FY27 BAA Solicitation.pdf

United States Coast Guard Great Lakes Center of Expertise

FY27 Research and Development

Freshwater Oil Spill Preparedness, Response, and Science

Broad Agency Announcement

Solicitation No. 70Z023R27BAAGLCOE

Table of Contents 1 General Information

1.1 Introduction

1.2 Program Information

1.3 Program Background

1.4 Program History

1.5 Program Functional Mandate

1.6 Current Research Topics

2 Research Opportunity Description

2.1 General Information

2.2 Description

2.3 Specific Tasks

2.4 Due Dates

2.5 Eligibility Information

3 Award Information

3.1 Funding

3.2 Award Format

3.3 Cost Sharing and Matching

3.4 Data Rights

3.5 Anticipated Period of Performance

3.6 No Cost Time Extensions

4 Proposal Submission

4.1 Required Documents

4.2 Formatting

4.4 Technical Proposal Composition

4.5 Cost Breakdown Composition

4.6 Extraneous Information

4.7 Restrictive Marking

4.8 Handling and Emailing Instructions

5 Submission Review and Selection

5.1 Submission Review Process

5.2 Award Notices

5.3 Anticipated Award Date

5.4 Further Assistance Needed for this BAA

6 Attachments

1 General Information

1.1 Introduction

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) Great Lakes Oil Spill Center of Expertise is announcing to business and academia its intent to solicit Research and Development (R&D) proposals under this Broad Agency Announcement (BAA).

This document supports a BAA as contemplated under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 35.016(d) and (e). Contracts and/or Agreements based on responses to this BAA are the result of full and open competition and in full compliance with the provisions of Public Law (PL) 98-369, “The Competition in Contracting Act of 1984.”

This announcement does not constitute a solicitation or a promise of a solicitation in the future. This announcement does not commit the Government to any contractual agreements or arrangements.

No entitlement or payment of direct or indirect costs or charges by the USCG will arise because of submission of responses to this announcement and USCG use of such information.

USCG reserves the right to select for award and fund all, some, or none of the submissions received in response to this BAA. USCG will not provide funding or reimbursement for proposal development costs. Full submissions or any other material submitted in response to this BAA will not be returned. All submissions shall be unclassified.

USCG reserves the right to use this announcement, and responses received as part of market research efforts and may appropriately use other FAR parts to procure services.

1.2 Program Information

Agency Name: United States Coast Gurd (USCG) Program Name: Great Lakes Oil Spill Center of Expertise (GLCOE)

1.3 Program Background

The Great Lakes region, under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Coast Guard Great Lakes District, is a uniquely challenging environment for oil-spill preparedness and response.

With the environmental and economic importance of the Great Lakes region, Congress mandated that the U.S. Coast Guard must establish the Great Lakes Oil Spill Center of Expertise (GLCOE).

Oil spills threaten the water quality and ecosystems of the Great Lakes. Vessels, pipelines, rail, and nearshore facilities cause most of the spills in the region. Although most spills on the lakes are less than 10 gallons, the oil cannot always be eliminated quickly and completely enough to avoid impairment of natural ecosystems, drinking water, and particular industries, such as commercial fishing. Moreover, although technologies exist to mitigate damage from oil spills, most of these have been developed for saltwater environments; less progress has been made on improving methods of containment and removal in freshwater and ice conditions, which differ in density, water-circulation patterns, and ecosystems from those found in saltwater.

The GLCOE’s purpose is to operationalize innovative ideas that improve freshwater and ice-affected water oil spill responses. The GLCOE is an independent, non-operational body with a legislative mandate to conduct research in the domain of oil spill response.

