Amendment_0001_-_Updates_to_BAA_01_March_2016.pdf

AMENDMENT 0001 to BAA N00014-16-R-BA07

Communications and Interoperability of Integrated Fires (CIIF)

The purpose of this Amendment is to revise Section V, inserting a new sub-section E. entitled

“General Information Regarding the Review and Selection Process for Grants”.

1. Section V is hereby amended as follows (Section V.E changes in bold).

V. EVALUATION INFORMATION

A. Evaluation Criteria –

Awards under this BAA will be made to Offerors on the basis of the evaluation criteria listed below, and program balance to provide overall value to the Government. The Government reserves the right to request any additional, necessary documentation once it makes the award instrument determination. The Government reserves the right to remove Offerors from award consideration should the parties fail to reach agreement on award terms, conditions, and cost/price within a reasonable time, or the Offeror fails to timely provide requested additional information.

In accordance with FAR 35.016(e), the primary basis for selecting proposals for acceptance shall be technical, importance to agency programs, and fund availability. Therefore, the following criteria will be used for evaluation:

1. Overall scientific and technical merits of the proposal, including the technical approach, system engineering/simulation/emulation/modeling approach and product development strategy leading to higher technical readiness/maturity levels for technology transition.

Proposals that contain data rights assertions inhibiting or prohibiting the integration activities contemplated under this BAA (as enumerated under “Government Approach” in section I.F) will be considered to provide less technical merit.

2. The qualifications, capabilities and experience of the proposed Principal Investigator (PI), team leader and key personnel who are critical in achieving the proposal objectives.

3. The Offeror's capabilities, related experience, facilities, techniques or unique combinations of these which are integral factors for achieving the proposal objectives.

Criterion 1 is significantly more important than Criteria 2-3. Criteria 2-3 are of equal importance. Cost realism and reasonableness shall also be considered to the extent appropriate.

The ultimate recommendation for award of proposals is made by ONR's scientific/technical community. Recommended proposals will be forwarded to the ONR Contracts and Grant

Awards Management office. Any notification received from ONR that indicates that the

Offeror's full proposal has been recommended does not ultimately guarantee an award will be made. This notice indicates that the proposal has been selected in accordance with the evaluation criteria above and has been sent to the contracting department to conduct cost analysis, determine the Offeror's responsibility, and to take other relevant steps necessary prior to commencing negotiations with the Offeror.

B. Commitment to Small Business- (For Contract Awards Only)

The Office of Naval Research is strongly committed to providing meaningful subcontracting opportunities for small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses (SDBs), woman-owned small businesses (WOSBs), historically underutilized business zone (HUBZone) small businesses, veteran-owned small business (VOSBs), service disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSBs), historically black colleges and universities, and minority institutions, and other concerns subject to socioeconomic considerations through its awards.

Businesses unfamiliar with doing business with the Government and that require assistance may contact the state-specific Department of Defense (DoD) Procurement Technical

Assistance Center (PTAC). DoD PTACs serve as a resource for businesses pursing and performing under contracts with DoD, other federal agencies, state and local governments and with government prime contractors. Assistance provided by the PTACs is usually free of charge. PTAC support includes registration in systems such as SAM, identification of contract opportunities, understanding requirements and preparing and submitting proposals.

The PTACs have a presence in each state, Puerto Rico and Guam. To locate a local PTAC visit: http://www.dla.mil/HQ/SmallBusiness/PTAP or http://www.aptac-us.org/new/ .

1) Subcontracting Plan - For proposed contract awards exceeding $700,000, large businesses and non-profits (including educational institutions) shall provide a Subcontracting

Plan (hereafter known as ‘the Plan’) that contains all elements required by FAR Subpart

19.704, FAR 52.219-9 and as supplemented by DFARS 252.219-7003.

NOTE: Small businesses are exempt from this requirement.

The Plan must be submitted as an attachment to the “Proposal Checklist” and will not be included in the page count. If a company has a Master Subcontracting Plan, as described in

FAR 19.701 or a Comprehensive Subcontracting Plan, as described in DFARS 219.702, a copy of the Plan shall also be submitted as an attachment to the “Proposal Checklist”.

Plans will be reviewed for adequacy, ensuring that the required information, goals, and assurances are included. FAR 19.702 requires the apparent successful Offeror to submit an acceptable Plan. If the apparent successful Offeror fails to negotiate a Plan acceptable to the contracting officer within the time limit prescribed by the contracting officer, the Offeror will be ineligible for award.

