SCEC_Solicitation_Draft_for_Industry_day.pdf

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL TO ORGANIZE AND OPERATE A CONSORTIUM OF

SENSORS, COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGIES

IN SUPPORT OF

U.S. ARMY COMMUNICATIONS-ELECTRONICS RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT

AND ENGINEERING CENTER FOR RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND

PRODUCTION EFFORTS

Other Transactions Agreement for prototype projects (pOTA) Solicitation #: W909MY-17-R- J002

Any award that may result from this pOTA solicitation will be in accordance with Section 815, of the Fiscal Year 2016 National Defense Authorization Act, as amended, codified in 10 USC 2371b, Authority of the Department of Defense to carry out certain prototype projects.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART 1 – EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PART 2 – DEFINITIONS ............................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

PART 3 – PRICING

PART 4 – PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

PART 5 – SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS

PART 6 – EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

PART 7 – ADMINISTRATION AND SECURITY

ATTACHMENTS

PART 1 – EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1.0 This pOTA solicitation is a request for proposals to organize and operate the Sensors, Communications and Electronics Consortium (SCEC), a consortium of industrial, institutions of higher education and nonprofit organizations hereafter referred to as the “Consortium” or “SCEC”.

The Consortium will engage in (a) sensors, communications and electronics research and prototyping; (b) capitalization of private sector technology opportunities; and (c) follow-on production for the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center, hereafter referred to as “the Government.” Proposals are solicited that address the Consortium organization, operation, capitalization, research, technology transfer, and commercialization requirements. SCEC must be a stand-alone entity and award of agreement shall preclude participation in future awards made under the consortium. The awardee must be qualified as a Nontraditional Defense Contractor as defined below and compliant with the National Cooperative Research and Production Act of 1993 as a separate organization. The Consortium must be established and operational within 6 months of agreement award.

1.1 It is anticipated an award will be made under the authority of Section 815 of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 National Defense Authorization Act, codified in 10 USC 2371b. Notwithstanding the above requirements for the SCEC itself, award of this agreement to organize and operate the SCEC may be made to any for-profit or non-profit entity, including businesses, universities foundations and other legal entities.

1.2 The Offeror will organize and operate a Consortium of sensors, communications and electronics industrial, institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations offering sensors, communications and electronics, capitalization of private sector technology opportunities, technology transfer and commercialization of Government intellectual property, and follow-on production. The successful Offeror must provide the vision and guidance to grow the capacity of the Consortium through collaboration, outreach, and partnering with traditional and Nontraditional Defense Contractors and small businesses, providing a unique capability for the Government.

1.3 The Consortium, through its Members, shall conduct individual and collaborative efforts to carry out prototype projects that are 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 to improvement of platforms, systems, components, or materials in use by the armed forces. Collaborating, teaming, and joint ventures among the Consortium members are expected. The majority of the work for any project must be executed by the Consortium; it is not to be subcontracted to organizations outside the Consortium.

1.4 Within the initial 6-month effort supported by the first phase of the award, the awardee is expected to: establish the Consortium as a business including, but not limited to, development of an organizational structure, business processes and systems, as needed; incorporate as a business entity; and obtain business licenses for the Consortium; hire key personnel; and provide office space with appropriate furnishings and equipment. The Offeror must also to provide a functioning web site; develop and deliver a financial plan for the long-term operation of the Consortium under a Prototype Other Transactions Agreement (pOTA, described in paragraph 1.5); and recruit initial Consortium members that are well-qualified in relevant areas of sensors, communications and electronics research and development as described in the pOTA.

1.5 Upon establishment of the Consortium, the Government may continue with phase 2 of the pOTA that will govern Consortium operations and provide the mechanism for funding Research

Project Awards to Consortium members. A draft of the pOTA (pOTA #TBD) is provided as Attachment 1 to this solicitation. The draft pOTA should be carefully reviewed as this, or an Agreement of substantially the same terms, will be executed between the Government and the Consortium. A draft Consortium Member Agreement (CMA) is referenced in the pOTA and is provided as Attachment 2 to this solicitation. The CMA, or an agreement of substantially the same terms, will be used by the Consortium to enlist members of the Consortium. The CMA covers governance, membership requirements and a business framework for collaboration and teaming among Consortium members. .

