N0001424SB002_STAMP.pdf

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ONR Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)

N0001424SB002

Office of Naval Research Science and Technology for Advanced Manufacturing Projects

(STAMP)

The Department of Defense Manufacturing Technology Program (ManTech) is the Defense Department’s investment mechanism for staying at the forefront of defense-essential manufacturing capability. The Program develops technologies and processes for the affordable and timely production and sustainment of defense systems. The Program impacts all phases of acquisition. It aids in achieving reduced acquisition and total ownership costs by developing, maturing, and transitioning key manufacturing technologies. ONR will focus investments on those that have the most benefit to the warfighter and include quick-hitting, rapid response projects to address immediate manufacturing needs.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section Page #

I. OVERVIEW OF THE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY BAA-4

A. Required Overview Content BAA-5

1. Federal Awarding Agency Name BAA-5

2. Funding Opportunity Title BAA-5

3. Announcement Type BAA-5

4. Funding Opportunity Number BAA-5

5. Assistance Listings BAA-5

6. Key Dates BAA-5

7. North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code

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8. Contracting and Grants Officer BAA-5

II. DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT THE RESEARCH

OPPORTUNITY

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A. Program Description/Objectives BAA-6 B. Federal Award Information BAA-7

1. Eligibility for Competition BAA-7

2. Contracted Fundamental Research BAA-7

3. Funded Amount and Period of Performance BAA-8

4. Instrument Type(s) BAA-8

5. Model Contracts & Grants BAA-9

C. Eligibility Information BAA-10

1. Eligible Applicants BAA-10

2. Cost Sharing or Matching BAA-10

D. Application and Submission Information BAA-11

1. Address to Request (Access) Application Package BAA-11

2. Content and Format of Application Submission BAA-11

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

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4. Submission Dates and Times BAA-15

5. Intergovernmental Review BAA-15

6. Funding Restrictions BAA-15

7. Other Submission Requirements BAA-15

E. Application Review Information BAA-16

1. Criteria BAA-16

2. Review and Selection Process BAA-17

3. Recipient Qualifications BAA-20

F. Federal Award Administration Information BAA-20

1. Federal Award Notices BAA-20

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2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements BAA-21

3. Reporting BAA-26

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts BAA-26 H. Other Information BAA-27

III. APPENDICES

1. Requirements Applicable to Grants and Cooperative Agreements Only

2. Requirements Applicable to Contracts and Other Transaction Agreements Only 2-1. Manufacturing Innovation Institutes

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I. OVERVIEW OF THE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY

This publication constitutes a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for awards by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) Contact and Grants Awards Management Division, ONR Code 25 (or others approved by Code 25) as contemplated in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.102(d)(2) and 35.016 and by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Guide to Research Other Transactions Under 10 U.S.C. 4021 (JUN 2023 and the Other Transaction Guide version 2.0 dated July 2023.

It also constitutes a merit-based, competitive procedure, in accordance with the

Department of Defense Grant and Agreement Regulations (DoDGARS), at 32 CFR 22.315(a). A formal Request for Proposals (RFP), solicitation, and/or additional information regarding this announcement will not be issued.

ONR reserves the right to fund all, some, or none of the proposals received under this

BAA. ONR provides no funding for direct reimbursement of proposal development costs.

Technical and cost proposals (or any other material) submitted in response to this BAA will not be returned. It is the policy of ONR to treat all proposals submitted under this BAA as sensitive competitive information and to disclose their contents only for the purposes of evaluation.

BAA Call: BAA Calls will be posted to the ONR website under Broad Agency Announcements (BAA), Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOA) and Special Program Announcements at https://www.nre.navy.mil/work-with-us/funding-opportunities, to https://sam.gov/content/home and https://www.grants.gov/, as applicable, and the BAA Calls will make reference to this BAA for submission instructions.

Each BAA Call will provide a description of the specific research effort being solicited, the application process to be used, as well as the recommended dates for submission of proposals. Proposals submitted in response to the BAA Calls shall be submitted under this BAA following the instructions contained in this BAA. Proposals will be evaluated in accordance with the criteria set forth in this BAA. Interested parties are urged to periodically check the ONR website (https://www.nre.navy.mil/work-with-us/funding-opportunities), Sam.gov - Contract Opportunities (https://sam.gov/content/opportunities)) and Grants.gov (https://www.grants.gov/) websites for new BAA Calls.

