Pele_RFS,_Amd._1,_Redline.pdf

REQUEST FOR SOLUTIONS

Amendment No. 1

PELE PROGRAM PHASE I

Office of the Secretary of Defense Strategic Capabilities Office

675 N. Randolph St.

Arlington, VA 22203-1714

Washington Headquarters Services (WHS) Acquisition Directorate (AD) 4800 Mark Center Drive Alexandria, VA 22311

I. PELE PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

A. Overview Information

Federal Agency Name: Office of Secretary of Defense (OSD) / Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO)

Funding Opportunity Title: Pele Program Phase I

Funding Opportunity Number:

NAICS Code – 541715; Small Business Size: 1,000

Dates:

• Questions Due: 11:59PM EST May 6, 2019 to the points of contact referenced below.

• Proposals Due: 4:00PM EDT June 10, 2019 to the points of contact referenced below.

• Tentative Milestone Schedule:

Tentative Milestone Schedule Request for Solutions Posted April 29, 2019 Questions Due (1 week) May 6, 2019 Proposals Due (6 weeks) June 10, 2019 Award TBD Phase IA Start Period of Performance (POP) TBD Phase IA Preliminary Design Submittal 9 Months after start of POP Selection for Phase IB 11 Months after start of POP

Any administrative questions should be directed to the points of contact referenced below.

Please reference “Pele Program” in the subject line.

Description: Mobile Nuclear Reactor

Expected Phase I Award: Up to $45M per agreement (Phase IA: Up to $15M per agreement) (Phase IB: Up to $30M per agreement)

Anticipated Individual Awards: Multiple individual awards.

Types of Instruments that May be Awarded: Other Transaction for Prototype Projects.

Cost Sharing Requirements: Cost sharing may be required under applicable statutory regulations for other transactions for prototype projects awarded under the authority of 10 U.S.C. § 2371b.

Contracting Office Point of Contact:

Ryan Daniels Agreements Officer Washington Headquarters Services Acquisition Directorate ryan.t.daniels.civ@mail.mil

Proposals must be submitted electronically to ryan.t.daniels.civ@mail.mil. Paper copies will not be accepted. Please ensure proposals have been received by the proposal due date.

There is a 10MB limit for email submissions

B. General

On behalf of the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO), Washington Headquarters Services (WHS) Acquisition Directorate (AD), is issuing a Request for Solutions (RFS) to solicit proposals for a prototype development program.

The Government is receptive on agreement type but is planning on awarding agreements with either fixed, expenditure-based, or a hybrid of milestone payments via Other Transaction Agreements (OTA) in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 2371b. To the maximum extent practicable, competitive procedures will be used when entering agreements to carry out the Pele Program, however, the Competition in Contracting Act (CICA) (10 U.S.C.§ 2304) is not applicable.

SCO is partnering with the Department of Energy (DOE), and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), to develop, review, authorize, build and demonstrate a mobile nuclear reactor. Critical to the Pele program is partnership and coordination with industry to rapidly deliver robust prototype designs to support evaluation, and ultimately construction and testing. The Government envisions a relationship with industry to develop a ready-to-build prototype reactor design in Phase I of the program, and then down-select Partner Teams in Phase II for beginning build and testing of the mobile nuclear reactor. Given the rapid nature of this effort, the required cross disciplinary expertise, and low technical readiness of the technology; industry teams should strongly consider partnering to demonstrate capability to complete both phases.

The Pele Program is using a two phased approach intended to minimize programmatic and technical risk. Phase I will encompass an approximately 24 month period of performance to develop a mobile nuclear reactor design. Phase II will be for the successful build and demonstration of the prototype developed under Phase I.

C. Executive Summary

The Department of Defense (DoD) is one of the largest users of energy in the world, consuming around 30 terrawatt hours of electricity per year and more than 10 million mailto:ryan.t.daniels.civ@mail.mil mailto:ryan.t.daniels.civ@mail.mil gallons of fuel per day. Additionally, military operational projections predict energy demand will continue to increase over time. Energy delivery and management continues to be a critical defensive risk. Inherent dangers, logistical complexities and overwhelming costs of sustaining Forward Operating Bases (FOB) power demands using diesel generators continue to hamstring operations and fundamentally constrain strategic planning.

Additionally, modern high-energy weapon systems currently under development will require even greater energy demand than can currently be supplied. Weapons of the future, such as directed-energy (DE) and electromagnetic (EM) weapons, are already being pursued in order to ensure US dominance, but such systems will rely on long endurance, energy dense power sources to be successfully implemented and used by fielded operators.

The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, OUSD(R&E), acting through SCO and in partnership with DOE Nuclear Energy, have reviewed modern designs concepts and cutting-edge enabling technology which are believed to enable American industry to meet the challenges required.

Responses must demonstrate ability to develop a prototype design which meets threshold minimum requirements as dictated in Section IVIII.

