FOA-RVKV-2014-0001.pdf

OVERVIEW INFORMATION

FOR

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT (FOA)

I. REQUIRED OVERVIEW CONTENT

A. FEDERAL AGENCY: Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Space Vehicles Directorate (RV), Air Force Materiel Command, United States Air Force

B. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY TITLE: Amplitude Interferometer Research for Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) Space Situational Awareness (SSA)

C. ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE: Initial

D. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: FOA-RVKV-2014-0001

E. CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE (CFDA) NUMBER(S): 12.910

Research and Technology Development

F. PROPOSAL DATE AND TIME: Proposals are due 06 January 2015 at 3:00 p.m., Mountain Standard Time. Note: Proposals received after this due date and time shall not be considered.

G. BRIEFING FOR INDUSTRY (BFI):

1. The Government will accommodate a teleconference for this BFI which will be held on 02 December 2014 starting at 9:00 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. Mountain Standard Time followed by one on one discussion with each potential offeror. Discussion with each offeror will be no longer than one hour regarding this announcement. More information regarding the BFI teleconference and discussions will be distributed with offerors when a request to participate in the BFI is received.

2. BFI participation requires prior written registration to participate in the BFI. To register and set up a time for the one on one discussion, contact the Agreements Negotiator NLT 26 November 2014 at 3:00 p.m., Mountain Standard Time.

Kevin Price, Agreements Negotiator, AFRL Det 8/RVKVI, Kirtland AFB, NM, Phone

(505) 846-7601, email kevin.price.9@us.af.mil;

3. The Government will establish objectives for resolution and time to resolve images.

These objectives will be given on or before the BFI and an amendment will be published on http://www.grants.gov and https://www.fbo.gov.

4. The BFI slides will be published to both grants.gov and https://www.fbo.gov on 24 November 2014.

- i -http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.fbo.gov/

5. Questions regarding the BFI slides shall be submitted by email to the Agreements Negotiator for the BFI teleconference NLT 26 November 2014 at 3:00 p.m., Mountain Standard Time.

6. Should the Government be unable to answer any of the questions during the BFI or discussions, the Government will respond the following week via email.

7. The Government is NOT responsible for any costs incurred as a result of the BFI or discussions.

II. OPTIONAL, ADDITIONAL OVERVIEW CONTENT

A. Announcement REQUEST: AFRL/RV is soliciting interferometry research for application to Space Situational Awareness (SSA) technical and cost (budget) proposals on the effort described at Attachment 1. Proposals should be addressed to the Contracting Point of Contact stated in Section VII of the Full Text Announcement. Proposals submitted in response to this Notice that are selected for award are considered to be the result of merit-based competitive procedures in full compliance with 32 CFR 22.315 Merit-Based, Competitive Procedures.

Proposals submitted shall be in accordance with this announcement. There will be no other announcement issued for this requirement. Proposers MUST monitor Grants.gov/FIND http://www.grants.gov or https://www.fbo.gov in the event this announcement is amended.

B. ELIGIBILITY: This Cooperative Agreement is limited to educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and commercial firms. Proposers must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database at www.sam.gov, and otherwise eligible for award (2 CFR 180.125(a), and 32 CFR 22.415).

C. AUTHORITY: Title 10 U.S.C. 2358, Research and Development Projects

D. AWARD: The Air Force contemplates a single award. However, the Air Force reserves the right to make more than one award or no awards pursuant to this announcement. All proposals submitted under this announcement shall be valid for at least 120 days from the proposal date.

E. INSTRUMENT TYPE: The Government contemplates a Cooperative Agreement. The anticipated award under this FOA will be a cost reimbursement (no fee), which requires the successful proposer to have an accounting system considered adequate for tracking costs applicable to the agreement.