A. Required Overview Content

1. Federal Awarding Agency Name

Office of Naval Research One Liberty Center 875 N. Randolph Street Arlington, VA 22203-1995

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2. Funding Opportunity Title - Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Science &

Technology for Advanced Manufacturing Projects (STAMP)

3. Announcement Type - Initial Announcement

4. Funding Opportunity Number - N0001424SB002

5. Assistance Listings - 12.300

Department of Defense (DOD), Department of the Navy, Office of Chief of Naval Research, Basic and Applied Scientific Research

6. Key Dates

This announcement will remain open for approximately one (1) year from the date of publication, or until replaced by a successor BAA. Proposals may be submitted at any time during this period. This announcement replaces N0001423SB003 published 17 January 2023, as amended. Submission of Late Proposals (Applicable to White Papers and Full Proposals) - the Government reserves the right not to review proposals submitted after 31 March 2025, or after a successor to this Long Range BAA is issued, whichever occurs first.

7. North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code - The NAICS code for contracts under this announcement is “541715” with a small business size standard of “1,000 employees.” The ONR Reps and Certs shall include this NAICS and size standard.

8. Contracting and Grants Officer - The Contracting Officer and Grants Officer for this announcement are identified under Section II, subparagraphs G.3 and G.4, respectively. For any BAA Call, the Contracting Officer will be identified in the BAA Call.

II. DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT THE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY

A. Program Description/Objective –.

The Department of Defense (DoD) Manufacturing Technology Program (ManTech) is the Defense Department’s investment mechanism for staying at the forefront of defense-essential manufacturing capability. The Program develops technologies and processes for the affordable and timely production and sustainment of defense systems. The Program impacts all phases of the product life-cycle. It aids in achieving reduced acquisition and total ownership costs by developing, maturing, and transitioning key manufacturing technologies. ONR will focus investments on those that have the most benefit to the warfighter and include quick-hitting, rapid response projects to address immediate manufacturing needs.

The DoD ManTech Program targets the needs of our warfighters and weapon system programs by helping to find and implement affordable low-risk solutions. The ManTech Program:

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1. Provides the crucial link between technology invention and development and industrial applications;

2. Matures and validates emerging manufacturing technologies to support low-risk implementation in industry and DoD facilities, for example depots and other organic repair facilities;

3. Addresses production issues from system development through transition to production and sustainment;

4. Disseminates information concerning improved manufacturing improvement concepts, including information on such matters as best manufacturing practices, product data exchange specifications, computer-aided acquisition and logistics support, and rapid acquisition of manufactured parts; and

5. Sustains and enhances the skills and capabilities of the manufacturing work force.

Using the authority of the Manufacturing Technology Program codified at 10 U.S.C. §4841 the DoD ManTech established a group of manufacturing innovation institutes in technology areas with relevance to military systems. These institutes are executed and managed by the services (Army, Air Force, and Navy). Each institute consists of members, including private companies, nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, federal laboratories, and state and local governments. These DoD-managed institutes are also involved in the Department of Commerce Manufacturing USA network as part of a long-term collaborative partnership-of- choice in light of a common purpose.

The overall goal of this BAA effort is to continue to support Manufacturing Technology projects that offer potential for advancement and improvement of military operations in areas that address the focus areas of the DoD ManTech Program as noted in the above paragraphs, and the DoD-managed Manufacturing Innovation Institutes, as noted in the above paragraphs, and the Manufacturing Innovation Institutes (MIIs), as described in Appendix 2-1. The long-term goals of this BAA are to create market expansion; and components and systems utilizing new optimized high performing material systems across defense, aerospace, automotive, energy, and consumer products industries.

The focus of this BAA is primarily on projects that continue to advance the systems engineering approach needed for the design, fabrication, and manufacture of structural components to address challenges in system weight, performance, affordability, and/or survivability. The foundation of this approach should include the integration of materials information, captured in computational tools, with engineering product performance analysis and manufacturing-process simulation termed commonly as Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME). From this foundation it is expected the integration of manufacturing process information and product performance information utilizing the full range of engineering and analytical tools, processes, and principles to improve efficiency and effectiveness of their integrated approach. The intent is to bring together materials designers, materials suppliers, product designers, and manufacturers to collaborate on the design, production, and commercialization of novel affordable, manufacturable systems. Projects may include basic and applied research, technology and component development, and prototyping; but may also focus on manufacturing supply-chain technical support and integration, workforce development, and manufacturing education. This BAA will not be affecting the current Navy ManTech investment strategy, and project selection process.

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Prior to preparing proposals, potential Offerors are encouraged strongly to contact the ONR technical point of contact (POC) identified for this program.

B. Federal Award Information

1. Eligibility for Competition. Proposals for supplementation of existing projects are eligible to compete with applications for new Federal awards under this BAA.

2. Contracted Fundamental Research. With regard to any restrictions on the conduct or outcome of work funded under this BAA, ONR will follow the guidance on and definition of “contracted fundamental research” as provided in the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics) Memorandum of 24 May 2010.

