BAA Update 4 Feb 25 final.pdf

U.S. ARMY COMBAT

CAPABILITIES DEVELOPMENT

COMMAND SOLDIER CENTER

BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT (BAA) FOR BASIC AND

APPLIED RESEARCH

Solicitation Number W911QY-20-R-0022

Effective from 28 February 2025 - 27 February

“THE LEADER IN EMPOWERING THE WORLD’S

MOST CAPABLE SOLDIERS”

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION I - INTRODUCTION

SECTION II – CONCEPT PAPERS AND PROPOSALS

WHO MAY SUBMIT

WHEN TO SUBMIT

WHERE TO SUBMIT

BAA PROCESS

SECTION III – ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS 20

1. CONTRACTOR MANPOWER REPORTING

2. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION AND FIRST-TIER SUBCONTRACT

REPORTING (APPLIES ONLY TO CONTRACTS)

3. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY (GFP)

4. TYPE OF INSTRUMENT

5. PREPARATION COSTS

6. AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS

7. FAR INFORMATION/REFERENCES

8. SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT (SAM) REGISTRATION

9. INVOICING AND PAYMENTS

10. REPORTING AND TECHNICAL DATA/SOFTWARE DELIVERABLES

11. RESTRICTED DATA ON PROPOSALS

12. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

13. PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECTS

CONTRACT CLAUSE FOR USE OF HUMAN SUBJECTS

14. ANIMAL USE

CONTRACT CLAUSE FOR USE OF ANIMAL SUBJECTS

15. USE OF HUMAN CADAVERS OR HUMAN ANATOMICAL SUBSTANCES

OBTAINED FROM HUMAN CADAVERS

16. MILITARY RECRUITING

17. INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC IN ARMS REGULATION (ITAR)

18. ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

SECTION IV – EVALUATION PROCESS

1. EVALUATION APPROACH FOR CONCEPT PAPERS

2. EVALUATION APPROACH FOR PROPOSALS

3. BASIS FOR AWARD

4. FACTORS AND SUBFACTORS TO BE EVALUATED

5. EVALUATION CRITERIA

6. RATING METHOD

SECTION V–SAFETY AND HUMAN SYSTEMS INTEGRATION REQUIREMENTS . 44

1. SYSTEM SAFETY/HEALTH HAZARD

2. HUMAN SYSTEMS INTEGRATION

SECTION VI – SCIENTIFIC ANDTECHNICAL AREAS OF INTEREST

A. COMBAT FEEDING

COMBAT FEEDING EQUIPMENT AND SYSTEMS

COMBAT RATION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ..... Error! Bookmark not defined.

B. SOLDIER PROTECTION AND SURVIVABILITY

WARFIGHTER SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGIES

1. Integrated Protective Headborne Equipment and Injury Diagnostic/Assessment Tools

2. Modular Personal Protection Equipment (MPPE) and Injury Diagnostic/Assessment Tools. ...................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

3. Chemical/Biological Protection for Individuals. ....... Error! Bookmark not defined.

4. Countersurveillance. .................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

5. Body Worn Interactive Materials................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

6. Materials Nanotechnology. .......................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

7. Advanced Protection, Integration Technologies/Systems and Assessment

Methods. ....................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

8. Integrated Sound, Light and Blast Management for the Ears and Eyes.

Error! Bookmark not defined.

TEXTILE TECHNOLOGIES ................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

1. Multi-Functional Materials. ........................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

MODELING AND SIMULATION ....................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

1. Individual Ground Soldier and Small Unit Operational Effectiveness and Survivability. ................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

C. SOLDIER EFFECTIVNESS

1. Body-Worn Systems, Hand-Held Devices, Smart-Lightweight Electronic

Components, and Information processing to Increase Soldier Maneuverability and Protection through on-Soldier Sensing, Remote Sensing, and Knowledge Management

2. Biomechanics

3. Anthropometry

4. Warrior Performance

5. Soldier Power Sources, Power & Data Distribution and Management ... 85

6. Future Warrior Technology Integration

7. Technology Assessment and Simulation Tools

8. Ecological Approach to Warfighter Survivability; Perception-Action-

Cognition

9. Soldier Centric Sensors, Information Portrayal, & Data Management

Technologies

10. Soldier/Squad Performance Optimization

11. Human Factors

12. Soldier Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR)

13. Biotechnology

14. Physical Performance Technologies

D. EXPEDITIONARY MANEUVER SUPPORT

Research and Development

Electromagnetic Interference/Electromagnetic Pulse (EMI/EMP) Protection

Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Maneuver and Movement/Sustainment: Deployment/Durability Functional Integration of Multiple Technologies Miscellaneous

E. AERIAL DELIVERY

ADVANCED PERSONNEL AND CARGO AIRDROP SYSTEMS

F. SIMULATION AND TRAINING TECHNOLOGY

Live Training Simulation and Battlefield Effects:

Medical Simulation and Training ...................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Advanced Interactive Simulation ....................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Cyberspace Warfare for Training (CyWar-T) ... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Adaptive Instructional Systems .......................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Battlespace Visualization and Interaction ......... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Digital Environments and Battlespace Creation ............. Error! Bookmark not defined.