1.4 Program History

In 2018, Congress required that the Coast Guard prepare “assessment results regarding the effectiveness of oil spill response activities specific to the Great Lakes”. That report, which the Coast Guard delivered to Congress in November 2018, informed Section 807 of the Frank LoBiondo Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2018 (Pub. L. 115-282). The act directed the establishment of the Great Lakes Oil Spill Center of Expertise. Below highlights many of the significant events in the development and establishment of the

GLCOE:

a. 2016 – Congress required Coast Guard to prepare an oil spill response assessment in the Great Lakes.

b. 2018 – The report from the Coast Guard to Congress informed Section 807 of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2018, directing the establishment of GLCOE.

c. 2018 – Senator Gary Peters (Michigan) secured $4.5M for the Great Lakes Center of Expertise initiative.

d. 2020 – Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center made recommendations for short/long-term progress and logistics, including staffing positions, partnerships, and site locations.

e. 2023 – Released first Broad Agency Announcement.

1.5 Program Functional Mandate

Per Section 807 of the Frank LoBiondo Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2018 (Pub. L.

115-282), the Great Lakes Oil Spill Center of Expertise shall:

1. Monitor and assess, on an ongoing basis, the current state of knowledge regarding freshwater oil response technologies and the behavior and effects of oil spills in the Great Lakes.

2. Identify any specific gaps in the Great Lakes Oil spill research, including as assessment of major scientific or technological deficiencies in responses to past spills in the Great Lakes and other freshwater bodies, and seek to fill those gaps.

3. Conduct research, development, testing, and evaluation for freshwater oil spill response equipment, technologies, and techniques to mitigate and respond to oil spills in the Great Lakes.

4. Educate and train Federal, State, and Local first responders in Coast Guard District 9 in –

• The incident command system structure

• Great Lakes oil spill response techniques and strategies, and

• Public affairs

5. Work with academic and private sector response training response centers to develop and standardize oil spill response training and techniques for use in the Great Lakes.

1.6 Current Research Topics

For FY27, the GLCOE is interested in funding project proposal(s) related to the following themes:

Theme 1: Freshwater Oil Spill Preparedness

• Detection of Submerged Oil (non-floating or weathered)

• Modeling Oil Fate & Behavior

• In Situ Oil Sensors

• Other Freshwater Oil Spill Preparedness Topics

Theme 2: Freshwater Oil Spill Response

• Uncrewed Underwater Systems & Sensors

• Cold Weather Response Technology & Equipment

• Modernize Response Equipment & Novel Technologies

• Physical Recovery of Oil

• Other Freshwater Oil Spill Response Topics

Theme 3: Freshwater Alternative Response Measures

• In Situ Burning

• Other Alternative Response Measure Applications in Freshwater Topics

Theme 4: Freshwater Fundamental Oil Spill Science

• Oil Physiochemistry, Toxicity, and Freshwater Data Gaps

• Fundamentals of Oil Sensing

• Impact of Response Options

• Fate, Behavior, and Transport of Oil in the Environment

• Other Fundamental Freshwater Oil Spill Science

2 Research Opportunity Description

2.1 General Information

Agency Name: United States Coast Guard (USCG) Program Name: Great Lakes Oil Spill Center of Expertise (GLCOE) Research Opportunity Title: USCG GLCOE FY27 Research and Development - Freshwater Oil Spill Preparedness, Response, and Science - Broad Agency Announcement

BAA Solicitation Number: 70Z023R27BAAGLCOE NAICS Code: 541715 - Environmental research and development laboratories or services (except biotechnology and nanotechnology research and development) BAA Type: Closed One-Step Announcement Proposal Maximum: $250,000.00 Proposal Package Submission Deadline: 12:00pm EST on Wednesday March 12, 2026

2.2 Description

Proposed projects must align with one of the previously listed themes and focus on advancing spill science or spill response in the context of the Great Lakes, freshwater, or icy environments. Proposals should demonstrate how the work will monitor and assess current knowledge regarding freshwater oil response technologies and the behavior and effects of oil spills in the Great Lakes. Projects may identify and address specific gaps in Great Lakes oil spill research, including scientific or technological deficiencies observed in past spill responses. Additionally, proposals may include research, development, testing, and evaluation of equipment, technologies, or techniques to mitigate and respond to oil spills in freshwater settings. All proposals should clearly articulate their relevance to the GLCOE mandate and their potential impact on improving oil spill response in the region.