This effort will ultimately provide the DoD and DoE with a operationally-capable leave-behind asset to use for continued testing and experimentation. Additionally, the program will deliver a technical data package that will permit construction to support future DoD acquisitions at the end of Phase II. At the conclusion of the prototype demonstration the U.S. Government will take possession of the prototype reactor and fuel. The partner teams are not responsible for decommissioning and disposal of the prototype reactor and fuel.

D. Technical Objectives

The Government seeks to identify a technical solution that meets the objectives listed in the below table. The Government will consider how well a proposed technical solution meets each of these objectives, with the expectation that a proposed technical solution may exceed some objectives while not fully meeting others. However, the Pele Program’s uniqueness is in its ability to transport the package by ship, rail, train, or plane. Accordingly, when evaluating proposals, more weight will be given to proposals that fit in the size envelope (ISO certified 20’ CONEX box) and are lighter versus a reactor fitting in multiple boxes, is heavier, and is on the upper end on the power requirement (i.e. 10 MWe).

The Government seeks to identify a technical solution that meets the following objectives:

Technical Requirement Technical Objective Life Able to generate threshold power (1-10 MWe of electric power generation) for >3 years without refueling Wrap-Up Time for planned shutdown, cool down, disconnect, prepared transport, and safe transport: < 7 days Start-Up Time from arrival of unit to reaching full electric power operations: <72 hrs

Size All components should fit in ISO 688 certified 20’ or 40’ CONEX boxes. Government’s preference is to use 20’ standard CONEX box

Operation Semiautonomous, meaning, not requiring manned control by operators to ensure safe operation. Minimal manning to monitor overall reactor and power plant system health.

Minimal routine preventative maintenance and repair required

E. Program Plan

Under the Pele Program, the Government will use a phased approach to mitigate risk in the most expeditious manner through the awards of an OTA between SCO and commercial Partner Teams. Each Partner Team must include a lead Partner Team member that will by the legally responsible party and execute the OTA on behalf of its team. The lead sponsor will also provide the program management leadership necessary to manage the team’s combined effort, and provide the government with consolidated updates and results.

Fig.1 Program Plan Path

Proposals in response to this solicitation will address the terms and requirements of Phase I only.

1. Phase I

The Pele Program intends to take advantage of commercial technologies, integrate known and tested components and subsystems, and mature manufacturing processes to accomplish its goals. The approximate four-year Pele Program is separated into two distinct phases and is designed to have a seamless flow from one phase to the next so to not pause critical path to build. Phase I is an approximately 24 month effort for reactor design, analysis and testing, and Phase II is a 24+ month effort for reactor build and demonstration. Phase I is further divided into two parts: Phase IA and Phase IB. This RFS requires that proposals address the technical and programmatic plan, costs, and associated risk mitigations to fully complete both halves of Phase I.

a. Phase IA

The Government intends to award multiple agreements for Phase IA (approximately 12 months) and subsequently, exercise an option to one or more Partner Teams for Phase IB (for approximately an additional 12 months). Phase IA is the initial award for the Pele Program and is budgeted at –up to $15 million dollars, per OTA. Phase IA will include intermediate Program Reviews for the Government and its independent subject matter expert (SME) team. These reviews will be technical in nature, where the Partner Teams will provide subsystem level briefings, identified in section Section IVIII, to the Government SME review team.

The primary Phase IA deliverable is a robust Preliminary Design Report package. The submission of the Preliminary Design Report (PDR) package should be a comprehensive build-ready design product as defined by DOE-STD-1189, due by month 9. The DOE-STD- 1189 is included as an attachment to the RFS.

Partner Teams must meet one of the conditions of 10 U.S.C. § 2371b(d)(1), which are:(A) there is at least one nontraditional defense contractor or nonprofit research institution participating to a significant extent in the prototype project or (B) all significant participants in the transaction other than the Federal Government are small businesses or nontraditional defense contractors or (C) at least one third of the total cost of the Phase I prototype project will be paid out of funds provided by parties to the transaction other than the Government.

Nontraditional defense contractor has the meaning given the term under 10 U.S.C § 2302(9). While 10 U.S.C. § 2371b(d)(1)(C) proposals will be considered, this is the least preferred method to meet Section 2371b requirements.

b. Phase IB

Phase IB will be an option included on each OTA award. The Government may exercise this option for one or more Phase IA Partner Teams for approximately an additional 12 months to complete the design and analysis. The Phase IB option is budgeted at up to $30 million per OTA. Accordingly, only teams that have been awarded Phase IA will be eligible to continue into Phase IB. All proposals must address the full technical and programmatic plan, costs, and associated risk mitigations for the entirety of Phase I.

Structured similarly to the first half, Phase IB should proceed without administrative or evaluation delays, as technical quarterly reviews will continue through Phase IB.

Additionally, the primary deliverable required from Phase IB is the Final Design Report (FDR) package due at approximately month 22. This should be submitted as a comprehensive build-ready design product defined by DOE-STD-1189.