The memorandum can be found at https://www.acq.osd.mil/dpap/dars/pgi/docs/2012- D054%20Tab%20D%20OUSD%20(ATL)%20memorandum%20dated%20May%2024 %202010.pdf

As defined therein, the definition of “contracted fundamental research,” in a DoD contractual context, includes research performed under grants and contracts that are (a) funded by RDT&E Budget Activity 1 (Basic Research), whether performed by universities or industry or (b) funded by Budget Activity 2 (Applied Research) and performed on campus at a university.

Pursuant to DoD policy, research performed under grants and contracts that are (a) funded by Budget Activity 2 (Applied Research) and NOT performed on-campus at a university or (b) funded by Budget Activity 3 (Advanced Technology Development) or Budget Activity 4 (Advanced Component Development and Prototypes) does not meet the definition of “contracted fundamental research.” In conformance with the USD (AT&L) guidance and National Security Decision Directive 189 found at:

https://www.acq.osd.mil/dpap/dars/pgi/docs/National_Security_Decision_Directive_189.pdf ONR will place no restriction on the conduct or reporting of unclassified “contracted fundamental research,” except as otherwise required by statute, regulation or executive order. The research shall not be considered fundamental in those rare and exceptional circumstances where the applied research effort presents a high likelihood of disclosing performance characteristics of military systems or manufacturing technologies that are unique and critical to defense, and where agreement on restrictions have been recorded in the contract or grant. For certain research projects, it may be possible that although the research being performed by the prime contractor is restricted research, a subcontractor may be conducting “contracted fundamental research.” In those cases, it is the prime contractor’s responsibility in the proposal to identify and describe the subcontracted unclassified research and include a statement confirming that the work has been scoped, negotiated, and determined to be fundamental research according to the prime contractor and research performer.

Normally, fundamental research is awarded under grants with universities and under contracts with industry. Non-fundamental research is normally awarded under contracts and may require restrictions during the conduct of the research and DoD pre-publication review of such research results due to subject matter sensitivity. Potential offerors should consult with the ONR Technical POCs to determine whether the proposed effort would constitute

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fundamental or non-fundamental research.

3. Funded Amount and Period of Performance. The funded amount and period of performance of each proposal selected for award may vary depending on the STAMP technology area and the technical approach to be pursued by the offeror selected.

4. Instrument Type(s). Awards may take the form of contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, and other transaction agreements, as appropriate. The following provides brief descriptions of potential instrument types:

a. Procurement Contract. A legal instrument, consistent with 31 U.S.C. 6303, which reflects a relationship between the Federal Government and another entity/contractor when the principal purpose of the instrument is to acquire property or services for the direct benefit or use of the Federal Government.

b. Assistance Instruments. The applicable regulations are 2 CFR 200, “Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards,” as implemented by 2 CFR Chapter XI, Subchapter A and DoDGARs at 32 CFR Subchapter C. Any assistance instrument awarded under this announcement will be governed by the award terms and conditions that conform to DoD’s implementation of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) circulars applicable to financial assistance.

The DoD Terms and Conditions are located at https://www.nre.navy.mil/work-with-us/manage-your-award/manage-grant-award/grants-terms-conditions

i. Grant. A legal instrument that, consistent with 31 U.S.C. 6304, is used to enter into a relationship:

The principal purpose of which is to transfer a thing of value to the recipient to carry out a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by a law of the United States, rather than to acquire property or services for the Federal Government’s direct benefit or use.

In which substantial involvement is not expected between the Federal Government and the recipient when carrying out the activity contemplated by the grant.

No fee or profit is allowed

ii. Cooperative Agreement. A legal instrument which, consistent with 31 U.S.C 6305, is used to enter into the same kind of relationship as a grant, except:

Substantial involvement is expected between the Federal Government and the recipient when carrying out the activity contemplated by the cooperative agreement. (For information on the substantial involvement ONR expects to have in cooperative agreements, prospective offerors

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should contact the Technical Point of Contact identified in the technology area of interest.)

The term does not include "cooperative R&D agreements (CRADA)" as defined in 15 U.S.C. 3710a

No fee or profit is allowed.

c. Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) for Research. A legal instrument, consistent with 10 U.S.C. § 4021, which may be used for basic, applied, and advanced research projects. To the maximum extent practicable, an OTA for research shall provide for a 50/50 cost share between the Government and the performer. The effort covered under an OTA shall not be duplicative of effort being conducted under an existing DoD program. Please refer to the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Guide to Research Other Transactions Under 10 U.S.C.

