DEVCOM BAA_Solicitation-03112024.pdf

ARMY CONTRACTING COMMAND-ABERDEEN PROVING

GROUND

EDGEWOOD CONTRACTING DIVISION

BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT (BAA) FOR CHEMICAL

BIOLOGICAL RADIOLOGICAL NUCLEAR AND EXPLOSIVE

(CBRNE) DEFENSE EFFORTS UNDER PROCUREMENT

CONTRACTS, COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS, AND

PROTOTYPES UNDER OTHER TRANSACTIONS

AGREEMENTS

CCDC-BAA-24-XX

W911SR-24R-00XX

Blank iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. INTRODUCTION

II. ACRONYMS AND DEFINITIONS

III. GENERAL INFORMATION

AWARDS

TYPE OF AWARDS

ACCOUNTING FOR CONTRACT SERVICES

BASIC DEVCOM CBC AWARD PROCEDURES

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION OUTSIDE OF THE U.S.

GOVERNMENT

U.S. GOVERNMENT OBLIGATION

INFORMATION SERVICE

PREPROPOSALS

FULL PROPOSALS

IV. APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

GENERAL FORMATTING GUIDELINES

CONTRACTS

COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS INSTRUCTIONS

V. EVALUATION AND SELECTION

EVALUATION FACTORS FOR PROCUREMENT CONTRACTS

SELECTION FOR PROCUREMENT CONTRACTS

VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION

PAYMENTS

INFORMATION RELEASE

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT REQUESTS

SITE VISITS

REPORTS / MEETINGS / KNOWLEDGE DISSEMINATION

AUDITS AND COST PRINCIPLES

VII. DEVCOM CBC MISSION STATEMENTS AND AREAS OF INTEREST

SCOPE OF PROPOSALS SOUGHT

DEVCOM CBC MISSION STATEMENT AND BAA TECHNICAL

POINTS OF CONTACT

MISSION AREAS

SENSOR TECHNOLOGIES AND BIOMATERIALS

AEROSOL TECHNOLOGY

BIOLOGICAL POINT DETECTION

CHEMICAL POINT DETECTION

iv

EARLY WARNING AND DETECTION

SMOKE AND OBSCURANTS

MODELING, SIMULATION, AND ANALYSIS FOR CB SMOKE AND

OBSCURANTS

COLLECTIVE PROTECTION

RESPIRATORY PROTECTION

DECONTAMINATION

CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL, RADIOLOGICAL, NUCLEAR, AND

EXPLOSIVES COUNTERMEASURES TO TERRORISM

FLAME AND INCENDIARY TECHNOLOGY

EXPLOSIVES POINT, PROXIMAL, AND STANDOFF DETECTION .36

CHEMICAL FORENSICS

CHEMICAL BIOLOGICAL ADVANCED MATERIALS AND

MANUFACTURING SCIENCE

ANALYTICAL TOXICOLOGY

TARGET DEFEAT TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS

ARTIFICAL INTELLIGENCE/ MACHINE LEARNING

MICROSENSORS

ADVANCED MANUFACTURING/ MATERIAL SCIENCE

VIII. OTHER TRANSACTIONS FOR PROTOTYPES

GENERAL INFORMATION

SUBMISSION PROCEDURES

EVALUATION

SELECTION FOR AWARD OF PROTOTYPE AGREEMENTS

AWARD ADMINISTRATION

PAYMENT

AUDITS AND COST PRINCIPALS

IX. ATTACHMENTS AND APPENDICES

I. INTRODUCTION:

The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center (DEVCOM CBC) mission is to provide innovative chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) defense capabilities to enable the Joint Warfighters’ dominance on the battlefield and interagency defense of the homeland. Mission areas and technical points of contact for within DEVCOM CBC are shown in Section VII of this Broad Agency Announcement (BAA). Proposals are sought from all eligible sources as specified herein, including educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and private industry. This BAA provides general information, proposal preparation instructions, evaluation and selection criteria, and award administration.

This BAA is intended to solicit preproposals for DEVCOM CBC for:

A. Procurement Contracts: Awarded Procurement Contracts shall apply to those parts of development not related to the development of a specific system or hardware procurement based on the Technical Readiness Level limitations described herein (see also “Technology Readiness Levels in the Department of Defense” at Section IX of this document). As to any resultant procurement contracts, this BAA is issued under the provisions of the Competition in Contracting Act of 1984 (Public Law 98-369), as implemented in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 6.102 (d)(2) and in accordance with FAR 35.016. The purpose of procurement contracts placed under this BAA is to identify the best available science, and as such, there are no set-asides associated with any awards resulting from this BAA. In accordance with FAR 35.003, Contracts shall be used only when the principal purpose is the acquisition of supplies or services for the direct benefit or use of the Federal Government. Grants or cooperative agreements should be used when the principal purpose of the transaction is to stimulate or support research and development for another public purpose. Cooperative Agreements are discussed below at C.

B. Other Transaction Authority, the Prototype OT (pOTA): Following 10 U.S.C.

§4022, Prototype OT projects must include a prototype per the statute and the transaction will “carry out prototype projects that are directly relevant to enhancing the mission effectiveness of personnel of the Department of Defense or improving 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.”

