HDTRA1-17-S-0001_Conformed_Copy.pdf

DEFENSE THREAT REDUCTION AGENCY

BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT

HDTRA1-17-S-0001

CHEMICAL / BIOLOGICAL

TECHNOLOGIES

FY2017 Program Build

18 July 2016

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 General Information

1.1 BAA Introduction

1.2 BAA Open Period

1.3 Research Opportunity Description

1.4 BAA Process

1.5 Award Vehicle

1.5.1 Contract Type

1.5.2 Limitation on OTAs

1.5.3 Contract Period of Performance Limitation

1.6 Points of Contact

1.7 Technical and Administrative Support by Non-Government Personnel

1.8 Freedom of Information Act Disclosure

2.0 Eligibility

2.1 Eligible Sources

2.2 Non-Eligible Sources

3.0 Instructions to Offerors

3.1 Administrative Requirements

3.1.1 Registration to the DTRA Proposal Submission Website

3.1.2 Registration to the System for Award Management (SAM) Website

3.2 Questions about this BAA

3.3 Proposal Submission Instructions

3.3.1 General Instructions

3.3.2 Late Submissions and Withdrawal of Proposals

3.4 Proposal Format Requirements

3.4.1 Submission File Format

3.4.2 Phase I Proposal

3.4.3 Phase II Proposal

3.4.4 Restrictive Markings and Disclosure of Proprietary Information

3.5 Proposal Content Requirements

3.5.1 Phase I Proposal

3.5.2 Phase II Proposal

4.0 Evaluation Criteria

4.1 General Evaluation Information

4.2 Adjectival Ratings

4.3 Phase I Proposal

4.3.1 Factor 1 – Scientific and Technical Merit

4.3.2 Factor 2 – Value to Mission Goals

4.4 Phase II Proposal

4.4.1 Factor 1 – Scientific and Technical Merit

4.4.2 Factor 2 – Value to Mission Goals

4.4.3 Factor 3 – Capability of the Personnel and Facilities to Perform the Proposed Effort

4.4.4 Factor 4 – Cost Realism

4.5 Basis for Selection Decision

4.6 Notification to Offerors

4.7 Debriefing

4.8 Other Considerations

4.8.1 Negotiations

4.8.2 Reserve List of Selected Proposals Subject to Availability of Funds

4.8.3 Responsibility Determination

5.0 Contract Data Requirements Lists (CDRLs)

6.0 Estimated Milestones

7.0 Topic Requirements

7.1 List of Topics

8.0 Other Information

8.1 Supplemental Information Volume Content Requirements

8.1.1 Authorized Negotiators

8.1.2 Confirmed Proposal Expiration Date

8.1.3 Collaboration with Government Laboratories and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC)

8.1.4 Additional FFRDC Requirements

8.1.5 Representations and Certifications

8.1.6 Protection of Human Subjects

8.1.7 Animal Use

8.1.8 Biological Defense Research Program (BDRP) Requirements: Biosecurity and Select Agent Use;

Chemical Agent Use

8.1.9 Organizational Conflict of Interest

8.1.10 Export Control Notification

8.1.11 Intellectual Property

8.1.12 Subcontracting Plan

8.1.13 Identification of Team Members

8.1.14 Statement of Current and Pending Support

8.1.15 Modified Pre-award Checklist – SF 1408

8.1.16 Forward Pricing Rate Agreement/Provisional Billing Rates

8.1.17 Quad Chart

9.0 List of Attachments

1.0 General Information

1.1 BAA Introduction

This publication constitutes a BAA as contemplated in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 35.016 and FAR 6.102(d)(2). Formal Request for Proposals (RFPs) regarding this announcement will not be issued.

1.2 BAA Open Period

This BAA will remain open from 18 July 2016 through 14 October 2016, 1400 Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). Phase I Proposals must be received by this time and date in order to be considered. Submission information is provided in Section 3.3 of this BAA.

1.3 Research Opportunity Description

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) Chemical and Biological Technologies (CBT) were established by the Department of Defense (DoD) to provide state-of-the-art defense capabilities to allow military forces of the United States to operate and to successfully complete their missions in chemical and biological warfare environments. The scope of mission efforts and the priorities assigned to specific projects are influenced by changes in military and civilian Chemical and Biological Defense (CBD) science and technology, advanced developments, operational requirements, military threat assessments, and national defense strategies. To keep pace with defense capability requirements, the CBD as part of its mission, routinely promulgates chemical and biological research. The comprehensive research program encompasses both intramural and extramural sources, and the role of each is vital to the fulfillment of the Program objectives.

DTRA is seeking optimum approaches to meet technology objectives within the areas listed below, with a goal to identify and select science and technology projects that can be transitioned to joint acquisition programs:

1. Detection – Chemical and Biological: The goal of the Detection area is to provide real-time capability to detect, identify, characterize, locate and warn against all known or validated CB warfare agents in addition to other chemical or biological threat materials (e.g., Toxic Industrial Chemicals).

2. Information Systems Capability Development: The goal of the Information Systems Capability Development area is to provide information technology superiority with respect to the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) environment.

3. Protection – Individual and Collective: The Protection Capability Area seeks to provide unencumbered full-dimensional protection to the war fighter for both personal protective gear (individual protection) and protection of large scale fixed or mobile environments (collective protection).