4021 (June 2023) and Other Transaction Guide version 2.0 dated July 2023 for additional information. These documents, along with other OTA resources, may be accessed at the following links:

Guide to Research Other Transactions Under 10 U.S.C. 4021 dated June 2023:

https://www.acq.osd.mil/asda/dpc/cp/policy/docs/guidebook/Guide%20to%20Research %20Other%20Transactions.pdf

Other Transaction Guide version 2.0 dated July 2023:

https://www.acq.osd.mil/asda/dpc/cp/policy/docs/guidebook/TAB%20A1%20-

%20DoD%20OT%20Guide%20JUL%202023_final.pdf

d. Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) for Prototypes. A legal instrument, consistent with 10 U.S.C. § 4022, which may be used for prototype projects directly relevant to enhancing the mission effectiveness of military personnel and the supporting platforms, systems, components, or materials proposed to be acquired or developed by the Department of Defense, or for improvement of platforms, systems, components, or materials in use by the armed forces. The effort covered under an OTA shall not be duplicative of effort being conducted under an existing DoD program. Please refer to the DoD “Other Transactions Guide” dated July 2023, for additional information. This document, along with other OTA resources, may be accessed at the following link:

https://www.acq.osd.mil/asda/dpc/cp/policy/docs/guidebook/TAB%20A1%20-

%20DoD%20OT%20Guide%20JUL%202023_final.pdf

5. Model Contracts and Grants – The model contracts and grants at the links below are only provided as examples. In the event of any conflict between these examples and current FAR, DFARS, NMCARS, or ONR clauses, current FAR, DFARS, NMCARS, or ONR clauses will govern.

Examples of model contracts can be found on the ONR website at the following link:

https://www.nre.navy.mil/work-with-us/how-to-apply/submit-contract-proposal

Examples of model grants can be found on the ONR website at the following link:

https://www.nre.navy.mil/work-with-us/how-to-apply/submit-grant-application

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C. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

All responsible sources from academia, industry and the research community worldwide may submit proposals under this BAA. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Institutions (MIs) are encouraged to submit proposals and join others in submitting proposals; however, no portion of this BAA will be set aside for HBCUs/MIs, small businesses or other socio-economic participation. All businesses, both small and large, are encouraged to submit proposals and compete for funding consideration.

Federally Funded Research & Development Centers (FFRDCs), including Department of Energy National Laboratories, are not eligible to receive awards under this BAA.

However, teaming arrangements between FFRDCs and eligible principal Offerors are allowed so long as such arrangements are permitted under the sponsoring agreement between the Government and the specific FFRDC.

Navy laboratories, military universities and warfare centers as well as other Department of Defense and civilian agency laboratories are also not eligible to receive awards under this BAA and should not directly submit either white papers or full proposals in response to this BAA. If any such organization is interested in one or more of the programs described herein, the organization should contact an appropriate ONR Technical POC to discuss its area of interest.

University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs) are eligible to submit proposals under this BAA unless precluded from doing so by their Department of Defense UARC contract.

Teams are also encouraged and may submit proposals in any areas; however, Offerors must be willing to cooperate and exchange software, data and other information in an integrated program with other contractors, as well as with system integrators, selected by

ONR.

Disclosures of current and pending support made in this application may render an applicant ineligible for funding. Prior to award and throughout the period of performance, DoD may continue to request updated continuing and pending support information, which will be reviewed and may result in discontinuation of funding.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost sharing is not expected under contracts and assistance awards and will not be used as a factor during the merit review of any proposal hereunder; however, the Government may consider voluntary cost sharing if proposed. Additional guidance can be found at 2 CFR 200.306 and FAR 35.003. See section B. Federal Award Information/4. Instrument Type(s)/c. Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) for Research for information on cost sharing for OTs awarded under 10 U.S.C. § 4021 and 10 U.S.C. § 4022.

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D. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request (Access) Application Package

This BAA may be accessed from the sites below. Amendments, if any, to this

BAA will be posted to these websites when they occur. Interested parties are encouraged to periodically check these websites for updates and amendments.

a. Grants.gov (https://www.grants.gov/)

b. System for Award Management (Sam.gov - Contract Opportunities)

(https://sam.gov/content/home)

c. ONR website (https://www.nre.navy.mil/work-with-us/funding-opportunities)

2. Content and Format of Application Submission

a. General Information

All submissions will be protected from unauthorized disclosure in accordance with FAR Subpart 15.207, applicable law, and DoD/DoN regulations. Offerors are expected to appropriately mark each page of their submission that contains any proprietary information.

Titles given to the submissions should be descriptive of the work they cover and not be merely a copy of the title of this announcement.

b. Security Classification

White Papers and Proposals submitted under this BAA are expected to be unclassified; however, classified white papers/proposals are permitted. If a classified proposal is submitted and selected for award, the resultant contract will be unclassified.