2.3 Specific Tasks

Specific tasks are outlined in the Performance Work Statement. A summary is provided below:

Post Award Conference:

Within 14 business days of contract award, the contractor must participate in a teleconference with the Contracting Officer, COR, and GLCOE Project Manager. During this meeting, the contractor will explain how their proposed technology or strategy addresses the solicitation objectives, present milestones and timelines, discuss potential issues, and confirm understanding of all deliverables and deadlines. The contractor must submit a Draft Project Management Plan and Draft Data Management Plan for review at the meeting, and provide meeting minutes within 5 business days afterward.

Project Management Plan:

The contractor must develop a comprehensive Project Management Plan that includes a list of tasks, project schedule, intended results, roles of key personnel, and quality assurance measures (if applicable). The draft plan is due at the Post Award Conference, and the final plan must be submitted within 14 business days after the conference.

Data Management Plan:

A Data Management Plan detailing how project data will be handled, stored, and shared must be submitted in draft form at the Post Award Conference and finalized within 14 business days. All raw data generated must be submitted to GLCOE or an appropriate Federal Data Repository through a Federal collaborator.

Experimentation, Validation, Demonstration, and Other R&D Tasks:

The contractor is responsible for carrying out all research and development activities as outlined in their proposal and as clarified in the Project Management Plan. Activities may include experimentation, validation, demonstration, and technology development. Any changes to the approved tasks must be documented and approved in writing. All R&D deliverables must be submitted before the end of the project period.

Progress Reporting:

The Lead Principal Investigator must meet at least monthly (virtually or in person) with the COR or GLCOE Project Lead to review work performed, technical progress, schedule status, travel, problems, and recommendations. Progress Meeting Minutes must be submitted within 5 business days of each meeting.

Additionally, the Lead PI or other delegated personnel may be invited to present project progress via a virtual platform once a quarter. The GLCOE will provide notification of any virtual quarterly progress meetings at least 30 calendar days prior to the meeting date. The GLCOE will provide draft presentation materials for Contractor review and edits at least 7 business days prior to the meeting date.

Final Reporting:

Before the project concludes, the contractor must submit a 508-compliant Final Report in electronic format, summarizing the project and its outcomes. Additionally, a Deliverables Archive containing all project deliverables in a machine-readable electronic format must be provided.

Annual Collaborative:

The Contractor, or otherwise delegated personnel, must attend the Annual Collaborative that will be hosted by the U.S. Great Lakes Oil Spill Center of Expertise. This will be an in-person event, with hybrid options. The annual collaborative is tentatively scheduled for June 2027.

Travel:

Contractor travel may be required to support this requirement. All travel required by the Government outside the local commuting area(s) will be reimbursed to the Contractor in accordance with FAR 31.205-46, Travel Costs. The Contractor must be responsible for obtaining COR approval (electronic mail is acceptable) for all reimbursable travel in advance of each travel event.

2.4 Due Dates

Proposal packages and questions regarding the submissions must be submitted by the following deadlines:

1. Questions in response to this BAA are due by 12:00 pm EST on February 26, 2026.

Send questions via email to BOTH of the following emails:

a. SMB-GreatLakesCOE@uscg.mil

b. Jesse.L.Womack@uscg.mil

2. Responses to the above-mentioned questions will be provided via an amendment to the BAA posted on SAM.gov. Answers will be posted at least by February 27. 2026

3. Submissions in response to this BAA are due by 12:00pm EST on Tuesday March 12, 2026.

a. See section 4.1 for required for submission documents.

b. See section 4.8 for handling and emailing instructions

2.5 Eligibility Information

Eligibility toward submission pursuant to this BAA is as follows:

• This BAA is open to all responsible sources in accordance with FAR 2.101, which states, “Responsible prospective contractor means a contractor that meets the standards in 9.104.”