Artificially Intelligent Agents ............................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

Collaboration with the Institute for Creative Technologies .. Error! Bookmark not defined.

SECTION I - INTRODUCTION

The mission of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center (DEVCOM Soldier Center) is to “provide the Army with innovative science and technology solutions to optimize the performance of our Soldiers”. The DEVCOM Soldier Center is the Soldier’s research center – ensuring dominance through superior scientific and engineering expertise across the following core competencies:

• Aerial Delivery

• Army Training Technology

• Individual/Collective Protection

• Material Science – Fiber/Textile

• Military Nutrition/Food Service Logistics

• Soldier Performance/Integration

In terms of future capabilities, the Army of 2040 is driven by an evolving threat landscape, which means that Soldier Center’s core competencies will adapt in character (based on threat) to demonstrate viable solutions to some of the most challenging problems that will face the Soldier and Small Unit in the Future Operating Environment:

• Multidomain Concealment – Offsetting Vulnerabilities/Invisible Soldier

• How does the Army disrupt the adversary’s kill chain by delaying and degrading detection by the enemy on a transparent battlefield across the electromagnetic spectrum?

• Sustaining Distributed Operations - Small Unit Logistics at the Edge

• How does the Army keep small units resupplied in a distributed and contested environment?

• Unburden & Enable the Soldier/Squad - Enabled Soldier

• How does the Army optimally equip and protect Soldiers as an integrated weapon system and the squad as an integrated combat platform?

Advancing critical capabilities in these threat-based problem areas will position the Soldier/small unit to have an advantage in a future conflict against a peer adversary.

To achieve the advances in required capabilities, Soldier Center is particularly interested in efforts along five research focus areas, which were identified and informed by how the Army may operate, organize, and equip in 2040. These are:

• Emergent Materials

• Human Performance and Training

• Machine Learning/Artificial Intelligence

• Robotics and Autonomy

• Synthetic Biology

This Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) is intended to fulfill requirements for scientific study and experimentation directed toward advancing state-of-the-art technologies and/or increasing knowledge and understanding as a means of eliminating current technology barriers. This BAA DOES NOT focus on specific systems or hardware solutions. This BAA identifies DEVCOM SOLDIER CENTER research/exploratory development areas of interest and provides prospective offerors information on the preparation of proposals along with proposal evaluation factors. The Government may award purchase orders, contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, or other transactions against this BAA.

Please note that, typically, research resulting from work executed under this BAA leads to an additional requirement for services being provided by the applicable contractor in support of operational experiments to evaluate the measures of merit and performance enhancement capability to the Warfighters. However, it is not possible at the time of release of this announcement, or at the time of contract award, to accurately anticipate if these services will be required, nor is it possible to anticipate the level of effort required.

In addition, the technology explored under this BAA typically has application across the various branches of the Department of Defense (DoD). In order to satisfy the unique needs of these different branches and to ensure a proper job is done in the evaluation of the applicable technology, contract modifications that add new Contract Line-Item Numbers (CLINs) and/or expand on current CLINs for services providing flexibility in technology assessment (with technology transition as the ultimate goal) may be executed.

In the event that this is required, it shall be considered to be within the scope of this BAA and the resulting contract, and, therefore, will have met the requirements of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), DoD FAR Supplement (DFARS), and the Competition in Contracting Act. The benefit of this flexibility to the Government and ultimately the taxpayer is a significant increase in the research and development (R&D) return on investment. The flexibility to have multiple users (branches of the military) in the technology evaluation cycle is absolutely critical and allows systems and technologies to be developed in a manner that has broader DoD market applications. These can then be modularly reconfigured to meet goals and objectives for all DoD services.

SECTION II – CONCEPT PAPERS AND

PROPOSALS

WHO MAY SUBMIT

The DEVCOM Soldier Center will consider concept papers and proposals based on this BAA from the following organizations and firms interested in conducting scientific research:

• degree-granting colleges and universities,

• nonprofit research institutes,

• foreign organizations, and

• commercial firms (including Large Businesses, Small Businesses, Small

Disadvantaged Businesses, Women-Owned Small Businesses, Historically Underutilized Business Zone Small Businesses, Veteran-Owned Small Businesses, and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses.

Proposals from government facilities and organizations WILL NOT be considered under this program announcement. Offerors are cautioned that only a duly appointed Contracting Officer or Grants Officer acting within the scope and limits of his/her authority may obligate the Government to the expenditure of funds.