F. ESTIMATED PROGRAM COST: Anticipated funding for the program (not per agreement or award): FY 14 $5M; FY 15 $5M; FY 16 $5M; FY 17 $5M; FY 18 $4.8M. This funding profile is an estimate only and will not be a contractual obligation for funding. All funding is subject to change due to Government discretion and availability. All potential proposers should be aware that due to unanticipated budget fluctuations, funding in any or all areas may change with little or no notice. The Government anticipates the Basic Effort will be awarded for $5M and before the completion date of the performance period, the Government may elect to support 4 periods of additional effort, which may run sequentially or concurrently with the Basic Effort. The need for additional effort will be determined upon completion of the basic effort. The Government reserves the right to award all, some or none of the proposals received.

G. BRIEF PROGRAM SUMMARY: This FOA is soliciting proposals in support of the AFRL to facilitate advanced research and development of Interferometer research applications for SSA.

- ii -http://www.sam.gov/

The AFRL is seeking to understand whether a multi-telescope, optical, amplitude interferometer array provides an effective means to image GEO satellites. Specifically, the lab is interested in understanding what effective optical resolutions can be achieved for GEO objects as a function of object brightness, object extent and structure, array configuration, and number of telescopes.

In addition, the Air Force is interested in the extent to which the amplitude interferometer products can be sufficiently accurate and timely to support spacecraft operator decisions.

H. TECHNICAL POINTS OF CONTACT (TPOCs):

Capt Timothy Shuck, Program Manager, AFRL/RVES, Kirtland AFB, NM, Phone (505) 853-4513, email timothy.shuck@us.af.mil;

I. CONTRACTING POINTS OF CONTACT (POCs):

Kevin Price, Agreements Negotiator, AFRL Det 8/RVKVI, Kirtland AFB, NM, Phone (505) 846-7601, email kevin.price.9@us.af.mil;

Sarah R. Hammond, Agreements Officer, AFRL Det 8/RVKVI, Kirtland AFB, NM, Phone

(505) 846-5012, email sarah.hammond@us.af.mil.

- iii -mailto:timothy.shuck@us.af.mil mailto:kevin.price.9@us.af.mil mailto:sarah.hammond@us.af.mil

FULL TEXT ANNOUNCEMENT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION 1

II. AWARD INFORMATION 1

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION 2

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION 4

V. APPLICATION AND REVIEW INFORMATION 8

VI. COMMUNICATIONS 8

VII. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION 9

VIII. AGENCY POINT OF CONTACTS 9

IX. ATTACHMENTS 10

FULL TEXT ANNOUNCEMENT

FOR

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

FOA-RVKV-2014-0001

Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is soliciting for technical and cost proposals in support of interferometry research for application to SSA and Title 10, U.S.C. 2358, “Research and Development Projects”.

A. Background: The increasingly large volume of commercial and military hardware in Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) has put a premium on methods for reliable optical/infrared (IR) imaging of these assets. Ground-basing of sensors can be cost-effective, and allows persistence observation of many GEO objects, but the extreme distance from ground to GEO makes resolved imaging difficult. If available, high angular resolution imaging would be used for diagnostic evaluation, e.g. for confirming the successful deployment of solar panels or high-gain antennae, and such capability might also allow for the monitoring of the local environments of such satellites and the detection of potentially harmful local space debris.

B. Objective: The AFRL would like to investigate the following:

• What is the effective optical resolution on GEO targets as a function of:

o Object brightness?

o Object extent and structure?

o Data processing techniques including bootstrapping methods with a single dish telescope?

• How can the optical data be combined with Radio Frequency (RF) interferometry data to create fused SSA products?

• Can the products be sufficiently accurate and timely to support for spacecraft operator decisions? (See attached Statements of Objectives, Attachment 1).

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. Type of Instrument & Anticipated Number of Award(s): The Air Force contemplates a Cooperative Agreement and anticipates making one award. The Government anticipates the Basic Effort will be awarded for $5M and before the completion date of the performance period, the Government may elect to support 4 periods of additional effort, which may run sequentially or concurrently with the Basic Effort. The need for additional effort will be determined upon completion of the basic effort. However, the Air Force reserves the right to make more than one award or no awards pursuant to this annoucement. All proposals submitted under this announcement shall be valid for at least 120 days from the proposal date.

