FULL TEXT ANNOUNCEMENT 20-S-7005.docx

PART II – FULL TEXT ANNOUNCEMENT

BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT (BAA) TITLE: Digitally Optimized Geospatial & Tactical Airfield Guide

BAA NUMBER: BAA FA8750-20-S-7005

I. TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS:

Problem: This BAA is focused on developing and applying Machine Learning (ML), Asset Tracking, Process Digitization, Long Term Evolution (LTE) and Sensor Integration, and other associated technical capabilities to challenges associated with the Air Force’s air and ground transportation career field, including Aerial Port Operations, Contingency Response, and Aerial Delivery. AFRL/RI conducts research and development in the areas of information management, dissemination, and team collaboration, with particular emphasis at the tactical level in regard to this BAA. However, little research has been done to explore the application of these technologies to tactical air and ground transportation use cases. Additionally, military operating conditions amplify the need for optimized work flows, as well as augmented collaboration tools and mechanisms. This BAA is focused on innovative concepts and capabilities as applied to ML-based object and hazard detection, tactical LTE optimization and data federation, as well as aerial delivery refinement that transforms the way the Department of Defense (DOD) and affiliated organizations communicate, collaborate, organize, and operate.

Background:

The air logistics system of the world’s greatest Air Force faces tremendous demands to meet the needs of Rapid Global Mobility. While our airmen have shown their ability to answer the call, there is room to leverage technological advancements for increasing efficiency, agility, and responsiveness. Infusing affordable next-generation technology into these processes will continue to modernize, allowing adaptability and scalability to meet future mission needs, reprioritize on the fly, and be resource-aware. Reduction in the amount of manual, labor-intensive practices will also amplify the efficiency at which Rapid Global Mobility is projected around the globe by Air Mobility Command across multiple endeavors. This work is necessary for many reasons but it is specifically required to provide AMC the agility to support the AF’s Agile Combat Employment (ACE) which requires extremely agile logistics for success. Logistical success is highly dependent on three distinct, yet intertwined, mission sets; Aerial Port Operations; Contingency Response; and Aerial Delivery. At their core, each of these is focused on the movement and delivery of cargo in three unique environments: strategic & en route (Aerial Port), austere & degraded (Contingency Response), and airborne (Aerial Delivery). Although each of these operations are fundamentally different, the functions associated with each are all performed by Air Transportation personnel (2T2X1 Air Force Specialty Code).

The Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK) is Government-off-the-shelf (either Government owned/created or in which the Government has unlimited rights) (“GOTS”) software that forms the basic platform technology on mobile devices of interest to the three technology areas under this BAA. The ATAK software used on Android Operating System mobile devices works more effectively when combined with TAK Server, another GOTS software suite which serves as a broker for TAK formatted data, and other TAK end user instances, such as ATAK and Windows-based TAK (WinTAK). AFRL seeks to expand upon ATAK-based tools or other mobile platform applications for the three technical domains aligned to their respective operational/functional missions (aerial port operations, contingency response, and aerial delivery).

TD1 aligns to Aerial Port Operations, which are functions that exist to support cargo and passenger airlift for the Department of Defense and partner nations which exists at every Air Force installation across the globe. The primary end user group responsible for executing the air logistics mission set is the Air Transportation career field. Their role consists of everything from cargo processing and inspection to pallet build up and aircraft loading. AFRL seeks to emphasize LTE asset tracking, process digitization, optimization algorithms, and the library of sensors and radios on mobile devices. This BAA seeks contractor developed low-cost, LTE-based, reliable tracking devices for cargo pallets, vehicles, and asset tracking for local and global, real-time situational awareness. Development of data analytics and user interfaces for asset tracking and associated data will also be of interest. Machine Learning (ML) and Mobile ML (MML) models/technology for pallet build-up and aircraft load planning optimization will be researched. Lastly, integration of legacy systems (e.g. GATES, GO81, GDSS, IMDS) with the TAK Ecosystem will be necessary with developed capabilities providing not only secure access to identified systems but provide additional capabilities, such as data validation, cleansing, and caching, to compliment and offset the systems and their limitations.

TD2 aligns to Contingency Response, (CR) Operations that includes forces that provide rapid reaction teams responsible for establishing initial logistics chains to enable the flow of critical materials, including but not limited to, humanitarian, peace, and wartime scenarios. In addition to establish supply chains, these forces secure and defend austere, unimproved, compromised, and ad-hoc airbases. There are a number of navigational, situational awareness, force coordination, logistical, and obsolete/manual processes that pose challenges, add complication and impart risk to the mission and may delay response time. CR encompasses of number of different career fields, to include Air Transportation, Maintenance, Security Forces, and Communications. This BAA seeks contractor developed Mobile Machine Learning (MML) models/technology for flight line digitization, process modernization, hazard detection, small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) airfield mapping and development, and tactical LTE data compression techniques. Adaptive basing techniques are critical to efficient and effective CR mission execution. This includes transitioning from large, centralized, unhardened basing infrastructure to smaller, dispersed, resilient basing.