Phase IB work will require Partner Teams to shift specified aspects of their design work to a classified level. This requires Phase IB Partner Teams to satisfy security plan guidance and facility clearance access in accordance with Section IIB.

Partner Teams performing the Phase IB work will be expected to respond to an RFS for Phase II during Phase IB. The Government will request that the Partner Teams provide their FDR package, a manufacture and build plan (including cost and schedule), and any other necessary information requested at that time. The proposal for Phase II will be a Phase IB deliverable. The Government intends to provide fuel material to be delivered at the build site in Phase II. Phase II award funding and exact time constraints will be announced in the closed Phase II RFP.

c. Phase I Documentation and Deliverable Data

It will be the responsibility of Partner Teams to propose and justify potential deliverables for Phase IA. Partner Teams shall define the data content, format, intended use, submission dates, and frequency of:

• Updated Milestone Plan: Partner Teams shall submit an updated milestone plan at month 9 of Phase IA in the same format as included in the Technical Volume. The plan should include any adjustments required for Phase IB and a summary plan for transition to Phase II.

• Design Reviews: Hosting and briefing two technical design reviews to the Government SME team in Phase IA

• Administrative or Non-technical Data: This includes meeting agendas, presentation materials, etc.

• Environmental Analysis Support: Support Government management team personnel to facilitate environmental analysis (e.g., Environmental Scoping, Environmental Assessment (EA), Environmental Impact Study (EIS)) throughout Phase I.

• Security requirements in Section IIB.

• Financial Information: Financial, dollar, pricing, or cost performance data.

• Management/Master Plan Data: Management or master plan data such as schedule and technical progress reporting, program milestone data, and data needed for management control and decision making.

• System Engineering Data: This includes specifications, engineering analysis and technical reports or studies, interface control documentation, or system design documentation or description.

• Test and Inspection Data: This includes test plans or procedures, methods or techniques, and test or inspection reports.

• Modeling or Simulation Data.

• Reliability Data.

• Software Documentation.

• Deficiency Reporting: Deficiencies, failures, discrepancy reporting, or corrective action data.

• Compliance Reports: May also include execution reports.

• Phase IA Preliminary Design Report (PDR): Due approximately 9 months after beginning period of performance.

• Phase II Proposal: Cost estimate and schedule for Phase II due approximately 10 months after beginning of the Phase IB period of performance.

• Final Design Report (FDR): Due approximately 20 months after the beginning of the period of performance.

2. Phase II

During Phase IB, the Government intends to release an RFS to the remaining Phase IB Partner Team(s) for the evaluation and award for the Phase II construction and demonstration effort. Approximately 24 months after the start of Phase II, the Pele Program will conclude with a capstone demonstration of a mobile nuclear reactor meeting all technical requirements.

3. Project Management

For each Phase I agreement, the Partner Team will lead design, analysis, testing, and systems engineering needed to produce a preliminary design package. During Phase I the Partner Teams are expected to work with the Government team, including both management and technical Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), to ensure mission objectives are being addressed.

SCO is responsible for the overall management of the Pele Program, including technical matters, acquisition, and security. SCO requires sufficient and timely insight to ensure that the Partner Team is executing its commitments under the agreements—effectively executing the program and leveraging the Government investment. Use of an OTA provides significant flexibility to enable streamlined program management and collaboration between Government and industry. The Government is committed to a vision of working with the Partner Team as a true partnership, facilitating the best technical development and program outcome within program constraints.

SCO will employ a team of SMEs that leverages the DOE’s expertise as well as other Government and contracted SMEs. As appropriate, the SCO Program Manager will occasionally include other Government stakeholders in Partner Team-led program reviews and other major events for program liaison, visibility, and advocacy, including policy matters.

The Government encourages potential Partner Teams to offer a management approach that will enable the most efficient and cost-effective program that meets mission objectives.

II. INSTRUCTIONS

A. Administrative Information

The Government anticipates awarding an OTA to multiple performers under 10 U.S.C. § 2371b prototyping authority. The Government may select for negotiation, all, some, one, or none of the proposals received in response to this RFS Agreement terms and conditions, including contract type and finalized payment schedule, will be negotiated after receipt of proposals.

An OTA allows the Partner Team to propose a range of collaboration alternatives, to leverage Government personnel and facilities as desired and appropriate, and to define the most effective Government/industry working relationship. A lead Partner Team member shall be identified who may execute the agreement and legally bind the Partner Team. The lead Partner Team member will ultimately be responsible for successful contract performance.

B. Security

All Phase IA work will be unclassified. Phase IB and Phase II will be CLASSIFIED. A DoD Contract Security Classification Specification, DD Form 254, will be provided to ensure Partner Teams understand and implement SCO security requirements at contract award for all of Phase I. A classified plan will be required before the end of Phase IA.

Cleared facilities access, data storage, and support personnel to support design effort will be required for Phase IB.