Participation in Prototype OTs is directed toward non-traditional defense contractors (NDCs) and Small Businesses. Businesses that are neither NDCs nor Small Businesses may still be awarded a Prototype OT, but a third of the award costs in such cases must come from non-Government sources. The pOTA is unlike other Government Contracts such as Procurement Contracts (referenced above) in that Prototype OTs are not subject to the Competition in Contracting Act (CICA), FAR Part 6 or any other FAR based regulation. However, by statute, Prototype OTs require, to the maximum extent practicable, competitive procedures. Consequently, the mechanics of the competitive BAA process detailed in this BAA otherwise not applicable to OTs are, as supplemented herein, adopted as the competitive procedure for entering into OTs.

1. Section VII contains areas of interest to be competed hereunder for Prototype OT awards. Section VIII contains instructions specific to the development of, and evaluation of proposals, for prototypes.

2. In general, OT Offerors may submit a preproposal (1) qualifying under Section VII.A of this BAA for one or more of the Mission Areas or (2) for prototype requirements identified in Section VIII or in a separate Request for Project Proposals (RPP) issued under this BAA. If two or more Prototype OT Offerors submit for the same requirement, the field of competition will be narrowed by the evaluations called for under this BAA for preproposals used to conduct phased evaluations using one or more of the evaluation factors.

3. If warranted, a Research OT under 10 U.S.C. §4021 may be the most appropriate agreement mechanism. Generally, Research OTs under §4021 differ from pOTA under §4022 in that Research OTs are used for basic, applied, and advanced research projects that are focused on validating research results and advancements, rather than for the delivery or acquisition of the resultant technologies. Delivery or acquisition of resultant technologies is the focus of the Prototype OT and the Production OTs that stem from the Prototype OT. Consequently, this BAA serves the additional purpose of solicitation for efforts that may result in a Research OT under 10 U.S.C. §4021.

C. Cooperative Agreements: Under authority of 41 U.S.C. §6305, a legal instrument used to enter into a relationship, the principal purpose of which is to transfer a thing of value to the recipient to carry out a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by a law of the United States, rather than to acquire property or services for the DoD’s direct benefit or use. With Cooperative Agreements, 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.

Essentially, Cooperative Agreements are assistance instruments, not acquisition instruments.

Acquisition instruments such as Procurement Contracts, Prototype OTs, and Production OTs are intended for provide specific deliverables for DoD’s direct benefit or use. By contrast, assistance instruments are meant to carry out or stimulate an authorized public purpose.

D. Generally with respect to all instruments:

1. Generally, this announcement is continuously open. Preliminary proposals (preproposals) may be submitted and will be evaluated for the general requirements of this BAA at any time for the potential time up to the next five (5) years. The availability of funds may limit the ability of the U.S. Government to make awards in specific areas, nevertheless preproposals are sought under this BAA announcement for areas consistent with the mission areas identified in Section VII of this announcement. DEVCOM CBC is interested in proposals that seek new and innovative concepts for basic and applied research and for development efforts not related to the development of specific systems or hardware (in accordance with FAR 35.016). Offers for research efforts related to specific systems or hardware development will not be considered, except to demonstrate a concept.

2. This announcement of DEVCOM CBC’s current interests will also be posted on the System for Award Management (SAM) website (http://www.sam.gov) and the DEVCOM CBC website (http://www.cbc.devcom.army.mil). This announcement will also be available on the Grants.gov web portal (http://www.grants.gov/).

3. From time to time, special announcements or calls for proposals referencing this BAA may be issued for specific requirements in addition to any requirements announced in Sections VII and VIII. Additionally, the application process may be amended as other electronic application processes are implemented. All amendments to this BAA will be announced on the websites shown above. To facilitate communication on both scientific and administrative matters relating to this BAA, a single email address may be used for all communication with DEVCOM CBC. Please send all technical and administrative questions and inquiries to usarmy.apg.devcom-cbc.mbx.technical-outreach@army.mil. Potential applicants are encouraged to discuss their proposal ideas with the DEVCOM CBC POCs listed in Section VII (B).

4. Administrative questions concerning the preparation of preproposals or proposals should be addressed to U.S. Army Contracting Command Edgewood Contracting Division Officer. They should be emailed to usarmy.apg.acc.mbx.devcom-cbc-baa@army.mil

ATTN: DEVCOM CBC BAA.

II. ACRONYMS / DEFINITIONS:

AGENCY: Agency means any of the military departments or defense agencies with authority to award OTAs for prototype projects.

AGREEMENTS OFFICER: An Agreements Officer has authority to enter into, administer, or terminate OTAs for prototype projects and make related determinations and findings.

DEVELOPMENT: The systematic use of scientific and technical knowledge in the design, development, testing, or evaluation of potential new products, or service (or of an improvement in an existing product or service) to meet specific performance requirements or objectives. It includes the functions of design engineering, prototyping, and engineering testing; it excludes subcontracted technical effort that is for the sole purpose of developing an additional source for an existing product.

ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES: Technologies that are not countermeasure products or systems themselves but facilitate or accelerate the development of countermeasure products or systems. Examples of enabling technologies include combinatorial chemistry, high-throughput screening, microarrays, bioinformatics and computational biology, nanotechnologies, imaging (including biosensors and biomarkers), animal models, assays, and other product development tools.