TD3 aligns to Aerial Delivery Operations, that are heavily dependent on the Joint Precision Aerial Delivery System platform, or JPADS. The JPADS provides rapid, precise, high-altitude delivery capabilities that do not rely on ground transportation. The system ensures accurate and timely delivery in support of operational missions, while providing aircraft with increased survivability. JPADS integrates a parachute decelerator, an autonomous guidance unit and a load container or pallet to create a system that can accurately deliver critical supplies with great precision along a predetermined glide and flight path. JPADS is a system developed by Airborne Systems North America and Draper Laboratory, Inc. that is fielded and sustained by the U.S. Army Program Executive Office Combat Support and Combat Service Support, Warren, MI. This BAA seeks contractor developed integration of JPADS with the TAK Ecosystem. Machine Learning (ML) and Mobile ML (MML) models/technology for predicting JPADS flight and redirection capabilities will need to be developed, with incorporation of additional sensors (e.g. anemometer, barometer) for enhanced precision as well as increased agility for mission adaptation. Visual displays of attainable locations in real-time will also be developed within ATAK. Additional research will be done at identifying optimal landing zones based on not only environmental factors (e.g. ground cover, foliage, topology) but mission factors (e.g. known red force locations, blue force travel capabilities).

FY20 Focus Area Descriptions:

The objective of this BAA is to explore the application of Machine Learning (ML), Asset Tracking, Process Digitization, LTE and Sensor Integration, Optimization Algorithms, Data Federation and other associated technical capabilities to address challenges associated throughout the Air Force’s air and ground transportation career field, including Aerial Port Operations, Contingency Response, and Aerial Delivery as previously described.

The research and development domains addressed under this BAA are as follows:

· TD1: Aerial Port Operations

· TD2: Contingency Response

· TD3: Aerial Delivery

Performance goals are provided for each task area given. These goals are meant as examples of the type of goals that would be used in identifying success of a given research effort at its conclusion. However, these goals are anticipated to be further fleshed and further refined with the awardees and identified end-users over the course of development, based on domain requirements and the art of the possible. End-user engagements with domain expertise will help provide baseline measures on current practices. Awardees will be expected to then document measures and metrics on the applicability and effectiveness of their developed research within the technical reports delivered to the Government under the award.

TD1: Aerial Port Operations The heart of the air force mobility enterprise is the aerial port. Innovation in how aerial porters organize, coordinate, and manage information related to cargo operations is needed to ease end user burden, and create mission-enabling efficiencies. DOGTAG aims to track cargo in real time, optimize pallet loading, and federation of existing Air Force mobility databases into a single interface that is compatible with selected applications of interest such as the TAK ecosystem.

LTE-M Low Cost Cargo and Asset Tracking Infrastructure: Develop and demonstrate an infrastructure for low cost, secure, and Beyond-Line-Of-Sight tracking of sensitive/important cargo. Higher battery life will cut burden on sustainment of an in-transit tracking system. Integration with real-time trackers can provide a high level of fidelity in cargo tracking and rapid global mobility anywhere in the world.

· Performance Goals:

· Battery Life: 2 months

· Size: Equal to or smaller than currently used RFID tags

· Service Costs: Less than $20 per month

· Location Availability: At least 175 countries

Machine Learning for 463L Cargo Pallet Optimization: Develop automated algorithms for efficient cargo palletizing using available cargo contents and constraints, along with associated costs (i.e. time to load, number of pallets per aircraft). Data sources may include the Intelligent Mobility databases and outputs from the Joint Inspection Hazard Inference tool.

· Performance Goals:

· 10% Reduction in Pallet Build Time (Monthly)

· 30% Reduction in Number of Pallet Rebuilds (Monthly)

· Increase AMC Cargo Movement Efficiency by 7% Over 30 Days

· e.g. Fuel Reduction, Increased Plane Availability / Re-assignment

Intelligent Mobility Data Federation: Build a centralized, TAK compatible, querying framework for existing AMC databases including Global Air Transportation Execution System (GATES), GO81 System, Integrated Maintenance Data System (IMDS), and Global Decision Support System version 2 (GDSS2) to provide a single point of reference for where aircraft are located, landing times, cargo onboard, and maintenance data. Movement history and analytics is reconstructed at this central point and is accessible from anywhere within the mobility enterprise, including on the flight line.

· Performance Goals:

· 100% increase in mobile accessibility to legacy databases/systems

· CAC enabled access via mobile web browser

· 50% increase in mobile accessibility to data from legacy databases/systems

· CAC enabled access via TAK server

· 20% Reduction in Database Data Errors through TAK validation/cleansing

· Secure an Authority to Operate

TD2: Contingency Response One of the mobility elements within AMC where speed and efficiency matter most is the contingency response force. When rapidly responding to a natural disaster or wartime emergency, they are the ones setting up the first austere aerial ports. DOGTAG seeks to address three key challenges: speed of deployment, force capabilities, and agile basing operations. These challenges will be addressed directly by the following five technical areas.