Phase IA will be UNCLASSIFIED and Partner Team shall:

• Develop a plan for having an appropriate facility clearance level (FCL) to meet the security requirements of work proposed if chosen for Phase IB.

Visit https://www.dss.mil for information on submitting a request for a

FCL;

• Thoroughly explain how they will meet or plan to meet the minimum requirement of SECRET personnel clearance level (PCL) for Phase IB.

Visit https://www.dss.mil/ma/tw/dvd/vroc/applicant/ for information on submitting a request for a PCL;

• Ensure all work is done in the U.S.;

• Ensure all Program personnel are U.S. citizens by accomplishing the U.S.

Citizenship and Immigration Services Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification; and

• Implement procedures to safeguard Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) based on EO 13556, 32 CFR Part 2002, NIST SP 800-171 Revision 1, DFAR Supplement Clause 252.204-7012 Version 2, DoDM 5200.01 Volume 4, and applicable guidance provided by the Cognizant Security Authority (CSA), certain types of information requires safeguarding or dissemination controls to ensure it is not released improperly

At Phase IA contract award, SCO will issue a DD Form 254 which will allow the Partner Teams who do NOT hold a current FCL, to start the process to obtain a FCL through the https://www.dss.mil/ https://www.dss.mil/ma/tw/dvd/vroc/applicant/

Defense Security Service (DSS).

Phase IB will be CLASSIFIED and Partner Team shall:

• Ensure all work is performed in the U.S.;

• Ensure all Program personnel are U.S. citizens by accomplishing the U.S.

Citizenship and Immigration Services Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification;

• Ensure all Program personnel requiring access to Program CLASSIFIED information, material, technical details etc., must have a minimum final DoD SECRET personnel clearance level (PCL) or equivalent U.S.

Government SECRET clearance;

o In accordance with DoDI 5210.02 Access to and Dissemination of Restricted Data and Formerly Restricted Data, October 25, 2017:

Reciprocity. For other Federal agencies who have a need to know in the performance of their official duties, DoD Components will accept DOE and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) clearances for access to classified information including Restricted Data (RD) as shown in Table 1.

• The CLASSIFIED program documents and modeling and simulation shall be run, written, and stored on an approved Information Systems accredited for CLASSIFIED work. Controlled Unclassified Information shall follow policies EO 13556, 32 CFR Part 2002, NIST SP 800-171 Revision 1, DFAR Supplement Clause 252.204-7012 Version 2, DoDM 5200.01 Volume 4, and applicable guidance provided by the CSA, certain types of information require safeguarding or dissemination controls to ensure it is not released improperly;

C. Export Control

It is the responsibility of Partner Teams to comply with all applicable laws and regulations regarding export controlled items, including, but not limited to, the requirement for contractors to register with the Department of State in accordance with the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Partner Teams shall consult with the Department of

State regarding any questions relating to compliance with the ITAR and shall consult with the Department of Commerce regarding any questions relating to compliance with the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). It is the responsibility of Partner Teams to comply with all applicable laws, Executive orders, and regulations regarding export-controlled items.

D. Data Rights and Intellectual Property

For the purposes of this solicitation, the following definitions apply:

1. “Covered Government Support Contractor” means a contractor under a contract, the primary purpose of which is to furnish independent and impartial advice or technical assistance directly to the Government in support of the Government’s management and oversight of a program or effort (rather than to directly furnish an end item or service to accomplish a program or effort), provided that the contractor:

(i) Is not affiliated with the prime contractor or a first-tier subcontractor on the program or effort, or with any direct competitor of such prime contractor or any such first-tier subcontractor in furnishing end items or services of the type developed or produced on the program or effort; and

(ii) Receives access to Data for performance of a Government contract.

(iii) Enters into a non-disclosure agreement with the Performer, if required.

2. “Data” means recorded information, regardless of form or method of recording, which includes but is not limited to, technical data, software (including executable code), mask-works and trade secrets. The term does not include financial, administrative, cost, pricing or management information and does not include subject inventions.

3. “Government purpose rights” means the rights to use, duplicate, or disclose Data, in whole or in part and in any manner, for Government purposes only, and to have or permit others to do so for Government purposes only.

4. “Limited rights” means the rights to use, modify, reproduce, release, perform, display, or disclose data, in whole or in part, within the Government. The Government may not, without the written permission of the party asserting limited rights, release or disclose the data outside the Government, use the data for manufacture, or authorize the data to be used by another party, except that the Government may reproduce, release, or disclose such data or authorize the use or reproduction of the data by persons outside the Government if—

(i) The reproduction, release, disclosure, or use is—

(a) Necessary for emergency repair and overhaul; or

(b) A release or disclosure to—

(1) A covered Government support contractor in performance of its covered Government support contract for use, modification, reproduction, performance, display, or release or disclosure to a person authorized to receive limited rights data; or

(2) A foreign government, of data other than detailed manufacturing or process data, when use of such data by the foreign government is in the interest of the Government and is required for evaluation or informational purposes;

(ii) The recipient of the data is subject to a prohibition on the further reproduction, release, disclosure, or use of the data; and

(iii) The contractor or subcontractor asserting the restriction is notified of such reproduction, release, disclosure, or use.