1.6 There will be no Government advanced payments on the pOTA or the Research Project Awards to be issued under the pOTA. The Consortium will be responsible for invoicing all work under the Research Project Awards and paying all Member invoices.

PART 2 – ESTIMATED PROGRAM FUNDING

2.0 The Government expects to fund the 6-month start-up costs for establishment of the Consortium. These funds will be awarded on a Firm Fixed Price with payable milestones basis.

The establishment of the Consortium is expected to be completed in 6 months from the date of award. There is no guarantee the Government will obligate any additional funding for the pOTA during the Phase I 6-month start-up period. During years 1 – 2 of Consortium operations, the Government anticipates the burden to funding these operations to be shared between the Government and the Consortium on a cost basis, with the funding burden shifting to the Consortium during this initial two year period. For years 3 – 10, Consortium operations are expected to be fully self-sufficient, with Consortium operations funded from revenue generated from projects awarded under the pOTA.

2.1 An Offeror is to estimate the start-up costs of the Consortium for the first six (6) months and the operating cost of the Consortium for the first two full years of operation under the pOTA.

The Offeror must explain the basis for the cost/price estimate.

PART 3 – PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

3.0 The Offeror must provide all necessary expertise to organize and operate the Sensors, Communications and Electronics Consortium (SCEC) in compliance with the requirements of the draft pOTA (Attachment 1), draft CMA (Attachment 2), and other requirements specified in the PWS. The SCEC must be operated exclusively to support the Technology Objectives described in the pOTA and must not be operated to include other business interests of the Offeror.

3.1 The Offeror must:

3.1.1 Develop and deliver a comprehensive plan and statement of work for operations and management, including milestones to organize and start-up the SCEC, to perform the operations required by the attached pOTA. This effort shall address, as needed, incorporating the corporation;

establishing the organizational structure, business procedures and systems; hiring key personnel;

and providing appropriate office space, furnishings, equipment, and supplies. The plan must also provide for minority representation by the Government on the SCEC Board of Directors (BOD) or any other proposed role of the Government in corporate governance of the SCEC. The plan must describe the Offeror’s plans to establish and sustain a strong and efficient working relationship with the Government.

3.1.2 Develop and deliver a financial plan that addresses (a) private capital cost share or other third party financing that may be required by members which are not considered nontraditional defense contractors, (b) how operating funds will be generated, and a plan to finance the cash flow required for prompt payment of a member’s reimbursable project costs while awaiting payment through the Wide Area Work Flow Network (WAWF) payment system

3.1.3 Develop and deliver a plan to publicize and populate the Consortium with members well qualified in relevant areas of sensors, electronics and communications research and development and commercialization from industry, institutions of higher education, and other appropriate sectors. The final phase I event at the close of the initial 6-month period shall be a well-publicized kick-off General Meeting of the Consortium.

3.1.4 Establish a web site for use by the public, prospective members, members, and Government. The web site must be user friendly, secure, virus protected, compliant with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, and password protected for non-public information and activities.

3.2 Other Requirements

3.2.1 The Consortium must be organized and operated under the name “Sensors, Communications and Electronics Consortium (SCEC)”, which name notification has been provided to the Attorney General and the Federal Trade Commission in compliance with the National Cooperative Research and Production Act of 1993, 15 U.S.C. 4301 et seq.

3.2.2 The Offeror is responsible for selecting the State of incorporation of the SCEC, preparing corporate documentation and completing the incorporation if necessary. A certified copy of the Articles or Certificate of Incorporation and a copy of the formally adopted Bylaws must be provided to the Agreements Officer upon completion of incorporation.

3.2.3 The Offeror must prepare necessary documentation for the SCEC

3.2.4 The Offeror is responsible for selecting a site for the offices of the SCEC and furnishing all office space, furniture, equipment, and supplies necessary to complete the activities required by the PWS.

3.2.5 The Offeror must develop a SCEC Management Agreement to operate the Consortium.

3.2.6 The Offeror must provide with their proposal a list of proposed milestones for the completion of the deliverables required by the PWS for phase I.

3.2.7 A final set of milestones for the completion of activities required by the PWS for phase I shall be submitted within fifteen (15) Business days after award. All milestones must be submitted for review and approval by the Agreements Officer.

