RaDSAt Call 20210802 Amended 2 August 2021.pdf

(CALL 0001 entitled “Research and Development Satellite Assessment (RaDSAt)”

Issued Under

Directed Energy Technology Experimentation Research (DETER) Advanced Research Announcement (ARA)

FA9451-21-S-0001

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

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

Federal Agency Name: Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Directed Energy Directorate, Space-Electro-Optics, AFRL/RDS

ARA Title: Directed Energy Technology Experimentation Research (DETER)

ARA Number: FA9451-21-S-0001

Call Title: Research and Development Satellite Assessment (“RaDSAt”)

Call Announcement Number: Initial Call 0001 Announcement

Call Type: Closed Two-Step Call where white papers and proposal submittals shall be due within specified periods.

DETER Topic Areas: IV. Directed Energy Effects Testing

V. Modeling, Simulation, and Analysis (MS&A)

VII. Innovative Space Domain Awareness

Purpose of Issuing Call: The Air Force Research Laboratory, Directed Energy Directorate Electro Optics Division (AFRL/RDS) is seeking white papers which could potentially result in award(s) of “Arrangements” under 10 U.S.C. § 2373 to fulfill some of the Satellite Assessment Center’s needs.

CALL SPECIFIC INFORMATION: Unless otherwise stated in this call, all requirements listed within the basic ARA announcement are considered applicable. Offerors should monitor the Federal Business Opportunities website at https://sam.gov/content/home / for amendments to this call or the DETER ARA.

II. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

A. Overview Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Satellite Assessment Center (SatAC) overarching objectives include accelerating the advancement of Directed Energy (DE) modeling, simulation, analysis and assessment knowledge and technical capabilities to support protection of strategic United States (US) Space interests. In this way, the Satellite Assessment Program (SatAP) directly participates in and contributes to achievement of strategic US national Space goals, such as the 2020 Defense Space Strategy (DSS) objective to “Maintain Space Superiority.” SatAC scope is organized in four, https://sam.gov/content/home%20/ interdependent technical areas: 1) Space Object Data and Information Curation; 2) DE Effects Modeling, Simulation Analysis, and Assessment; 3) DE Modeling, Simulation, Analysis, and Assessment Tool Development; and 4) SatAC Infrastructure Modernization.

The SatAC mission integrates the four technical areas defined above through agile design, development, experimentation, and test activities focused on improving supply quality and delivery speed by which SatAP mission partner requirements are satisfied in response to increasing demand, emerging requirements, and evolving, dynamic threat environments.

Although the RaDSAt program requirements collectively include all four technical areas identified above, the Government intends to award two Arrangements under this call: one Arrangement for Satellite Assessment Tools for Unique Research Needs (SATURN), and one Arrangement for Satellite Threat Assessment and Research Studies (STARS). The STARS acquisition scope addresses only Technical Areas #1 and #2, whereas the SATURN acquisition scope addresses Technical Areas #3 and #4. The Arrangement(s) are the prevailing agreement(s) between the parties. Orders will be issued under each Arrangement.

B. Statement of Objective/Needs

1. Arrangement 1: Satellite Threat Assessment and Research

Studies (STARS) Key SatAC operational goals will be realized through the Satellite Threat Assessment and Research Studies (STARS) program. STARS program will satisfy requirements for data and information collection, as well as production and delivery of SatAC supplies to mission partners. SatAC supplies include Directed Energy (DE) effects analyses, assessments, models, simulations, and related intelligence products that enable SatAC mission partner experimentation in the Space Control (SC), Space Domain Awareness (SDA), and Defensive Counter Space (DCS) operational domains. The Offeror shall present methods on the development and modernization of items including, but not limited to:

a) Satellite Assessment Center (SatAC) Data & Information Curation

(1) Satellite and Space Object Data and Information Collection

(2) Data and Information Quality Management

(3) Data and Information Access Management

b) Directed Energy Effects, Models, Simulations, Analyses, and Assessments

(1) Threat Assessment

(2) Materials Research

(3) Resiliency Research

(4) Satellite Information Folders (SIFs)

(5) Probabilistic Risk Assessment

See Attachment 1 – STARS Statement of Objectives

2. Arrangement 2: Satellite Assessment Tools for Unique Research Needs (SATURN) Key SatAC operational goals will be realized through the Satellite Assessment Tools for Unique Research Needs (SATURN) program. SATURN will modernize production and delivery of SatAC supplies, through modernization and enhancement of existing SatAC DE Modeling Simulation, Analysis and Assessment tools and infrastructure modernization. The Offeror shall present methods on the development and modernization of items including, but not limited to:

a) Directed Energy Modeling, Simulation and Analysis Tool Development

(1) Materials Analysis Software Development and Sustainment

(2) Photometric and Radiometric Modeling Software Development

(3) Military Utility Assessment Software Development

(4) Threat Engagement Modeling (TEM) Software Development

(5) Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) Modeling Software

Development

(6) Satellite Database and Knowledge Repository Development

(7) Multi-Domain Space Testbed Development

b) SatAC Infrastructure Modernization See Attachment 2 – SATURN Statement of Objectives

III. AWARD INFORMATION

A. Anticipated Arrangement(s) Award Date: 1 January 2022 B. Funding

1. Anticipated Funding This funding profile is only an estimate and is not an obligation for funding. All funding is subject to change at the Government’s discretion and/or by the availability of funds. RaDSAt is expected to be funded mostly by external customers. As such, there is some uncertainty surrounding the amount of funding that will be obligated at award or throughout the duration of the program(s). The “Core Funds Anticipated,” “External RDT&E Funds Anticipated,” and “External O&M Funds Anticipated” have been assured in accordance with AFFARS MP5332.7(b) whereas the “Other Customer Funds Anticipated (Based on Historicals)” have not been formally assured. The “Other Customer Funds Anticipated (Based on Historicals)” were formed through a historical analysis of customer funding received by AFRL/RDS to fulfill the RaDSAt requirements.