An ‘unclassified’ Statement of Work (SOW) must accompany any classified proposal.

Classified proposals shall be submitted directly to the attention of ONR’s Document

Control Unit at the following address and marked in the following manner:

OUTSIDE ENVELOPE - (no classification marking):

“Office of Naval Research Attn: Document Control Unit ONR Code 54 875 North Randolph Street Arlington, VA 22203-1995”

The inner wrapper of the classified White Paper and/or Full Proposal should be addressed to the attention of the cognizant Technical POC, ONR Code 33 and marked in the following manner:

INNER ENVELOPE - (stamped with the overall classification of the material)

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“Program Name: Science & Technology for Advanced Manufacturing Projects (STAMP) Office of Naval Research ATTN: Drs. William Mullins and Jeff Farren ONR Code: 332 875 North Randolph Street Arlington, VA 22203-1995”

c. Non-Proprietary Statement of Work

For all proposals, a non-proprietary version of the Statement of Work must also be submitted. Do not put proprietary data or markings in or on the Statement of Work.

For proposals containing data that the offeror does not want disclosed to the public for any purpose, or used by the Government except for evaluation purposes, the contractor shall mark the title page with the following legend:

“This proposal includes data that shall not be disclosed outside the Government and shall not be duplicated, used, or disclosed--in whole or in part--for any purpose other than to evaluate the proposal. If, however, a contract is awarded to this 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 resulting contract. This restriction does not limit the Government’s right to use information contained in this data if is obtained from another source without restriction. The data subject to this restriction are contained in (insert numbers or other identification of sheets).”

Each sheet of data that the offeror wishes to restrict must be marked with the following legend:

“Use or disclosure of data contained on this sheet is subject to the restriction on the title page of this proposal.”

d. White Paper Requirements.

White Papers are frequently desired by ONR Program Officers. Offerors should consult the cognizant ONR Program Officer for each technology area regarding the desirability of White Paper submissions.

i. White Paper Format

Paper Size – 8.5 x 11-inch paper Margins – 1 inch Spacing –single-spaced Font – Times New Roman, 12 point Page limit– 5 pages excluding cover page.

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ii. White Paper Submissions

When email submission is required (per the instructions below), the white paper must be at least Microsoft Word 2016 or PDF compatible format. There is an email size limit of 5MB per email.

ONR is utilizing FedConnect for the submission of white papers. FedConnect is a web portal that bridges the gap between government agencies and performers to streamline the process of doing business with the government.

Through this portal, performers will be able to review opportunities and submit white papers. To access FedConnect go to https://www.fedconnect.net/FedConnect/default.htm.

How to Register for FedConnect

A FedConnect how to guide can be found at https://www.fedconnect.net/FedConnect/Marketing/Documents/FedConnect_Ready_Set_G o.pdf

See pages 25 through 33 of the FedConnect Ready Set Go guide for step-by-step instructions on how to submit your documents.

1) Register with SAM: All entities submitting a proposal through FedConnect must register with the System for Award Management (SAM) and will receive a unique entity identifier (UEI) number. Failure to register with SAM will prevent your organization from applying through FedConnect. In addition to having a UEI number, organizations applying online through Grants.gov must register with the System for Award Management (SAM). All organizations must register with SAM in order to apply online. If you have not registered in SAM, go to https://www.sam.gov/SAM/.

If you are the first person in your organization to register in FedConnect, your SAM Marketing Partner ID (SAM MPIN) will also be required. It is the number that is set up by your organization as part of the registration in SAM.gov.

2) Create a FedConnect Account: The next step in the registration process is to create an account with FedConnect.

FedConnect Assistance

If you need assistance, the FedConnect Support Team is standing by to assist you.

Email: fcsupport@unisonglobal.com Phone: 1-800-899-6665 Hours: Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EDT. Closed on Federal Holidays.

FedConnect Frequently Asked Questions can be found on the ONR website at https://www.nre.navy.mil/work-with-us/how-to-apply/frequently-asked-questions.

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Do not use the Message Center within FedConnect to submit questions, please email the POCs identified in Section G., Federal Awarding Agency Contacts found on page BAA-28.

Do not use the Message Center within FedConnect to submit white papers.

iii. White Paper Content: White papers shall include the following:

Cover Page: The Cover Page can be found at https://www.nre.navy.mil/work-with-us/how-to-apply/submit-contract-proposal for contract submissions and at https://www.nre.navy.mil/work-with-us/how-to-apply/submit-grant-application for grant submissions.

FedConnect will not accept a white paper unless the Cover Page is included.