BIOMANUFACTURING: Type of manufacturing that utilizes biological systems (e.g., living microorganisms, resting cells, animal cells, plant cells, tissues, enzymes, or in vitro synthetic (enzymatic) systems) to produce commercially important biomolecules for use in the agricultural, food, material, energy, and pharmaceutical industries.

HUMAN RESEARCH PROTECTION OFFICIAL (HRPO): A federal employee designated by a DoD Component or institution to conduct administrative review of DoD-supported research in accordance with the requirements of the DFARS, or comparable requirement, and whose review of DoD-supported research is intended to ensure compliance with DoD Human Subjects Research (HSR) requirements.

HRPO REVIEW: Review by a delegated individual after an initial non-DOD Human Research Protection Program determination of not HSR or exempt HSR or IRB approval (for non-exempt HSR). The purpose of the HRPO review is to ensure compliance of a DOD-supported activity with the requirements identified at DODI 3216.02, Enclosure 3, paragraph 4c, prior to initiation of the DOD-supported portion of the human subject’s research conducted by the non-DOD institution.

HUMAN SUBJECT: A living individual about whom an investigator conducting research obtains data through intervention or interaction with the individual or obtains identifiable private information as defined in section 219.102(f) of Reference (c). (FDA regulations include a different definition of human subject. With respect to research subject to FDA regulations, the FDA definition in section 50.3(g) of Reference (d) also applies.)

OTHER TRANSACTIONS FOR PROTOTYPES (pOTA): The Department has authority under 10 U.S.C. §4022 to award “other transactions” in certain circumstances for 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. The pOTA is an acquisition instrument that generally is not subject to the federal laws and regulations governing procurement contracts.

OTHER TRANSACTIONS FOR RESEARCH: (Research OT): Research OTs are authorized under 10 U.S.C. §4021 and are used for basic, applied, and advanced research projects. Research OTs are used for basic, applied, and advanced research projects that are focused on validating research results and advancements, rather than for the delivery or acquisition of the resultant technologies. The goal of these awards is to foster the best technologies for future defense needs with the most capable performers. The DoD Financial Management Regulation, vol 2B, chapter 5 contains a detailed description of basic vs applied vs advanced research (https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/documents/fmr/Volume_02b.pdf). See also 2 CFR 1108 definitions of basic, applied, and advanced research (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title- 2/subtitle-B/chapter-XI/subchapter-A/part-1108).

SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED: A transaction for a prototype project is complete upon the written determination of the appropriate approving official for the matter in question that efforts conducted under a Prototype OT (1) met the key technical goals of a project, (2) satisfied success metrics incorporated into the Prototype OT, or (3) accomplished a particularly favorable or unexpected result that justifies the transition to production. Furthermore, successful completion can occur prior to the conclusion of a prototype project to allow the Government to transition any aspect of the prototype project determined to provide utility into production while other aspects of the prototype project have yet to be completed.

III. GENERAL INFORMATION:

(See Section VIII specifically for OTs)

A. AWARDS:

1. TYPE OF AWARDS: The DEVCOM CBC contemplates the award of procurement Contracts, Cooperative Agreements, and OTs under this BAA in support of its mission of innovative chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) defense capabilities. The purpose of this BAA is to identify the best available science, and as such, there are no set-asides associated with any awards resulting from this BAA due to the impracticality of reserving discrete or severable areas/elements of development in the cited areas of interest or to inapplicability.

The type of instrument used to reflect the business relationship between the recipient and the U.S. Government will be determined by the Agreements or Contracting Officer prior to award. The U.S. Army Contracting Command Aberdeen Proving Ground Edgewood Contracting Division, (ACC-APG ECD), which provides contracting support to DEVCOM CBC, will process proposals selected for funding. Offerors may identify the type of instrument that they feel best suites the proposed effort. An Offeror’s suggestion regarding suitable type of instrument does not obligate the government to employ the suggested instrument type. The Offeror shall note that, in accordance with FAR Subpart 16.301-3, in order to receive a COST type contract, their accounting system must be adequate for determining costs on a government contract. This is determined by the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) assigned to the Offeror’s business location and may take thirty (30) to forty (40) days for completion

2. ACCOUNTING FOR CONTRACT SERVICES: In accordance with (IAW) Army Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (AFARS) 5137.91, all procurement contracts awarded under this BAA may include the requirement to report contract manpower in sam.gov.

Contracts subject to manpower reporting will include a separate line item in Section B of the contract. Enter data into sam.gov at any time during the contract’s period of performance, however, data must be accurate and complete and entered not later than 31 October after the completion of each fiscal year or part of a fiscal year for which such contract is active.

3. BASIC DEVCOM CBC AWARD PROCEDURES:

a. To protect the public interest, the Federal Government ensures the integrity of Federal programs by only conducting business with responsible recipients. The ACC-APG ECD uses www.sam.gov to exclude recipients ineligible to receive federal awards.

b. Recipient organizations should meet certain minimum standards pertaining to institutional support, financial resources, prior records of performance, integrity, organization, experience, operational controls, facilities and conformance with safety and environmental statutes and regulations in accordance with CFR Title 2, Part 200 or FAR subpart 9.1.

c. Investigators are cautioned that awards are made to organizations, not individuals.