PART 4 – SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS

4.0 The Government contemplates an award of a Firm Fixed Price with payable milestones agreement for the first 6-month phase of the award. The second phase of the award is anticipated to be Cost Plus Incentive Fee. Responses to this pOTA solicitation shall be in two sections: (i) Technical Volume and (ii) a Cost/Price Volume. Proposals must be submitted in accordance with instructions contained herein.

4.1 Proposal Instructions

4.1.1 The general organization and minimum contents of a proposal are described in this section.

The amount of detail to be presented in each section of the proposal package is left to the discretion of the Offeror within the page limitation identified. The information must, however, be presented in sufficient depth for the Government to make a comprehensive evaluation of the Offeror's understanding of the requirements of the PWS and Offeror’s capability to meet the requirements.

The Offeror's proposal should demonstrate understanding and capability in a concise and logical manner, and should not contain material not relevant to this solicitation. Elaborate brochures, binding, detailed artwork, or other embellishments are unnecessary and not desired. The proposal must not contain more than forty (40) pages, exclusive of the Cost/Price Proposal. This page limitation does not include cover pages, indices, table of contents, and any curriculum vitae and biographic data of the Offeror's key personnel. Pages must be 8.5 x 11 inches, single-sided, single-spaced, with a Times New Roman Font 12 Point. Margins on all four edges of each sheet will be at least one inch. Table and figures may use Times New Roman or Arial Narrow Font, with size not less than 11 Point. Pages in excess of forty (40) pages will not be reviewed or evaluated which could impact the overall rating received.

4.1.2 Information provided should be accurate, factual, and complete. Only the proposal, as submitted, will be evaluated and used for purposes of award.

4.1.3 The Government reserves the right to request written or oral presentations of proposals, or portions of proposals from all, some or none of the Offerors. In addition, the Government may require the intended senior manager of the Consortium and other key personnel to participate in, or be present for, the oral presentation. If written or oral discussions are to be held, the Government will provide the Offeror with at least fifteen (15) business days’ notice and set forth the specific areas for the presentation.

4.1.4 The Government reserves the right to award this Agreement without discussions.

4.1.5 The Proposal must provide sufficient information on the following factors to demonstrate the Offeror’s ability to successfully perform the requirements contained herein.

(a) Management Approach

(b) Experience

(c) Organizational Approach

(d) Consortium Operations

(e) Past Performance

(f) Cost/Price

4.1.6 Proposal Submission Instructions.

4.1.6.1 Point of Contact (POC). Receipt of proposals are to be made through normal postal services or via E-mail/secure electronic communication server to the POCs for this solicitation.

The Offeror is responsible for ensuring receipt by the POC. If submitting electronically, proposal shall be sent to Agreements Officer, Ms Jennifer Elkins at Jennifer.w.elkins.civ@mail.mil and Agreements Specialist, Ms. Jeannie Kang at jeannie.r.kang.civ@mail.mil). Include solicitation number W909MY-17-R-J002 in the subject line. If submitted via hard copy, four (4) copies and an electronic copy on CD of the proposal submission are to be sent to:

Army Contracting Command - Aberdeen Proving Ground 10205 Burbeck Road, Bldg 362 Fort Belvoir, VA 22060 mailto:Jennifer.w.elkins.civ@mail.mil mailto:jeannie.r.kang.civ@mail.mil

4.1.6.2 Proposal Questions. Questions for clarification or understanding of solicitation requirements shall be submitted no later than 12:00 PM Eastern Time on January 20, 2017. All requests must be submitted via electronic mail to the POC listed above. Telephonic inquiries will not be accepted. Responses to questions as well as other amendments to this solicitation will only be published on the Government’s FedBizOpps webpage.

4.1.6.3 Proposal Submission. Proposals must be submitted to the POC above no later than 12:00 PM Eastern Time on March 17, 2017. Your submission shall include two separate parts: a Technical proposal and a Cost/Price proposal. The Technical proposal must be submitted in MS Word or searchable PDF format. The Cost/Price proposal must be submitted in MS Word or MS Excel 2000 or higher, but not greater than MS Word or MS Excel 2007 format. The firewall utilized by the Government does not authorize or accept zip files.

4.2 Technical Volume

4.2.1 The Technical volume shall be prepared with a cover page with identifying solicitation title, solicitation number, name and mailing address of the Offeror, and Technical volume content This section must detail the Technical volume Content (paragraph 5.3) and Past Performance (paragraph 5.4), and must not exceed forty (40) pages in length (see paragraph 5.1.1 above).