5. “Restricted rights” has the same meaning as defined in DFARS 252.227-7014(a)(15).

6. “Unlimited rights” means rights to use, modify, reproduce, perform, display, release, or disclose data in whole or in part, in any manner, and for any purpose whatsoever, and to have or authorize others to do so.

The Government requires, at a minimum, Government Purpose Rights (GPR) in Data and other intellectual property developed during work performed for this program to enable the Government to 1) promote future development of advanced nuclear reactors for Government purposes; 2) flexibly brief Government stakeholders regarding technical progress and accomplishments, 3) allow validation of technical performance, capabilities, and accomplishments by independent technical (potentially non-Government) experts, 4) facilitate discussion of technical challenges and applications with the broader technical community, and 5) support transition opportunities, including design and performance data required to support other acquisition activities. At the same time, the Government recognizes that industry has developed its own advanced nuclear technology prior to this solicitation and will want to preserve those rights for potential future commercial applications.

Partner Teams responding to this solicitation shall identify all Data that it plans to furnish to the Government under any negotiated OTA in which the Government will receive less than Unlimited rights, and assert specific restrictions on that Data. Partner Teams shall follow the format described below for this stated purpose. In the event that proposers do not submit the list, the Government will assume that it automatically has Unlimited rights to all Data generated, developed, and/or delivered under the OTA, unless it is substantiated that development of the Data occurred with private or mixed funding. If mixed funding is anticipated in the development of Data generated, developed, and/or delivered under any negotiated OT agreement, then Partner Teams should consider identifying the Data in question as subject to GPR.

Partner Teams shall use the following table to assert restrictions to data.

DATA RESTRICTIONS

Technical Data and Computer Software To be

Summary of Intended Use in the Conduct of the Research

Basis for Assertion

Asserted Rights Category

Name of Party Asserting Restrictions

Furnished With Restrictions

(LIST) (NARRATIVE) (LIST) (LIST) (LIST)

For any items for which a Partner Team asserts data rights less than Unlimited rights, the Partner Team shall describe the impact of the GPR or Limited rights assertion. In other words, the Partner Team should describe what data the Government will get, how the Government will be able to use it, and describe the impact of this data rights assertion on the Government’s ability to transition the program. The Government will use this table during the proposal evaluation process to evaluate the impact of any identified restrictions.

If no restrictions are intended, then the Partner Team should state “NONE.” It is noted, an assertion of “NONE” indicates that the Government has Unlimited rights to all data delivered under this OT.

It is anticipated that Data generated by the program will be shared with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to advance future options for NRC licensing of technology for both Government and commercial purposes. This Data will be licensed to the Government in accordance with the provisions outlined in this RFS, and will be made available to the Partner Team as well.

E. Follow-on Production

Successful completion of the prototype project may result in award of noncompetitive follow-on production OTA or contract under the authority of 10 U.S.C. § 2371b(f).

Successful completion of the prototype project will be defined in resultant OTAs.

F. Federally Funded Research and Development Centers

Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC) may participate as non-lead Partner Team Members. However, no FFRDC may be an exclusive Partner Team member of any Partner Team.

F.G. System for Award Management

The lead Partner Team member (i.e. the team member directly executing an OTA with the Government) must be registered in SAM and have a valid DUNS number prior to submitting a proposal. The lead Partner Team member must provide their DUNS number in each proposal they submit. The lead Partner Team member must maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which they have an active federal award or proposal under consideration by the Government. Information on SAM registration is available at http://www.sam.gov.

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G.H. Contractor Evaluation Support

It is WHS and SCO’s policy to treat all submissions as “source selection information” as defined by 41 U.S.C. § 2101(7), and to disclose the contents only in accordance with 41 U.S.C. § 2102. Restrictive notices notwithstanding, during the evaluation process, submissions may be handled by support contractors for administrative purposes and/or to assist with technical evaluation. All SCO and DOE support contractors performing this role are expressly prohibited from performing SCO-sponsored technical research and are bound by appropriate nondisclosure agreements. Proposals and other submissions during the selection process will only be utilized for evaluation and negotiation purposes.

I. Organizational Conflicts of Interest

Current federal employees are prohibited from participating in particular matters involving conflicting financial, employment, and representational interests (18 U.S.C. §§ 203, 205, and 208). Once the proposals have been received, and prior to the start of proposal evaluations, the Government will assess potential conflicts of interest and will promptly notify Partner Teams if any appear to exist. The Government assessment does not affect, offset, or mitigate the Partner Team’s responsibility to give full notice and planned mitigation for all potential organizational conflicts, as discussed below.