Nonetheless, awards of Arrangements or under Arrangements will not be made in the absence of appropriate available funding or assurances thereto. Additionally, Offerors will not be requested to work in the absence of funding. Offerors that submit white papers or proposals in response to this announcement do so at their own risk; please see 2. “Availability of Funds” Notice below.

The estimated funding for this requirement is identified in the charts below.

Estimated Call 0001 Total Cost for RaDSAt: Anticipated funding for the entire program (not per arrangement or award) is estimated at $36,000,000 with an approximate breakout as follows:

RaDSAt Estimated Total Program Values Fiscal Year (FY) FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26 Total Estimated Funding $7,200.0K $7,200.0K $7,200.0K $7,200.0K $7,200.0K $36,000.0K

SATURN Program Value (60% of RaDSAt) and Estimated Funding

Fiscal Year of Funds

Core Funds Anticipated

Other Customer

Funds Anticipated (Based on

Historicals) Total

2022 $ 248.8K $4,071.2K

$4,320.0K

2023 $ 228.4K $4,091.6K $4,320.0K 2024 $ 264.8K $4,055.2K $4,320.0K 2025 $ 291.2K $4,028.8K $4,320.0K 2026 $ 298.8K $4,021.2K $4,320.0K

FY22-26 $ 1,332.0K $20,268.0K $21,600.0K

STARS Program Value (40% of RaDSAt) and Estimated Funding

Fiscal Year of Funds

Core Funds Anticipated

External

RDT&E

Funds

Anticipated

External O&M Funds

Anticipated

Other Customer

Funds Anticipated (Based on

Historicals) Total 2022 $ 248.8K $1,350K $420.0K $861.2K $2,880.0K 2023 $ 228.4K $200.0K $420.0K $2,031.6K $2,880.0K 2024 $ 264.8K $0 $420.0K $2,195.2K $2,880.0K 2025 $ 291.2K $0 $0 $2,588.8K $2,880.0K 2026 $ 298.8K $0 $0 $2,581.2K $2,880.0K

FY22-26 $ 1,332.0K $1,550.0K $1,260.0K $10,258K $ 14,400.0K

2. Availability of Funds Notice to Offeror(s): Funds are not presently available for this effort. No award will be made under this Call until funds are available. The Government reserves the right to cancel this call, either before or after the closing date. In the event the Government cancels this call, the Government has no obligation to reimburse an Offeror for any costs. Funding Restrictions & Recovery of Costs for Submission of White Papers and/or Proposal.

C. Anticipated Type of Contract/Instrument/Agreement/Arrangement The Government reserves the right to award any appropriate contract instrument; this includes, but is not limited to, any contract type under the FAR, grant, cooperative agreement, or Other Transaction (OT) for Prototype, or OT for Research, or “Arrangement” or other instrument pursuant to 10 U.S.C § 2373.

1. Arrangement/Ordering The Government intends to award two Arrangements under this call, one Arrangement for SATURN, and one Arrangement for STARS. The Arrangement is the prevailing agreement between the parties. Orders will be issued under each Arrangement. Each Arrangement will be similar to that of a basic ordering agreement, whereby the parties will negotiate terms and conditions to include methods of establishing pricing at the Arrangement level whereby order(s) will be issued. The intent of these Arrangements and subsequent Orders is to allow opportunities for innovation, increase efficiencies, build economies, and reduce administrative lead times for both parties during the ordering process.

2. Arrangement Ordering Period

a) Maximum: 60 Months

b) The Government may issue one or multiple orders under each

Arrangement Award not to exceed established ceilings for the estimated quantities.

c) The Government may issue an order and/or extend an order up to the last day of the Maximum Arrangement Ordering Period of 60 months, not to exceed an additional 60 months.

3. Anticipated Order Period of Performance (PoP):

a) The anticipated and desired PoP for the first order under each Arrangement is 60 months. The Government reserves the right to change the PoP for the first order.

b) The purpose of this section to is provide an example for illustrative purposes only of the elements for each PoP

c) An example of the PoP for each order would be comprised of the following:

(1) The anticipated overall PoP for the order is 60 months.

(2) The anticipated Technical Period of Performance (TPoP) is 57 months, ending three months before the end of the overall PoP.

(3) The remaining three months is for Final Reporting.

D. Anticipated Number of Awards Although the Government anticipates awarding two Arrangements under this Call, the Government reserves the right to award zero, one, or more agreements, arrangements, grants, other transactions, contracts, etc. for all, some, or none of the solicited/proposed efforts based on the Offeror’s ability to perform desired work and funding availability.