4.2.2 The Technical Volume must not contain any reference to cost/price of either the organization and start-up costs of the Consortium (Phase I - first 6 months) or the operating cost of the Consortium for the first two full years. However, information concerning labor hours and labor categories, consultants, travel, materials, equipment, shall be contained in the Technical Volume in sufficient detail so the Government may evaluate the Offeror’s Technical Approach to meeting the requirements of the PWS. Additionally, the Technical Volume, shall include detailed plans, assumptions and other information, to demonstrate that Offeror’s approach to Consortium operations during years 3 – 10 will be fully self-sufficient and Consortium revenue will be generated from projects awarded under the pOTA.

4.2.3 For proposal purposes only, an Offeror should assume the value of projects submitted to, and approved for, the Consortium during years three (3) through ten (10) of operation are $100M per year.

4.3 Technical Volume Content

4.3.1 Management Approach. The Offeror shall describe its overall management plans, methods, systems, tools and procedures to address the tasks outlined in the PWS, to include its organizational approach, and including its preliminary milestone plan with timeline for the establishment and start-up of the SCEC (PWS 4.2.6). The Offeror shall also describe its Risk Management Plan for implementation of the Consortium and the proposed metrics by which success will be measured. As a minimum, the Offeror shall describe its ability to sustain management, cost, schedule and performance oversight, and control of tasks outlined in the PWS and the draft pOTA and the metrics associated with each. The Risk Management Plan shall also describe how the Offeror will comply with the Organizational Conflict of Interest provisions included in the draft pOTA (see paragraph 17.27).

4.3.1.1 Organizational Conflict of Interest

The Offeror shall provide an Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) Mitigation Plan IAW pOTA paragraph 17.27 for review and acceptance by the Government when the Offeror is also eligible as a member of the Consortium.

The OCI Mitigation Plan, if provided, shall be an appendix to the technical volume and is not subject to the page limitation described in Section 5.1.1.

4.3.2 Experience

4.3.2.1 Corporate Experience. The Offeror shall describe its corporate experience in sensors, communications and electronics research, development, product licensure, and/or production activities relevant to the proposed effort and how that experience will be applied to the proposed effort. An Offeror shall discuss in detail corporate experience solving challenging problems similar to those that may arise in this program and their experience in intellectual property commercialization and capitalization of emerging technology companies. If the Offeror has limited Government pOTA experience, a description of similar corporate experience with a Cooperative Agreement, commercial entities, local and state Governments should be included.

4.3.2.2 Key Personnel. The Offeror shall provide appropriately qualified individuals as Key Personnel to perform essential management responsibilities. Positions proposed to be performed by Key Personnel and the individuals proposed to perform these positions shall be identified by the Offeror in their proposal, and the qualifications of such Key Personnel shall be fully described by a resume or equivalent documents. If any Key Personnel required for performance of these duties are not presently employed by the Offeror, Offerors shall describe the terms of the commitment(s).

4.3.3 Organizational Approach. The Offeror shall describe the organizational structure and business systems to be used for the Consortium in its operational role. An Offeror should note while the draft pOTA (Attachment 1) includes a description of current concepts for the organizational structure and management of the SCEC (see Attachment A within Attachment 1 to this solicitation), these concepts should not be viewed as prescriptive. An Offeror should propose the organizational structure and business systems they believe will best meet the objectives of the Consortium, subject only to the restriction any proposed organization must comply with the corporation law of the state in which the Consortium is incorporated. They shall identify and provide the rationale for the selection of the state for the incorporation. The Offeror shall describe their proposed role of the Board of Directors and Government involvement, such as minority representation by the Government on the Board. They shall describe and justify where the Consortium office will be located and provide documentary evidence to demonstrate the proposed organization is compliant with requirements for a nontraditional defense contractor and how they will manage and employ required one third of research project award cost share contributions for Consortium members that do not meet the definition of a non-traditional defense contractor.

Emphasis shall be placed on the demonstration of the Offeror’s ability to manage and control the solicitations, project awards, and execution process to include stimulating collaboration and teaming among members.

4.3.4 Consortium Operations

4.3.4.1 The Offeror shall describe the Consortium operations as an entity (includes members) and method(s) to be used to assure Members are involved in identifying technical and business solutions and meeting the objectives of the PWS. The role and capability of the website shall be described (see PWS paragraph 4.1.4).