Joint Inspection Hazard Inference Engine: Build an inference engine which takes user inputs and infers hazards associated with a material, packing restrictions, and outputs data regarding inspection of the cargo.

· Performance Goals:

· Reduce time of average Joint Inspection process by 2 hours (66%)

· 47% increase in automation and validation of the Shipper’s Declaration of Dangerous Goods in accordance with International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Air Force Manual 24-204 (AFMAN) guidelines

· 15% accuracy increase in vehicle & asset inspections through TAK validation/cleansing

Autonomous Airfield Mapping: Capabilities to task a UAS via mobile platforms compatible with, for example, ATAK, to automatically survey an area and confer the 3D models into runway survey planning documents. Determine whether the area is suitable for landing aircraft and automate LZ survey processes.

· Performance Goals:

· 50% reduction in surveying time with at least the same accuracy as current practice (Airfield ATAK Plugin Tool)

· 27% Reduction in exposure of personnel to hazardous environments

Machine Learning for Runway Survey and Hazard Detection: Classifiers for runway hazards (both small and large) and runway damage assessment from UAS or traditional ISR resources. Small item detection is critical to identifying lost or dislodged operational items like tools or aircraft parts that could cause Foreign Object Damage (FOD).

· Performance Goals:

· 80% accuracy detecting roaming animals, bird nests

· 85% accuracy detecting lost tools (e.g. wrench, screwdriver) and parts 2" and bigger

· 90% accuracy detecting damage (e.g. cracks, holes, large debris)

· Full runway scan in 30 min or less

· 10% or less False Negatives

Tactical IoT for Austere Perimeter Control & Threat Detection: Centralized threat detection and monitoring becomes critical to securing an austere airfield. Identify and design IoT devices and algorithms to detect threats approaching the airfield, classify them as people, animals, vehicles, and alert the perimeter to team to monitor that threat.

· Performance Goals:

· Integrated IoT sensors must accurately display and analyze threats to personnel (e.g. geofence/intrusion sensors, CBRN) but criteria will be dependent on identified sensors integrated. Examples would include:

· Chemical, Biological, Radioactive, & Nuclear (CBRN)

· 90% detection rate, Less than 10% false positives

· Geofence

· 90% detection rate, Less than 10% false positives

Tactical Backhaul Optimization: Man-packable LTE base stations are a revolutionary technology for austere battlefields and perimeters. By setting up an LTE bubble around an aerial port, Airman across the remote base can communicate using secured tactical cellular devices instead of cumbersome radios. DOGTAG is seeking data compression techniques for efficient relay of local tactical LTE data to Beyond-Line-Of-Sight (BLOS) targets over bandwidth constrained links.

· Performance Goals:

· Concurrent Users: 75+

· Range: 100 square yards

· 3G (Third Generation) network capabilities (i.e. throughput and latency)

TD3: Aerial Delivery Air Mobility Command’s airdrop and aerial delivery capability requires a unique logistics solution leveraging the Army JPAD system. The system provides an important capability and is starting to be integrated into the TAK ecosystem through efforts such as the JPADs Ground Station plugin. However, current JPADs-TAK capabilities are fairly rigid when it comes to redirection or identification of ideal landing zones and they don’t leverage additional sensors for enhanced capabilities.

In-Flight Smart Delivery / JPADS Redirection: An “easy to use” JPADs re-direct capability would equip Special Operations Forces (SOF) units to alter the course of the air drop in-flight to a different designated area (point on the map). This will ensure airdrops do not land in a potentially newly contested landing zone.

· Performance Goals:

· Ability to visualize attainable target radius and change target location in-flight

· 5% increased precision through incorporation of additional sensors

· 80% accuracy of airdrop landing at user-specified relocation point within 300 meters

Intelligent Landing Zone (LZ) Suggestion Engine: A tool for quickly predicting based upon available mobile platform data, such as ATAK, what nearby locations would make for a good drop/landing zone is a capability gap in the field today. This can be used to drive where the JPADs will be directed or where rotary wing pickups could occur.

· Performance Goals:

· 75% reduction in evaluation speed

· 90% accuracy of ideal location compared to current state of the practice

It is understood that a number of agreements will need to be in place for approval to access the communication protocols and testing potential modifications to the platform. Efforts to get these in place will be made by the government team early in the course of the program ahead of TD3 research efforts in FY22-FY23.

Integration and Demonstration DOGTAG technologies need to be integrated, tested, and evaluated at regular intervals (e.g. quarterly). Integrating technology into the TAK ecosystem throughout the development of TDs 1 through 3 will help accomplish the desired end result and ensure issues are identified and mitigated as they arrive.