IV. OTHER INFORMATION

A. Communication

1. During White Paper Process

The acquisition team intends to manage communications facilitating the submission of optimal proposals without creating unfair competitive advantages.

Dialogue between prospective Offerors and Government representatives listed below, under Government Points of Contact (POCs), is encouraged until the Request for Proposal is issued. No guidance related to technical approach will be given. However, questions related to the objectives of the effort or prior similar efforts may be answered. If there is any doubt as to whether a response provides a competitive advantage, the answer will be posted publicly via an amendment to this call on https://sam.gov/content/home / for all Offerors to review. All questions must be submitted in writing via email to include the Contracting and Technical POCs listed below NLT 6 August 2021. Questions & Answers (Q&A) will be posted via amendment to https://sam.gov/content/ home/ tentatively on 13 August 2021 if required.

2. During Proposal Process After the Request for Proposals has been issued to Prospective Offerors, all exchanges shall be in writing and submitted via email to the Agreements Officer

(AO)

3. Notice to Offerors Regarding Communications with the Government Only Contracting/Agreement Officers are legally authorized to commit the Government. Communications with any points of contact shall not constitute a commitment by the Government to subsequently fund and/or award any proposed effort.

4. Government Points of Contact – TECHNICAL Primary: Brian Panaccione, Program Manager, AFRL/RDST

(505) 846-4540, brian.panaccione.1@us.af.mil

5. Government Points of Contact – CONTRACTING

Elizabeth Kennedy, Contracting Officer, AFRL/RDKS

(505) 853-6797, elizabeth.kennedy.4@us.af.mil

Brandon Irving, Contract Specialist, AFRL/RDKB

(505) 853-7220, brandon.irving@us.af.mil

B. White Paper and Proposal Preparation Costs The costs of preparing white papers and/or proposals in response to this Call is not considered an allowable direct cost to a resulting arrangement. The Government will not reimburse Offerors/Awardees for direct costs relating to the submission of white papers and/or proposals submitted in response to this Call. However, the costs may be allowable as indirect expenses in resulting awards provided those costs are allocable and reasonable.

C. Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI):

https://sam.gov/content/home%20/ https://sam.gov/content/home/ mailto:brian.panaccione.1@us.af.mil mailto:elizabeth.kennedy.4@us.af.mil mailto:brandon.irving@us.af.mil

No potential OCI issues have been identified prior to release the Call. All OCI issues will be resolved prior to award.

D. Critical Program Information (CPI)/Program Protection Plan (PPP) Awardees that require access to Critical Program Information (CPI) will receive training on the Satellite Assessment Program (SatAP) Program Protection Plan (PPP), and the Space Domain Awareness (SDA) PPP upon release. Copies of the PPP will be provided to the Awardee when deemed necessary by the AFRL Technical Directorate (TD). In the event the Awardee’s role does not require access to the complete PPP, a tailored version will be provided to ensure distribution restrictions are enforced.

All Offerors (including subcontractors/subawardees) shall supplement their current security practices by requiring any personnel involved in executing this arrangement where critical program information (CPI) has been identified to protect the CPI to the standards articulated in the Program Protection Plan and in accordance with DoDI 5200.39. Upon award, all identified DoD Awardees (including subcontractors/subawardees) shall acknowledge and meet the requirements stated by the Program Manager for the protection of CPI. The DoD Awardee must immediately notify the U.S. Government upon the discovery of any nonconformance with CPI protections.

E. Access to Government Installations, Base Support, Network The Government will provide the Awardee with access to facilities on an as-needed basis, inclusive of items incidental to the place of performance such as office space, office supplies, personal computers, telephones for Awardees on-site personnel, and other equipment as necessary.

F. Government Furnished Property (GFP) Availability GFP is not anticipated. Any requests for GFP items required to perform the proposed effort must be separately identified in the Offeror’s response. The terms and conditions regarding the GFP, if any, will be negotiated and otherwise established in accordance with all applicable statutes, rules, regulations, and DoD/Air Force mandatory policies.

G. Government Furnished Information (GFI) Availability.

The Government will provide the Awardee with access to information as necessary. The Awardee shall treat technical data in its possession as Government sensitive information.

Any arrangement that results in an award will have terms and conditions that will address restrictions on use, modification, reproduction, release, performance, display, or further disclosure of the GFI.

H. Data Rights AFRL is engaged in the discovery, development, and integration of warfighting technologies for our air, space, and cyberspace forces. As such, rights in technical data and Non-Commercial Software (NCS) developed or delivered under award(s) resulting from this call are of significant concern to the Government. The Government will therefore carefully consider any restrictions on the use of technical data, NCS, and NCS documentation, which could result in transition difficulty, or less-than full and open competition for subsequent development of this technology.

At a minimum, the Government will likely require Government Purpose Rights. This is largely a result of the Government’s previous funding, in whole or in part; of many if not all of the items identified or otherwise implied in the attached SOOs and/or other attached documents. Data rights will be negotiated before award.