4.3.4.2 An Offeror shall describe their approach to attracting industrial and institutions of higher education to participate in a Consortium environment. Discuss any plans for mentoring the members and obtaining access to venture capital or other sources of funding to enhance the potential of the Consortium.

4.3.4.3 An Offeror shall describe their approach to financial operations and ensuring the financial stability of the Consortium. It is the Government’s intent that the Consortium will be financially self-supporting for years three (3) through years (10). The Offeror shall describe in detail its fee structure for generating revenue to operate the Consortium and how it will be tracked and managed.

The Offeror shall also describe its approach for marketing the Consortium’s capabilities/availability to other Federal agencies with similar technical interests.

4.3.4.4 For the purposes of this proposal only, describe how your approach to financial operations, to include how the fee structure and Consortium operations toward self-sustaining operations, would change if the value of projects submitted to and approved for the Consortium were to be $15M, $50M and $100M per year. Include a discussion of these three possible scenarios as a separate attachment, not to exceed 3 pages. This attachment does not count against the overall page limit.

4.4 Past Performance

4.4.1 The Government reserves the right to contact references and previous customers to discuss past performance. Past performance is included in the Technical volume.

4.4.2 The Offeror shall include contact information (agency/company name, point of contact, telephone and facsimile numbers, e-mail address, etc.) as well as the project/contract/agreement, name and a number of three (3) references that can verify and validate its ability to successfully perform the requirements in the PWS and the draft pOTA.

4.4.3 The Offeror shall provide a brief description of its ongoing and previous Government Agreements/contracts during the past five (5) years, which are relevant to the effort required in this solicitation. The Offeror shall identify in specific detail for each Agreement/contract listed why or how the effort is relevant or similar to the effort required in this solicitation. The Government is particularly interested in those ongoing or previous projects that demonstrate the Offeror’s successful performance utilizing a working knowledge of projects utilizing the “Other Transactions” (OT) for Prototype authority and in projects that demonstrate the Offeror’s successful performance in managing enterprises engaged in sensors, communications and electronics research, development and production.

4.5 Cost/Price Volume Content

4.5.1 The Cost/Price Volume shall have two subparts: 1) the cost to establish the Consortium during phase 1 in accordance with the PWS in this solicitation, and 2) the estimated cost to operate the Consortium for years 1 – 2, under the draft pOTA. The subpart 1 cost is for the initial 6-month Consortium operations under the pOTA; the estimated cost for Subpart 2 is for the first 2 full years of Consortium operation.

4.5.1.1 It is the Government’s intent to minimize costs of membership fees to ensure wide participation. The Offeror shall describe in Subpart 2 of the Cost/Price Volume, its cost saving approaches for generating a budget for the operation and maintenance of the Consortium while minimizing the cost impact to members.

4.5.2 An Offeror shall provide only data under this section that pertains to its Cost/Price Volume.

No other information will be accepted or evaluated. The Cost/Price Volume shall include descriptions of cost estimating techniques and allocation methods, utilized by the Offeror.

Estimating technique(s) that are used shall be clearly identified. Commercially available parametric cost models and in-house developed parametric cost models may be used if available.

However, reasonable allocation techniques may be used to spread hours within individual projects in accordance with the Offerors existing accounting systems and procedures.

4.5.3 For comparison purposes, an Offeror shall clearly identify labor categories with the number of labor hours and labor rates for both direct and indirect labor. Indicate if the proposed rates are current or projected. If projected, provide the basis for the projection.

4.5.4 Consultants. Explain the need for consultant services that are planned to be utilized by the Offeror. List proposed consultants, if known by name. For each consultant, show (1) nature of services, (2) fee rate, and (3) total consultant fee and any other allowable related costs that may be involved such as travel and per diem.

4.5.5. Travel. List the proposed travel. Include origin and destination, duration of travel, estimated air or automobile expense, proposed automobile rental cost, if applicable, along with a statement of the Offeror's current travel policy. Explanation of the need for proposed travel must be included in the Cost/Price Proposal. The Government expects the Awardee to attend the 2017 Parallel Military Sensing Symposium (MSS), or comparable DOD sponsored event, and present an update on SCEC in an open attendee forum. A separate private SCEC & Government meeting may occur as well. The 2017 Parallel MSS is anticipated to be five days in August 2017, located within the continental U.S.