Testing and evaluation (T&E) should occur in a relevant environment relative to the maturity of the technology. It is expected that initial testing will be done through standalone machines/networks that are representative of the expected operational environment. In a traditional host-based development approach, a test suite is usually set up on a desktop machine even though the final product will eventually run on a different platform. While algorithms can be run relatively quickly using this approach, it doesn't reflect how the real system will behave. Once the functionality has been demonstrated and key performance parameters (KPPs) have been met, the next step will be operationally relevant field testing to evaluate the performance and limitations of the prototype. The government will facilitate the integration and testing efforts in parallel with operational exercises and onsite with end user personnel.

Additionally, DOGTAG’s capabilities will be constrained by the very nature of LTE and tactical data link communications where mobility, high latency, low bandwidth and intermittent connectivity commonly occur, and will also need to take into account the future as enterprise cellular network capabilities (e.g. “5G”) are developed and begin to emerge at the tactical edge.

IMPORTANT NOTE: For the above technical areas, there is supplemental documentation that will be available upon request to potential offerors. This material is considered Distribution Statement D and is available to DoD and DoD Contractors only. Therefore, access will require additional approval.

Contact the Technical Point of Contact identified in Section VII, to receive this material. When doing so, the requestor must:

· Provide their company’s CAGE Code

· Be a U.S. owned company (if not, see SECTION III for mitigation procedures); and

· Be a U.S. citizen

The materials will then be provided via either:

· Certified mail with confirmed signature

· Access to a locally maintained read library (Rome, NY), or

· By digital transmission of materials by secured means

IMPORTANT NOTES REGARDING:

FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH. It is DoD policy that the publication of products of fundamental research remain unrestricted to the maximum extent possible. National Security Decision Directive (NSDD) 189 defines fundamental research as follows:

‘Fundamental research’ means basic and applied research in science and engineering, the results of which ordinarily are published and shared broadly within the scientific community, as distinguished from proprietary research and from industrial development, design, production, and product utilization, the results of which ordinarily are restricted for proprietary or national security reasons.

As of the date of publication of this BAA, the Government cannot identify whether work proposed under this BAA may be considered fundamental research and may award both fundamental and non-fundamental research. Proposers should indicate in their proposal whether they believe the scope of the research included in their proposal is fundamental or not. While proposers should clearly explain the intended results of their research, the Government shall have sole discretion to select award instrument type and to negotiate all instrument terms and conditions with selectees. Appropriate clauses will be included in the resultant awards for non-fundamental research to prescribe publication requirements and other restrictions, as appropriate.

For certain research projects, it may be possible that although the research being performed by the awardee is restricted research, a sub-awardee may be conducting fundamental research. In those cases, it is the awardee’s responsibility to explain in their proposal why its sub-awardee’s effort is fundamental research.

CLOUD COMPUTING. In accordance with DFARS Clause 252.239-7010, if the development proposed requires storage of Government or Government-related data on the cloud, offerors need to ensure that the cloud service provider proposed has been granted Provisional Authorization by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) at a level appropriate to the requirement.

UAS PLATFORMS. In accordance with the Deputy Secretary of Defense Memorandum, "Commercial-Off-The-Shelf Unmanned Aerial Systems Implementation Guidance" (Nov 16, 2018), any work involving COTS UAS devices must work with a Government representative to submit a waiver request before flights or integration with Government systems or data.

II. AWARD INFORMATION:

1. FUNDING: Total funding for this BAA is approximately $49.9M. The anticipated funding to be obligated under this BAA is broken out by fiscal year as follows:

FY20 - $10.5M

FY21 - $13.4M

FY22 - $15.5M

FY23 - $10.5M

a. Individual awards will not normally exceed 18 months with dollar values normally ranging from $100k to $8M. There is also the potential to make awards up to any dollar value as long as the value does not exceed the available BAA ceiling amount.

b. The Government reserves the right to select all, part, or none of the proposals received, subject to the availability of funds. All potential Offerors should be aware that due to unanticipated budget fluctuations, funding in any or all areas may change with little or no notice.

2. FORM: Awards of efforts as a result of this announcement will be in the form of contracts, grants, cooperative agreements or other transactions depending upon the nature of the work proposed.

3. BAA TYPE: This is a two-step open broad agency announcement. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation.

4. FOCUS AREA STARTS BY FISCAL YEAR:

a. FY20

· TD1 - LTE-M Low Cost Cargo and Asset Tracking Infrastructure

· TD1 - Machine Learning for 463L Cargo Pallet Optimization

· TD1 - Intelligent Mobility Data Federation

· TD2 - Joint Inspection Hazardous Inference Engine

· TD2 - Tactical IoT for Austere Perimeter Control and Threat Detection

b. FY21

· TD2 - Autonomous Airfield Mapping

· TD2 - Machine Learning for Runway Survey and Hazard Detection

c. FY22

· TD2 - Tactical Backhaul Optimization

· TD3 - In-Flight Smart Delivery / JPADS Redirection

· TD3 - Intelligent Landing Zone (LZ) Suggestion Engine

STEP ONE – The Government is only soliciting white papers at this time. DO NOT SUBMIT A FORMAL PROPOSAL. Those white papers found to be consistent with the intent of this BAA may be invited to submit a technical and cost proposal. See Section VI of this announcement for further details regarding the proposal.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION:

1. ELIGIBILITY: All qualified offerors who meet the requirements of this BAA may apply.

2. FOREIGN PARTICIPATION/ACCESS:

a. This BAA is closed to foreign participation. This includes both foreign ownership and foreign nationals as employees or subcontractors.

b. Exceptions.