B. Instrument Type: The Air Force contemplates a Cooperative Agreement. The anticipated award under this FOA will be a cost reimbursement (no fee), which requires the successful proposer to have an accounting system considered adequate for tracking costs applicable to the agreement.

C. Anticipated funding/budget: Anticipated funding for the program (not per agreement or award): FY 14 $5M; FY 15 $5M; FY 16 $5M; FY 17 $5M; FY 18 $4.8M. This funding profile is an estimate only and will not be a contractual obligation for funding. All funding is subject to change due to Government discretion and availability. All potential proposers should be aware that due to unanticipated budget fluctuations, funding in any or all areas may change with little or no notice. The Government reserves the right to award all, some or none of the proposals received.

D. Notice to Offeror(s)/Proposer(s):

1. The Government reserves the right to cancel this notice, either before or after the closing date. In the event the Government cancels this announcement, the Government has no obligation to reimburse an offeror for any costs.

2. The authority granted to the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of a military Department in Section 2358 of Title 10, United States Code. The Secretary of the Air Force, in turn, has delegated authority to Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition by memorandum dated 13 Dec 2006. The Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, in turn, delegated this authority to the Director of Contracting, HQ AFMC/PK, by memorandum dated 21 Aug 2013. The Director of Contracting, in turn, delegated this authority to the Chiefs of the Contracting Office (COCO), by memorandum dated 27 Aug 2013, for the delegation of authority to enter into, approve terminate, and take other appropriate actions with respect to grants, cooperative agreements and other transactions.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Proposer:

1. This Cooperative Agreement is limited to educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and commercial firms. Proposers must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database at www.sam.gov, and otherwise eligible for award (2 CFR 180.125(a) and 32 CFR 22.415).

2. Foreign participation: Foreign owned firms are advised they may be precluded from proposing. These firms are advised to contact the Contracting Points of Contact or TPOC before submitting a proposal to determine whether there are restrictions on receiving an award.

B. Cost-Sharing or Matching: Not required.

C. Other:

1. Non-FAR Certifications. All proposals for assistance require certifications of compliance with national policy mandates. Statutes and Government-wide regulations require some certifications to be submitted at the time of proposal. These certifications are set forth at 2 CFR 180.335 regarding debarment and suspension; 32 CFR 26 regarding drug-free workplace; and 32 CFR Part 28 Appendix A regarding lobbying (Attachment 3).

2. Prohibitions against contracting with corporations that have an unpaid delinquent tax liability or a felony conviction under any Federal Law. In accordance with sections 8113 and 8114 of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2014, and sections 414 and 415 of the

Military Construction and Veteran Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2014 (Public Law 113-76, Divisions C and J), the Agreements Officer shall not award an agreement to any entity that provides an affirmative response to the representation in the provision at DFARS 252.209-7994 (Attachment 4).

3. Disclosure Limitations. An “Administrative Access to Proprietary Information” consent provision is applicable to this announcement with anticipation of incorporation of the provision by reference into any resulting agreement (Attachment 5). The consent form as well as the Non-FAR certifications must be signed and submitted with the proposal. All proposal packages should clearly indicate any limitations on the disclosure of proprietary information. Proposers are hereby notified that the Government intends to utilize various contractors for administrative purposes on the award of and final agreement. All recipient personnel will sign a Nondisclosure Agreement and will not use the agreement information for any purpose other than administration. Any objection to administrative access must be in writing to the Agreements Officer and shall include a detailed statement of the basis for the objection.

4. This Cooperative Agreement is not anticipated to involve technology that is subject to

U.S. Export Control Laws. However, should this change, it will be expected proposers will be certified by the Defense Logistics Information Service (DLIS). For questions, contact DLIS on-line at http://www.dlis.dla.mil/jcp or at DLIS, US/Canada Joint Certification Center, Federal Center, 74 North Washington, Battle Creek MI 49017-4312, (800) 352-3572.

5. Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI): Proposers should specifically identify any known OCI issues and how this will be mitigated. Otherwise, OCI will be assessed when proposals are received.

6. Data Rights Desired:

(a) Technical Data: Government Purpose

(b) Non-Commercial Software (NCS): Government Purpose

(c) NCS Documentation: Government Purpose

(d) Commercial Computer Software Rights: None

The Air Force Research Laboratory is interested in high angular resolution imaging which would be used for diagnostic evaluation. As such, rights in technical data and NCS developed or delivered under this cooperative agreement 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.

Technical data, NCS, and NCS documentation developed with mixed funding are expected to be delivered with at least Government Purpose Rights. Offers that propose delivery of technical data, NCS, or NCS documentation subject to Government Purpose Rights must fully explain what 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. The Government expects that delivery of technical data, NCS, and NCS documentation subject to Government Purpose Rights will fully meet program needs.

Offers that propose delivery of technical data, NCS, or NCS documentation subject to less than Government Purpose Rights (Limited Rights, Restricted Rights, or Specifically Negotiated http://www.dlis.dla.mil/jcp

License Rights), the proposal must explain what 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 delivered/incorporated and how the incorporation will benefit the program.

7. You may be ineligible for award if all requirements of this announcement are not met on the proposal due date identified in this announcement.

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. OVERVIEW:

1. Federal Agency: Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Space Vehicles Directorate (RV), Air Force Materiel Command, United States Air Force

2. Funding Opportunity Title: Amplitude Interferometer Research for Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) Space Situational Awareness (SSA)

3. Announcement Type: Initial

4. Funding Opportunity Number: FOA-RVKV-2014-0001

5. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s): 12.910 Research and Technology Development

6. Proposal Date and Time: Proposals are due 06 January 2015 at 3:00 p.m., Mountain Standard Time. Note: Proposals received after this due date and time shall not be considered.

7. There will be no other announcement issued for this requirement. Proposers MUST monitor Grants.gov/FIND http://www.grants.gov or https://www.fbo.gov in the event this announcement is amended. Proposers must monitor this system to ensure they receive the maximum proposal preparation time for subsequent amendments as this is the official notification vehicle to request proposals.

B. General Instructions:

1. Proposals submitted in response to this FOA that is selected for award is considered to be the results of Merit-Based, Competitive Procedures per 32 CFR 22.315.

2. Proposers are advised that only Grants/Agreements Officers are legally authorized to contractually bind or otherwise commit the Government.

3. The cost of preparing proposal packages (technical and budget proposals) in response to this Funding Opportunity Announcement is not considered an allowable direct charge to the resulting agreement.

4. Other Submission Requirements.

(a) Proposal Cover Page – SF 424 (R&R) Form: All proposals, both electronic and hard copies, for cooperative agreements must include SF 424 (R&R) as a cover page. Forms are available on Grants.gov. To access the forms, go to http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/r-r-family.html#sortby=1.

(b) Proposals for Cooperative Agreements: Proposals for cooperative agreements may be submitted either (1) directly with a hard copy to the AFRL Agreements Negotiator listed in paragraph (c) below or (2) electronically through the Grants.gov Government-wide electronic portal. You must notify the Agreements Negotiator immediately upon submitting your proposal electronically.

(c) For Hard Copy Submission: The original proposal plus three (3) copies must be received by AFRL Det 8/ RVKVI, Attn: Kevin Price, 3350 Aberdeen Avenue SE, Kirtland AFB, NM 87117-5776, NLT 06 January 2015 at 3:00 p.m., Mountain Standard Time to be considered.