4.5.6 Other Costs. List all other costs not otherwise included in the categories described above and provide a basis for pricing.

4.5.7 The Offeror is to provide its Contract Administration Office (if known) and cognizant Audit Office (if known), and date of last audit.

4.5.8 For proposal purposes only, an Offeror should assume the value of projects submitted to, and approved forthe Consortium during the first two years of operation are $15M in year one, and $30M in year two.

PART 5 – EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

5.1 Basis for Award

5.1.1 This will be a competitive source selection. Award may be made to the Offeror who is deemed responsible, whose proposal conforms to the solicitation’s requirements (to include all stated terms, conditions, representations, certifications, and all other information required by this solicitation) and is judged, based on evaluation factors, to represent the best value to the Government. The Government intends to select the Offeror whose proposal is most advantageous to the Government; however, the Government reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to make no award, depending on the quality of the proposals submitted and the availability of funds. The Government reserves the right to conduct written or oral discussions if deemed necessary or appropriate, before the Agreement is executed, with one, some or all Offerors.

5.1.2 The proposals shall be complete, shall arrive by date and time indicated, and shall be compliant with all instructions. Offerors shall refer to Part 5, Submission of Proposals for Proposal Preparation. All proposals will be evaluated independently in accordance with the evaluation factors.

5.1.3 It is the Government’s intent to make this award, utilizing a two-step award process.

However, the evaluation for both phases will be completed at the same time. It is the Governments’ intent to award the first phase of the pOTA to establish the Consortium, and then once the Consortium is successfully established, to award the second phase of the pOTA to the Consortium.

5.2 Evaluation for Award

5.2.1 General –A proposal will be evaluated based upon the evaluation factors described below.

5.2.2 Factors – The Technical evaluation factors, numbered in descending order of importance are as follows:

(a) Management Approach

(b) Experience

(c) Organizational Approach

(d) Consortium Operations

(e) Past Performance

Government evaluators will not assume the Offeror possesses any capability or knowledge unless it is specified in the proposal. After each of the above technical factors is rated individually, an overall rating will be assigned collectively to all of these factors. If any of the above technical evaluation factors receives an individual rating of “Unacceptable”, the collective overall rating will also be “Unacceptable”. A Proposal must receive an overall rating of “Acceptable” or higher to be considered for award.

The technical factors are more important than cost/price

5.3. Technical Evaluation Criteria: The following criteria will be used to evaluate the technical aspects of the proposal.

5.3.1 Management Approach. The Government will evaluate the Offeror’s planning and management approach and method of completion to address the tasks outlined in the PWS. The Preliminary Milestone Plan will be evaluated for realism. The Government will evaluate the Offeror’s ability to sustain management, cost, schedule and performance oversight, and control of tasks outlined in the PWS and the pOTA. The Government will assess the degree to which proposed metrics will be able to measure overall operations of the Consortium. The Government will review the proposed OCI Mitigation Plan to assess the degree to which the risk areas identified in the draft pOTA have been adequately mitigated.

5.3.2 Experience. The Government will evaluate the corporate experience the Offeror has with previous similar efforts and how it will be applied to this initiative. The Government will also evaluate the resumes and other submitted qualifications of proposed Key Personnel to ensure each individual has demonstrated ability to manage and operate the Consortium. The Government will also review letters of commitment for proposed Key Personnel not currently in the employ of the Offeror to assess the availability of required personnel.

5.3.3 Organizational Approach. The Government will evaluate the proposed corporate structure for its compliance with minimum requirements of the SCEC to perform as a Nontraditional Defense Contractor. The Government will evaluate the organizational structure and business systems proposed by for the Consortium in its operational role and its demonstrated ability to manage and control: the corporation; the Consortium; external funds; solicitations, project awards, and execution process to include stimulating collaboration and teaming among members. The Government will evaluate the proposed organizational and governance structure and approach for its ability to maintain focus on and promote responsiveness to Government requirements. The Government will evaluate the location of SCEC offices and the potential impact on relationships and effective and efficient communications. The Government will assess the level of knowledge the Offeror has demonstrated of appropriate agency requirements, processes and procedures, in particular knowledge of “Other Transactions” for Prototype Projects.