Without prior approval or waiver from the SCO Director, in accordance with FAR 9.503, a proposer cannot simultaneously provide scientific, engineering, technical assistance (SETA) or similar support and also be a technical performer. As part of the proposal submission, all members of the proposed team (prime proposers, proposed subcontractors, and consultants) must affirm whether they (their organizations and individual team members) are providing SETA or similar support to any SCO technical office(s) through an active contract or subcontract. All affirmations must state which office(s) the proposer, subcontractor, consultant, or individual supports and identify the prime contract number(s). All facts relevant to the existence or potential existence of organizational conflicts of interest (FAR 9.5) must be disclosed. The disclosure must include a description of the action the proposer has taken or proposes to take to avoid, neutralize, or mitigate such conflict. If in the sole opinion of the Government after full consideration of the circumstances, a proposal fails to fully disclose potential conflicts of interest and/or any identified conflict situation cannot be effectively mitigated, the proposal will be rejected without technical evaluation and withdrawn from further consideration for award.

H.J. Proposal Instructions

Proposals shall include a Technical Volume and a Cost/Price Volume. The narrative may be in the Partner Team's selected format. Both volumes must be submitted electronically to the Contracting Office POC email address by June 1410, 2019 at 11:59PM EDT. The Partner Team must submit RFS questions by May 36, 2019 at 11:59PM EDT. The Government will answer all questions received by that date and may do so at its discretion for RFS questions submitted after that date.

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The Technical Volume has page limitations identified in the Technical Volume section below. The Cost/Price Volume, Statement of Work, and resumes are not included in the page limitation.

Proposals may be marked with a legend identifying applicable portions of the proposal as containing confidential and proprietary information that may not be further disclosed.

Note: There is a 10MB limit for email submissions

1. Technical Volume

The Technical Volume is limited to fifty (50) pages. The response shall be single-spaced pages with no less than 1-inch margins and 12-point font for general text. Tables, figures, drawings, and graphics may be no smaller than 8-point font. Submissions shall be in Microsoft Word or searchable Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF). The Technical Volume shall include sections for a cover page, executive overview, management approach, technical solution, and shall not include any cost or pricing information. The Technical Volume shall include the following sections as a one-file submittal with each of the following sections clearly labeled:

A. Cover Page

The Cover Page must include:

(1) Program RFS number;

(2) Partner Team members. Clearly indicate which Partner Team member is the lead and will execute the OTA on behalf of the Partner Team and be responsible for all OTA performance obligations

(3) Business size and any applicable socio-economic categories for each member of the Partner Team

(4) Technical points of contact to include: salutation, last name, first name, street address, city, state, zip code, telephone, electronic mail

(5) Administrative points of contact to include: salutation, last name, first name, street address, city, state, zip code, telephone, electronic mail

(6) Date of submission

(7) Organization(s) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number(s)

(8) Table of Contents

(9) Directions regarding the release of proprietary information.

(8) The Cover Page does not count toward the 50-page limitation. However, it must not include any substantive technical or cost information. Any information included in the Cover Page will not be evaluated as part of the evaluation of the proposed solution.

B. Executive Overview

The Executive Overview section shall include a high-level schedule and event based plan

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C. Management Approach

The Management Approach section will discuss in detail how the Partner Team intends to manage the overall scope of the project. The section must detail:

1. Management of Partner Team: Partner Team’s capability to manage the team of performers participating on the project. All entities participating as team members must be discussed in detail, along with the Partner Team’s strategy for managing and integrating the efforts of these various performers.

2. Milestone Plan: The management approach must also include a milestone plan that includes a schedule of the efforts and major events during agreement performance. The schedule must include milestones identifying deliverables to the Government and the delivery dates for those deliverables. The milestone plan shall include a timeline for achieving the preliminary design package in Phase IA and for Phase IB. Periods of performances included in this RFS are estimates and Partner Teams may propose more aggressive timelines, however, proposed schedules for longer periods of performance are not encouraged.

3. Statement of Work (SOW): The SOW shall identify all work to be performed in order to achieve the schedule and milestones, as well as technical objectives outlined in Section III. For each task/subtask, provide:

• A general description of the work;

• A detailed description of the approach to be taken to accomplish the work;

• Identification of the Partner Team member primarily responsible for performance of the work;

• Summary table of the schedule, milestones, and deliverables provided in the

Milestone Plan. The table should be consistent with the work described in the

SOW;

• Any Government support (facilities, equipment, personnel, etc.) expected or required for all tasks.

The SOW will become an attachment to any negotiated OTA. The SOW does not count toward the Technical Volume page limitation.

4. Quality Assurance Processes: Quality assurance processes must be identified. Key personnel (technical and management) should be identified.

5. Security: The Partner Team shall thoroughly explain how they will meet or plan to meet the appropriate requirement of SECRET clearance for the Pele Program.