4. Hazard Mitigation: The goal of the Hazard Mitigation Capability Area is to develop technologies that can rapidly restore pre-contamination capabilities with a minimum of logistical impact.

5. Threat Agent Science: The Threat Agent Science Capability Area seeks to maintain and develop scientific knowledge of current, non-traditional, and emerging threats in addition to studying areas such as low level toxicity, agent fate, and improved simulant materials.

6. Medical Pretreatments: The goal of the Pretreatments Capability Area is to conduct research in order to develop lead candidate vaccines and chemical pretreatments and protectants that can be administered before exposure to provide both specific and broad-spectrum protection against validated chemical or biological agents. Categories of threat agents addressed in this capability area include nerve agents, viruses, bacteria and toxins.

7. Medical Diagnostics: Medical diagnostics involves the diagnosis of infection by or exposure to bacterial, viral, or toxin agents (biological diagnostics) or of exposure to nerve, vesicant, respiratory and blood agents (chemical diagnostics) with the goal to rapidly identify the causative agent in a remote environment prior to onset of symptoms.

8. Medical Therapeutics: The goal of the Therapeutics Capability Area is to develop lead candidate medical treatments and pharmaceuticals that, when administered after exposure to a chemical or biological agent, mitigate or curtail the effects of that exposure and sustain forces operating in a CBW hazard area. Medical Therapeutics is segregated into biological countermeasures and chemical countermeasures.

9. Threat Surveillance - Chemical and Biological: The goal of the Threat Surveillance area is to deliver cutting edge Integrated Early Warning, Information Management and Applied Analytic capabilities to the warfighter; virtually connect them to these capabilities and other system users for rapid situational awareness, course of action (CoA) analysis and decision support.

1.4 BAA Process

This BAA will utilize a two-step process, consisting of the submission and evaluation of Phase I (White Paper Packages) and Phase II (Full) proposals. While all interested parties may submit Phase I proposals, submission of Phase II proposals will be by invitation only.

The evaluation status of Phase I and Phase II proposals will be provided at two points. An email will be sent to each Offeror after completion of White Paper package evaluations. The email will either inform the Offeror that their Phase I proposal is no longer under consideration, or it will provide instructions for the submission of a Phase II proposal. In a similar manner, Offerors that submit a Phase II proposal will receive an email informing them that their proposal is either no longer under consideration or has been selected for award pending successful price negotiations.

1.5 Award Vehicle

A full range of flexible acquisition related statutory authority arrangements available to DTRA are possible results from this announcement, including but not limited to, Contracts, Task Orders, and Other Transaction Agreements (OTA). The Government does not intend to award grants or Cooperative agreements under this solicitation. Each of these procurement instruments offers different advantages, liabilities and responsibilities for Offerors and the Government. Except for OTAs, the Government actions under this BAA shall adhere to the requirements of the FAR and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS).

1.5.1 Contract Type

The Government intends to award Cost and Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF) contracts and, when in the Government’s best interest, Fixed-Price contracts. Research and Development contracts are typically Cost-Reimbursement (Cost, CPFF) contracts. In accordance with FAR 16.301-3(a)(3), Cost-Reimbursement contracts require that the contractor’s accounting system is adequate for determining costs applicable to the contract. Determinations of accounting system inadequacy, or lack of evidence to support a determination of accounting system adequacy, will preclude the Offeror from receiving a contract. The Government will typically rely on the findings of a DCAA accounting system audit in making a determination of accounting system adequacy.

1.5.2 Limitation on OTAs

Offerors are advised that an OTA may only be awarded if it meets one of the following criteria:

a. There is at least one nontraditional defense contractor participating to a significant extent in the prototype project, or

b. All significant participants in the transaction other than Federal Government are small business or non-traditional defense contractors, or

c. At least one third of the total cost of the prototype projects is to be paid out of funds provided by parties to the transaction other than the Federal Government.

d. The senior procurement executive for the agency determined in writing that exceptional circumstances justify the use of a transaction that provides for innovative business arrangements or structures that would not be feasible or appropriate under a contract, or would provide an opportunity to expand the defense supply base in a manner that would not be practical or feasible under a contract.

For purposes of determining whether or not a participant may be classified as a nontraditional defense contractor or small business and whether or not such participation is determined to be participating to a significant extent in the prototype project, the following definitions are applicable:

“Nontraditional defense contractor” means an entity that is not currently performing and has not performed, for at least the one-year period preceding the solicitation of sources by the Department of Defense for the procurement or transaction, any contract or subcontract for the Department of Defense that is subject to full coverage under the cost accounting standards prescribed pursuant to section 1502 of title 41 and the regulations implementing such section.

“Small Business” means a small business concern as defined under section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632).

“Participating to a significant extent in the prototype project” means that the nontraditional defense contractor or small business is supplying a new key technology or product, is accomplishing a significant amount of the effort wherein the role played is more than a nominal or token role in the research effort, or in some other way plays a significant part in causing a material reduction in the cost or schedule of the effort or an increase in performance of the prototype in question.

NOTE: Offerors are cautioned that if they propose the use of an OTA, the Government reserves the right to negotiate either a FAR based procurement contract, or OTA as it deems is warranted under the circumstances.