Offerors that propose delivery of noncommercial technical data, NCS, NCS documentation, or otherwise and that seek to provide the Government anything less than unlimited data rights should fully explain how a portion of the data was developed at private expense. Specifically, Offerors must explain what noncommercial technical data, NCS, or NCS documentation developed with costs charged to indirect cost pools and/or costs not allocated to a Government contract will be incorporated, how the incorporation will benefit the program, and address whether those portions or processes are segregable.

Offerors shall include data rights assertions. Assertions must be completed with specificity.

Each assertion must identify the technical data or computer software to be delivered and the associated item, component, or process developed exclusively or partially at private expense to which it pertains. Nonconforming data rights assertion lists may not be accepted until submitted in accordance with applicable statutes, rules, regulations, and policies.

1. Government Purpose Rights The Government shall receive Government Purpose Rights in all noncommercial technical data, noncommercial computer software, and noncommercial computer software documentation developed with mixed funding. “Developed with mixed funding” means development was accomplished partially with costs charged to indirect cost pools and/or costs not allocated to a Government contract, and partially with costs charged directly to a Government contract.

2. Unlimited Data Rights

The Government shall receive unlimited rights in all noncommercial technical data, noncommercial computer software, and noncommercial computer software documentation developed exclusively with Government funds.

The Government shall have unlimited data rights for the following:

a) Form, fit, and function data;

b) Corrections or changes to data furnished to the Awardee by the

Government;

c) Data otherwise publicly available or that has been released or disclosed by the Awardee or subcontractor without restrictions on further use, release or disclosure, other than a release or disclosure resulting from the sale, transfer, or other assignment of interest in the data to another party or the sale or transfer of some or all of a business entity or its assets to another party;

d) Studies, analyses, test data, or similar data produced for this Arrangement, when the study, analysis, test, or similar work was specified as an element of performance,

e) Data necessary for operation, maintenance, installation, or training;

f) Computer software documentation required to be delivered under this

Arrangement;

g) Data that will be delivered, furnished, or otherwise provided to the

Government under this Arrangement, in which the Government has previously obtained rights, shall be delivered, furnished, or provided with the pre-existing rights, unless the parties have agreed otherwise, or any restrictions on the Governments rights to use, modify, reproduce, display or disclose the data have expired or no longer apply.

I. Deliverables The anticipated deliverable items are subject to negotiation. The anticipated Government deliverables are included in Attachment 3 – STARS Arrangement Data Requirements List and Attachment 4 – SATURN Arrangement Data Requirements List.

J. Associate Contractor/Awardee Agreements

1. The Awardee should enter into Agreements commonly referred to as Associate

Contractor Agreements (ACA) for any portion of the contract requiring joint participation in the accomplishment of the Government's requirement. The agreements shall include the basis for sharing information, data, technical knowledge, expertise, and/or resources essential to the Satellite Assessment Program (SatAP), which shall ensure the greatest degree of cooperation for the development of the program to meet the terms of the contract.

2. Those Agreements shall include the following general information:

a) Identify the associate contractors/awardees and their relationships.

b) Identify the program involved and relevant Government contracts of associate contractors/awardees.

c) Describe the associate contractor/awardee interfaces by general subject matter.

d) Specify the categories of information to be exchanged or support to be provided.

e) Include the expiration date (or event) of the ACA.

f) Identify potential conflicts between relevant Government contracts and the

ACA; include agreements on protection of proprietary data and restrictions on employees.

g) A copy of such agreement shall be provided to the Agreements Office for review before execution of the document by the cooperating contractors/awardees.

h) Nothing in the foregoing shall affect compliance with rules, regulations, or associated terms and conditions herein relating to Organizational Conflict of Interest.

i) The Awardee is not relieved of any program requirements or entitled to any adjustments to the terms because of a failure to resolve a disagreement with an associate contractor/awardee.

j) Liability for the improper disclosure of any proprietary data contained in or referenced by any agreement shall rest with the parties to the agreement, and not the Government.

3. All costs associated with the agreements shall be included in the negotiated cost of this arrangement. Agreements may be amended during the performance of this effort.

V. ELIGIBILITY

A. Overview

Failure to meet eligibility information and submit a complete package in response to the announcement may make an Offeror ineligible for award.

B. System for Award Management Before the Government can issue an award, an Offeror must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) https://sam.gov/content/home.

C. Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment Before the Government can issue an award, an Offeror must be registered in the Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment (PIEE) https://piee.eb.mil/.

D. Export Control This announcement involves data that is subject to subject to Export Control and/or International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR) 22 CFR § 120 et. seq., and/or Export Administration Regulations (EAR) 15 CFR § 730 et. seq. Only Offerors who are registered and certified in the Joint Certification Program (JCP) with the Defense Logistics Services Center (DLSC) and have a legitimate business purpose may participate in this call. Contact the Defense Logistics Services Center, 74 Washington Avenue N., Battle Creek, Michigan 49037-3084 (877-352-2255 or JCP-Admin@dla.mil) for further information on the certification process. More current contact information for DLSC may be available at https://www.dla.mil/HQ/LogisticsOperations/Services/JCP/ContactUs.aspx. You must submit a copy of your approved DD Form 2345, Militarily Critical Technical Data Agreement, with your proposal or a statement that the organization has already been certified and register in the JCP with DLSC.