For ONR - The Program Officer’s information and correct email address are required fields on the cover page to ensure your proposal is received by your Program Officer. The Program Officer’s information can be found on the ONR website at https://www.nre.navy.mil/our-research/our-program-officers.

e. Full Proposals Requirements: See Appendix 1 for Instructions for

Grants and Cooperative Agreements and Appendix 2 for instructions for Contracts and Other Transaction Agreements.

3. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management

(SAM) - All offerors submitting proposals or applications must:

a. Be registered in the SAM prior to submission;

b. Provide a valid unique entity identifier in its application; and

c. Maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application or proposal under consideration by a Federal awarding agency;

SAM may be accessed at https://sam.gov/content/home

A Federal awarding agency may not make a Federal award to an applicant/offeror until the applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and SAM requirements and, if an applicant/offeror has not fully complied with the requirements by the time the Federal awarding agency is ready to make a Federal award, the Federal awarding agency may determine that the applicant/offeror is not qualified to receive a Federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a Federal award to another applicant/offeror.

4. Submission Dates and Times - See Section A.6 above, “Key Dates” for

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5. Intergovernmental Review: RESERVED.

6. Funding Restrictions: RESERVED.

7. Other Submission Requirements: See Appendix 1 for Instructions for Grants and Cooperative Agreements and Appendix 2 for instructions for Contracts and Other Transaction Agreements.

E. Application Review Information

1. Criteria. Awards under this BAA will be made in accordance with FAR 35.016(e). The primary basis for selecting proposals for acceptance will be technical merit, importance to agency programs, and funds availability. To the extent appropriate, cost realism and reasonableness will also be considered when selecting proposals. ONR reserves the right to request and require any additional information and documentation after it makes the type of award instrument determination. ONR reserves the right to remove Offerors from award consideration when the parties fail to reach agreement on award terms, conditions, and cost/price within a reasonable time, or when the Offeror fails to timely provide requested or required additional information.

Offeror’s white papers and full proposals will be evaluated against the following criteria:

1) Overall scientific and technical merits of the proposal and responsiveness to the topic, i.e., the degree of innovation, soundness of technical concept, Offeror's awareness of the state of the art and understanding of the scope of the problem, significance and originality of the technical approach and effort needed to address/solve the problem, and anticipated scientific impact within the field. The following areas will also be considered: (A) the Offeror’s capabilities, related experience, facilities, techniques or unique combinations of these that are integral factors for achieving the proposal objectives, and (B) the qualifications, capabilities and experience of the proposed Principal Investigator (PI), team leader and key personnel who are critical to achieving the proposal objectives.

2). Potential Naval relevance and contribution to the ONR and Department of Navy mission. As part of the Naval relevance criteria, in accordance with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY 2019, Section 1286, as amended by Section 1299C of the NDAA for 2021, ONR will consider the protection of intellectual property, controlled information, key personnel, and information about critical technologies relevant to national security and limit undue influence, including foreign talent programs by countries that desire to exploit United States’ technology within the DoD research, science and technology, and innovation enterprise. Consideration will be given to improper technology transfer, intellectual property theft, or cyber or human espionage, entities known to recruit foreign individuals for the purpose of transferring knowledge, provide misleading information or attempt to conceal the connections of an individual or institution or pose a serious risk of improper technology transfer of data, technology, or research that is not published or publicly available.

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3) The availability of funds. (Not applicable to white papers.) In addition, per NDAA 2021 Section 1062, beginning October 1, 2023, DoD may not fund institutions of higher education (as defined by 20 U.S.C. 1002) that host a Confucius Institute, other than amounts provided directly to students as education assistance, unless a waiver is provided. A Confucius Institute is defined as a cultural institute directly or indirectly funded by the Government of the People’s Republic of China.

Criteria 1, 2, and 3 are equally important.

2. Review and Selection Process

a. Evaluation

Proposals will not be evaluated against each other since they are not submitted in accordance with a common work statement. ONR’s intent is to review all proposals received as soon as possible after they arrive; however, proposals may be reviewed periodically for administrative reasons.

The ultimate recommendation for award of proposals is made by ONR's scientific/technical community. Recommended proposals will then 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 stated above and has been sent to the Contracting Department to conduct cost analysis, determine the offeror's responsibility, to confirm whether funds are available, and to take other relevant steps necessary prior to making an award. When applicable, certain offerors may be required to demonstrate compliance/the ability to comply with enhanced cybersecurity requirements prior to award.