(d) For Electronic Submission:

i. Advance Preparation – Electronic proposals must be submitted through Grants.gov. Your organization must complete several one-time actions and be registered in Grants.gov in order to submit proposals through the Grants.gov website. It is highly recommended that long before the proposal submission deadline, you verify the persons authorized to submit proposals for your organization and ensure they have completed these actions. There is a potential for proposal submission to be delayed up to 21 days if these actions are not completed in advance.

ii. Electronic Submission Process: The process your organization must complete includes obtaining a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number, registering with the System of Award Management (SAM), registering with the credential provider, and registering with Grants.gov. Designating an E-Business Point of Contact (EBiz POC) and obtaining a special password called MPIN are important steps in the registration process. Go to www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp.

iii. Your organization’s E-Business POC, identified during SAM Registration, must authorize someone to become an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR). This safeguards your organization from individuals who may attempt to submit proposals without permission. Note: In some organizations, a person may serve as both an E-Business POC and an AOR.

iv. The Grants.gov Organization Registration Checklist is located at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html to guide you through the process.

v. If a proposal is submitted through Grants.gov, PureEdge Viewer will need to be downloaded. This small, free program will allow you to access, complete, and submit applications electronically and securely. For a free version of the software, visit the following web site: www.grants.gov/help/download_software.jsp.

vi. Should you have questions relating to the registration process, system requirements, how an application form works or the submittal process, call Grants.gov at 1-800- 518-4726 or support@Grants.gov.

(e) Submitting the Electronic Proposal

i. Application forms and instructions are available at Grants.gov. To access these materials, go to http://grants.gov Select “Apply for Grant”, and then select “Download Application Package”. Enter the CFDA number (12.910). You should also enter the FOA number, and then follow the prompts to download the application package.

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/r-r-family.html%23sortby=1 http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/r-r-family.html%23sortby=1 http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html http://www.grants.gov/help/download_software.jsp mailto:support@Grants.gov http://grants.gov/

ii. The applicant will receive a confirmation page upon completing the submission to Grants.gov. This confirmation page is a record of the time and date stamp that is used to determine whether the proposal was submitted by the deadline. A proposal received after the deadline is “late” and will not be considered for an award.

C. Technical Proposals:

1. Content. The technical proposal must convey an understanding of the stated objectives.

Technical proposals shall address all concepts in the Statement of Objectives (SOO) at Attachment 1, and shall include the following items.

(a) Executive Summary: Describe the proposed program, end state capabilities, and approach. A description of the benefits of the proposed approach should be discussed. This should provide a vision of what will ultimately be achieved and what scientific capability this effort will produce.

(b) Program Description: Describe the functional capability of the amplitude interferometer telescope array that will be realized though completion of the entire proposed design. Be specific about what general astrology advancements will be realized, what GEO SSA capabilities will be realized, and how the capabilities will be utilized in the future. Explain how the technology could transition to a space based interferometric telescope array. Describe the capability that will be realized with each phase of the design, both for general astronomy and specifically for SSA. Where key design parameters are provided, how the parameter is calculated should be clearly defined. At a minimum the calculations to support resolution, observable object size range, and time to resolve images at GEO must be included in sufficient detail to enable independent verification. Additionally, identify the site the amplitude interferometer telescope array will be built and the advantages of the proposed site.

(c) Program Plan: Describe in detail the planned approach/design and how the plan/design will be executed. This section should include all technical aspects of the approach.

Provide technical detail and analysis necessary to support the technical approach proposed.

Clearly identify the core of the intended approach. Include a risk assessment of key technical, schedule, and cost areas, along with their potential impact on the program. Detail how the technology developed for the ground based array could support technology transition to a space based array. Explain why proposed subcontractors were selected and what tasks they will perform.

Identify how each phase will realize the functional capability and describe each phase’s exit criteria. Detail the process for each capability demonstration. Explain how each phase of the design will build upon the previous phase in an interconnected manner that minimizes the need for changes to completed phases.

(d) Milestone Chart: A Milestone Chart should indicate when specific objectives are expected to be met in the overall program schedule.