1.5.3 Contract Period of Performance Limitation

In accordance with FAR 17.204(e), contract periods of performance shall be limited to a maximum of five years, inclusive of all Options.

1.6 Points of Contact

E-mail address for all BAA correspondence and questions

Dtra.belvoir.J9.mbx.CB-BAA@mail.mil

BAA Announcements posted in Federal Business Opportunities, FedBizOpps http://www.fbo.gov

DTRA Proposal Submission Website (requires registration prior to proposal submission) http://www.dtrasubmission.net

DTRA Website http://www.dtra.mil

1.7 Technical and Administrative Support by Non-Government Personnel

It is the intent of DTRA to use non-government personnel (e.g. contractor support personnel) in the review and administration of all submittals (Phase I and Phase II) for this BAA.

Participation in the BAA requires the following DTRA Advisory and Assistance Services (A&AS) support contractor employees, contracted contract specialist support and proposal submission website support to have access to proposal information including information that may be considered proprietary: Engility Corporation; JAB Solutions, LLC; and SBG Technology Solutions, Inc. The contracts for provision of support personnel contain Organizational Conflict of Interest provisions and include contractual requirements for non-disclosure of proprietary contractor information. Additionally, Engility employees in their role as an A&AS support contractor to DTRA will provide technical input in an advisory role as subject matter experts (SMEs) to the Government reviewers in addition to providing administrative support in the management of the proposals and their technical review.

Phase II proposals, in some instances, may require other non-government personnel from Academia to serve as peer reviewers with access to proposal information including mailto:Dtra.belvoir.J9.mbx.CB-BAA@mail.mil http://www.fbo.gov/ http://www.dtrasubmission.net/ http://www.dtra.mil/ information that may be considered proprietary. All individuals in these categories having access to any proprietary data shall execute nondisclosure agreements certifying that they will not disclose any information pertaining to this solicitation including any proposal submittals, the identity of any submitters, or any other information relative to the Offeror’s proposal.

All Offerors to this BAA consent to the disclosure of their information to the aforementioned companies, their subcontractors, and Academia peer reviewers under these conditions.

1.8 Freedom of Information Act Disclosure

In the event that properly marked data contained in a Phase I or II proposal submitted in response to this BAA is requested pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, 5 USC 552, the Offeror will be advised of such request and, prior to such release of information, will be requested to expeditiously submit to DTRA a detailed listing of all information in the white paper/proposal which the Offeror believes to be exempt from disclosure under the Act. Such action and cooperation on the part of the Offeror will ensure that any information released by DTRA pursuant to the Act is properly identified.

2.0 Eligibility

Except as specified below, this BAA is open to all responsible sources capable of responding to the Government’s requirements. Intramural Offerors, as listed in paragraph 2.2, should respond to the JSTO-CBD FY17/21 Service Call if they wish to submit a proposal as a prime contractor.

2.1 Eligible Sources

Proposals submitted for this BAA will be considered from the following U.S. and Foreign Enterprises:

• Industrial/commercial concerns including small businesses.

• Accredited Degree granting colleges and universities.

• Not-for-profit organizations.

• Other Non-U.S. sources.

• DoD-sponsored Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) specified in DFARS 235.017-1.

• University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs), provided that it is permitted by the

UARC's DoD sponsor.

• Department of Energy (DOE) sponsored FFRDCs and National Aeronautics and

Space Administration (NASA) sponsored FFRDCs, provided that authorization is obtained from the DOE sponsor or NASA sponsor.

2.2 Non-Eligible Sources

The following entities may not participate as prime contractors nor furnish principal investigators in awards made under BAA but may act as subcontractors:

• Federal laboratories other than those DoD, DOE and NASA sponsored FFRDCs specified above.

• U.S. Government agencies and organizations.

• Academic institutions that are federal government organizations (e.g., Naval

Postgraduate School).

3.0 Instructions to Offerors

To assure timely and equitable evaluation of proposals, Offerors must follow the instructions contained herein. Offerors are required to meet all solicitation requirements, including terms and conditions, representations and certifications, technical requirements, and proposal content and format requirements. Failure to meet a requirement may result in an offer being ineligible for award. Additionally, Offerors must clearly identify any exception to the solicitation terms and conditions and provide complete accompanying rationale. It is the Offeror’s responsibility to ensure the completeness of the proposal. Evaluation of a proposal will be conducted only on the basis of the information contained within it and the Government will not assume that an Offeror possesses any capabilities not specified.

Proposals shall be clear, concise, and include sufficient detail for effective evaluation and for substantiating the validity of stated claims. The Offeror shall assume that the Government has no prior knowledge of the Offeror’s capabilities.

3.1 Administrative Requirements

3.1.1 Registration to the DTRA Proposal Submission Website

All Offerors are required to register at the DTRA proposal submission website prior to submission of Phase I proposals. Detailed registration and submission instructions are available at the site.

The registration must be submitted by a central Business Point of Contact (BPOC) rather than individual Principal Investigator personnel. A BPOC is a person who is given the responsibility of coordinating all submissions from individual Principal Investigators at his or her work location and is the only individual who may access the DTRA proposal submission website. The intent is that all submissions from an organization be coordinated and submitted by a single, identified responsible party. Failure to register in accordance with instructions may render them ineligible for participation in this BAA.