A Project Manager must submit a proposal through, and be employed by, an organization in order to receive support. Should the Project Manager of a funded project leave the recipient institution, both the Project Manager and institution must contact the Contracting Officer and DEVCOM CBC POC as soon as possible to discuss options for continued support of the project.

Every effort should be made to notify ACC-APG ECD and DEVCOM CBC prior to the Project Manager leaving the institution.

d. Organizations located outside of the U.S. may submit in response to the BAA, however, it is the organizations’ responsibility to ensure compliance with AR 380-10, Foreign Disclosure and Contacts with Foreign Representatives. AR 380-10 defines a foreign national as any “person who is not a citizen or national of the U.S. or its territories.” Under various visas and/or permits, foreign nationals may legally enter and work within the U.S. or its territories. The type of work permitted to be performed, length of stay in the U.S., and other restrictions are solely dependent on the type of visa/permit a foreign national is issued.

e. The U.S. Government may, as applicable, review each individual and entity’s disclosures on the National Security Threat List (NSTL), managed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and data collected by the Office of Commercial and Economic Analysis (OCEA).

The NSTL includes an Issues Threat List, or eight categories of activities that are deemed national security concerns regardless of the foreign power engaging in them, including: (1) terrorism, (2) espionage, (3) proliferation, (4) economic espionage, (5) targeting the national information infrastructure, (6) targeting the U.S. Government, (7) perception management, and

(8) foreign intelligence activities, as well as a Country Threat List, which is a classified list of foreign powers that pose a strategic intelligence threat to the U.S. security interests.

f. Arrangements, agreements, contracts, and OT actions requiring accesses to Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) according to terms and conditions of such documents will comply with DoDI 5200.48, CUI.

g. As applicable, contracts and agreements are further restricted by a DD Form 254 Contract Security Classification Specification or the requirements document, to include a Performance Work Statement or Statement of Work, which will become part of the the contractual agreement.

h. Funding may be provided incrementally during the life of the award. Under cost-reimbursement type awards, payments are made in response to vouchers or invoices submitted by the awardee.

i. As to procurement contracts, the primary basis for the selection of proposals is based upon evaluation of technical merit, programmatic relevance, and the availability of funds.

j. Detailed information on proposal evaluation and selection is located in Section V, “Evaluation and Selection.”

B. CONFLICT OF INTEREST: There are certain post-employment restrictions on former Federal officers and employees, which can include civil and criminal liability. If a submitter believes a post-employment restriction or conflict of interest exists, the situation should be discussed with the Agreements Officer prior to expending time and effort in preparation of a proposal. (With regard to civil and criminal liability, see 18 U.S.C. 207 Restrictions on former officers, employees, and elected officials of the executive and legislative branches; 41 U.S.C.

§2104 Prohibition on former official's acceptance of compensation from contractor; Section 847 of the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2008 [Pub. L. 110-181] Codified at 10 U.S.C §1701 Note regarding “Requirements for Senior DoD Officials Seeking Employment with Defense Contractors;” and FAR 3.104-3 Statutory and related prohibitions, restrictions, and requirements.)

C. DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION OUTSIDE THE U.S. GOVERNMENT:

Proposals may be disclosed outside of the U.S. Government subject matter experts for the sole purpose of technical and programmatic evaluation. The DEVCOM CBC obtains a written agreement from the evaluators that information in the proposal will only be used for evaluation purposes and will not be further disclosed. Proposals for funded projects will be subject to public release under the Freedom of Information Act to the extent that they are incorporated into an award document; proposals that are not selected for funding will not be subject to public release.

D. U.S. GOVERNMENT OBLIGATION: Only a warranted Contracting or Agreements Officer may obligate the U.S. Government to the expenditure of funds for awards under this BAA. The U.S. Government does not fund preparation of proposals or support work efforts or tasks that are inferred from discussions with technical project officers.

E. INFORMATION SERVICE: Submitters should use the technical reference facilities of the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) to acquire information of U.S. Government funded projects to avoid duplication of scientific and engineering effort. DTIC is responsible for collecting all scientific or technological observations, findings, recommendations, and results derived from DoD endeavors. Requests for eligibility and registration information should be addressed to DTIC Registration at https://discover.dtic.mil/dtic-registration-benefits/dtic-registration/, F. PREPROPOSALS:

1. Organizations are strongly encouraged to explore DEVCOM CBC’s interest by submitting a preliminary proposal (Preproposal). Preproposals may be submitted at any time describing a specific idea or project that pertains to any of the topics of interest outlined in the BAA. Preproposals should be no longer than three pages, and include: (1) a description of the relevant technology including supporting data, (2) the scope of the proposed effort including a high-level Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), and (3) a description of the proposer’s research, development, manufacturing, past performance, or other special qualifications. The Preproposal should include an anticipated cost for the efforts described in the Preproposal. Preproposals may be submitted to the following email address usarmy.apg.acc.mbx.devcom-cbc-baa@army.mil.