Small Businesses (SB), Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SDB), Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSB), Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) Small Businesses, Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSB), Service-Disabled Veteran- Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB), Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Institutions (MIs): Although no portion of this BAA has been set aside for SBs, SDBs, SDVOSBs, HUBZones, HBCUs, or MIs, their participation is highly encouraged. For any topic areas (see Section VI) where sufficient quality proposals are received that demonstrate that a set-aside would be appropriate, DEVCOM Soldier Center will consider doing so and modifying this BAA accordingly. Therefore, all above named business types are encouraged to submit proposals under any topic that they feel they are highly qualified to perform.

The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the majority of work submitted under this BAA will be either 541713 (Research and Development in Nanotechnology); 541714 (Research and Development in Biotechnology (Except Nanobiotechnology); 541715 (Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (Except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology)) or 541720 (Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities). NAICS 541713, 541714 and 541715 have a small business size standard of 1,000 employees while 541720 has a size standard of $20,500,000 in annual receipts.

To be eligible for award, a prospective recipient must be able to demonstrate sufficient financial and technical resources and must meet certain minimum standards pertaining to financial resources, ability to comply with the performance schedule, prior record of performance, integrity, organization, experience, operational controls, technical skills, facilities and equipment. (See FAR9.405)

WHEN TO SUBMIT

This BAA shall remain in effect until 27 February 2030 unless superseded, extended or canceled. Concept papers will be accepted until the close of business on 28 February 2025. Proposals may be submitted at any time after the concept paper has been approved and until the BAA closing date of 27 February 2030. Awards against this BAA may be made until 30 June 2030.

The Offeror agrees that if its offer is accepted by the Government, it shall, as specified in the proposal and within ninety (90) calendar days from the date of the proposal, agree to furnish any or all items upon which prices are offered at the price set opposite each item, delivered at the designated point(s), and within the time specified in the proposal schedule. At times, the Government may contact an Offeror after the ninety (90) day period about a proposal it would like to bring to award. This will occur when a shortage of funds exists during the initial ninety (90) day period. If this does occur, the Offeror reserves the right to accept or decline the offer and may also submit a revised proposal with any necessary price/schedule changes, though the technical merit must remain the same.

WHERE TO SUBMIT

Concept papers, proposals and inquires shall be submitted to the electronic or physical mail address indicated under each scientific and technical area of interest cited in Section VI herein. Electronic mail submissions may provide a standard electronic signature or a written signature on the cover page of the submission. Facsimile submission is normally not an authorized means for the delivery of such documents. The contractor MUST receive prior approval from the applicable point of contact (POC) for facsimile submissions.

BAA PROCESS

In an effort to minimize proposal preparation costs, this BAA will utilize a two-step process. Step one will be the offeror’s submission of a concept paper. This step will preclude unwarranted effort on the part of an offeror whose proposed technology/capability or product is not of interest to the Government. Those offerors whose concept papers are found to be consistent with the intent of the BAA and which are of interest to the Government will be invited to submit a proposal (step two).Communication with the technical points of contact (POCs) identified in Section VI “Scientific and Technical Areas of Interest” (as well as the POCs listed in Section V – Safety and Human Systems Integration Requirements) is essential in tailoring responses to the specific needs of DEVCOM Soldier Center. This preliminary communication is especially important because once the formal proposal is submitted as instructed in the specific Scientific and Technical Area of Interest listed in Section VI, no further communication between the proposed contractor and the Government technical POC is allowed.

Requests for or offers of conference or symposium support, consultant services, engineering and/or marketing services, and/or training support will not be considered under this announcement. Only concepts for research/exploratory development will be considered.

Offerors should not submit a proposal until selected Government personnel have reviewed the concept paper and the contractor has been invited to submit a formal proposal by Government personnel.

a. Concept Paper Submission: If the Offeror has a novel research approach within an area of interest covered by this BAA, the Offeror should prepare a BAA concept paper. Concept papers should be submitted electronically to the POC listed in each area of interest in Section VI.

Concept papers may not exceed 5 single-sided 8 ½ x 11 inch typed pages (including charts, graphs, photographs, etc.) and shall include the following:

(1) A brief technical explanation of the proposed effort that addresses the major research thrust, the research goals and deliverables, a proposed approach to achieve these goals and deliverables, and military relevancy.

(2) A brief "management" description outlining key personnel and experience.

(3) Any past performance the contractor has had with similar research efforts.

(4) An estimated cost/price and performance schedule for the work.

Concept papers will be evaluated by the Government within ninety (90) days of receipt.

Once an Offeror has been invited to submit a formal proposal by the specified technical POC, the following process MUST be adhered to by the Offeror.

b. Proposal Submission: Informal exchanges should be held with the technical POC listed under each topical area noted in Section VI herein on any proposed research BEFORE the submission of a formal proposal, since the BAA is written in such broad terms to cover a wide variety of technical areas.