Offerors must be aware that it is their responsibility to ensure that e-mail notifications reach the designated BPOC and that e-mail notifications are not blocked due to the use of 'spam blocker' software or other means that the recipient's Internet Service Provider may have implemented as a means to block the receipt of certain e-mail messages.

Additionally, it is the responsibility of the BPOC to inform DTRA of any updates to e-mail addresses for both themselves as the registered BPOC and for the designated Principal Investigator.

IMPORTANT: Registration at the DTRA proposal submission website is NOT the same as registering at the System for Award Management or FedBizOpps websites. Failure to register at the DTRA proposal submission website will prevent an Offeror’s submission of documents required and thus render the Offeror ineligible for participation in this

BAA.

3.1.2 Registration to the System for Award Management (SAM) Website

DTRA requires that all Offerors be registered in the SAM database at the time of Phase I proposal submission. Contractors must keep their registration current for the life of the contract. Offerors may register with SAM online at http://www.sam.gov. Offerors will NOT be able to complete their SAM registration until SAM has confirmed the Offeror’s Employer Identification Number (EIN) or Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

NOTE: It will take 24-48 hours for the IRS to validate the TIN. According to the IRS, if Offerors do not currently have an EIN and need to apply for one over the phone or Internet, they will be given a tentative EIN, but the EIN may not become active for up to two (2) weeks. Questions regarding an EIN may be directed at 1-800-829-4933.

3.2 Questions about this BAA

Questions regarding the technical and administrative content of this BAA must be sent to the following DTRA e-mail address: Dtra.belvoir.J9.mbx.CB-BAA@mail.mil.

Questions and/or inquiries that are not submitted to the aforementioned e-mail address will be disregarded. All questions must include the BAA number in the subject line.

DTRA will post answers to questions on the FedBizOpps website. It is the Offeror’s responsibility to periodically check the FedBizOpps website to view postings of questions and answers, in addition to any applicable amendments to the BAA.

3.3 Proposal Submission Instructions

3.3.1 General Instructions

All proposals must be submitted electronically through the DTRA proposal submission website: http://www.dtrasubmission.net. Any proposal submitted by any means other than the DTRA proposal submission website will not be considered (e.g., hand-carried, postal service, commercial carrier, e-mail).

Offerors are responsible for ensuring submission of their Phase I proposals by the date and time specified in Section 1.2. Time management is wholly the responsibility of the Offeror. If a timely submission is not fully uploaded prior to the cutoff date/time, the proposal will not be considered. No exceptions will be made. The Offeror must verify the submission of their proposal package by printing the electronic receipt (time and date stamped) that appears on the final screen following compliant submission of a proposal to the DTRA proposal submission website.

http://www.sam.gov/ mailto:Dtra.belvoir.J9.mbx.CB-BAA@mail.mil http://www.dtrasubmission.net/

Using the DTRA proposal submission website, all Offerors must prepare Proposal Cover Sheets for each Phase I and invited Phase II proposal submitted. All data point requirements must be completed in every cover sheet. Once the cover sheet is saved, the system will assign a unique proposal number for each Phase I submission and a different unique proposal number for each invited Phase II submission. Cover sheets may be edited as often as necessary until the submission period closes. All submissions must be dated and unclassified.

If multiple proposals are being submitted by the same Offeror in response to different Topic Areas, separate cover sheets must be generated for each proposal and the full proposal files must be uploaded with the associated cover sheet, since a unique document number will automatically be assigned to each submission by the electronic proposal tracking system. All documents submitted to the DTRA proposal submission website are considered works in progress and are not eligible for evaluation until the Offeror submits the final proposal package for consideration. Once all proposal files have been uploaded and the Offeror is ready to submit their application, select the green "Submit" button on the page. A confirmation message will appear on the page once the submission has gone through. Perform a virus check before uploading any proposal files. If a virus is detected, it may cause rejection of the file.

Offerors must submit proposals to the appropriate Topic. Failure to do so will render the proposal ineligible for evaluation and award.

3.3.2 Late Submissions and Withdrawal of Proposals

Offerors are responsible for access to the DTRA proposal submission website and for submitting electronic proposals so as to be received at the Government site indicated in this BAA no later than the closing date and time stated in Section 1.2, above. Untimely proposals will not be considered.

When sending electronic files, the Offeror will account for potential delays in file transfer from the originator’s computer server to the Government website/computer server.

Offerors are encouraged to submit their proposals early to avoid potential file transfer delays due to high demand or problems encountered in the course of the submission.

Offerors should also print, and maintain for their records, the electronic date/time stamped receipt that appears on the final screen following submission of a proposal on the DTRA proposal submission website. All submissions shall be fully uploaded before the cut off time/date in order to be considered.

Proposals may be withdrawn by written notice received at any time before award.

Withdrawals are effective upon receipt of notice via the e-mail address listed in Section 1.6.