E. Offeror Foreign Participation Foreign Participation is not anticipated due to the sensitive nature of the technology, its level of classification, and location of performance, in part, at a US Government installation.

AFRL is authorized to exclude all foreign participation for the subject procurement at the prime contractor level. US-based offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals (FNs), their country (ies) of origin, the type of visa or work permit possessed, and the statement of work (SOW) tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s).

Offerors are advised FNs proposed to perform may be restricted under U.S. Export Control Laws due to the nature of the technical data.

RESTRICTION ON NON-U.S. CITIZENS (i.e., those holding non-U.S. Passports): This topic is “Export-controlled.” The information and materials provided pursuant to or resulting from this topic are restricted under the ITAR, 22 C.F.R. Parts 120 – 130 or the EAR, 15 C.F.R. Parts 710 – 774. Non-U.S. Citizens may perform work under an unclassified award resulting from this topic only if they are designated as a U.S. Person, as defined by 22 CFR § 120.15 or if bidder/awardee is able to obtain an export license through the Department of State or Department of Commerce. Non-U.S. Citizens designated, as U.S. Persons are not permitted to perform work under a classified award. Non-U.S. citizens will at no time be allowed to work on Air Force installations. The technical information that will have to be provided to contractors could contain classified data and export controlled material. The loss of classified AF technical/military information would constitute an extreme danger to US National Security and would be very useful to an https://sam.gov/content/home https://piee.eb.mil/ https://www.dla.mil/HQ/LogisticsOperations/Services/JCP/ContactUs.aspx adversary and detrimental to the USAF development of next generation and legacy weapon systems.

F. Security Requirements

1. Security Classification

The anticipated security classification for this effort is up to and including Top Secret for facility and Secret for safeguarding with access to both Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) and Non-SCI. S Please review the draft DD Form 254 included as Attachment 5 for more information. If applicable, a final DD 254 and related statutory authority will be incorporated into awards resulting from this Call. The Government will provide the Awardee with system security classification guidance and instructions as required.

2. Schedule and Clearances Offerors may submit white papers without having the appropriate clearance(s);

however, Offerors shall have the ability to process TS cleared personnel to perform work required on this contract, which must be maintained through the entire period of performance. The Awardee personnel shall be TS cleared during the phase-in period, and capable of starting classified work on the first day following the start of the phase-in period.

3. Cognizant Security Office (CSO) Offerors must verify their Cognizant Security Office information is current with Defense Security Service (DSS) at www.dss.mil.

4. National Agency Check (NAC) Awardee personnel who require access to PRS C4 systems are required to obtain a National Agency Check and Inquiries (NACI) consistent with Public Trust Positions (OPM Standard Form 85P). The Awardee may submit a request to the PM that the Government grant Awardee employee(s) interim access to the PRS C4 network while awaiting the results of a NACI. Interim access to the PRS C4 network will only be granted after the Awardee employees obtain at least a local background file check, and have submitted the appropriate documentation to obtain a NACI.

VI. WHITE PAPER

A. Due Date and Time

1. White Paper must be submitted in response to this Call no later than 5:00 PM, Mountain Daylight Time (MDT) on Thursday, 30 August 2021.

2. The Government exercises the right to not accept White Papers after the due date and time.

3. NOTE: Offerors may be ineligible for award if all requirements of this announcement are not met by the due date and time.

B. Intent to Respond Potential Offerors are requested to advise the Contracting POCs identified in the Submission Instructions if they intend to submit a White Paper in response to this call.

Such notification is merely a courtesy and is not a commitment by the Offeror to submit a http://www.dss.mil/

White Paper. Although failure to give notice of intent to respond with a White Paper will not make an Offeror ineligible for award, it is respectfully requested for Government planning purposes.

C. Amendments Offerors should monitor https://sam.gov/content/home for any additional notices and/or amendments to this Call.

D. Submission Process and Format Requirements Below are specifics regarding the white paper submission, format, and content. White Paper submissions must follow the format and content criteria in this Call.

1. Submission Instructions

a) DO NOT SUBMIT CLASSIFIED INFORMATION.

b) White Papers must be timely submitted to the all the Contracting POCs in accordance with the instructions below.

c) The Government requests electronic white papers to be submitted using

DoD SAFE (primary method) with notification sent to the following email addresses:

elizabeth.kennedy.4@us.af.mil brandon.irving@us.af.mil.

d) The maximum email file size the Government can currently receive is 20MB.

Multiple submissions may be needed to facilitate delivery of the entire white paper. Contractors should request a DoD SAFE drop-off from the Government. Currently the request for drop-off is valid for fourteen

(14) days on DoD SAFE. Given the responses expected to be submitted, the requests for drop-off (or drop-offs) should be submitted thirteen (13) days prior to the due date for submission. Please send this request to all Contracting POCs listed above.

Note that currently on DoD SAFE, after seven (7) days after delivery of the documents, the codes are no longer valid for Government retrieval. Therefore, it is encouraged to contact the aforementioned persons identified in section C of White Paper submission instructions to verify that the documents were submitted and retrieved on time. If multiple drop-offs are necessary for the delivery, please request several drop-offs and label them accordingly such as transmission 1 of 3, transmission 2 of 3, etc.

e) If attempted DoD SAFE delivery is not possible for any reason, and DoD SAFE is confirmed as not possible by the Contracting POCs listed above, encrypted email delivery will be considered an acceptable backup method.