1. Fundamental Research. If the work to be performed is unclassified, fundamental research, this must be clearly identified in the white paper and/or proposal. See Part II, Section I for more details regarding Fundamental Research. Offerors should still identify any performance by foreign nationals at any level (prime contractor or subcontractor) in their proposals. Please specify the nationals’ country of origin, the type of visa or work permit under which they are performing and an explanation of their anticipated level of involvement. You may be asked to provide additional information during negotiations in order to verify the foreign citizen’s eligibility to participate on any contract or assistance agreement issued as a result of this announcement

2. Foreign Ownership, Control or Influence (FOCI) companies who have mitigation plans/paperwork in place. Proof of approved mitigation documentation must be provided to the contracting office focal point, Amber Buckley, Contracting Officer, telephone (315) 330-3605, or e-mail amber.buckley@us.af.mil prior to submitting a white paper and/or a proposal. For information on FOCI mitigation, contact the contact the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA). Additional details can be found at: https://www.dcsa.mil/mc/ctp/foci/

3. Foreign Nationals as Employees or Subcontractors. Applicable to any effort not considered Fundamental Research. Offerors are responsible for ensuring that all employees and/or subcontractors who will work on a resulting contract are eligible to do so. Any employee who is not a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident will be restricted from working on any resultant contract unless prior approval of the Department of State or the Department of Commerce is obtained via a technical assistance agreement or an export license. Violations of these regulations can result in criminal or civil penalties.

c. Information Regarding Non-US Citizens Assigned to this Project

a. Contractor employees requiring access to USAF bases, AFRL facilities, and/or access to U.S. Government Information Technology (IT) networks in connection with the work on contracts, assistance instruments or other transactions awarded under this BAA must be U.S. citizens. For the purpose of base and network access, possession of a permanent resident card ("Green Card") does not equate to U.S. citizenship. This requirement does not apply to foreign nationals approved by the U.S. Department of Defense or U.S. State Department under international personnel exchange agreements with foreign governments. It also does not apply to dual citizens who possess US citizenship, to include Naturalized citizens. Any waivers to this requirement must be granted in writing by the Contracting Officer prior to providing access. Specific format for waiver request will be provided upon request to the Contracting Officer. The above requirements are in addition to any other contract requirements related to obtaining a Common Access Card (CAC).

b. For the purposes of Paragraph 1, if an IT network/system does not require AFRL to endorse a contractor's application to said network/system in order to gain access, the organization operating the IT network/system is responsible for controlling access to its system. If an IT network/system requires a U.S. Government sponsor to endorse the application in order for access to the IT network/system, AFRL will only endorse the following types of applications, consistent with the requirements above:

a) Contractor employees who are U.S. citizens performing work under contracts, assistance instruments or other transactions awarded under this BAA.

b) Contractor employees who are non-U.S. citizens and who have been granted a waiver.

Any additional access restrictions established by the IT network/system owner apply.

3. FEDERALLY FUNDED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTERS AND GOVERNMENT ENTITIES: Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) and Government entities (e.g., Government/National laboratories, military educational institutions, etc.) are subject to applicable direct competition limitations and cannot propose to this BAA in any capacity unless they meet the following conditions:

a. FFRDCs: FFRDCs must clearly demonstrate that the proposed work is not otherwise available from the private sector; and FFRDCs must provide a letter on official letterhead from their sponsoring organization citing the specific authority establishing their eligibility to propose to Government solicitations and compete with industry, and their compliance with the associated FFRDC sponsor agreement’s terms and conditions. This information is required for FFRDCs proposing to be prime contractors or sub-awardees.

b. Government Entities: Government entities must clearly demonstrate that the work is not otherwise available from the private sector and provide written documentation citing the specific statutory authority and contractual authority, if relevant, establishing their ability to propose to Government solicitations. While 10 U.S.C.§ 2539b may be the appropriate statutory starting point for some entities, specific supporting regulatory guidance, together with evidence of agency approval, will still be required to fully establish eligibility.

FFRDC and Government entity eligibility will be determined on a case-by-case basis; however, the burden to prove eligibility for all team members rests solely with the proposer.

Government agencies interested in performing work related to this announcement should contact the Technical Point of Contact (TPOC). If resulting discussions reveal a mutual interest, cooperation may be pursued via other vehicles.