3.4 Proposal Format Requirements

3.4.1 Submission File Format

Offerors shall submit each required proposal volume as a separate Portable Document File (PDF) compatible with Adobe Acrobat ® version 11.0.0 or earlier. Additionally, each Phase II proposal shall also contain a Statement of Work (SOW) provided in MS Word format and a Cost Spreadsheet provided in MS Excel format. Additional specific format requirements are provided below.

Movie and sound file attachments, or other additional files, will not be accepted. The proposal files must not be encrypted.

3.4.2 Phase I Proposal

Offerors must submit Phase I proposals in accordance with instructions provided in this section of the BAA; failure to do so may preclude consideration for Phase II proposal invite. Additionally, Offerors are required to complete a cover sheet using the DTRA proposal submission website. All Phase I proposals shall consist of a Quad Chart and White Paper conforming to the following format requirements:

3.4.2.1 Quad Chart

3.4.2.1.1 Format Requirements

• Paper size: 8.5 x 11 inches, Landscape orientation

• Font: Arial, 28 point bold for Header, 10 point for body

• Page Limit: No more than one (1) page. Pages in excess of the page limitation will not be read or evaluated.

• Format: MS PowerPoint

• Classification: Unclassified

• Restrictive Markings: The Quad Chart must not contain information deemed trade secret, confidential or proprietary by the Offeror.

3.4.2.2 White Paper

3.4.2.2.1 Format Requirements

• Paper size: 8.5 x 11 inches

• Spacing: Single-spaced

• Margins: One-inch

• Font: Times New Roman, not smaller than 12 point

• Page Limit: No more than six (6) pages. Pages in excess of the page limitation will not be read or evaluated.

• Classification: Unclassified

• Restrictive Markings: White papers containing proprietary information shall contain the restrictive markings reflected in Section 3.4.4.

3.4.3 Phase II Proposal

Offerors invited to submit a Phase II proposal must follow the instructions provided in this section of the BAA; failure to do so may preclude consideration the proposal for award. All Phase II proposals shall consist of a Technical Volume, Cost Volume and Supplement Information Volume conforming to the following format requirements:

3.4.3.1 Technical Volume

The Technical Volume shall consist of the Offeror’s Technical Proposal, Technical Approach and Basis of Estimate (BOE) and Statement of Work conforming to the following format requirements:

3.4.3.1.1 Technical Proposal

• Margins: One-inch

• Font: Times New Roman, not smaller than 12 point

• Page Limit (Technical Approach): No more than fifteen (15) pages. Pages in excess of the page limitation will not be read or evaluated.

• Classification: Unclassified

• Restrictive Markings: Documents containing proprietary information shall

3.4.3.1.2 Technical Approach and BOE

• Margins: One-inch

• Font: Times New Roman, not smaller than 12 point

• Page Limit: None

• Classification: Unclassified

• Restrictive Markings: Documents containing proprietary information shall

3.4.3.1.3 Statement of Work

• Margins: One-inch

• Font: Times New Roman, not smaller than 12 point

• Page Limit: None

• Classification: Unclassified

• Restrictive Markings: The Statement of Work must not contain information deemed trade secret, confidential or proprietary by the Offeror or Contractor-specific references such as headers and footers with company name and/or logo. See Attachment 2 for more information.

3.4.3.2 Cost Volume

The Cost Volume shall consist of the Offeror’s Cost Narrative / Supporting Documentation, Cost Spreadsheets, which shall conform to the following format requirements:

3.4.3.2.1 Cost Narrative / Supporting Documentation

• Margins: One-inch

• Font: Times New Roman, not smaller than 12 point

• Page Limit: None

• Classification: Unclassified

• Restrictive Markings: Documents containing proprietary information shall

3.4.3.2.2 Cost Spreadsheets

• File Format: MS Excel 2010, or compatible format

• Format: In accordance with Attachment 4

• Formulas: All formulas shall be preserved.

• Page Limit: None

• Classification: Unclassified

• Restrictive Markings: Documents containing proprietary information shall

3.4.3.3 Supplemental Information Volume

The Supplemental Information Volume shall conform to the following format

• Margins: One-inch

• Font: Times New Roman, not smaller than 12 point

• Page Limit: None

• Classification: Unclassified

• Restrictive Markings: Documents containing proprietary information shall

3.4.4 Restrictive Markings and Disclosure of Proprietary Information

The White Paper portion of the Phase I submission and all Phase II volumes submitted in response to this solicitation (with the exception of the SOW) may contain technical information and other data that the Offeror does not want disclosed to the public or used by the Government for any purpose other than proposal evaluation. Public release of information in any submission will be subject to existing statutory and regulatory requirements. If proprietary information which constitutes a trade secret, proprietary commercial or financial information, confidential personal information, or data affecting national security is provided by an Offeror, it will be treated in confidence, to the extent permitted by law, provided that the following legend appears and is completed on the front of the submission:

“For any purpose other than to evaluate the white paper/proposal, this data shall not be disclosed outside the Government and shall not be duplicated, used, or disclosed in whole or in part, provided that, if an award is made to the Offeror as a result of or in connection with the submission of this data, the Government shall have the right to duplicate, use, or disclose the data to the extent provided in the agreement. This restriction does not limit the right of the Government to use information contained in the data if it is obtained from another source without restriction. The data subject to this restriction is contained in page(s) __ of this white paper/proposal.”