Please confirm encryption method to the Contracting POCs in writing prior to delivery.

f) There are no limits to the number of white papers an Offeror may submit.

Multiple white papers may be submitted by each Offeror; however, the white papers must be stand-alone. Specifically, Offerors can submit one white paper for both STARS and SATURN, two white papers with one for STARS and one for SATURN, or one white paper for either STARS or SATURN, or any https://sam.gov/content/home combination or amount of white papers such as three different white papers for STARS, etc.

g) White papers that include data restricted from public disclosure or used by the Government for any purpose should be marked with the proper disclosure and use of data restrictions. It is the Offeror’s responsibility to mark the relevant portions of their paper appropriately if they elect to submit proprietary information. Please be advised that documentation with the proper markings likely fall under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Exemption 4. White papers and documentation without the proper markings are subject to Freedom of Information Act Requests and potential disclosure to the public.

2. White Paper Format

a) Page Size: 8 ½ inches x 11 inches

b) Single Portable Document Format (PDF) with no internal links. Files shall be free of virus and must be unlocked and not password protected.

c) Margins: 1 inch on each side

d) Font: Arial 11+ point

e) Spacing: Single

f) Page Limit: Excluding cover page and Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) page, five pages maximum (one-side only). Page limit is a total of seven pages when including the one-page cover page and one page ROM.

g) Page Numbers: Include page numbers on each page in the following format:

Page ___ of ___. For example, Page 1 of 7, Page 2 of 7, etc.

h) All text, including text in tables, diagrams, and charts, must adhere to all font size and line spacing requirements listed herein. No hard copies of the white papers are requested.

3. Required White Paper Content

a) Cover Page

The white paper cover page shall not exceed one page in length, and shall include at a minimum:

(1) ARA number (FA9451-21-S-0001)

(2) Call number i.e. Call 0001 and title

(3) DETER Topic Area(s)

(4) Title of the white paper

(5) Offeror organization name

(6) Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code (if applicable)

(7) Organization/Business size

(8) Technical and contracting points of contact to include telephone number and email.

(9) Classified level at which the Offeror organization is cleared

(10) Period of Performance

b) Task Objectives & Period of Performance This portion of the white paper all include a brief overview of the objectives sought to be accomplished. It shall also include discussion of the period of performance and/or ordering period, which should be consistent with that specified within this announcement.

4. Technical Content and Proposed Deliverables The technical portion of the white paper should include the following information:

a) Discussion of the nature and scope of the research; the problem statement; the Offeror’s proposed objectives and technical approach/solution; all relevant assumptions; an overview of tasks and methods to achieve each objective; and expected results

b) Description of state-of-the-art knowledge or methods to be employed, along with a clear strategy, resources and schedule for maturing the technology

c) Description of final product(s) to be delivered (prototypes, demos, reports, software, etc.)

d) Mapping of effort to specific need(s) outlined in the topic area(s) description, with a strategy for transition of deliverables to a Government acquisition program. Transitions can be specific to an existing/future system or have broad application to several existing/future systems

e) Explanation of how the proposed effort provides benefits to the national defense and a strategy for verifying those intended benefits

f) Any restrictions on Government use, release, or disclosure of technical data

g) Key personnel, consultants or subcontractors to support the effort and evidence of expertise and experience to accomplish the proposed tasks

5. Cost Estimate/Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) The cost portion of the white paper shall include a Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) cost estimate. No detailed price or cost support information should be included/forwarded. This should include top-level details on major cost items such as labor, special equipment that must be purchased, materials, and any subcontracts or other organizational costs (to include Government furnished facilities, equipment, or personnel) for the proposed effort. The ROM cost consists of the total cost plus any profit or fee, if any. It is a best guess of the anticipated cost of the effort. The ROM should be consistent with any dollar value or ranges, if any, specified in the announcement, as well as the level of work being proposed.

The ROM cost section shall not exceed one page.

E. White Paper Review

1. After the review of white papers, the Government will determine whether a formal proposal will be requested based on the evaluation criteria provided in this call.

2. The Government will provide written notification to offerors who have submitted white papers.

3. The notification will state one of the following:

a. The effort proposed is not of interest to the Government OR

b. The effort proposed is of interest to the Government and the Government intends to issue a Request for Proposal to be issued at a later date.

4. Offerors of those white papers evaluated as satisfying the technical merit factor and relevance factor for which sufficient funding is determined available, will be sent a Request for Proposal (RFP) letter to submit a formal technical and cost/business proposal to the contracting point of contact.

5. A RFP does not assure an Offeror of a subsequent award.

6. White papers not selected for full proposal submission or proposals not selected for immediate funding will be timely disposed of/destroyed.

F. White Paper Evaluation Criteria Evaluations for white papers submitted will be conducted by a peer or scientific review process. The following criteria will be used to determine if a formal proposal will later be requested. The Offeror’s white paper must satisfactorily address the Technical Merit factor and Relevance factor identified below in order for the ROM to be evaluated for affordability. Only white papers satisfying Technical Merit, Relevance, and Affordability factors will result in a Request for Proposal.