(e) Resumes of Key Individuals: Include brief summaries of resumes of key individuals including any consultants or subcontractors that might be proposed.

2. Page Limitations. Each technical proposal shall be limited to 25 pages single spaced.

Font shall be an easy to read font no smaller than 12 pitch or proportional font size 10 or larger.

Character spacing must be “normal,” not condensed in any manner. Pages shall be single-spaced, double-sided (each side counts as one page), 8.5 by 11 inches, with at least one-inch margins on all sides. Smaller type may be used in figures and tables as long as it is clearly legible. Pages shall be numbered starting with the cover page being Page 1. The page limitation includes all information i.e., indices, photographs, foldouts (2 page), appendices, attachments, etc. Each printed side counts as one page. Blank pages, blue prints, title pages, tables of content, resumes, lists, tabs, cover sheets, diagrams, Budget and Schedule, or the offeror’s Contractor Statement of Work (CSOW) are not included in the page count. Please note: The Government will check the proposal and C-SOW for conformance to the stated requirements. Any pages in excess of the stated page limitation after the format check will not be considered.

Although the Government does not anticipate classified information, classified information is neither desired nor requested. No classified information should be included in the proposal.

D. Contractor’s Statement of Work (CSOW) Do not include any proprietary information in the CSOW.

1. The CSOW, a stand-alone document, should detail the research to be accomplished under the technical area and should be suitable for incorporation into the awarded document. The proposed CSOW should summarize the technical methodology and the task description, but not to the extent to make the awarded instrument inflexible. Do not include any proprietary information in the CSOW. Contractors may request copies of our contracts under the Freedom of Information Act. Consequently, it is imperative that no company-sensitive information be included in the CSOW. The CSOW should include the anticipated deliverables (hardware, software, reports, etc.).

2. The following is offered as a recommended format for the CSOW. The CSOW should be structured in three sections: Scope, Applicable Documents, and Requirements.

SCOPE: This section includes a statement of what the program covers. This should include the technology area to be investigated, objectives/goals, and major milestones for the effort. It defines the breadth and limitations of the work to be done.

APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS: This section includes reference documents needed to identify or clarify the work to be performed.

REQUIREMENTS: This section identifies the specific work to be performed. The work effort should be arranged into major tasks and identified in separately numbered paragraphs. Each numbered major task should delineate by subtask the work to be performed and should follow an outline numbering scheme. The CSOW must identify all program/technical reviews and when/where (identify by milestone or task) that will be conducted. It must also identify any and all items (hardware, software, reports, etc.) to be delivered to the Government as a result of the program

E. Budget and Schedule

1. Budget and Schedule are intended to provide a specific approach to accomplishing the requirements in the Statement of Objectives (SOO) at Attachment 1. The budget proposal is not restricted by page count and shall conform to Attachment 2, Budget Proposal Instructions, and Assistance Instruments. No Profit/Fee will be paid on this Cooperative Agreement.

Proposals must stand-alone and be complete.

2. Schedule: The contract will be funded incrementally. The contractor is encouraged to scheduled tasks broken into phases costing approximately $5M for each phase. Each phase should represent an incremental sustainable capability.

3. This section should also include a program execution schedule; be sure to include the objectives and/or goals, major milestones, throughout the period of performance in this section.

V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

A. Criteria: The following criteria will be used to determine whether an award will be made.

The Government reserves the right to select all, part, or none of the proposals received in response to this announcement subject to the availability of funds.

(a) All proposals will be evaluated under the following two primary criteria, of equal importance, as follows:

(1) Technical merits of the proposed research and development; and

(2) Potential relationship of the proposed research and development to Department of

Defense missions.

(b) Other evaluation criteria, which are of lesser importance than the primary criteria and of equal importance to each other, are:

(1) The likelihood of the proposed effort to develop new research capabilities and broaden the research base in support of U.S. national defense; and

(2) Funds Availability.