2. Brochures or other descriptions of general organizational or individual capabilities will not be accepted as a preproposal. All preproposals will be assigned and an email will acknowledge receipt of a preproposal. Usually, the Project Manager of the submitting organization should receive a decision letter or email regarding the preproposal within 60-90 days of submission.

3. In accordance with the United States Government Policy for Oversight of Life Sciences Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC) of 29 March 2012 and 24 September 2014, research being proposed which falls under the definition of DURC: “life sciences research that, based on current understanding, can be reasonably anticipated to provide knowledge, information, products, or technologies that could be directly misapplied to pose a significant threat with broad potential consequences to public health and safety, agricultural crops and other plants, animals, the environment, materiel, or national security,” must be identified in the Offeror’s preproposal. If a full proposal is then requested by the Government, risk mitigation of this concern shall be included as part of the Risk Management Plan of the Technical proposal section (see section V.B.3.e) of this document.

a. Research Involving Animals. Awards funded by the DEVCOM CBC require a second-tier review for the use of animals prior to implementation. Therefore, the Project Manager must address all pertinent issues relating to the use of animals in the proposed work effort. Include the required assurances, approvals, forms and description in the proposal addenda entitled “Research Involving Animals,” as specified on the Animal Care and Use Review Office (ACURO) website https://mrdc.health.mil/index.cfm/collaborate/research_protections/acuro.

Full proposals may be submitted without protocols for animal use; however, protocols and required institution approvals must be submitted not later than 60 days after award to ensure continuation of payments. The contracting office may grant exceptions in situations where animal use is not expected to occur until after the first year of the project.

b. Research involving Human Subjects. When DoD funds activities that involve human subjects including human biospecimens, prior to initiation of the DOD-supported portion of the human subject’s research conducted by the non-DOD institution, a Human Research Protection Official review is required to ensure compliance with the requirements identified in

DODI 3216.02.

c. Environmental/National Environmental Policy Act. Activities that take place on Federal Installations are subject to NEPA. This includes outdoor demonstrations or other activities occurring at Aberdeen Proving Ground. CBC Environmental Office review is required, prior to scheduling, to ensure compliance with all requirements.

G. FULL PROPOSALS:

1. If the preproposal for a procurement contract is accepted, ACC-APG ECD will send a Request For Proposal (RFP) and any additional requirements, including suggested Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs), a Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL), clauses, terms, and conditions. Proposals shall be submitted within the number of days stated in the RFP after being requested. The U.S. Government reserves the right to reject submissions received more than the number of days stated in the (RFP) after the request for a proposal from the U.S.

Government. Receipt of proposals will be acknowledged by email.

2. Proposals may be submitted without protocols for human, cadaver, and animal use.

However, protocols with required institutional approvals must be submitted not later than 60 days after award to demonstrate continued progress and ensure continuation of payment. The contracting officer may make exceptions in situations where human, cadaver, and/or animal use is not expected to begin until after the first year of the award. In such cases, a time frame for submission of the appropriate protocols should be established during discussions/negotiations, prior to award.

3. There are no specified funding limitations identified for the proposals submitted under the DEVCOM CBC BAA. The budget should be commensurate with the nature and complexity of the proposed effort. Be advised that at the time of publication of this BAA there are no funds identified for award, and any award(s) are predicated on the availability of funds.

IV. APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

A. GENERAL FORMATTING GUIDELINES:

1. Proposals for all types of awards under this BAA shall be submitted electronically. All proposals must be clear, legible, and conform to the following general formatting guidelines:

a. Elaborate proposals with vivid colors, detailed artwork, or other embellishments are unnecessary and not desired.

b. Pages: Pages shall be 8.5 x 11 inches, single sided, with each page numbered “X of Y pages.”

c. Margins: Minimum of 1 inch on all sides.

d. Type Font: 12 point Times New Roman, single spaced.

e. Contract Work Breakdown Structure (CWBS) and Integrated Master Schedule (IMS)/Gantt Charts: The minimum CWBS expected is Level 4. The IMS, if used, shall document the critical path and predecessor tasks. In addition to a high level presentation in PDF format as part of the Program Management submission, the Offeror shall submit an electronic copy with schedule data in “Read Only” Microsoft Project file that shows all formulas and links, compatible with MS Project 13. The files shall be virus and malware free. All passwords shall be removed.

f. Acronyms: Spell out all acronyms the first time they are used. One page of the proposal body is allocated to spell out acronyms, abbreviations and symbols.

g. Language: English.

h. Electronic file format: PDF, compatible with Adobe Acrobat Reader v. 11.0. File size less than 20 MB.

B. CONTRACTS:

1. If a Preproposal submitted in response to this BAA is accepted by the U.S.

Government, a Request for Full Proposal (RFFP) will be sent to the organization submitting the preproposal. The following is general guidance as to the scope of the proposal for a contract.

2. The Offeror’s proposal shall be submitted electronically, unless otherwise specified.

The proposal shall conform to the general formatting guidelines, see above section (IV) (a). The proposal shall include the following sections, which shall conform to the following page limits:

a. Cover Page (1 page):

(i). BAA number.

(ii). Name of Lead Organization submitting proposal including Commercial and Government Entity code (CAGE) and Unique Entity ID (UEI).