1. Technical Merit Technical Merit is first in order of priority (more important than Relevance to AFRL Programs or Affordability) and shall be evaluated based on the following criteria, which are of equal importance.

Overall Scientific or Technical Merit

(1) Problem statement, objectives and deliverables are clearly defined

(2) Objectives and expected results are anchored by theory, analysis or data

(3) Assumptions are logical, reasonable, and appropriate

(4) Offeror demonstrates knowledge of and applies state-of-the-art methods

*Criteria in this section are of equal importance.

Soundness of Offeror’s Technical Approach

(1) Approach is defined, logical and feasible

(2) Schedule, speed of delivery (technical readiness date), and required resources are reasonable and appropriate

(3) Proposed results are measurable and testable

(4) Key staff have appropriate qualifications to perform proposed effort

*Criteria in this section are of equal importance.

2. Relevance to AFRL Programs Relevance to AFRL Programs is second in order of priority (less important than Technical Merit), but more important than Affordability. It shall be evaluated based on the following criteria, which are of equal importance.

a) Proposed effort is logically mapped to one or more topic area need(s)

b) Proposed effort provides valuable contribution to meeting one or more topic area need(s) and provides benefits to important national defense objectives

c) Benefits appropriately off-set identified risks

3. Affordability Affordability is the least important factor. Rough Orders of Magnitudes (ROM) will be evaluated to determine if sufficient funding is available. White Papers satisfying the technical merit factor and Relevance Factor, and for which sufficient funding is determined to be available, will be evaluated as affordable.

VII. PROPOSAL

Below are specifics regarding proposal format, content, submission, evaluation, review and selection, and award notices. Additional information will be provided in the Request for Proposal (RFP). Proposal submissions must follow all format and content criteria provided in both this call and the RFP.

A. Due Date and Time The Proposal due date and time will be specified within the individual RFP letters.

NOTE: Offerors may be ineligible for award if all requirements of this announcement are not met by the due date and time.

B. Amendments Offerors should monitor https://sam.gov/content/home / for any additional notices and/or amendments to this Call. This will likely include, at a minimum, a copy of the draft Arrangement as an attachment.

C. Submission Process and Format Requirements

1. Submission Instructions

a) DO NOT SUBMIT CLASSIFIED INFORMATION.

b) Proposals must be timely submitted to the Contracting POCs listed in accordance with the instructions below.

c) The Government requests electronic proposals to be submitted using DoD

SAFE (primary method) with notification sent to the following email addresses:

elizabeth.kennedy.4@us.af.mil brandon.irving@us.af.mil.

d) The maximum email file size the Government can currently receive is 20MB.

Multiple submissions may be needed to facilitate delivery of the entire proposal. Contractors should request a DoD SAFE drop-off from the Government. Currently the request for drop-off is valid for fourteen (14) days on DoD SAFE. The requests for drop-off (or drop-offs) should be submitted thirteen (13) days prior to the due date for submission. Please send this request to all Contracting POCs listed above.

Note that currently on DoD SAFE, after seven (7) days after delivery of the documents, the codes are no longer valid for Government retrieval. Therefore, it is encouraged to contact the aforementioned persons to verify that the documents were submitted and retrieved on time. If multiple drop-offs are necessary for the delivery, please request several drop-offs and label them accordingly such as transmission 1 of 3, transmission 2 of 3, etc.

e) If attempted DoD SAFE delivery is not possible for any reason, and DoD SAFE is confirmed as not possible by the Contracting POCs listed above, encrypted email delivery will be considered an acceptable backup method.

Please confirm encryption method to the Contracting POCs in writing prior to delivery.

f) Proposals that include data restricted from public disclosure or used by the Government for any purpose should be marked with the proper disclosure and use of data restrictions. It is the Offeror’s responsibility to mark the relevant https://sam.gov/content/home%20/ portions of their proposal appropriately if they elect to submit proprietary information. Please be advised that documentation with the proper markings likely fall under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Exemptions 3 or 4.

Proposals and documentation without the proper markings are subject to Freedom of Information Act Requests and potential disclosure to the public.

2. Proposal Format

a) Paper Size: 8 ½ inches x 11 inches

b) Files shall be free of virus an must be unlocked and not password protected

c) Margins: 1 inch on each side

d) Font & Spacing. Font: Arial 11+ point font on all text except as otherwise provided. Spacing: Single-spaced.

(1) Exceptions: Line spacing and font requirements do not have to be followed for illustrations, flowcharts, drawings, and diagrams. These exceptions shall not be used to circumvent formatting requirements and page count limitations by including lengthy narratives in such items.

e) Page Numbers: Include page numbers on each page in the following format:

Page ___ of ___. For example, Page 1 of 7, Page 2 of 7, etc.

f) Any other information (e.g. captions, restrictive markings) shall not be smaller than Arial 10 point font or equivalent.

(1) Technical Volume Page Limit: Shall be limited to 20 pages and shall be prepared and submitted in PDF format. Please note that the technical proposal page limit does not include the Offeror’s proposed Statement of Work (SOW), Cover Page, table of contents, Executive Summary, and Schedule.