• Regarding foreign participation, Foreign Disclosure Review will be accomplished on each full proposal selected for funding; foreign participation may not be allowed.

• Notice to Foreign-Owned Firms: Such firms are asked to immediately notify the Contracting Officer before deciding to respond to this announcement. Foreign contractors should be aware that restrictions might apply which could preclude their participation in this acquisition.

• Offerors cannot submit more than one (1) Technical Proposal per theme.

• You may be ineligible for award if all requirements of this announcement are not met on the Technical Proposal.

mailto:Jesse.L.Womack@uscg.mil

3 Award Information

3.1 Funding

Proposals submitted pursuant to the BAA must be less than or equal to $250,000 to be considered for funding.

USCG/GLCOE has funding available for awards under this announcement. The Government reserves the right to select all, part, or none of the Technical Proposals received, subject to the availability of funds. All potential offerors should be aware that due to unanticipated budget fluctuations, funding in any or all areas may change with little or no notice.

3.2 Award Format

Awards resulting from this announcement will generally take the form of a contract, although the government reserves the right to use the type of contractual agreement deemed most appropriate for the proposed work. Awards under this BAA are expected to be primarily Firm Fixed Prive (FFP) contracts, however, the government reserve the right to pursue other contract types including, but not limited to, Time and Materials, and/or Labor Hours contract.

This is a full and open acquisition. Small businesses (less than 1,000 employees) are encouraged to propose on all or any part of this acquisition. Technical proposals shall be submitted and evaluated in accordance with this announcement.

3.3 Cost Sharing and Matching

Cost sharing is not a requirement. The leveraging of funds is encouraged but not required.

Offerors are encouraged to disclose leveraged resources in their Technical Proposal.

3.4 Data Rights

The offeror shall include a summary of any proprietary rights to pre-existing data related to techniques, prototypes, or systems supporting and/or necessary for the use of the research, results, and/or prototype. Any rights assertions made in other parts of the proposal that would impact the rights in this section shall be cross-referenced. If there are proprietary rights, the offeror shall explain how these rights will impact the USCG’s ability to demonstrate the delivered prototype for the removal or mitigation of released oil and publish the science and results.

Additionally, offerors shall explain how the program goals of the USCG’s response to removing or mitigating the impacts of released oil on the surrounding environment and manmade structures are achievable considering these proprietary and/or restrictive limitations.

Offerors asserting Data Rights shall do so in accordance with the clause in FAR 52.227- 15, “Representation of Limited Rights Data and Restricted Computer Software.” The Government anticipates incorporating FAR Clauses 52.227-14, Rights in Data – General (MAY 2014) Alternates II, III, IV and V. If there are no claims of proprietary rights in pre-existing data, this section shall consist of a statement to that effect. Depending on the terms and conditions of the expected contract(s), the above-mentioned data rights clauses may need to be negotiated before award.

3.5 Anticipated Period of Performance

The anticipated period of performance for contracts awarded pursuant to this BAA will be for a period of one year beginning from the date of contract award, unless otherwise negotiated.

Offerors should anticipate the period of performance to start between January-February, unless otherwise negotiated. Please submit project schedules accordingly.

3.6 No Cost Time Extensions

A No-Cost Time Extension (NCTE) generally refers to a one-time extension to the period of performance of an agreement without the need for additional funds. A NCTE is not guaranteed and must be approved by the Contracting Officer (KO). All NCTE requests submitted to the KO for approval shall include Project Manager and COR for awareness.

All requests for NCTE shall be submitted no later than 1 month prior to the end of the period of performance. Failure to submit deliverables beyond the NCTE will constitute a failure to deliver.

4 Proposal Submission

4.1 Required Documents

Separate Technical Proposals are required for each separate theme the offeror is pursuing.