The Offeror's technical, management, cost/price, past performance, subcontracting (if applicable)/small business participation, and company certification sections of the proposal shall be submitted in severable sections as set forth below. The proposal package must be valid for at least 90 days from the date of submission. All information pertaining to each section shall be confined to the appropriate part. The sections shall be as brief as possible, consistent with complete submission. Pages should not exceed 8-1/2 inches in width and 11 inches in length; however, fold-out pages depicting such items as sketches, etc., may be used. The proposal will be evaluated in accordance with the process described in Section IV herein. The offeror’s proposal package must include the DEVCOM Soldier Center BAA Proposal Cover Sheet which can be found at the SAM.gov link for W911QY20R0022.

PART I - Technical Section - automated and/or one (1) original PART II - Management Section - automated and/or one (1) original PART III – Cost/Price Section - automated and/or one (1) PART IV - Past Performance Section - automated and/or one (1) original PART V - Subcontracting (if applicable) & Small Business Participation automated and/or one (1) original PART VI - Contractor Representations and Certifications - automated and/or one (1) original PART VII – Contractor Statement of Work –Word Document File

(1) Part I - Technical Section:

The Offeror is responsible for including sufficient details, without reference to cost/price, to permit a complete and accurate evaluation of the proposal from a strictly technical standpoint. The technical proposal shall be formatted as follows to allow for inclusion of all required/applicable information:

(a) A summary of the objective/purpose of proposed research - what scientific “problem” you intend to resolve, advance the state-of-the-art with respect to, or increase the understanding of.

(b) Identification of product(s) or process(es) that you anticipate will result from this effort. Product(s) may simply be technical data, reports on the feasibility of novel concepts, product samples, etc.

Also, address any Human Systems Integration (HSI) formerly MANPRINT, and/or safety requirements or state that no such requirements exist. For specific details and guidance on HSI and safety requirements, see Section V herein.

(c) Identification of any potential military and/or civilian applications of the product(s) which may be developed if the work performed under the proposed BAA contract is continued following completion of the proposed contract.

(d) An assessment of the probability for project success.

(e) An explanation of the planned approach, techniques, and/or processes to be used in this effort.

(f) Rationale for the proposed methodology. What, if any, innovative ideas/techniques will be tried? Identify the technical risks in completing this project and the approach taken to overcome these risks. For studies https://sam.gov/opp/608e71e76e0d4987ae9b628decee31ff/view involving human subjects, describe recruitment plan and access to populations. The proposal/application should describe a plan for data access.

(Access to subjects and data is the sole responsibility of the investigator.) As relevant, describe plans for addressing issues unique to working with military populations. If human and/or animal subjects are included in the research, proposals/applications may be submitted without human and/or animal use protocols and institutional approvals. However, protocols with required institutional approvals must be submitted no later than 60 days after award to demonstrate continued progress and ensure continuation of payment. The Contracting or Grants Officer may make exceptions in situations where human and/or animal use is not expected to begin until after the first year of the research project. In such cases, a timeframe for submission of the appropriate protocols and institutional approvals will be established prior to award. PIs and collaborating organizations may not use, employ, or subcontract for the use of any human participants, including the use of human anatomical substances, human data, and/or human cadavers, or laboratory animals until applicable regulatory documents are approved by the Army Human Research Protections Office (AHRPO) to ensure that DoD regulations have been met. Allow at least 2 to 3 months for regulatory review and approval.

(g) Any planned interactions with DEVCOM Soldier Center (to include a request for a post-award conference if the contractor so desires) required during the performance of proposed contract.

(h) Any planned collaborative arrangements with other parties (including subcontractors and/or consultants) for the effort. Identify the responsibilities and contributions of these parties in completing the intended deliverables. If the Offeror is an academic institution, provide details of planned interactions with industry (if applicable) and letters from the industries in which they commit themselves to support the effort.

(i) A detailed list and description of all deliverables, including data the Offeror proposes to provide to the Government, the schedule for delivery, and acceptance criteria. Proposals must include a severable, self-standing, detailed list and description of all deliverables without any proprietary restrictions that can be used to make an award.

(j) A schedule containing milestones for the performance of the proposed effort.

(k) Detailed Risk Mitigation Plan: Discuss in detail the technical, cost and schedule risks involved with the project and how each risk will be mitigated by the Offeror.

(2) Part II - Management Section:

The management section of the proposal shall include the following for the Offeror and any collaborators identified in Part I:

(a) Resumes (or some portion of such) of technical personnel detailing education, experience, and technical expertise proposed for this effort and the percentage of time expected to be devoted to this project.

Note: Resumes should reflect and emphasize the qualifications and experience as related to the execution of the proposed tasks.

(b) Organization of the Offeror's firm.

(c) Facilities and equipment available for the proposed effort.

(d) Project management systems and controls to be utilized by the Offeror.

Include tools, systems and procedures that will be used during execution of the proposed tasks. (i.e. task tracking, management tools, etc.)