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION:

All responses to this announcement must be addressed to the Technical Point of Contact (TPOC) listed in SECTION VII. DO NOT send white papers to the Contracting Officer.

1. SUBMISSION DATES AND TIMES:

It is recommended that white papers be received by 2 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the following dates to maximize the possibility of award:

FY21 by 1 AUG 2020 FY22 by 1 AUG 2021 FY23 by 1 AUG 2022

White papers will be accepted until 2 PM EST on 30 Sep 2022, but it is less likely that funding will be available in each respective fiscal year after the dates cited. This BAA will close on 30 Sep 2022.

All offerors submitting white papers will receive notification of their evaluation results within 45 days of submission. Offerors should email the TPOC and the Contracting Officer listed in Section VII, for status of their white paper(s) after 45 days, if no such correspondence has been received.

2. CONTENT AND FORMAT: Offerors are required to submit 1 copies of a 3 to 5 page white paper summarizing their proposed approach/solution. The purpose of the white paper is to preclude unwarranted effort on the part of an offeror whose proposed work is not of interest to the Government.

The white paper will be formatted as follows:

a. Section A: Title, Period of Performance, Estimated Cost, Name/Address of Company, Technical and Contracting Points of Contact (phone and email)(this section is NOT included in the page count);

b. Section B: Task Objective; and

c. Section C: Technical Summary and Proposed Deliverables.

All white papers shall be double spaced with a font no smaller than 12 point. In addition, respondents are requested to provide their Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code, their unique entity identifier and electronic funds transfer (EFT) indicator (if applicable), an e-mail address and reference BAA FA8750-19-S-7012 with their submission.

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 15.609(a) and (b).

3. HANDLING AND MAILING INSTRUCTIONS:

a. CLASSIFICATION GUIDANCE. All Proposers should review the NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL SECURITY PROGRAM OPERATING MANUAL, (NISPOM), dated February 28, 2006 and incorporating Change 2, dated May 18, 2016, as it provides baseline standards for the protection of classified information and prescribes the requirements concerning Contractor Developed Information under paragraph 4-105. Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) Site for the NISPOM is: http://www.dcsa.mil/.

In the event of a possible or actual compromise of classified information in the submission of your white paper or proposal, immediately but no later than 24 hours, bring this to the attention of your cognizant security authority and AFRL Rome Research Site Information Protection Office (IPO):

Information Protection Office (contact only if a security compromise has occurred)

b. CLASSIFIED SUBMISSIONS. AFRL/RISA will accept classified responses to this BAA when the classification is mandated by classification guidance provided by an Original Classification Authority of the U.S. Government, or when the offeror believes the work, if successful, would merit classification.

Security classification guidance in the form of a DD Form 254 (DoD Contract Security Classification Specification) will not be provided at this time since AFRL is soliciting ideas only.

Offerors that intend to include classified information or data in their white paper submission or who are unsure about the appropriate classification of their white papers should contact the technical point of contact listed in Section VII for guidance and direction in advance of preparation.

c. MAILING INSTRUCTIONS.

Email Unclassified electronic submission to the TPOC identified in Section VI. Encrypt or password-protect all proprietary information prior to sending. Offerors are responsible to confirm receipt with the TPOC. AFRL is not responsible for undelivered documents. If electronic submission is used, only one copy of the documentation is required.

In addition to the electronic submission, please also mail a response. Any mailed responses, unclassified/classified, to this announcement must be sent U.S. Postal Service, registered mail or similar service and addressed to AFRL/RISA, 525 Brooks Road, Rome NY 13441-4505, and reference BAA FA8750-20-S-7005. When mailing follow the directions regarding the number of copies required.

Questions can be directed to the TPOC listed in Section VII.

4. OTHER SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS/CONSIDERATIONS:

a. COST SHARING OR MATCHING: Cost sharing is not a requirement. Cost sharing may be proposed and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

b. SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT (SAM). Offerors must be registered in the SAM database to receive a contract award, and remain registered during performance and through final payment of any contract or agreement. Processing time for registration in SAM, which normally takes forty-eight hours, should be taken into consideration when registering. Offerors who are not already registered should consider applying for registration before submitting a proposal. The provision at FAR 52.204-7, System for Award Management (Oct 2016) applies.

c. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION AND FIRST-TIER SUBCONTRACT/ SUBRECIPIENT AWARDS: Any contract award resulting from this announcement may contain the clause at FAR 52.204-10 - Reporting Executive Compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards (Oct 2016). Any grant or agreement award resulting from this announcement may contain the award term set forth in 2 CFR, Appendix A to Part 25 which can be viewed at: http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=8fb6c83606df57968c3e7e145e7d683c&mc=true&node=ap2.1.25_1360.a&rgn=div9

d. ALLOWABLE CHARGES: The cost of preparing white papers/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. Incurring pre-award costs for ASSISTANCE INSTRUMENTS ONLY are regulated by 2 CFR part 200.458, Pre-Award Costs.