(2) Offeror’s Statement of Work Page Limit: Shall be limited to ten (10) pages and submitted in Microsoft Word format.

g) Cost/Business Volume Page Limit: No page limitations; however, Offerors are requested to keep cost proposals under 100 pages. Cost breakouts shall be submitted in Microsoft Excel with the formulas included and unlocked, all other information should be provided in Microsoft Word.

D. Technical Proposal Content

1. Cover Page

The cover page shall include at a minimum:

a) ARA number (FA9451-21-S-0001)

b) Call number i.e. Call 0001 and title

c) DETER Topic Area(s)

d) Title of the proposal

e) Offeror organization name

f) Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code (if applicable)

g) Organization/Business size

h) Technical and contracting points of contact to include telephone number(s) and email.

i) Classified level at which the Offeror organization is cleared

j) Periods of Performance

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

l) Any exceptions to terms and conditions along with the rationale

m) Validity Statement: Proposal shall include a statement that proposal is valid for a minimum of 180 days

n) The cover page is exclusive of the page number limit.

2. Table of Contents The Offeror shall include a table of contents with the proposal to include appendix (ces). The table of contents is exclusive of the page number limit.

3. Executive Summary The Executive Summary allows Offerors to concisely present the important aspects of their proposals to key management personnel. The summary should present an organized progression of the work to be accomplished, without the technical details, so that the reader can grasp the core issues of the proposed program. The Executive Summary shall not exceed two (2) pages. The table of contents is exclusive of the page number limit.

4. Technical Approach In this section, the Offeror should provide as much technical detail and analysis as is necessary or useful to support the proposed technical approach. It is not effective to address a variety of possible solutions to the technology problems.

Technical Discussion No technical approach is without its limitations or shortcomings. Every issue should be identified and compared with the successes/failures of previous approaches. A tradeoff analysis is a good way to make this comparison and should be supported by theory, simulation, modeling, experimental data, or other sound engineering and scientific practices.

Except for cost, the technical proposal content should cover the items listed in the proposal evaluation criteria.

Technical Program Summary This section summarizes the above technical discussion in an orderly progression through the program, emphasizing the strong points of the proposed technical approach to include a narrative description clearly defining the technical approach (or method) including tools, standards, and procedures to be used by the Awardee to accomplish the tasks to complete deliverables.

Risk Analysis and Alternatives Every technology has limitations and shortcomings. The proposal evaluator(s) will formulate a risk assessment; therefore, it is in the best interest of the Offerors to have their own understanding of the risk factors presented. Critical technologies should be identified along with their impact on the overall program, as well as fallback positions that could still improve on existing approaches.

References Any good technology discussion must present the basis for, and reference, the findings cited in the literature.

Capabilities and Relevant Experience In this section, the Offeror should describe any capabilities the Offeror has that are uniquely supportive of the technology to be pursued. The proposal must include any information on prior work in the technical areas, descriptions of available equipment, data, and facilities as attachments to the technical proposal. This information will be used in the proposal evaluation to help determine the soundness of the technical approach.

(1) Capabilities and Relevant Experience

(2) Previous and/or current R&D Experience

(3) Experience Points of Contact

(4) Facilities/Resources

(5) Resumes/Position Descriptions (No names on resumes)

5. Program Organization In this section, the Offerors should present their organization’s ability to oversee difficult technical programs. Any pertinent or useful information may be included in this section, but a minimum recommended response should address the following elements:

Organization Structure & Personnel

(1) Chart(s) with Personnel: Include prime Offeror and subcontractor/sub-awardee organization charts to include the management and technical team members

(2) Include a description the program's organizational structure to include subcontractors/sub-Awardees

Management and Technical Team

(1) Description on procedures, policies, and reporting requirements established to initiate, monitor, control, complete, and report on activities/tasks/deliverables

(3) List job title/Labor Category, assignment of functions, duties, responsibilities, and associated task

(4) Identify roles of personnel assigned to accomplish tasks/complete deliverables

(5) Identify the tasks to be performed by each party and the criteria used to select each sub-offeror/sub-awardee/sub-contractor, if any, to perform its task(s).

• Offeror Responsibilities

• Sub-offeror/sub-awardee/sub-contractor Responsibilities

• Consultant(s) Responsibilities

(6) Show how the combination of people assigned to each task provides a sufficient knowledge or experience base for that task/deliverable

(7) Identify any special education, training, experience, or skills of these individuals. Also, any special administrative support requirements shall be identified.

6. Schedule The schedule represents the Offeror’s commitment to perform the program tasks in an orderly, timely manner. Each major task identified in the SOW should appear as a separate line on a Timeline Chart by Task. Planned meetings, such as kick-off, presentations (including final presentation on the effort), Technical Interchange Meetings, etc., should be included in the timeline. The Timeline should also indicate the anticipated meeting site. Key deliverables, such as software and data items, should be included in the schedule. The Schedule is exclusive of the page limit.

7. Technical Data Identify any technical data that will be delivered with less than unlimited rights.

8. Cost/Pricing Proposal Content Cost and Business Section Volumes Separate the volume into a cost section and business section. The business section should contain all business aspects of the proposed arrangement such as: resumes of personnel who will be participating in this effort;…