. No other criteria will be used.

F. Federal Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices: Offerors will be notified whether their proposal is recommended for award on or about 21 June 2023.

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s)

1. Agency Contacts: Contracts – Adam Noffke and Brian Barnes @ afrl.afrl.rwkbaacallsworkflow@us.af.mil; Technical – Ryan Sherill, ryan.sherrill.1@us.af.mil.

2. Communication Between Prospective Offerors and Government Representatives: Prior to submitting proposal offerors are encouraged to contact the technical POC above to ensure proposals are in line with above mentioned research areas and AFRL RW goals. The Offerors will appoint a single primary and alternate POC for all communication (i.e., questions and answers) that will take place between the Offeror and Government. Any contractual questions and answers received by the Offerors mailto:afrl.afrl.rwkbaacallsworkflow@us.af.mil mailto:ryan.sherrill.1@us.af.mil will be shared with all Offerors. Discussions with any of the POCs shall not constitute a commitment by the Government to subsequently fund or award any proposed effort. Only the Grants and Agreements Officers are legally authorized to commit the Government.

Attachments:

1. Overarching BAA FA8651-22-S-0001

2. Security Program Questionnaire

3. SF 424 Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded)

4. SF 424 Research & Related Personal Data

5. Reps and Certs

6. SOO Template

7. Grants/Cooperative Agreement Articles

8. Model Assistance Instrument