(iii). Type of business, selected among the following categories: “Large Business,” “Small Disadvantaged Business,” “Other Small Business,” “Historically Black College or University (HBCU),” “Minority Institution (MI),” “Other Educational,” or “Other Nonprofit”.

(iv). Contractor’s reference number (if any).

(v). Proposal title.

(vi). Technical point of contact. Include salutation, last name, first name, street address, city, state, zip code, telephone, fax (if available), and electronic mail address (if available).

(vii). Administrative point of contact. Include salutation, last name, first name, street address, city, state, zip code, telephone and electronic mail address (if available).

(viii). Date proposal was prepared.

b. Technical Section (20 pages):

(i). Acronyms, Abbreviations, and Symbols

(ii). Project objective. Describe what will be accomplished if the U.S.

Government funds the proposal. Describe how it fulfils an area of interest described by this

BAA.

(iii). Background data. Include, for example, data supporting the safety and efficacy of the proposed technology and the validity of models used to test and evaluate the technology, as appropriate.

(iv). Proposed technical approach. Describe in a comprehensive manner and in sufficient detail the technical approach proposed to accomplish the project objective so that the U.S. Government may determine that the proposed approach is of acceptable risk.

c. Project Management Section (20 pages):

(i). Statement of Work (SOW): The Offeror shall submit a SOW. The SOW shall describe the work to be performed by the Offeror (and any subcontractors). The final proposed SOW, when accepted by the U.S. Government, shall become part the contract at the time of award. For this reason, the SOW shall be a stand-alone document. Offerors should use the DoD Handbook for Preparation of Statement of Work (MIL-HDBK-245) as a guide found at:

https://quicksearch.dla.mil/qsDocDetails.aspx?ident_number=53962

(ii). CWBS and CWBS Dictionary: The offeror shall submit a CWBS and CWBS dictionary using MIL-STD-881 as a guide (https://quicksearch.dla.mil/qsDocDetails.aspx?ident_number=36026). The minimum CWBS expected is Level 4. However, the Offeror shall extend CWBS elements as needed to obtain the depth and breadth required to define the contract scope and to accurately describe the proposed effort. The CWBS shall correlate with the SOW and CLINs. The CWBS shall conform to instructions regarding font size.

(iii). IMS (Optional): The IMS shall document the critical path, major milestones, tasks/activities, duration, lead/lag/slack time, and schedule relationships. The IMS shall be directly traceable to the SOW, CLINs, and the CWBS. The IMS is intended to be used as a tool for day-to-day tracking of the program/project. Tasks/activities should roll-up to increasingly higher summary levels. All tasks/activities in the IMS should be logically linked together showing predecessor/successor relationships. The tasks/activities shall be sufficient to account for the entire program/project under contract. Dates delineated in the IMS and Section F shall become contractually binding, and will be adjusted accordingly, based on actual contract award date. The Offeror shall also submit an electronic copy of the schedule for submission of schedule data in “Read Only” format that shows all formulas and links for review.

(iv). Project Management Approach: The approach to managing and integrating the various aspects of the required work shall be described in sufficient detail so that the U.S. Government may assess associated risks. The Offeror shall identify significant milestones, decision points, and the processes that will be used to evaluate program status and progress. The Offeror shall include a description of any functional oversight. The Offeror shall present mechanisms for interactions/communications between Program Management and the U.S. Government, to include how processes will be updated (e.g., managing and interfacing with key Subcontractors and the U.S. Government). The Offeror shall include a description of management relationships or techniques that will be used to supplement day-to-day processes and procedures.

(v). Risk Management Plan: The Offeror shall identify potential risks and describe the implementation of an integrated and proactive risk management plan as part of an overall management scheme (e.g., risk planning, risk assessment, risk handling, risk monitoring and documentation). The risk management plan shall discuss integrated methods for identifying, analyzing, prioritizing, and tracking risk drivers and include plans for adequate resources for risk mitigation. The Offeror shall describe tools or methodologies used in the integrated risk management and risk assessment processes.

d. Past Performance Section (10 pages): Information shall be provided for all proposed first-tier subcontractors with whom the Offeror is teaming as well as the Offeror. The Offeror shall list ongoing and previous U.S. Government contracts held during the past three years, which are relevant and demonstrate ability to perform the effort required by the proposal.

The Offeror shall explain the relevance of previous efforts with respect to the effort described in the proposal. If the Offeror has limited U.S. Government contracting experience, a description of similar contracts with commercial entities, local and/or state governments should be included, if relevant. Information furnished concerning these efforts shall be similar to that requested of U.S.

Government contracts. The Government may send Past Performance questionnaires to Reference(s) listed. For that reason, the offeror must provide current contact information of all references listed in this section, to include: POC name, address, phone number, email address, CAGE code, and UEI.

e. Cost Section: The Cost Proposal shall be an integrated and comprehensive estimate with descriptions of estimating techniques and allocation methods that correlate in sufficient depth with the Statement of Objectives (SOO), SOW, CWBS, IMS and CLINs when applicable. Estimating technique(s) used to create the proposal shall be clearly identified.