Each Technical Proposal must stand on its own merit. The GLCOE will use only information provided in a Technical Proposal in the evaluation process. All Technical Proposals submitted under this BAA should be UNCLASSIFIED.

Submissions shall consist of the following separate documents:

1. Technical Proposal

2. Cost Breakdown

4.2 Formatting

1. Paper Size: 8.5 in x 11 in

2. Margins: 1 in on each side

3. Font: Times New Roman 12-pt font, to include tables, figures, diagrams, and charts.

Any other information (e.g. footnotes, headers, restrictive markings) shall not be smaller than Times New Roman 8-pt font.

4. Page Limit: Total number of pages shall not exceed 18.

5. File Type: Technical Proposals shall be submitted in PDF format. Documents should be sent without password protection.

6. File Names: Documents shall be saved with the following format, inserting project-specific information in place of the italicized text. File names should be limited to 250 characters.

a. Technical Proposal File Name:

i. “FY27BAA_Technical Proposal_Insert Offeror Name_Insert

Abbreviated Project Title”

b. Detailed Cost Breakdown File Name:

i. “FY27BAA_Cost Breakdown_Insert Offeror Name_Insert Abbreviated Project Title”

4.4 Technical Proposal Composition

Offerors should utilize the Technical Proposal Template provided in this solicitation.

Technical Proposals shall include the following:

1. Cover Page: All Technical Proposals shall begin with a Project Summary page.

Utilize the template provided in this solicitation.

2. Background Context: This section should convey the essential facts and information and include –

a. State of the Science: Provide a summary of the current state of knowledge and define the relationship to the proposed work.

b. Relevance to BAA Themes: Provide a summary on the applicability of the proposed project to the current BAA themes provided in this announcement.

c. Operational Relevance: Provide a description of how the proposed project may advance oil spill response operations.

d. Other Funding: Disclose any funds related to the proposal the offeror has been awarded, has applied for, or expects to apply for.

3. Problem Statement/Project Goals: This section should summarize the main problem that the proposed project will address. The project goals should outline the distinct tasks and milestones to address the main issue of the proposed project.

4. Technical Approach: This section should address the method of how the proposed project will be executed and include –

a. Personnel Description: identify the key personnel involved in the project, their roles, and their time commitment to the proposed project

b. Metrics: outline how progress will be measured throughout the project

c. Approach: Describe the technical, experimental, and/or statistical design/method that will be used to accomplish distinct tasks and milestones

d. Facilities: if applicable, describe the facilities that will be utilized for the proposed project

5. Research Schedule: This section should provide a tentative research schedule and timeline of the distinct tasks and milestones, including the task dependencies, time dependencies, and potential contingency plans. The schedule should include an additional three (3) months after the end of technical performance to provide for preparation and submission of final report and deliverables, review by the GLCOE, and final acceptance by the GLCOE.

6. Deliverables: This section should define and describe the specific deliverables that will be produced during/after the duration of the proposed project. Explain how the specific deliverables will advance the mission of the GLCOE and the BAA theme.

7. References and Citations: This section is highly encouraged but not required.

NOTE: Technical proposals shall not list or discuss total project cost or cost breakdowns.

4.5 Cost Breakdown Composition

Offerors should use the Cost Breakdown template provided with this solicitation.

The detailed cost proposal explains how much money the offeror is requesting to complete the project. The cost proposal section should provide a justification for supporting the numbers provided for each budgeted category. For a collaborative proposal submitted by multiple organizations, each organization must include a separate budget justification. Total Cost shall not exceed $250,000.

