NOTAM AI Challenge Based Acquisition Overview_Amendment 1.pdf

Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM)

Aeronautical Information (AI)

Challenge-Based Acquisition (ChBA)

NOTAM & AI ChBA i

Contents

1. Purpose

2. Overview

3. Conditions and Constraints

4. Selection Process

Tables

Table 1: Summary of NOTAM & AI ChBA Phases

NOTAM & AI ChBA 1

1. Purpose

The Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) mission is to provide the safest and most efficient aerospace system. To ensure the safety and efficiency of our National Airspace System (NAS), it is imperative that users have access to accurate information describing the current state of the NAS to inform their decision-making. A large component of this NAS information can be categorized as Aeronautical Information (AI), a subset of which is Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM). Today, the FAA is facing significant challenges managing the current state lifecycle of AI and NOTAM systems. To resolve these challenges and better position the FAA for the future of the NAS, the FAA is seeking modern, innovative solutions from industry to facilitate the transformation of Aeronautical Information Management.

To get a complete understanding of the FAA's objectives, it is recommended to refer to the Statement of Objectives (SOO) and Scope Considerations and Principles documents. These documents provide the pertinent context, explain the current system architecture, and outline the desired objectives for the future state.

The purpose of this document is to provide an overview of the FAA’s Challenge-Based Acquisition (ChBA) approach and each of the phases through production.

2. Overview

The FAA has initiated a multi-phased ChBA, with the goal of facilitating open communication between the FAA and industry to understand the problem and achieve an innovative solution per AMS 3.2.2.3.1.2.1. The following is an overview of the process.

• Phase I – Request for Concept Paper (RCP): An RCP will be issued with the intent of down-selecting to offeror(s) that present a concept that addresses the SOO and the Scope Considerations and Principles Documents. These offerors will receive invitations to Phase II and will be awarded Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs) with a non-negotiable stipend for Phase II.

• Phase II – Proof of Concept: This phase will provide offerors with up to 60 days to prepare a Proof of Concept against FAA provided scripts and use cases. This will culminate in a Proof of Concept demonstration and an FAA facilitated question and answer period. The offeror(s) that best addresses the scripts, use cases provided and the associated evaluation criteria will be invited to Phase III.

• Phase III – Initial Prototype Development: This phase will provide offerors up to 120 days to develop an initial working prototype to include a defined NOTAM service-based solution (See Part I Targeted NOTAM Solution in the Scope Considerations and Principles Document) along with a Program Implementation Plan. Offerors are not limited to just NOTAM if other AI functionalities can be included. The offeror(s) prototype solution and Program Implementation Plan that best address the associated prototype evaluation criteria will be selected to enter into a Production OTA.

NOTAM & AI ChBA 2

• Phase IV- NOTAM and AI Solution: The FAA intends to select offeror(s) from Phase III to move into a Production OTA with an initial operational capability and planned deployment date of September 2025.

The multi-phased ChBA is explained further in Table 1.

Table 1: Summary of NOTAM & AI ChBA Phases

Phase I – Request for Concept Paper (RCP)

• FAA issues the RCP giving potential offerors 30 days to respond.

• An offeror must respond by submitting a Concept Paper, which will be an offer that the FAA reviews based on the evaluation approach outlined in the RCP.

• The FAA will review and consider the Concept Paper using an evaluation team. The process may include one-on-one communications with any, some, or all offerors to better understand the concepts being offered.

• The FAA will make a down-select decision to offeror(s) with a concept that best addresses the SOO and the Scope Considerations and Principles Documents.

• The FAA, at its sole discretion, will make selection(s) among offerors who will move onto Phase II. These offerors will be provided invitations and instructions for the award of the OTA. Offerors who do not advance will be provided notice.

Submission to

FAA:

Concept Paper and Associated Acquisition Documentation – due Monday, March 11, 2024 at

0900 ET.

Phase II – Proof of Concept

• Upon formal acceptance of the invitation to Phase II, the FAA will provide offerors the necessary Government Furnished Information, Scripts, and Use Cases that offerors will use to demonstrate and validate the proof of concept presented in their Concept Papers.

• The offerors will have up to 60 days to prepare for the Proof-of-Concept Table Top events where the offerors will demonstrate their Concept. The FAA will facilitate question & answer sessions. (Details will be provided in the Phase II invitations).

• The FAA will make a down-select decision to the offeror(s) Proof of Concept that best addresses the scripts, use cases and the associated evaluation criteria provided in the invitation.

• The FAA, at its sole discretion, will make selection(s) among offerors who will move onto Phase III.

Demonstration of Proof of Concept and Associated Acquisition Documentation.

Phase III – Initial Prototype Development

• The FAA will select offerors from Phase Two to define and develop an initial working prototype along with a Program Implementation Plan.

• The offeror(s) will be given up to 120 days to develop the Initial Concept Prototype and Program Implementation Plan (Details will be provided in the Phase III invitations).

• The FAA will evaluate the initial prototype(s) and down-select to the offeror(s) that the FAA determines best addresses the associated prototype evaluation criteria for further prototype development, as requested and negotiated under the OTA, including the Program Implementation Plan.

Initial Prototype Solution, Program Implementation Plan, and Associated Acquisition Documentation.

Phase IV – NOTAM and AI Solution

• The FAA intends to select offeror(s) from Phase III to move into a Production OTA with an initial operational capability and planned deployment date of September 2025.

NOTAM & AI ChBA 3

3. Conditions and Constraints

I. The FAA does not currently require delivery of any rights in intellectual property for the Phases. However, the FAA reserves the right to engage at any time for delivery of intellectual property based on information received throughout the phases.

a. Please note, the FAA reserves the rights to all the data stored in the platform/solution.

Additionally, the FAA must have the ability to audit the system to determine what data is stored, how it is stored, etc. It should also be noted that the data cannot be sold unless approved by the FAA.

II. Any data provided by the offeror will be protected under applicable confidentiality agreements, laws, and regulations. The FAA will treat submissions as confidential to the extent permitted by law and will not disclose it unless required by law.

III. If a concept paper is a collaboration among two or more offerors, one of those parties must submit the concept paper in its own name as the prime contractor and list the other(s) as subcontractors detailing roles and responsibilities.

IV. For cloud-based solutions, cloud service offerors must be authorized under the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP).

4. Selection Process I. The FAA’s decisions throughout all phases of this challenge will be inherently subjective.

The FAA seeks concepts that are technically feasible, understandable, and usable and that will meaningfully address the objectives of this and subsequent supporting announcements, along with a reasonable business arrangement for the OTA(s).

II. Throughout all phases of this challenge, the FAA reserves the right to request additional written information from any, some, none, or all offerors. The FAA also reserves the right to hold one-on-one exchanges with any offeror to clarify, better understand, contractual vehicle text for deliverables and outcomes for the prototype, and any and all terms and conditions for the contractual vehicle. Since this will not be a standard evaluation and award process, communications can be specific to one or more offerors at the sole discretion of the FAA.

III. The FAA reserves the right to cancel this ChBA at any time. The FAA also reserves the right to refine the ChBA approach and the phases.

IV. The FAA also reserves the right not to enter into an OTA or contract at the end of this challenge.