Reasonable and supportable allocation techniques may be used to spread hours and/or cost to lower levels of the CWBS. While it is intended that Offerors shall use their own format for providing the information requested in these instructions, failure to submit all information requested may result in rejection of your proposal. It is highly suggested that the Cost Proposal Spreadsheet be used by Offerors. The Cost Proposal Spreadsheet is posted with this announcement. 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. If proposing options, they must be separately priced. For proposed subcontracts, Offerors must provide a separate fully completed Cost Proposal Spreadsheet in support of the proposed costs. This spreadsheet, along with supporting documentation, must be emailed directly to the Business Point of Contact at the same time the prime proposal is submitted. The e-mail shall identify the proposal title, the prime Offeror and whether the attached proposal is a subcontract. Offerors should also familiarize themselves with the subcontract reporting requirements set forth in FAR clause 52.204-10, Reporting Executive Compensation and First-Tier Subcontracts Awards. Any newly awarded subcontract must be reported if the prime contract award amount was $25,000 or more. Fee for travel, direct costs for equipment, Government entities, or cost share contracts is not allowed. In addition, fee applied to Other Direct Costs will be considered based on the application of overhead and the types/quantities of Other Direct Costs, and the Offeror’s demonstrated savings in negotiating competitive pricing.

f. Representations, Certifications, and other Statements of Offerors: Prospective contractors shall complete electronic annual representations and certifications at SAM accessed via https://sam.gov as a part of required registration (see FAR 4.1102). Prospective contractors shall update the representations and certifications submitted to SAM as necessary, but at least annually, to ensure they are kept current, accurate, and complete. The representations and certifications are effective until one year from date of submission or update to SAM.

g. Appendices: (no page limit).

h. Key Personnel Qualifications: The proposal shall include a Curriculum Vitae (CV) and bibliographic data for the Program Manager and other Key Personnel such as Directors (or equivalent) of Regulatory Affairs, Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC), Manufacturing, and Risk Management detailing their qualifications to perform the work. If the Offeror does not presently employ Personnel in the positions identified as Key, the Offeror must present a description of the terms of the commitment(s). The Offeror shall provide technical, regulatory, and management staffing plans, specifically addressing vacancies and maintaining Key Personnel. The Offeror shall also provide the CVs and/or resumes and list proposed duties of key subcontractor personnel and consultants (if any) who are proposed for this effort. The Offeror shall provide specific details of all assigned personnel explaining their appropriateness, scientific qualifications, depth and breadth of expertise and credentials relative to the projects.

The Offeror shall describe the proposed labor hours and labor categories relating to the performance of the SOW of Key Personnel.

i. Other documentation that may be requested by the U.S. Government in the RFFP: Subcontracting Plans (if applicable; see FAR 19.702(b) for exceptions): Pursuant to Section 8(d) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(d)), it is the policy of the Government to enable small business and small disadvantaged business concerns to be considered fairly as subcontractors to contractors performing work or rendering services as prime contractors or subcontractors under Government contracts, and to ensure that prime contractors and subcontractors carry out this policy. Proposers, other than small businesses seeking an award of greater than $750,000, who submit a contract proposal and includes subcontractors, are required to submit a subcontracting plan IAW FAR 19.702(a)(1) and should do so with their proposal. The plan format is outlined in FAR 19.704. As submitted under this BAA, subcontracting plans will be reviewed for adherence to regulations cited in FAR Part 19 and its supplements and not necessarily for evaluation as a specific evaluation criterion. However, an Offeror’s refusal to submit a subcontracting plan is grounds for the government to not negotiate award of an Offeror’s BAA proposal.

C. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS INSTRUCTIONS:

1. The Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act of 1999, also known as Public Law 106-107, was enacted on November 20, 1999. The purposes of the Act are to (1) improve the effectiveness and performance of Federal financial assistance programs, (2) simplify Federal financial assistance application and reporting requirements, (3) improve the delivery of services to the public, and (4) facilitate greater coordination among those responsible for delivering such services.

2. Organizations that submit a preproposal or “white paper” under the BAA, and are subsequently invited to submit a full proposal may be directed to submit through Grants.gov.

Early planning with your organization will facilitate this process. Issues in submitting applications through the Grants.gov portal should be directed to the Grants.gov help desk at Grants.gov Online Help. .

3. The following actions are required as part of the registration process:

a. If you do business with the Federal Government on a continuing basis, it is likely you have already completed some of the actions, e.g., obtaining a D-U-N-S® Number. An organization will need a D-U-N-S® Number. The D-U-N-S® Number is a unique nine-character identification number provided by the commercial company Dun & Bradstreet (D&B). If an organization does not have a D-U-N-S® Number, an authorized official of the organization can request one by calling 1-866-705-5711 Monday- Friday from 7 AM to 8 PM Central Standard Time or online via http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. Organizations located outside of the United States, can request and register for a D-U-N-S® Number online via http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform.

b. SAM. An organization must be registered with SAM before receiving an award from the Federal Government. SAM validates applicant information and electronically shares the secure and encrypted data with federal agencies' finance offices to facilitate paperless payments through Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). You can register with SAM online at https://sam.gov/content/home. If you have the necessary information, online registration will take about 30 minutes to complete, depending upon the size and complexity of your organization, but you should allow 7-10 days after you submit before your registration is active in SAM. Offerors are encouraged to register as soon as possible after receiving this BAA announcement.