(3) Part III - Cost/Price Section:

The Cost Proposal Spreadsheet can be found by following SAM.gov Solicitation Link at W(11QY20R0022.Click on the “proposal spreadsheet” link and save a copy of the spreadsheet. Instructions for completion have been embedded into the spreadsheet. Any proposed options that are identified in the Technical Proposal but are not fully priced out in the Cost Proposal Spreadsheet will not be included in any resulting contract or other transaction. If proposing options, they must be separately priced and separate spreadsheets should be provided for the base period and each option period. In addition to providing summary by period of performance (base and any options), the Contractor is also responsible for providing a breakdown of cost for each task identified in the Statement of Work. The sum of all costs by task worksheets MUST equal the total cost summary.

For proposed subcontracts over $250,000, Offerors must provide a separate, fully completed Cost Proposal Spreadsheet in support of the proposed costs. This spreadsheet, along with supporting documentation, must be provided either in a sealed envelope with the prime’s proposal or via email directly to DEVCOM Soldier Center as instructed in the specific Scientific and Technical Area of Interest listed in Section VI at the same time the prime proposal is submitted. The email shall identify the proposal title, the Prime Offeror, and the attached proposal. The Prime Offeror should include a description of the effort to be performed by the subcontractor.

Offerers should also familiarize themselves with the new subcontract reporting requirements set forth in Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) clause 52.204-10, Reporting Executive Compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards. The pertinent requirements can be found in Section III, Additional Information about Proposal Submissions.

The secure pdf-compatible format is intended to prevent unauthorized editing of the proposal prior to any award. A password should not be required for opening the proposal document, but the government must have the ability to print and copy text, images, and other content. The electronic submission of the Excel spreadsheet should be in a “useable condition” to aid the Government with its evaluation. The term “useable condition” indicates that the spreadsheet should visibly include and separately identify within each appropriate cell any and all inputs, formulas, calculations, etc. The Offeror should not provide “value only spreadsheets” similar to a hard copy.

(4) Part IV - Past Performance Section:

(a) Information should be submitted for all proposed first-tier subcontractors with whom the Offeror is teaming, as well as for the Offeror itself.

(b) The Offeror should submit past performance information on any contracts (as a prime or subcontractor) it worked on during the previous three (3) years which are relevant to the efforts required by this solicitation. In addition, any and all contracts terminated in whole or part during the previous five (5) years, including those currently in the process of such termination, are considered relevant and the Offeror shall provide past performance information for those contracts. The following information should be included:

• Role as prime or subcontractor

• If from past Government contract, the contracting activity name; address; and the contracting officer's name, telephone number and email address

• Contract type

• Awarded cost/price

• Final, or projected final, cost/price

• Original delivery schedule

• Final, or projected final, delivery schedule

(c) For each of the contracts described in the past performance section of the Offeror's proposal, a description of the objectives achieved, detailing how the effort is similar to the requirements of this solicitation, shall be included. For any contracts that did not/do not meet the original requirements with regard to original cost/price, schedule, or technical performance, the Offeror should provide a brief explanation of the reason(s) for such shortcomings and any demonstrated corrective actions taken to avoid recurrence. For any terminated contracts, the Offeror shall indicate the termination type and reasons.

(5) Part V – Subcontracting & Small Business Participation

(a) Subcontracting Plans (if applicable) The US Army DEVCOM Soldier Center is strongly committed to providing meaningful subcontracting opportunities for Small Businesses (SB), Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SDB), Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSB), Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) Small Businesses, Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSB), Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB), Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority Institutions (HBCU/MI), and other socioeconomic considerations through its awards.

Pursuant to Section 8(d) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631(a)), it is the policy of the Government to enable SB, SDB, WOSB, HUBZone, VOSB, and SDVOSB concerns to be considered fairly as subcontractors to contractors performing work under Government contracts and to ensure that prime contractors and subcontractors carry out this policy.

Offerors, other than small businesses, seeking an award of greater than $700,000, are required to submit a subcontracting plan IAW FAR 19.702, 19.703, and 19.704 as part of their proposal. The plan format is outlined in FAR 19.704. A sample Small Business Subcontracting Plan template is provided at the SAM.gov link for W911QY20R0022.

Subcontracting plans will be reviewed for adherence to applicable public laws and regulations cited in FAR Part 19 and its supplements. An offeror's refusal to submit an acceptable subcontracting plan is grounds for the Government to not negotiate award of that offeror's BAA proposal.

(b) Small Business Participation Plan Separate from the Subcontracting Plan, ALL prime offerors, regardless of size, shall submit a Small Business Participation Plan in accordance with DFARS 215.304. All offerors shall provide a statement of the extent of the offeror’s commitment to small business participation through its awards and must agree that SB, SDB, WOSB, HUBZone, VOSB, and SDVOSB concerns will have the maximum practicable opportunity to participate in contract performance consistent with its efficient performance. A Small Business Participation Template found at the SAM.gov link for W911QY20R0022.

NOTE: Small Business offerors may meet the requirement using work they perform themselves. This assertion will be reviewed to ensure that it supports this policy by providing meaningful subcontracting opportunities.