Any other legend may be unacceptable to the Government and may constitute grounds for removing the proposal from further consideration without assuming any liability for inadvertent disclosure. The Government will limit dissemination of properly marked information to official channels.

In addition, the pages indicated as restricted must be marked with the following legend:

“Use or disclosure of the white paper/proposal data on lines identified by an asterisk (*) are subject to the restriction on the front page of this white paper/proposal.” The Government assumes no liability for disclosure or use of unmarked data and may use or disclose such data for any purpose.”

In the event that properly marked data contained in a white paper/proposal submitted in response to this BAA is requested pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C.

§ 552, the Offeror will be advised of such request and, prior to such release of information, will be requested to expeditiously submit to DTRA a detailed listing of all information in the white paper/proposal which the Offeror believes to be exempt from disclosure under the Act. Such action and cooperation on the part of the Offeror will ensure that any information released by DTRA pursuant to the Act is properly identified.

By submission of a White Paper/proposal, the Offeror understands that proprietary information may be disclosed outside the Government for the sole purpose of technical evaluation. The Contracts Office will obtain a written agreement from the evaluator that proprietary information in the white paper/proposal will only be used for evaluation purposes and will not be further disclosed or utilized.

3.5 Proposal Content Requirements

3.5.1 Phase I Proposal

Offerors must submit Phase I proposals in accordance with instructions provided in this section of the BAA; failure to do so may preclude consideration for Phase II proposal invite. All Phase I proposals shall consist of a Quad Chart and a White Paper conforming to the following requirements:

3.5.1.1 Quad Chart

The Quad Chart must be included in the Phase I proposal as well as in Volume III, Supplemental Information, of the Phase II proposal. Proposed Quad Charts must conform to the following template:

Heading:

• Title of Project

• Topic Number

• Principal Investigator

• Organization

Upper Left Quadrant:

• Objective – provide a clear and concise description of the goal of the effort.

• Description of Effort – provide a brief description of the technology proposed for investigation and the methodologies to be used during the course of investigation.

Lower Left Quadrant:

• Benefits of Proposed Technology – provide a brief description of the net advantages of the proposed technology over current practices and other competing technologies.

• Challenges: provide a bullet list of the technical or scientific challenges being addressed.

• Maturity – describe the maturity of proposed technology with respect to Technical Readiness Level (TRL) at project start and the anticipated TRL at project end.

See Attachment 1 for TRL definitions.

Upper Right Quadrant:

• Picture or graphic illustrating proposed technology development

Lower Right Quadrant:

• Period of Performance – provide the project period of performance. If the project incorporates multiple periods of performance, separated by logical and meaningful milestones and go/no-go decision points, provide the duration of each period.

• Major goals/milestones and deliverables - provide a bullet list of the major project goals, milestones and deliverables. If utilizing multiple project periods of performance, provide the goals, milestones and deliverables for each period and for the overall project.

• Cost – provide a Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) cost estimate. If utilizing multiple project periods of performance, provide the ROM estimates for each period and for the overall project.

3.5.1.2 White Paper

The white paper shall include the following sections in the order given below:

(1) Describe the following elements of the project technical approach.

• Project objectives and scope.

• Overview of tasks and methods planned to achieve each objective and the final deliverable and/or project end-state.

• Key personnel, including subcontractors and consultants. Offerors are cautioned to limit discussion to the minimum necessary to establish that the Offeror possesses sufficient technical expertise to successfully execute the technical approach.

• Facilities/Equipment necessary to carry out the proposed effort.

(2) Provide a project overview describing:

• How the technology addresses the topic requirement specified in Section 7 of this BAA.

• How and to what degree the scientific solution is relevant to DOD CBDP program goals.

• How the technology can be implemented or utilized by DoD end-users, and the impact of the technology on end-user mission capability.

• The current TRL of the technology and the anticipated TRL at the end of the proposed project.

• Any applicable technical and/or scientific challenges associated with the proposed project, and how the Offeror intends to address these challenges.

(3) Describe how the proposed project is achievable within the proposed schedule. Discuss potential risks and the actions that the Offeror will take to mitigate these risks and ensure that major milestones and objectives are successfully met within the proposed project schedule.

(4) Describe the estimated costs for the proposed technical approach. Explain how the cost estimate was derived. Provide a breakout of estimated costs by project milestone. If the proposed project includes multiple periods of performance, provide estimated costs by milestone for each project period.

3.5.2 Phase II Proposal

Offerors invited to submit a Phase II proposal must follow the instructions provided in this section of the BAA; failure to do so may preclude consideration the proposal for award. All Phase II proposals shall consist of a Technical Volume, Cost Volume and Supplemental Information Volume conforming to the following requirements:

3.5.2.1 Technical Volume

The Technical Volume shall be comprised of a Technical Proposal, Technical Approach and BOE, and Statement of Work which conforms to the following

3.5.2.1.1 Technical Proposal

The Technical Proposal shall be submitted in accordance with the following:

3.5.2.1.1.1 Abstract

Offerors shall provide a brief abstract.

3.5.2.1.1.2 Scope

Offerors shall provide a detailed description of project scope, to include project objectives, background, programmatics and relevance.