Offerors shall propose a plan that ensures small businesses (inclusive of SDBs, WOSBs, HUBZone, VOSBs and SDVOSBs) will have the maximum practicable opportunity to participate in contract performance consistent with efficient performance.

http://www.dla.mil/HQ/SmallBusiness/PTAP.aspx http://www.aptac-us.org/new/

As a baseline, Offerors shall, to the best extent possible, propose realistic goals to ensure small business participation in accordance with the current or most recent fiscal year subcontracting goals found on the DoD Office of Small Business Program website at:

http://www.acq.osd.mil/osbp/. If proposed goals are below the statutory requirements, then the offeror shall include in the Plan a viable written explanation as to why small businesses are unable to be utilized and what attempts were taken to ensure that small business were given the opportunity to participate in the effort to the maximum extent practicable.

2) Small Business Participation Statement –

If subcontracting opportunities exist, all prime Offerors shall submit a Small Business

Participation Statement regardless of size in accordance with DFARS 215.304 when receiving a contract for more than the simplified acquisition threshold (i.e., $150,000). All Offerors shall provide a statement of the extent of the Offeror’s commitment in providing meaningful subcontracting opportunities for small businesses and other concerns subject to socioeconomic considerations through its awards and must agree that small businesses, VOSBs, SDVOSBs, HUBZones, SDBs, and WOSBs concerns will have the maximum practicable opportunity to participate in contract performance consistent with efficient performance.

This assertion will be reviewed to ensure that it supports this policy by providing meaningful subcontracting opportunities. The statement should be submitted as an attachment to the “Proposal Checklist” and will not be included in the page count.

3) Subcontracting Resources -

Subcontracting to a prime contractor can be a good way to participate in the contracting process. The following is a list of potential resources that may assist in locating potential subcontracting partners/opportunities:

*Companies Participating in DoD Subcontracting Program Report

*DAU Small Business Community of Practice (SB COP)

*DefenseLink ≥ $7.0 M Award Notices

*DoD OSBP Prime Contractors and Subcontractors with Subcontracting Plans

*Dynamic Small Business Search

*Electronic Subcontracting Reporting System (eSRS)

*Federal Business Opportunities (FEDBIZOPPS)

*Navy SBIR/STTR Search – Website or Brochure

*DoD Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTAC)

*Small Business Administration (SBA) Subcontracting Opportunities Directory

*SBA Subnet

For a description and associated websites visit the ONR Office of Small Business webpage at::

http://www.onr.navy.mil/Contracts-Grants/small-business.aspx.

In accordance with FAR Subpart 5.206, the following entities may transmit a notice to a

Government Point of Entry (GPE) to seek competition for subcontracts, to increase participation http://www.acq.osd.mil/osbp/ http://www.onr.navy.mil/Contracts-Grants/small-business.aspx by qualified small businesses, VOSBs, SDVOSBs, HUBZones, SDBs, and WOSBs, and to meet established subcontracting plan goal as follows:

(a) A contractor awarded a contract exceeding $150,000 that is likely to result in the award of any subcontracts;

(b) A subcontractor or supplier, at any tier, under a contract exceeding $150,000, that has a subcontracting opportunity exceeding $15,000.

The notices must describe— (a) The business opportunity;

(b) Any prequalification requirements; and

(c) Where to obtain technical data needed to respond to the requirement.

An example of a GPE is the SBA SUB-Net which is a place in which prime contractors may post solicitations or sources sought notices for small business. The SUB-Net database provides a listing of subcontracting solicitations and opportunities posted by large prime contractors and other non-federal agencies.

C. Options -

The Government will evaluate options for award purposes by adding the total cost for all options to the total cost for the basic requirement. Evaluation of options will not obligate the

Government to exercise the options during contract or grant performance.

D. Evaluation Panel -

Technical and cost proposals submitted under this BAA will be protected from unauthorized disclosure in accordance with FAR 3.104-4 and 15.207. The cognizant Program Officer and other Government scientific experts will perform the evaluation of technical proposals.

Restrictive notices notwithstanding, one or more support contractors may be utilized as subject- matter-expert technical consultants. However, proposal selection and award decisions are solely the responsibility of Government personnel. Each support contractor’s employee having access to technical and cost proposals submitted in response to this BAA will be required to sign a non- disclosure statement prior to receipt of any proposal submissions.

E. General Information Regarding the Review and Selection Process for Grants -

i) Prior to making an award with total amount of Federal share greater than the simplified acquisition threshold, ONR shall review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (currently FAPIIS).

ii) The applicant, at its option, may review information in the designated integrity and performance systems accessible through SAM and comment on any information about itself that a Federal awarding agency previously entered and is currently in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM.

iii) ONR will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the other information in the designated integrity and performance system, in making a judgment about the applicant’s integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards when competing the review of risk posed by the applicant as described in Title 2, Part 200, Subsection 200.205 Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants.

2. All other terms and conditions remain unchanged.