(6) Part VI - Contractor Representations and Certifications:

Offerors are required to complete the annual representations and certificates in the System for Award Management (SAM) SAM.gov and should note in Part VI of their proposal what their Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number is and the fact that they are in SAM.

Note: The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the majority of work submitted under this BAA will be either 541713 (Research and Development in Nanotechnology); 541714 (Research and Development in Biotechnology (Except Nanobiotechnology); 541715 (Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (Except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology)) or 541720 (Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities). NAICS 541713, 541714 and 541715 have a small business size standard of 1,000 employees while 541720 has a size standard of $20,500,000 in annual receipts. DFARS Representations and Certifications for Grants and Agreements are provided at the SAM.gov link for

W911QY20R022.

(7) Part VII - Contractor Statement of Work

The offeror shall provide a stand-alone Statement of Work (SOW) that outlines the specific work to be performed that is supported by the other parts of the offeror’s proposal and which will become the contractually binding SOW in the resulting contract.

The SOW shall begin with the following language:

“Independently, and not as an agent of the Government, the Contractor shall furnish all necessary services; qualified professional, technical and administrative personnel;

material, equipment and facilities not otherwise explicitly described as provided by the Government under the terms of this contract as set forth below.”

The SOW should follow the format described below, although the format described herein is only meant to be a guide and is not necessarily all-inclusive. As such, contents should be tailored to the specific requirement being proposed. As applicable, the various SOW sections should address the following:

(a) Background: Identified as the “Introduction”, this section provides information needed to acquaint the reader with the basic acquisition situation. The background information may:

• Identify the requirement in very general terms;

• Describe why the project is being pursued and how it relates to other projects;

• Summarize any statutory authority or regulations affecting the overall requirement; and

• Identify any background materials attached to the SOW.

(b) Objectives: This section should provide a concise overview of:

• The contract effort goals and objectives; and

• How the results or end products will be used.

(c) Scope: Provide a brief statement of what the Government expects to accomplish under the contract-the breadth and limitations of the contract effort. It should not include specific work tasks or a description of deliverable products.

(d) Tasks: Sometimes identified as “Requirements” or “Work Requirements”, this section defines the SPECIFIC TASKS that the Contractor must complete during contract performance and should describe requirements in terms of results required rather than the methods for completing the work. The specific tasks must provide the specific performance attributes that define success, such as minimum performance thresholds, form/fit/function characteristics, quality control requirements and/or other OBJECTIVE measurements defining successful task performance. Other items to consider include but are not limited to:

• Specify requirements clearly so that all readers can understand them.

• Reference only the absolute minimum applicable specifications and standards needed.

• Tailor specifications and other documents.

• Separate general information from direction.

• Include specific titles and task descriptions for all tasks for required performance.

• Use a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) format and WBS

Dictionary

• Include milestones that are to be accomplished as applicable and as identified on the milestone schedule. Milestones can include such things as preliminary reports or data submittals, attendance at meetings, etc.

(e) Period of Performance: Provide period of performance in either months or years; if applicable, include options and spell out what is optional vs. what is not; provide any restrictions (e.g., NTE 100 hours a month, etc.)

(f) Place of Performance: Insert the place of performance for this work (e.g., DEVCOM Soldier Center, contractor’s facility (include location), etc.

(g) Delivery: This section should clearly state:

• What the Contractor must deliver, including specific quantities for each deliverable. If different tasks have different delivery requirements, they must be clearly identified.

• When the Contractor must deliver. This may be stated using actual dates, days after contract award, or using some other method that clearly marks the required delivery date.

• Delivery address/location. This may be stated as a location, an organization, a person identified by position (e.g., Contracting Officer’s Representative, a person identified by name or using some other description.)

• What documentation (if any) the Contractor must obtain from the Government to verify Government receipt of the delivery.

• Other items to consider: Deliverables are different than task completion milestones. Milestones may not require a specific deliverable or data submittal. Include a schedule for when final products such as data, reports or other items are required to be furnished to the Government.

(h) Government-Furnished Property, Material, Equipment, or Information (GFP, GFM, GFE, or GFI): This section should identify any Government-furnished property required to be provided by the Government to the Contractor. This includes all Government-furnished property, such as Government-furnished material, equipment, or information. If the list of property is extensive, this section should identify where that list can be found.

(i) Security: This section should identify any unique security requirements associated with contract performance, such as secure facilities, DD-254 requirements, etc.

(j) Travel: Describe any travel requirements that are to be encountered in the performance of the service(s).

(k) Special Material Requirements: Describe requirements for any special materials that are to be encountered in the performance of the service(s).

(l) Other Unique Requirements: Discuss any other unique requirements or considerations required for successful contract performance.

THIS ANNOUNCMENT IS NOT FOR THE ACQUISITION OF

TECHNICAL, ENGINEERING AND OTHER TYPES OF

SUPPORT SERVICES.