Cost categories include:

1. Labor (CLIN0001)

a. Salaries and Wages

• Principal Investigator

• Co-Investigator(s)

• Research Assistant(s)

• Technician(s)

• Other

b. Fringe Benefits

• Health Insurance

• Retirement Contributions

• Other Employee Benefits

2. Travel (CLIN0002)

• Conference Travel

• Fieldwork Travel

• Other Travel

3. Other Direct Costs - ODC (CLIN0003)

a. Materials and Supplies

• Laboratory Supplies

• Field Supplies

• Chemicals and Reagents

• Other Materials and Supplies

b. Equipment

• Laboratory Equipment

• Field Equipment

• Computer Hardware/Software

• Other Equipment

c. Subcontracts

• Collaborating Institution Costs

• Consultant Fees

4. Indirect Costs (CLIN0004)

• Overhead (as per negotiated rate agreement)

• Administrative Support

4.6 Extraneous Information

Information not explicitly requested in this announcement is not desired by the government and shall not be submitted. The government will only read and evaluate the Technical Proposal up to the stated page limit. Pages exceeding the page limitation will not be evaluated.

4.7 Restrictive Marking

If the offeror wishes to restrict their Technical Proposals, they must be marked with the restrictive language stated in FAR 52.215-1(e).

4.8 Handling and Emailing Instructions

Proposals shall be sent electronically per the instructions below:

1. Packages shall be submitted to the following:

Technical Proposals shall be sent electronically to ALL (3) of the following email addresses:

a. Jesse.L.Womack@uscg.mil

b. Bridget.M.Hendrix@uscg.mil

c. Emily.M.Duffey@uscg.mil

1A- Cost Breakdowns shall be sent electronically to the following email addresses:

a. Jesse.L.Womack@uscg.mil

2. Email Subject Lines:

Example:

GLCOE FY27 BAA SUBMISSION [Offeror Name]”

3. Email Bodies:

Email submissions should include in the email body at least the following information:

1. Primary Offeror/Organization Name

2. Principal Investigator Name & Email Address

3. Project Title

4. A description of the attachment included

5 Submission Review and Selection

5.1 Submission Review Process

Submissions will be evaluated as they are received. The evaluation team will independently evaluate each submission for selection or non-selection based on a peer or scientific review process in accordance with FAR 35.016(d) and (e).

Submissions will be evaluated using the following criteria, stated in descending order of importance:

1. Importance to GLCOE functional mandate and to current research themes

2. Scientific and technical merit

3. Funds availability

4. Cost/price realism and reasonableness

Note that while cost/price realism and reasonableness is a criterion for award, it will not be analyzed or evaluated until a proposal is recommended for an award from a technical mailto:Jesse.L.Womack@uscg.mil mailto:Bridget.M.Hendrix@uscg.mil mailto:Emily.M.Duffey@uscg.mil mailto:Jesse.L.Womack@uscg.mil standpoint. No cost/price feedback will be provided for those proposals not recommended for award.

5.2 Award Notices

Offerors who submit successful proposals will be notified in writing if their project is recommended for award. An award recommendation is not to be construed to mean the award of a contract is assured as availability of funds and successful negotiations are prerequisites to any award. This announcement is not an authorization to commence work or to incur any costs to perform the tasks described above.

Offerors who submit proposals that are not selected for funding will be notified in writing via a Notice of Unsuccessful Offerors.

If funds become available after the Notice of Unsuccessful Offerors has been delivered, the Government may on-ramp additional Technical Proposals that were submitted under this BAA announcement.

5.3 Anticipated Award Date

Pending available funds, the anticipated award notice date will be Q1 FY27 (October- December 2026).

5.4 Further Assistance Needed for this BAA

Questions regarding the submittal and/or review process shall be sent electronically to BOTH the following email addresses:

a. SMB-GreatLakesCOE@uscg.mil

b. Jesse.L.Womack@uscg.mil

Refer to section 4.8 for handling and emailing instructions.

6 Attachments Attachment 1: Solicitation Attachment 2: Performance Work Statement Attachment 3: Technical Proposal Summary Page Template – IRWA Attachment 4: Technical Proposal Summary Page Template – Contract Attachment 5: Cost Breakdown Template Attachment 6: Provisions and Clauses mailto:Jesse.L.Womack@uscg.mil

6 Attachments