5.3.4 Consortium Operations.

5.3.4.1 The Government will evaluate the Consortium operations as an entity (includes Members) and method(s) to be used to ensure Members are involved in identifying technical and business solutions to Government requirements. The role and capability of the website and other proposed systems will be assessed for streamlined processes and communications among Consortium Members and the Government. The Government will evaluate the methods to be used by the Consortium for acquiring, managing, and maintaining industry and academia memberships and encouraging and managing collaborating, teaming, and joint ventures among the Consortium members. The Government will evaluate how the Consortium will manage projects to ensure a majority of the work for any project is executed by a Consortium member vice subcontracted to organizations outside the Consortium.

5.3.4.2 The Government will evaluate the Offeror’s approach to attracting industry and academia to participate in a Consortium environment to include plans for mentoring the Nontraditional Defense Contractor and small business members and obtaining access to private capital to enhance the potential of the Consortium. The proposal will be evaluated for its approach to enhancing participation of the nontraditional defense contractors and small business members and increasing the number of traditional, nontraditional and small business members engaged in sensors, communications and electronics research.

5.3.4.3 The Government will evaluate the Offeror’s marketing strategy to other Federal Agencies with similar technical interest as well as its approach for generating and managing operating capital to fund its actual cost of operation and Advanced Agreements.

5.3.4.4 The Government will evaluate the Offeror’s approach to financial operations ensuring the financial stability of the Consortium and that it will be self-supporting for years three (3) through ten (10), including the requirements in section 5.3.4.4. The Government will evaluate the fee structure for generating revenue to operate the Consortium and how it will be tracked and managed.

The Government will evaluate the approach for requiring, evaluating, and utilizing cost share arrangements required of traditional defense contractor consortium members.

5.3.5 Past Performance: Past Performance will be evaluated for the Offeror’s probability of meeting the solicitation requirements. The Past Performance evaluation will consider the Offeror’s demonstrated relevant and recent record of performance to meet these requirements.

The Government will conduct a past performance risk evaluation based on the quality, relevance, and currency of the Offeror's past performance, as well as that of its Subcontractors. This evaluation will consider how an Offeror’s past performance relates to the probability of successful accomplishment of the required effort.

5.5 Cost/Price

5.5.1 The Government will evaluate the estimated cost/price proposed by the Offeror for performing all the requirements outlined in the PWS, including both subparts; 1) the price to establish the Consortium during phase 1 in accordance with the PWS in this solicitation, and 2) the estimated cost to operate the Consortium for years 1 – 2, under the draft pOTA. This evaluation will include an analysis of the proposed cost/price together with all the supporting cost/price information required to establish and start-up the proposed SCEC to include rationale for assumptions made.

5.5.2 Evaluation: The Government will evaluate the cost/price proposed for completeness, accuracy, and reasonableness. For Subpart 2, the Government will evaluate the estimated costs of operating the Consortium under the pOTA.

The evaluation will be based on an integration of the Price Proposal for the organization and start-up effort to be performed under the Agreement, and the operating cost under the pOTA.

PART 6 – ADMINISTRATION AND SECURITY

6.1 Administrative Responsibilities. The following administrative provisions apply to this solicitation:

6.2 System for Award Management (SAM). All prospective Offerors must have a current registration in the SAM to be considered for an award, and it must remain valid through the period of performance. Visit www.sam.gov for information and registration.

6.3 The Government may use Contractor Support Personnel (CSP) from Leidos to assist the panel in evaluating the submitted proposals. If for some reason CSP is used, the CSP would be required to sign a Non-Disclosure Statement reflecting the effort they will supply to support this solicitation. The Offeror’s submission of a proposal under this solicitation indicates concurrence with the aforementioned CSP practices.

6.4 All Proprietary /Limited Rights data will be clearly identified in the Offeror’s proposal.

6.5 Generally Acceptable Accounting Principles will be used in all finance and accounting systems and transactions.

6.6 The successful Offeror shall submit payment requests and receiving reports electronically for supplies/services rendered in Wide Area Workflow Network (WAWF) at the website:

https://wawf.eb.mil. WAWF is a secure, web-based system, which enables vendors and Government officials to electronically access and process the documentation needed to generate payment for goods and services. It is free of charge and allows vendor submittal and tracking of invoices and acceptance documents.

http://www.sam.gov/ https://wawf.eb.mil/

The successful Offeror shall self-register at the web site.