SECTION III – ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

ABOUT PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS

1. CONTRACTOR MANPOWER REPORTING

(a) To support the requirements of title 10, U.S.C., Sections 235 and 2330a, the DoD transitioned from the former DoD Enterprise Contractor Manpower Reporting Application (ECMRA) to the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) to allow industry to report all manpower data into a single Federal-wide portal, removing duplicative requirements: one for DoD and another for the rest of the Federal Government, which requires the same data elements to be reported for services contracts performed for both DoD and Federal civilian agencies that essentially perform the same function.

Title 10, U.S.C., Sections 235 and 2330a establishes the requirement to report on manpower functions and costs under services contracts. The DFARS 204.1703 provides direction on reporting and identifies SAM as the government-wide required reporting site. SAM also implements the recommendation of the advisory panel under the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of FY2016 (Public Law 114-92), Section 809, to develop a replacement approach to the inventory of contracted services.

(b) The Contractor shall report annually, by October 31, at https://www.sam.gov, on the services performed under this contract or order, including any first-tier subcontracts, during the preceding Government fiscal year (October 1 - September 30). The Contractor shall report the following information for the contract or order: the total dollar amount invoiced for services performed during the preceding Government fiscal year under the contract or order, and the number of Contractor direct labor hours, to include first-tier subcontractor direct labor hours, as applicable, expended on the services performed under the contract or order during the previous Government fiscal year. The Government will review the Contractor’s reported information for reasonableness and consistency with available contract information. In the event the Government believes that revisions to the Contractor’s reported information are warranted, the Government will notify the Contractor. Upon notification, the Contractor shall revise the reported information or provide the Government with a supporting rationale for the information.

2. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION AND FIRST-TIER SUBCONTRACT

REPORTING (APPLIES ONLY TO CONTRACTS)

Section 2(d) of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (Pub.L. No. 109-282), as amended by section 6202 of the Government Funding Transparency Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 110-252), requires the Contractor to report information on subcontract awards. The law requires all reported information be made public; therefore, the Contractor is responsible for notifying its subcontractors that the required information will be made public.

https://www.sam.gov/

Unless otherwise directed by the Contracting Officer, by the end of the month following the month of award of a first-tier subcontract with a value of $25,000 or more (and any modifications to these subcontracts that change previously reported data) the Contractor shall report the following information at https://www.fsrs.gov/ for each first-tier subcontract:

(a) Unique identifier (DUNS Number) for the subcontractor receiving the award and for the subcontractor’s parent company, if the subcontractor has one.

(b) Name of the subcontractor.

(c) Amount of the subcontract award.

(d) Date of the subcontract award.

(e) A description of the products or services (including construction) being provided under the subcontract including the overall purpose and expected outcomes or results of the subcontract.

(f) Subcontract number (the subcontract number assigned by the Contractor).

(g) Subcontractor’s physical address, including street address, city, state, and country. Also include the nine-digit ZIP code and congressional district.

(h) Subcontractor’s primary performance location, including street address, city, state, and country. Also include the nine-digit ZIP code and congressional district.

(i) The prime contract number (and order number if applicable).

(j) Awarding agency name and code.

(k) Funding agency name and code.

(l) Government contracting office code.

(m) Treasury Account Symbol (TAS) as reported in FPDS.

(n) The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code.

By the end of the month following the month of a contract award, and annually thereafter, the Contractor shall report the names and total compensation of each of the five most highly compensated executives for the Contractor’s preceding completed fiscal year at https://www.fsrs.gov/ if:

(a) In the Contractor’s preceding fiscal year, the Contractor received:

(i) 80 percent or more of its annual gross revenues from Federal contracts (and subcontracts), loans, grants (and sub-grants) and cooperative agreements; and

(ii) $25,000,000 or more in annual gross revenues from Federal contracts (and subcontracts), loans, grants (and sub-grants) and cooperative agreements; and

(b) The public does not have access to information about the compensation of the executives through periodic reports filed under section 13(a) or 15(d) of http://www.fsrs.gov/ http://www.fsrs.gov/ the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78m(a), 78o(d)) or section 6104 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. (To determine if the public has access to the compensation information, see the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission total compensation filings at http://www.sec.gov/answers/execomp.htm).

Unless otherwise directed by the Contracting Officer, by the end of the month following the month of a first-tier subcontract with a value of $25,000 or more, and annually thereafter, the Contractor shall report the names and total compensation of each of the five most highly compensated executives for each first-tier subcontractor for the subcontractor’s preceding completed fiscal year at https://www.fsrs.gov/ if:

(a) In the subcontractor’s preceding fiscal year, the subcontractor received:

(i) 80 percent or more of its annual gross revenues from Federal contracts (and subcontracts), loans, grants (and sub-grants), and cooperative agreements; and

(ii) $25,000,000 or more in annual gross revenues from Federal contracts (and subcontracts), loans, grants (and sub-grants), and cooperative agreements; and

(b) The public does not have access to information about the compensation of the executives through periodic reports filed under section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78m(a), 78o(d)) or section 6104 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. (To determine if the public has access to the compensation information, see the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission total compensation filings at

If the Contractor in the previous tax year had gross income from all sources under $300,000, the Contractor is exempt from the requirement to report subcontractor awards.