e. GOVERNMENT APPROVED ACCOUNTING SYSTEM: An offeror must have a government approved accounting system prior to award of a cost-reimbursement contract per limitations set forth in FAR 16.301-3(a) to ensure the system is adequate for determining costs applicable to the contract. The acceptability of an accounting system is determined based upon an audit performed by the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA). IMPORTANT: If you do not have a DCAA approved accounting system access the following link for instructions: https://beta.sam.gov/opp/e628c811fafe041accdddf55fb8539bf/view?keywords=AFRL-BAA-Guide&sort=-relevance&index=&is_active=true&page=1

f. HUMAN USE: All research involving human subjects, to include the use of human biological specimens and human data, selected for funding must comply with Federal regulations for human subject protection. Further, research involving human subjects that is conducted or supported by the DoD must comply with 32 CFR 219, “Protection of Human Subjects” found at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_07/32cfr219_07.html, and DoD Instruction 3216.02, “Protection of Human Subjects and Adherence to Ethical Standards in DoD-Supported Research” found at: http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/321602p.pdf.

1. Institutions awarded funding for research involving human subjects must provide documentation of a current Assurance of Compliance with Federal regulations for human subject protection, for example a Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Human Research Protection Federal Wide Assurance found at: http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp.

2. All institutions engaged in human subject research, to include subcontractors, must have a valid assurance. In addition, personnel involved in human subject research must document the completion of appropriate training for the protection of human subjects.

3. For all research that will involve human subjects in the first year or phase of the project, the institution must submit evidence of a plan for review by an institutional review board (IRB) as part of the proposal. The IRB conducting the review must be the IRB identified on the institution’s Assurance of Compliance. The protocol, separate from the proposal, must include a detailed description of the research plan, study population, risks and benefits of study participation, recruitment and consent process, data collection, and data analysis. The designated IRB should be consulted for guidance on writing the protocol. The informed consent document must comply with 32 CFR 219.116. A valid Assurance of Compliance and evidence of appropriate training by all investigators should accompany the protocol for review by the IRB.

4. In addition to a local IRB approval, an AFRL-level human subject regulatory review and approval is required for all research conducted or supported by the DoD. The Air Force office responsible for managing the award can provide guidance and information about the AFRL-level review process. Confirmation of a current Assurance of Compliance and appropriate human subjects protection training is required before AFRL-level approval can be issued.

5. The time required to complete the IRB review/approval process will vary depending on the complexity of the research and/or the level of risk to study participants; ample time should be allotted to complete the approval process. The IRB approval process can last between 1 to 3 months, followed by a DoD review that could last 3 to 6 months. No funding may be used toward human subject research until all approvals are granted. Therefore, in their cost proposals offerors should separate human use into a separate option.

V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION:

1. CRITERIA: The following criteria, which are listed in descending order of importance, will be used to determine whether white papers and proposals submitted are consistent with the intent of this BAA and of interest to the Government:

a. Overall Scientific and Technical Merit -- The soundness of approach for the development and/or enhancement of the proposed technology,

b. Related Experience - The extent to which the offeror demonstrates relevant technology and domain knowledge,

c. Openness, Maturity and Assurance of Solution - The extent to which existing capabilities and standards are leveraged and the relative maturity of the proposed technology,

d. Reasonableness and realism of proposed costs and fees (if any)

No further evaluation criteria will be used to select white papers for proposal invitation. Proposals will be evaluated IAW this evaluation criteria only and categorized/selected for award as detailed in Section V.2.b.2. White papers and proposals submitted will be evaluated as they are received.

2. REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS:

a. Only Government employees will evaluate the white papers/proposals for selection. The Air Force Research Laboratory's Information Directorate has contracted for various business and staff support services, some of which require contractors to obtain administrative access to proprietary information submitted by other contractors. Administrative access is defined as "handling or having physical control over information for the sole purpose of accomplishing the administrative functions specified in the administrative support contract, which do not require the review, reading, and comprehension of the content of the information on the part of non-technical professionals assigned to accomplish the specified administrative tasks." These contractors have signed general non-disclosure agreements and organizational conflict of interest statements. The required administrative access will be granted to non-technical professionals. Examples of the administrative tasks performed include: a. Assembling and organizing information for R&D case files; b. Accessing library files for use by government personnel; and c. Handling and administration of proposals, contracts, contract funding and queries. Any objection to administrative access must be in writing to the Contracting Officer and shall include a detailed statement of the basis for the objection.

b. WHITE PAPER/PROPOSAL REVIEW PROCESS:

1. FIRST STEP – White Paper Reviews: 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 criteria listed above. If white papers are of interest and funding is available, AFRL/RI will request a formal technical and cost proposal from offeror. If white papers are not of interest or there is not funding available, a letter will be sent to the offeror indicating the reason not selected.