A. Objective. Offerors shall state clearly and concisely the objective of the proposed project.

B. Background. Offerors shall provide the necessary technical and scientific background to support the scientific and/or technical merit of the proposed project.

C. Programmatic. Offerors shall describe their organization’s program management plan for the proposed project. Offeror’s shall list supporting and collaborating centers, and roles and responsibilities of each identified academic and/or industrial subcontractor supporting this project.

D. Relevance. Offerors shall describe the relevance of the proposed project in terms of DTRA mission, end-user needs and the state-of-the-art of the proposed technology.

3.5.2.1.1.3 Credentials

Offerors shall provide credentials and qualifications, limited to that which is directly relevant to the proposed work.

A. Summary of Organizational Credentials and Qualifications. Offerors shall describe their organizational qualifications and credentials to perform the proposed project.

B. Summary of Qualifications for PI and Key Personnel. Offerors shall list summary qualifications for the proposed Principal Investigator and other Key Personnel.

C. Summary of Facilities to Perform the Proposed Work. Offerors shall summarize the credentials of the primary performing center, and supporting academic and industrial subcontractors to perform the work.

Offerors shall describe specific examples of similar work performed, and equipment and/or facilities available to perform the proposed work.

3.5.2.1.1.4 Performance Schedule and Expenditure Plan.

A. Gantt Chart.

Offerors shall provide a Gantt chart that lists each individual SoW task and provides the duration of performance for each.

B. Time-phased Expenditure Plan.

Offerors shall provide a time-phased expenditure plan, provided in chart format that provides estimated cost accrual by month, by project period. For example, if the proposed project includes three periods of performance, each lasting twelve months, the Offeror’s chart will be broken out into three separate twelve-month periods.

3.5.2.1.1.5 References

Offerors shall list any relevant documents used to develop the technical approach.

3.5.2.1.2 Technical Approach and BOE

A. General. The Offeror shall address the following requirements:

1. Provide a detailed narrative summary of the proposed technical

2. Provide project milestones and objectives. Explain why the proposed technical approach is valid and suitable to achieve SoW requirements and project milestones and objectives.

B. Risks. The Offeror shall address the following requirements:

1. Explain the risks associated with achieving proposed project goals, objectives and milestones (what will be done), and risks associated with the technical approach (how it will be done).

2. For all identified risks, Offerors shall indicate how they plan to manage these risks (e.g. avoidance, acceptance, mitigation, transfer) and provide a detailed narrative explaining the corresponding risk management actions that will be taken for each identified risk.

C. Approach and BOE. For each proposed SoW task, Offerors shall address the following:

1. Technical Approach: The proposed technical approach to execute the individual SoW task.

2. Milestones, Metrics, Objectives and Deliverables: The milestones, metrics, objectives and deliverables associated with the individual SoW task.

3. Basis of Estimate: The proposed resources to execute the technical approach, covering all cost elements in accordance with the below information and format requirements. No cost information shall be provided with the technical approach and BOE. Cost data is limited to the Cost Volume only. Address each of the following requirements.

a) Direct Labor

i. Direct Labor Breakout - provide a chart that lists each individual labor category assigned to this task and the number of hours allocated to each listed labor category.

ii. Direct Labor Justification – Offerors shall explain, in detail, how the estimate was developed (e.g. bottom-up analysis, analogy), the rationale supporting the chosen estimating technique, and why each proposed labor category, and the hours allocated to each labor category, is reasonable and necessary to execute the technical approach

b) Subcontracts

i. Subcontract Breakout - provide a chart that lists each individual subcontractor assigned to this task.

ii. Subcontractor Justification – Offerors shall explain, in detail, why each proposed subcontractor is appropriate and necessary to execute the technical approach.

c) Consultants

i. Consultant Breakout - provide a chart that lists each individual consultant assigned to this task and the number of hours allocated to each consultant.

ii. Consultant Justification – Offerors shall explain, in detail, why each proposed consultant, and associated level of effort/hours, is appropriate and necessary to execute the technical approach.

d) Materials/Supplies

i. Material/Supply Breakout - provide a chart that lists each individual material and supply item assigned to this task and the quantity for each.

ii. Material/Supply Justification – Offerors shall explain, in detail, how the estimate was developed (e.g. bottom-up analysis, analogy), the rationale supporting the chosen estimating technique, and why each proposed material and supply item is appropriate and necessary to execute the technical approach.

e) Equipment

i. Equipment Breakout - provide a chart that lists each individual equipment item assigned to this task and the quantity for each.

ii. Equipment Justification – Offerors shall explain, in detail, how the estimate was developed (e.g. bottom-up analysis, analogy), the rationale supporting the chosen estimating technique, and why each proposed equipment item is appropriate and necessary to execute the technical approach.

f) Travel

i. Travel Breakout - provide a chart that lists each individual travel event, and for each individual travel event, lists the following: a) reason for travel, b) destination, c) number of travelers, d) applicable labor categories, and e) duration of travel.

ii. Travel Justification – Offerors shall explain, in detail why each proposed travel event, and the proposed travelers (by labor category) are appropriate and necessary to execute the technical

g) ODCs

i. ODC Breakout - provide a chart that lists each individual ODC item assigned to this task and the quantity for each.

ii. ODC Justification – Offerors shall explain, in detail, how the estimate was developed (e.g. bottom-up analysis, analogy), the rationale supporting the chosen estimating technique, and why each proposed ODC item is appropriate and necessary to execute the technical approach.