Available Training – For questions on how to use WAWF, including how to submit your document, please go to: www.wawftraining.com. A WAWF practice site is available at:

https://wawftraining.eb.mil. Follow the directions in the “Training Instructions” link in the left column to practice.

For questions or issues regarding technical issues, contact the Ogden, UT, Help Desk at:

E-mail: cscassig@csd.disa.mil CONUS Only: 1-866-618-5988 Commercial Fax: 801-605-7453 Commercial Phone: 801-605-7095 Commercial Fax DSN: 388-7453 Commercial Phone DSN: 388-7095

Questions or issues concerning payments should be directed to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) office listed below:

DFAS Location: TBD DFAS Vendor Pay Phone Number:

Cml: TBD Fax: TBD

Note: Vendor, please have your purchase order/contract/delivery order/agreement number(s) ready when calling about payments.

Vendor shall submit requests for payment per Agreement/contract terms, and the Government shall process requests for payment per Agreement/contract terms.

Instructions to create payment requests: Vendor shall create the type of document(s) to request payment as indicated by the check(s) below.

[ ] Invoice as 2-in-1 (Services Only) [ ] Construction Payment Invoice [ ] Commercial Item Financing [ ] Performance Based Payment [ ] Progress Payment [ ] Invoice and Receiving Report (Combo) [X] Grants and Other Transaction Agreements

Instructions for routing documents: The codes listed below will be required to route your documents through WAWF.

Cage Code:

Issue by DoDAAC: TBD Admin by DoDAAC: TBD Inspect by DoDAAC: TBD Accept by DoDAAC: TBD Ship to DoDAAC: TBD Local Processing Office DoDAAC: TBD Payment Office DoDAAC: TBD

When Vendor submits a document, WAWF will prompt asking for “additional e-mail submission” http://www.wawftraining.com/ https://wawftraining.eb.mil/ mailto:cscassig@csd.disa.mil after clicking “Signature.” Vendor shall enter the following e-mail addresses to expedite the review and verification process:

Agreements Officer: TBD Administrative Agreements Officer: TBD Other Transactions Agreements Manager: TBD Other:

E-mail Addresses for Points of Contact (POC):

Administrative Agreements Officer: TBD Inspector: TBD Acceptor: TBD Receiving Office/Ship to POC: TBD Agreements Officer: TBD Additional Points of Contact: TBD

6.7 Security

6.7.1 This Agreement is unclassified and does not contain security requirements or a Contract Security Classification Specification, DD Form 254. However, the Government may require Operations Security (OPSEC) measures (when applicable) to protect sensitive unclassified Agreement information. If access to unclassified sensitive information (For Official Use Only - FOUO) is authorized, the awardee may access only the information related to the subject matter of this Agreement.

6.7.2 In accordance with the Arms Export Control Act (Title 22, USC [Sec 275]), the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), and/or Department of Defense (DoD) Directive 5230.25, foreign nationals shall not work on this Agreement without the express permission of the Agreements Officer. If requesting approval, the recipient shall provide: the full name; date of birth; place of birth; citizenship; registration number; type of visa; clear copy of picture identification of visa, green card, or permanent resident card; port of entry; title of position to be filled; abbreviated curriculum vitae; and justification for employment to the Agreements Specialist. These items will be reviewed by the Security Office with subsequent approval by the Agreements Officer. Previously approved foreign nationals must be re-approved if the nature of their work under this Agreement differs from that performed under the prior year’s Agreement/contract.

6.7.2.1 If the recipient believes this effort is strictly for fundamental research, the recipient shall request a waiver from this requirement from the Agreements Officer.

6.7.2.2 The recipient shall ensure foreign nationals approved for support of this effort will not have access to military technical or critical unclassified information. (The recipient shall conduct a search through the Defense Technical Information Center to determine whether information is designated as military technical or critical unclassified information. Additional information is available from the Military Critical Technologies List [http://www.dtic.mil/mctl/]).

6.7.2.3 Should the Government determine the technology has developed to a point where the information warrants protection, a DD Form 254 and an approved classification guide will be issued.

6.7.2.4 The recipient shall report a violation of administrative security procedures or export mailto:james.j.valdes.civ@mail.mil mailto:James.j.valdes.civ@mail.mil control regulations that would subject critical unclassified information to possible compromise by foreign visitors or foreign national employees. Such violations shall immediately be reported to the cognizant facility security office and Agreements Officer.