Refer to Appendix 2, Section F, Federal Award Administration Information, Part 2, Administrative and National Policy Requirements, paragraph (9) of this BAA for

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

The Office of Naval Research is strongly committed to providing meaningful prime and subcontracting opportunities for small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses (SDBs), woman-owned small businesses (WOSBs), historically underutilized business zone (HUB Zone) 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) Apex Accelerator (formally known as Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC)). Apex Accelerators serve as a resource for businesses pursuing and performing under contracts with DoD, other federal agencies, state and local governments and with government prime contractors. Assistance provided by the Apex

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Accelerators is usually free of charge. Apex Accelerators support includes registration in systems such as SAM, identification of contract opportunities, understanding requirements and preparing and submitting proposals. The Accelerators have a presence in each state, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Northern Mariana Island.

To locate a local Apex Accelerator visit:

https://www.apexaccelerators.us/#/

i. Subcontracting Plan:

For proposed contract awards exceeding $750,000, 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 19.704, FAR 52.219-9, and as supplemented by DFARS 252.219-7003.

NOTE: Small businesses are exempt from this requirement to submit a subcontracting plan.

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 or Individual Subcontracting Plan, as described in FAR 19.701 or a Comprehensive Subcontracting Plan, as described in DFARS 219.702-70, 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 an 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.

Offerors shall, to the best extent possible, propose realistic goals to ensure opportunities for small business participation to the maximum extent possible. If proposed goals do not contain positive goals, or the Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) goals are below 5%, 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.

ii. 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/resources:

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Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS) (http://web.sba.gov/pro-net/search/dsp_dsbs.cfm)

Contracting Opportunities in https://www.sam.gov/content/opportunities Navy SBIR/STTR Search – Website or Brochure (https://www.navysbir.com) U.S. Small Business Administration Subcontracting Network (Subnet)

(https://subnet.sba.gov/client/dsp_Landing.cfm) Directory of federal government prime contractors with subcontracting plans @ https://www.sba.gov/document/support-directory-federal-government-prime-contractors-subcontracting-plans

USAspending.gov @ https://www.usaspending.gov/ DAU Small Business Community of Practice (SB COP) (https://www.dau.edu/cop) DefenseLink ≥ $7.5 M Award Notices (https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/)

In accordance with FAR 5.206, the following entities may transmit a notice to the Government wide Point of Entry (GPE) at https://sam.gov/content/home to seek competition for subcontracts, to increase participation by qualified small businesses, VOSBs, SDVOSBs, HUBZones, SDBs, and WOSBs, and to meet established subcontracting plan goal as follows:

(1) A contractor awarded a contract exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold that is likely to result in the award of any subcontracts;

(2) A subcontractor or supplier, at any tier, under a contract exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold, which 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.

iii. Facilitating Subcontracting Arrangements -

While large businesses and non-profits are responsible for making these subcontracting arrangements, ONR will help facilitate prime contractor/small business contracting connections by posting to the ONR external website contact information of small businesses that have indicated their subcontracting interests and technological niche for prime contractor consideration for this program. This is not an endorsement, but an effort by ONR to help bring these parties together to provide superior solutions.

If you are a small business, and your company is interested in subcontracting activities with large businesses and/or non-profits considering your technology for this program, please provide the following information by email, to the ONR Small Business Director at ONR.SmallBiz@us.navy.mil with the subject line, “N0001424SB001.” Provide this information:

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1) Company Name and Website

2) Individual (POC) name and POC email address

3) Business Size and socio-economic category

4) Brief Technology Description (no more than three sentences without marketing information)

5) Technology Key Words (no more than 10 words)

Note: Do not include ANY proprietary information. This information will be posted on the ONR website under this BAA call and will available to the public.

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. The Government reserves the right to exercise options at time of award.

d.Evaluation Panel – White Papers and 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 white papers and technical proposals. Restrictive notices notwithstanding, one or more support contractors may be utilized for administrative purposes or as subject-matter-expert technical consultants. However, selection and award decisions are solely the responsibility of Government personnel.

Each support contractor’s employee having access to white papers and technical and cost proposals submitted in response to this BAA will be required to sign the ONR Non- Disclosure Agreement (NDA) for Contractor Support prior to receipt of any submissions.

This NDA includes third-party beneficiary language giving the submitter of proprietary information a right of direct action against the contractor employee and/or his/her employer in the event that the NDA is violated.

3. Recipient Qualifications

See Appendix 1 for Instructions for Grants and Cooperative Agreements and Appendix 2 for instructions for Contracts and Other Transaction Agreements.

F. Federal Award Administration Information

1. Federal Award Notices

All applicants will receive a notification email advising if their proposal has been selected or not selected for recommendation for award.

Applicants whose proposals are recommended for award may be contacted by a

Contract or Grant specialist to discuss additional information required for award. This

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may include representations and certifications, revised budgets or budget explanations, certificate of current cost or pricing data, subcontracting plan for small businesses, and/or other information as applicable to the proposed award.