The technical approach and BOE MUST clearly and accurately reflect the proposed SoW. Offerors must complete the above for each proposed project period of performance (e.g. Base Period, Option Period 1, etc.). Each proposed subcontractor must also provide a technical basis of estimate addressing each of the above requirements.

3.5.2.1.3 Statement of Work

The Statement of Work shall be submitted in accordance with the sample template provided in Attachment 2.

3.5.2.2 Cost Volume

All proposals are subject to the requirements of the Truth in Negotiations Act (TINA). A proposal tentatively selected for award exceeding the threshold listed in FAR 15.403-4(a)(1) will be required to submit a certificate of current cost and pricing data in the format described in FAR 15.406-2 upon conclusion of successful negotiations.

The responsibility for providing adequate supporting data and attachments lies solely with the Offeror. The cost proposal must include cost estimates sufficiently detailed for meaningful evaluation. Further, the Offeror must also bear the burden of proof in establishing reasonableness of proposed costs; therefore, it is in the Offeror’s best interest to submit a fully supportable and well-prepared cost proposal. The basis and rationale for all proposed costs should be provided in the cost narrative so that Government personnel can place reliance on the information as current, complete, and accurate.

The Cost Volume shall contain the following content:

3.5.2.2.1 Cost Spreadsheet

The Offeror shall prepare the Cost Spreadsheet utilizing Attachment 4 – Cost Spreadsheet. The Cost Spreadsheet is in Microsoft Excel format. Offerors shall follow all instructions, including provided Notes, contained within the Cost Spreadsheet.

3.5.2.2.2 Cost Narrative/Supporting Documentation

All Offerors shall provide documentation, and analysis as required, to support the proposed costs contained within Attachment 4. Specific information requirements for this section are included in the Attachment 4 Notes.

3.5.2.3 Supplemental Information Volume

The Supplemental Information Volume shall be submitted in accordance with the content requirements provided in Section 8.1.

4.0 Evaluation Criteria

4.1 General Evaluation Information

Evaluation of proposals will be conducted based upon a technical subject matter expert review as described in FAR Subparts 6.102(d)(2) and 35.016. Each proposal will be evaluated based on the merit and relevance of the specific proposal as it relates to the DTRA program rather than against other proposals for research in the same topic area. All documents necessary for the review and evaluation of the Phase I and Phase II proposal submissions must be provided as described in Section 3 of this BAA.

4.2 Adjectival Ratings

With the exception of Phase II Factor 4 – Cost Realism, the Government will evaluate proposals using the adjectival ratings below. Phase II Factor 4 – Cost Realism will be assigned a rating of either Realistic or Not Realistic. Offerors are advised that a strength is an aspect of a proposal that has merit or exceeds specified performance or capability requirement in a way that will be advantageous to the Government during contract performance. A weakness means a flaw in the proposal that increases the risk of unsuccessful contract performance. A deficiency is a material failure of a proposal to meet a Government requirement or a combination of significant weaknesses in a proposal that increases the risk of unsuccessful contract performance to an unacceptable level.

Rating Description Outstanding (O) The proposal is a technically exceptional submission pertinent to program goals and objectives. The proposal contains multiple strengths, exceptional features or innovations that should substantially benefit the program. The risk of unsuccessful performance is low.

Good (G) The proposal is a technically thorough submission pertinent to program goals, and objectives. The proposal contains at least one strength which indicates the proposed approach will benefit the program. Weaknesses, if any, are more than offset by strengths. The risk of unsuccessful performance is low to moderate.

The proposal may be recommended for acceptance but are at a lower priority than submissions rated ‘Outstanding’.

Acceptable (A) The proposal is a technically adequate submission pertinent to program goals, and objectives. Strengths and weaknesses are offsetting or will have little or no impact on contract performance. The risk of unsuccessful performance is no worse than moderate. The proposal may be recommended for acceptance but is at a lower priority than submissions rated either ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Good’.

Marginal (M) The proposal is a technically weak submission pertinent to program goals, and objectives. The proposal has one or more weaknesses which are not offset by strengths. The risk of unsuccessful performance is high. The proposal may be recommended for acceptance but is at a lower priority than submissions rated ‘Outstanding’, ‘Good’ or ‘Acceptable’.

Unacceptable (U) The proposal is not pertinent to program goals and objectives and contains one or more deficiencies. The proposal is unawardable.

4.3 Phase I Proposal

The evaluation of Phase I proposals will be based on the two factors listed below. Each factor will be assigned one of the following adjectival ratings: Outstanding (O), Good (G), Acceptable (A), Marginal (M) or Unacceptable (U). Any factor scored as “Unacceptable (U)” will render the offeror’s proposal “Unawardable,” and the proposal will not be considered further.

Phase I evaluation factors to be used to evaluate and select Quad Charts/White Papers are listed below in order of decreasing importance.

4.3.1 Factor 1 – Scientific and Technical Merit

The objective of this factor is to assess the extent to which the Offeror has an innovative, unique, high payoff, and comprehensive technical approach based on sound scientific principles.