6. Resumes: For each proposed key personnel, Partner Team shall submit resumes, not to exceed two (2) pages per person proposed. Describe in sufficient and succinct detail the technical experience of the proposed individual that meets or exceeds the minimum education and experience required to perform the prototyping work.

The resume shall identify the individual’s:

• Name

• Proposed position

• Relevant Employment History: to include title, employer, and starting/ending dates

• Education: degree, school, major(s), minor(s)

• Relevant Qualifications and Specialties: A summary of training, qualifications, achievements, honors, awards, publications, and professional organizations

• Security Clearance status (e.g. Top Secret, Secret, etc.)

• Citizenship

Resumes will not count towards the 50 page Technical Volume page limitation.

D. Technical Solution

This section shall be sufficiently accurate and complete to assist the Government in assessing the proposal. The submission must concisely itemize how the proposed mobile nuclear reactor complies with objectives of Phase I and the technical requirements described in Section IVIII.C. The Partner Team shall include sufficient details to allow evaluators to assess the technical and manufacturing readiness of their proposed solution.

The Partner Team shall also indicate the proposed experimental tests needed to advance these areas of the proposed microreactor systems.

2. Cost/Price Volume

Pricing information shall only be included in the Cost/Price Volume. The Partner Team shall provide a proposal for the approximately 24 month Phase I period of performance, including both Phase IA and Phase IB. There is no page limit for the Cost/Price Volume.

For purposes of this volume, the Government will consider a cost reasonable if, in its nature and amount, it does not exceed that which would be incurred by a prudent person in the conduct of competitive business. The Cost/Price Volume shall include the following sections:

A. Cover Page

Include the same information as the cover sheet for the Technical Volume.

B. Table of Contents (TOC)

Proposals must include a TOC. The order of the contents within the proposal and the level of detail of the TOC is at the discretion of the Partner Team.

C. Cost/Price Narrative

The Cost/Price Narrative shall be single-spaced pages and no less than 1-inch margins and 12-point font. The Cost/Price Narrative shall be in Microsoft Word or searchable Adobe Acrobat PDF.

Please provide the preferred agreement type (e.g. firm-fixed price, cost reimbursable, etc.)

and the schedule of payments and the basis of the payment (e.g. payable milestones, advance payments, interim reimbursements, etc.). Include a detailed rationale for the proposed agreement type and schedule of payments.

The Cost/Price Narrative shall justify costs to support the Technical Volume. Costs shall be broken down for Phase IA and Phase IB, listing cost totals for labor, materials, other direct charges (ODCs), indirect costs (overhead, fringe, general and administrative, etc.), and any proposed fee for the project. Include costs for each task, for each year and in total of the project, by lead Partner Team member and major Partner Team members. Include the proposed cost share, as applicable. The narrative shall also include a cost breakdown for the entirety of the 24 month Phase I effort.

For non-lead Partner Team member proposals, include all proprietary non-lead Partner Team member proposal documentation, prepared at the same level of detail as that required of the lead Partner Team member. The documentation shall be provided to the Government either by the lead Partner Team or non-lead Team Member when the proposal is submitted directly to the Contracting POC.

Supporting cost and pricing information shall be provided in sufficient detail to substantiate the summary cost estimates above. The basis of estimate (BOE) shall include a description of the method used to estimate costs and the supporting documentation. Supporting documentation is required for all proposed materials with a total cost greater than $5,000.00.

Material BOE should include bills of material for commercial and non-commercial items, vendor quotes, past purchase orders or past invoices with an explanation of any adjustment factors, such as engineering estimates and complexity factors. For example, if the cost of a proposed material or equipment is based on a similar item from another past or current program, the Partner Team shall provide a copy of the original purchase order for that similar item, an explanation of any engineering estimate or complexity factor applied, and a breakdown of any non-recurring engineering (NRE) costs (i.e. estimated NRE labor hours) proposed by the vendor to modify the design of the material or equipment for the purposes of this effort. The BOE and other supporting cost narrative may be provided in the Partner Team’s format; however, an MS Excel spreadsheet with embedded files is preferred. The Partner Team shall also include in its proposed price the identification and cost of any Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) or facilities required to complete the effort. List the item/facility, the estimated cost, basis of estimate, location and GFE POC at location. These items should be priced separately since the Government may determine it is more efficient to fund them outside the agreement. GFE costs are considered part of the total funding available from the Government.

The Cost/Price Volume shall provide efforts in $K for each technical section and sub-section of the Statement of Work; the Cost/Price Narrative shall demonstrate a complete understanding what is necessary to perform the effort. Sufficient supporting data shall be provided to permit the Government to review and analyze the pricing.

D. Cost/Price Spreadsheet

The Cost/Price Spreadsheet shall be a minimum of 10-point font, be in a format readable Microsoft Excel format, and there is no limit on the number of worksheets that may be added.