The notification e-mail must not be regarded as an authorization to commit or expend funds. The Government is not obligated to provide any funding until a Government Contracting Officer, Agreements Officer or Grants Officer, as applicable, signs the award document.

Only an award document signed by the Contracting Officer, Agreements Officer or

Grants Officer is the official go-ahead to commence the research project.

Office of Naval Research (ONR) award/modification documents are only available via the Department of Defense (DoD) Electronic Document Access System (EDA) within the Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment (PIEE) (https://piee.eb.mil)

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

a. Applicable to All Awards

i. Export Control:

Offerors are responsible for ensuring compliance with all U.S. export control laws and regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR)(22 CFR Parts 120 -

130) and Export Administration Regulation (EAR) (15 CFR Parts 730 – 774), as applicable. In some cases, developmental items funded by the Department of Defense are now included on the United States Munition List (USML) (22 CFR Part 121) and are therefore subject to ITAR jurisdiction. In other cases, items that were previously included on the USML have been moved to the EAR Commerce Control List (CCL). Offerors should address in their proposals whether ITAR or EAR restrictions apply to the work they are proposing to perform for ONR. The ITAR and EAR are available online at http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/ECFR?page=browse. Additional information regarding the President's Export Control Reform Initiative can be found at https://www.export.gov/article2?id=Export-Control-Reform-ECR

Offerors must comply with all U.S. export control laws and regulations, including the ITAR and EAR, in the performance of any award or agreement resulting from this BAA. Offerors shall be responsible for obtaining any required licenses or other approvals, or license exemptions or exceptions if applicable, for exports of hardware, technical data, and software (including deemed exports), or for the provision of technical assistance.

ii. Security Classification:

In order to facilitate intra-program collaboration and technology transfer, the

Government will attempt to enable technology developers to work at the unclassified level to the maximum extent possible. If access to classified material will be required at any point during performance, the Offeror must clearly identify such need in Section II, Block 11 of the Proposal Checklist. The Proposal Checklist can be found at the following link:

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https://www.nre.navy.mil/work-with-us/how-to-apply/submit-contract-proposal

If it is determined that access to classified information will be required during the performance of an award, a Department of Defense (DD) Form 254 will be attached to the award, and FAR 52.204-2 - Security Requirements will be incorporated into the contract.

ONR does not provide access to classified material under grants or cooperative agreements.

iii. Requirements Concerning Live Organisms:

(1) Use of Animals:

The DoD policies and requirements for the use of animals in DoD-supported research are described in the current version of DoD Instruction 3216.01, Use of Animals in DoD Conducted and Supported Research and Training and its implementing instruction, DHA- MSR 6025.02, “The Care And Use Of Animals In DoD Research, Development, Test, And Evaluation (RDT&E) Or Training Programs,” the version of which is current at the time of award. If animals are to be utilized in the research effort proposed, the Offeror must submit a Full Appendix or Abbreviated Appendix (see Guidance link below) with supporting documentation (such as copies of Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) Approval, IACUC Approved Protocol, and most recent United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Inspection Report) prior to award. For assistance with submission of animal research related documentation, contact the ONR Animal Use Administrator at (703) 696-4318 or Suzanne.b.may.civ@us.navy.mil.

Guidance: https://www.nre.navy.mil/work-with-us/how-to-apply/compliance-and-protections/research-protections/animal-use

(2) Use of Human Subjects in Research:

(a) Offerors must protect the rights and welfare of individuals who participate as human subjects in research awarded pursuant to this BAA and must comply with the requirements of the Common Rule at 32 CFR part 219 (the DOD implementation of 45 CFR part 46) and applicable provisions of DoD Instruction 3216.02, Protection of Human Subjects and Adherence to Ethical Standards in DoD-Conducted and -Supported Research, Change 1, (June 29, 2022), the DON implementation of the human research protection program contained in SECNAVINST 3900.39E Change 1, (or its replacement), 10 USC 980 “Limitation on Use of Humans as Experimental Subjects,” and when applicable, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other federal and state law and regulations.

(b) For proposals containing activities that include or may include research involving human subjects as defined in DoDI 3216.02, prior to award, the Offeror must submit the following documentation :

(i) Approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB) (IRB-approved research protocol, IRB- approved informed consent document, documentation showing the IRB considered the scientific merit of the research, and other material considered by the IRB

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and the IRB registration number); proof of completed human research training (e.g., training certificate for the principal investigator, and institutional verification that the principal investigator, co-investigators and research support personnel have received appropriate training to be considered qualified to execute the research); and the Offeror’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)-issued Federal Wide Assurance (FWA#), including notifications of any FWA suspensions or terminations.

(ii) Any claimed exemption under 32 CFR 219.104, including the…