2. SECOND STEP – White Paper Proposal Selection Process

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

1. Selectable: Proposals are recommended for acceptance, if sufficient funding* is available.

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

* Selectable proposals will be designated as funded or unfunded. Letters will be sent to the unfunded offerors. These proposals may be funded at a later date without reevaluation, if funding becomes available.

b) The Government reserves the right to award some, all, or none of the proposals. When the Government elects to award only a part of a proposal, the selected part may be categorized as Selectable, though the proposal as a whole may not merit such a categorization.

c) Proposal Risk Assessment: Proposals’ technical, cost, and schedule risk will be assessed as part of the above evaluation criteria’s application. 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, materials, or other cost elements as it relates to meeting the proposed period of performance.

d) Prior to award of a potentially successful offer, the Contracting Officer will make a determination regarding price reasonableness and realism.

3. FEDERAL AWARDEE PERFORMANCE AND INTEGRITY INFORMATION SYSTEM (FAPIIS) PUBLIC ACCESS: The Government is required to review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the FAPIIS before making any award in excess of the simplified acquisition threshold (currently $250,000) over the period of performance. An applicant may review and comment on any information about itself that a federal awarding agency previously entered. The Government will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to other information in FAPIIS in making a judgment about the applicant's integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in 2 CFR § 200.205 Federal Awarding Agency Review of Risk Posed by Applicants and per FAR 9.104-6.

VI. STEP TWO INFORMATION – REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL & AWARD:

1. PROPOSAL FORMATING: When developing proposals, reference the AFRL "Broad Agency Announcement (BAA): Guide for Industry," Mar 2015, and RI-Specific Proposal Preparation Instructions, Jul 2019, which may be accessed at: https://beta.sam.gov/opp/e628c811fafe041accdddf55fb8539bf/view?keywords=AFRL-BAA-GUIDE&sort=-relevance&index=&is_active=true&page=1 Always reference the newest versions of these documents.

2. AWARD NOTICES: Those white papers found to be consistent with the research areas of interest and expected results within the broad topic areas as described in the Technology Requirements section of this BAA and of interest to the Government may be invited to submit a technical and cost proposal. Notification by email or letter will be sent by the TPOC. Such invitation does not assure that the submitting organization will be awarded a contract. Those white papers not selected to submit a proposal will be notified in the same manner. Prospective offerors are advised that only Contracting Officers are legally authorized to commit the Government. All offerors submitting proposals will receive notification of their evaluation results within 45 days of submission. Offerors should email the TPOC and the Contracting Officer listed in Section VII, for status of their proposal after 45 days, if no such correspondence has been received.

3. DEBRIEFINGS: If a debriefing is requested in accordance with the time guidelines set out in FAR 15.505 and 15.506, a debriefing will be provided, but the debriefing content may vary to be consistent with the procedures that govern BAAs (FAR 35.016). Debriefings will not be provided for white papers.

4. ADMINISTRATIVE AND NATIONAL POLICY REQUIREMENTS:

a. FACILITY CLEARANCE. Depending on the work to be performed, the offeror may require a SECRET facility clearance and safeguarding capability; therefore, personnel identified for assignment to a classified effort must be cleared for access to SECRET information at the time of award. In addition, the offeror may be required to have, or have access to, a certified and Government-approved facility to support work under this BAA.

b. EXPORT CONTROL LAWS. Awards under this solicitation may require access to, or generation of, data subject to export control laws and regulations. Only contractors who are registered and certified with the Defense Logistics Information Service (DLIS) and have a legitimate business purpose may participate in this solicitation. For questions, contact DLIS on-line at http://www.dla.mil/HQ/InformationOperations/LogisticsInformationServices.aspx or at the DLA Logistics Information Service, 74 Washington Avenue North, Battle Creek, Michigan 49037-3084, and telephone number 1-800-352-2255 (24/7). You must submit a copy of your approved DD Form 2345, Militarily Critical Technical Data Agreement, with your white paper/proposal.

c. SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION. The Government encourages the best sources from the scientific and industrial communities to propose, including small business concerns, large businesses, academia and non-profit entities. Non-small businesses are encouraged to team with small business concerns to come up with the best technical solutions and obtain the best mix of cost, performance and schedule.

d. ACTIONS FOR THE PROTECTION OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, CONTROLLED INFORMATION, KEY PERSONNEL AND CRITICAL TECHNOLOGIES. Offerors who are requested to submit a proposal under this solicitation of grants, cooperative agreements, Technology Investment Agreements, and other non-procurement transactions only shall submit specific information for all key personnel, whether or not the individuals’ efforts under the project are to be funded by the DoD. Specific requirements will be detailed in the Request for Proposal (RFP) letter. The information shall be included in the Research and Related/Key Person Profile (Expanded) form (https://www.grants.gov/forms/r-r-family.html). This collection only applies to persons identified as key personnel. This information shall not be included in the overall proposal page limits. Failure to submit this information may cause the proposal to be returned without further review, and the DoD reserves the right to request further details before making a final determination on funding an effort.