The Cost/Price Spreadsheet shall identify the following, broken down into Phase IA and Phase IB, as well as rolled up for the entire estimated 24 month period of performance:

• Fixed-milestone payments:

• Direct Labor - Individual name, laborLabor category, associated labor hours, and burdened direct labor rates. In the Price Narrative include the justification of the BOE detailed in the Price Narrative;

• Expenditure-milestone payments:

• Direct Labor - Individual name, laborLabor category, associated labor hours, and unburdened direct labor rates. In the Price Narrative include the justification of the BOE detailed in the Price Narrative;

• Indirect: any G&A, fringe, M&S, fee, etc.

• Include in all proposals

• Subcontract/Consultant (Non-lead Partner Team members) - Separately identify subcontractor and/or consultant costs to the same level of detail as the direct labor cost/price to establish the reasonableness of proposed subcontractor prices;

• Travel - Number of trips, number of days per trip, departure and arrival destinations, and number of people. In the Price Narrative include the rationale for each trip;

• Materials & Equipment - Itemized or estimated costs. In the Price Narrative include an explanation of any estimating factors, including their derivation and application;

• Other Directs Costs - Itemized or estimated costs. In the Price Narrative include an explanation of any estimating factors and/or rational for each

ODC;

• Source, nature, and amount of any industry cost-sharing, if applicable

• License Option Price for providing data rights that are at least

Government Purpose Rights. In the Price Narrative include justification for each price, if applicable.

E. Data Rights Assertions

Partner Teams shall include the data rights assertions information requested in Section

II.D.

F. Organizational Conflicts of Interest Disclosure & Mitigation Plan

Partner teams shall submit an organizational conflict of interest disclosure and mitigation plan in accordance with Section II.H.

E.G. 10 U.S.C. § 2371b Self-Certification

The Partner Team shall self-certify that they meet 10 U.S.C. § 2371b(d) and provide a detailed justification as to how they meet the statutory standards. The statutory standards are included above in Section I.

III. EVALUATION CRITERIA FOR PHASE I AWARD

A. Basis for Award

The Partner Team may be considered for Phase I agreements only upon preparation and submittal of a fully compliant Proposal. The selections for Phase I awards will be based on evaluation of proposals as described in this section. By submitting a proposal each Partner Team acknowledges and agrees that –

1. The Government may utilize the technical expertise (non-voting) of subject matter experts from one or more U.S. Department of Energy national laboratories (“National Lab Experts”) to assist in the analysis of proposals;

2. Each National Lab Expert who reviews any proposal shall be legally and contractually bound by a non-disclosure agreement governed by 41 USC §2102 Prohibitions on Disclosing and Obtaining Procurement Information; and

3. Each National Lab Expert who reviews any proposal shall not be disqualified or otherwise precluded from working on other projects or agreements at his/her employing national laboratory that are similar or related to the subject matter of this request for proposal, provided that the National Lab Expert shall fully comply with the nondisclosure obligations referenced in item 2, above.

B. Proposal Evaluation

The Government will evaluate proposals to determine which proposed solutions are the most advantageous to the Government. The Government reserves the right to select all, some, or none of the proposals received in response to this solicitation. The major purpose of the evaluation will be to determine the merit of the overall approach of each proposal.

The evaluation will be divided into two parts. The Government will first evaluate proposals to determine if the proposals meet the minimum technical requirements described below.

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The Government will decline to evaluate any proposal which fails to meet the minimum technical requirements listed below. Next, the Government will evaluate based on five assessment factors: (1) Technical Readiness Level (TRL), (2) Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL), (3) Management Approach, (4) Regulatory Risk, and (5) Cost/Price. The Government will also evaluate the partner teams testing and validation plans for closing the manufacturing and technical readiness gaps to advance their technologies.

1. Minimum Technical Requirements

Proposals will be screened to determine whether they meet minimum technical requirements. Proposals that do not meet these minimum technical requirements will not be further evaluated by the Government. The minimum technical requirements that must be met are:

Technical Requirement Minimum Technical Requirement Weight/Size < 40 tons (80,000lbs) total weight, full system must fit and be transportable by a single C-17 Fuel Core design must use high-assay low enriched uranium

(HALEU) advanced gas reactor (AGR) tristructural isotropic (TRISO) fuel

Threshold Power 1-10 MWe of electric power generation Inherently Safe Design Design ensures that the reactor will shutdown from

100% power operation and maintain a safe shutdown state under off-normal and upset conditions. System does not require any active intervention on the part of the operator or offsite (minimal power supplies allowed within transportation envelop) electrical/electronic feedback in order to bring the reactor to a safe shutdown state

Black Start Capability The reactor and system must be able to start and initiate power production with no offsite power. Minimal external power supply allowable within transportation envelop

Ultimate Heat Sink Ground, ambient air, capable of passive cooling Health & Safety No net increase in risk to public safety by direct radiation exposure during power operation, off-normal operations, or upset conditions. Minimize consequences to nearby personnel in case of adversary attack and any contamination from a breach.

Battle Damage…