Likewise, if a subcontractor in the previous tax year had gross income from all sources under $300,000, the Contractor does not need to report awards to that subcontractor.

3. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY (GFP)

Government Furnished Property (GFP), as defined in FAR Part 45, may be available for contractor use during the performance of a given contract awarded against this BAA.

The offeror should clearly request in its proposal what, if anything, it desires as GFP for the given project. It is recommended that a section in the technical or management proposal be set aside to summarize the GFP requirements.

The offeror may request for incorporation in the contract a GFP delivery schedule NOT based specifically on the date of contract award.

http://www.sec.gov/answers/execomp.htm)

Any property furnished to and accepted by the Government under a resultant contract and subsequently returned to the contractor for any reason shall be regarded as GFP.

Any facilities, including rooms, desks, etc., to be provided to a contractor by the Government for the performance of any portion of a contract, is considered to be GFP, and if needed should be specifically requested for the applicable time frames in the offeror's proposal.

4. TYPE OF INSTRUMENT

The Natick Contracting Division has the authority to award procurement contracts, cooperative agreements, and grants, and reserves the right to use the type of instrument most appropriate for the effort proposed. Offerors should familiarize themselves with these instruments and the applicable regulations before submitting a proposal. Following are brief descriptions of the possible award instruments. Offerors shall provide rationale to support their suggested award instrument. Further information may be found in FAR Part 16.

Procurement Contract - A legal instrument which, consistent with 31 U.S.C. 6303, reflects a relationship between the Federal Government and a State, a local government, or other recipient when the principal purpose of the instrument is to acquire property or services for the direct benefit or use of the Federal Government. Procurement contracts resulting from this BAA will generally fall into two broad categories:

(a) Firm Fixed Price (FFP) contracts (see FAR 16.2.) FFP contracts are generally utilized when performance risks are low, and the delivery requirements are very well defined and can be readily priced and scheduled.

However, a FFP contract may be necessary for business entities that do not possess a Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) approved accounting system (which is a requirement for award of a cost reimbursement contract).

FFP contracts are structured in one of two methods that dictate how a contractor is reimbursed for work performed, and offerors proposing a FFP contract are strongly encouraged to carefully consider their cash flow requirements when formulating their proposals:

(i) FFP contracts may be structured to reimburse the contractor upon delivery of the work. Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs) specify a particular piece of work and the delivery terms, and the contractor invoices the Government upon delivery.

(ii) An alternative structure is a milestone payment structure based on discrete incremental milestones that are achieved as progress is being made against a longer-term contract deliverable. The use of milestone payments will only be considered by the Government when the milestones are clearly defined in terms of specific activity-based events AND performance measurement attributes that define milestone achievement, AND a discrete price for the milestone.

(b) Cost Reimbursement contracts (See FAR 16.3). Cost reimbursement contracts are generally utilized when there is technical risk that may impede successful performance such that it is difficult to accurately predict the final cost. In order to receive a cost reimbursement contract, the contractor must possess a DCAA approved accounting system.

The contract type may vary according to the degree and timing of the risk responsibility assumed by the contractor for the cost of performance and the amount and nature of the profit incentive offered to the contractor for achieving or exceeding specific standards and goals. See FAR Subpart 16.101(a). Offerors shall identify the type(s) of contract (FAR Part 16) they feel is (are) best suited to the proposed effort. The offeror shall note that, in accordance with FAR Subpart 16.301-3, in order to receive a COST type contract, its accounting system must be adequate for determining costs on a Government contract.

This is determined by the DCAA office assigned to the offeror's business location and may take thirty (30) to forty (40) days for completion. An Offeror's suggestion regarding suitable contract type does not obligate the Government to employ the suggested contract type.

Offerors may propose profit or fee to both FFP and cost reimbursement type contracts.

The Government will employ a weighted guidelines approach to establishing profit or fee, and offerors are strongly encouraged to use this method when establishing their proposed profit or fee. The weighted guidelines method is described in DFARS 215.404- 71, and a weighted guidelines calculation template is at DD Form 1547.

The selection of the contract type and any fee or profit is subject to negotiation.

Grant - A legal instrument that, typically utilized with academic institutions, consistent with 31 U.S.C. 6304, is used to enter into a relationship:

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

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

c. In which no fee or profit is allowed.

Cooperative Agreement - A legal instrument, also typically utilized with academic institutions, which, consistent with 31 U.S.C. 6305, is used to enter into the same kind of relationship as a grant (see definition "grant"), except that substantial involvement is expected between the DOD and the recipient when carrying out the activity contemplated by the cooperative agreement. The term does not include "cooperative research and development agreements" as defined in 15 U.S.C. 3710a.