D. OTHER TRANSACTIONS INSTRUCTIONS: SEE BELOW AT VIII.

V. EVALUATION AND SELECTION:

A. EVALUATION FACTORS FOR PROCUREMENT CONTRACTS:

1. Proposals received as a result of the BAA shall be evaluated in accordance with evaluation criteria specified therein through a peer or scientific review process. Written evaluation reports on individual proposals will be necessary but proposals need not be evaluated against each other since they are not submitted in accordance with a common work statement.

The primary basis for selecting proposals for acceptance shall be technical, importance to agency programs, and fund availability. Cost realism and reasonableness shall also be considered to the extent appropriate.

2. DEVCOM CBC scientists and engineers, other Federal Agency Representatives, outside scientists and engineers with diverse expertise, clinicians, consumers, or combinations thereof will evaluate proposals and assign scores based on the following factors (in descending order of importance):

a. Technical Merit: The proposed plans, methods, techniques, and procedures must be feasible, clear, valid, adequately referenced, and state-of-the-art. The proposed schedule must be reasonable. Literature searches are recommended for documenting the strengths of the proposed project.

b. Military and Program Relevance: Projects must support CBRNE related non-medical chemical and biological defense leading to the research and development of new and novel materials and equipment that support decontamination, detection, attribution through forensic analysis, and demilitarization. These activities lead to scientific reports/protocols and prototypes, as described in the “Areas of Interest” portion of this BAA and subsequent amendments. Proposals should address an outstanding requirement and balance or reduce programmatic risk of the current DEVCOM CBC programs and explain how the results of this project are expected to impact the intended beneficiaries.

c. Funds Availability: DEVCOM CBC must have funds available to support the proposed work.

d. Technology Readiness Level (TRL): The technology proposed cannot exceed that necessary to meet requirement. See “Technology Readiness Levels in the Department of Defense” at Section IX of this document.

e. Project Objectives: The stated objectives must be clear, valid and logical. Projects that demonstrate an innovative approach are desired.

f. Regulatory compliance: The proposal will be evaluated for compliance with most current version of applicable Federal, State, and Local regulations. This list is not inclusive of all regulatory requirements, but does provide the major regulations that might be applicable to proposals:

(i). For activities involving human subjects or human biospecimens:

(a). Title 32 CFR Part 219, Protection of Human Subjects

(b). DoD Instruction 3216.02, Protection of Human Subjects and Adherence to Ethical Standards in DoD-Conducted and – Supported Research, 15 April 2020, Including Change 1, 29 June 2022

(ii). For activities involving human cadavers or post-mortem human subjects:

(a). Army Policy for Use of Human Cadavers for Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Education, or Training, November 05, 2019

(iii). For activities involving animals:

(a). DoD Instruction 3216.01, Use of Animals in DoD Conducted and Supported Research and Training, March 20, 2019

(b). DHA-MSR 6025.02, The Care and Use of Animals in DOD Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) or Training Programs, 1 Sep 2022

(iv). United States Government Policy for Oversight of Life Sciences Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC), 29 March 2012, and 24 September 2014

(v). AR 385-10 The Army Safety and Occupational Health Program

(vi). DA PAM 385-61 Chemical Agent Safety Standards

(vii). DA PAM 385-69 Safety Standards for Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories

(viii). DA PAM 385-64 Ammunition and Explosive Safety Standards

(ix). DA PAM 385-10 Army Safety and Occupational Health Program Procedures

(x). AR 50-6 Chemical Surety

(xi). AR 190-59 Chemical Agent Security Program

(xii). AR 190-17 Biological Select Agents and Toxins Security Program

(xiii). 7 CFR Part 331 Possession, Use, and Transfer of Select Agent and Toxins

(xiv). 9 CFR Part 121 Possession, Use and Transfer of Select Agents and Toxins

(xv). 42 CRF Part 73 Select Agent and Toxins

(xvi). DODI 6055.15 DoD Laser Protection Program

(xvii). 29 CFR 1910 Occupational Safety and Health Standards

(xviii). National Environmental Policy Act (42 USC Section 4321 et seq. (1969))

g. Support of other U.S. Government requirements: The proposal will be evaluated for alignment with DoD requirements and the Army’s Modernization requirements.

h. Key Personnel Qualifications: Document the qualifications, capabilities and experience of the proposed Project Manager and other key personnel in sufficient details to demonstrate that the proposed staff has the knowledge and skills to achieve the proposed objectives.

i. Facilities: Describe the proposed facilities and equipment, or unique combinations of these, in detail to demonstrate that the organization has the necessary facilities required for the accomplishing the proposed objectives.

j. Budget/Cost: The budget must reflect the actual needs of the proposed work and be fully justified so that the U.S. Government can evaluate and determine the cost to be fair and reasonable and commensurate with the complexity and nature of the work proposed.

k. Past Performance: Documented satisfactory performance record. In the case of an offeror without a record of relevant past performance or for whom information on past performance is not available, the offeror may not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably on past performance.

B. SELECTION FOR PROCUREMENT CONTRACTS:

Any proposal received may be negotiated. After the DEVCOM CBC evaluation, proposals recommended for…