B. Review and Selection Process: Each proposal will be evaluated independently. The technical and cost proposals will be evaluated at the same time and categorized as follows:

CATEGORY I: Well conceived and technically sound proposals important to program goals and objectives. Proposals in Category I are recommended for acceptance subject to funding constraints.

CATEGORY II: Technically sound proposals that may require further development and may be recommended for acceptance, but are at a lower priority than Category I proposals and are not always funded.

CATEGORY III: Proposals not technically sound or do not meet agency needs and may be recommended for rejection.

C. Anticipated Award Date: 10 March 2015

VI. COMMUNICATIONS

A. Prospective offerors should contact the technical point of contact to verify interest in this effort.

B. Dialogue between prospective offerors and Government representatives is encouraged until submission of proposals. Discussions with any of the points of contact shall not constitute a commitment by the Government to subsequently fund or award any proposed effort. Offerors are advised that only the Agreements Officer can legally authorize to commit the Government.

C. In order to maximize competition, questions by offerors may be posted under Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on http://www.grants.gov and https://www.fbo.gov . Should an offeror feel a question is proprietary to their effort; the offeror has the right to object.

VII. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

A. Proposers will be notified in writing whether or not their proposal is recommended for award.

An award recommendation is not to be construed to mean the award of a cooperative agreement is assured, as availability of funds and successful negotiations are prerequisites to any award.

The Government reserves the right to award all, some or none of the proposals received.

Award will be made in accordance with the CFR to the proposer whose proposal package conforms to this Funding Opportunity Announcement and whose proposal is considered most advantageous to the Government.

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements:

1. Article 4.050 “Cost Principles” are dependent upon the organization structure of the organization whose proposal is considered most advantageous to the Government and selected for award. As appropriate, this article will be revised to reflect (1) 2 CFR Part 220: Cost Principles for Educational Institutions; (2) 2 CFR Part 225: Cost Principles for State, Local, and Indian Tribal Governments; (3) 2 CFR Part 230: Cost Principles for Nonprofit Institutions, or (4) 48 CFR Part 31.2: Contracts with Commercial Organizations.

2. 2 CFR 215 which is specific to Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreement with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Non-Profit Organizations. 32 CFR 33 is specific to Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Government, and 32 CFR 34 is specific to Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements with For-Profit Organizations. As appropriate, these references will be revised to reflect the organization structure of the organization whose proposal is considered most advantageous to the Government and selected for award.

C. Reporting Requirements:

7.010 “Interim Performance Reports”

7.023 “Financial Reports – Reimbursement”

7.030 “Publishing Project Results”

7.040 “Final Performance Report”

7.050 “Reporting Subawards and Executive Compensation”

VIII. AGENCY CONTACT(S)

A. Technical Points of Contact (TPOCs):

Capt Timothy Shuck, Program Manager, AFRL/RVES, Kirtland AFB, NM, Phone (505) 853-4516, email timothy.shuck@us.af.mil;

B. Contracting Points of Contact:

Kevin Price, Agreements Negotiator, AFRL Det 8/RVKVI, Kirtland AFB, NM, Phone (505) 846-7601, email kevin.price.9@us.af.mil;

Sarah R. Hammond, Agreements Officer, AFRL Det 8/RVKVI, Kirtland AFB, NM, Phone

(505) 846-5012, email sarah.hammond@us.af.mil.

IX. ATTACHMENTS

1. Statement of Objectives (SOO) – Amplitude Interferometer Research for Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) Space Situational Awareness (SSA) dated 20 August 2014

2. Budget Proposal Instructions, Assistance Instruments

3. Local Non-FAR Representations and Certifications

4. DFARS 252.209-7994 Representation by Corporations Regarding an Unpaid Delinquent Tax Liability or a Felony Conviction under any Federal Law (Deviation 2014-OO009) (FEB 2014)

5. Administrative Access to Proprietary Information mailto:timothy.shuck@us.af.mil mailto:kevin.price.9@us.af.mil mailto:sarah.hammond@us.af.mil