A01_BAA_W91CRB-16-R-0005_changes_dated_12132018.pdf

W91CRB-16-R-0005

Section C - Descriptions and Specifications

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

ARMY PROJECT MANAGER SOLDIER PROTECTION AND

INDIVIDUAL EQUIPMENT, PROGRAM EXECUTIVE

OFFICE SOLDIER

BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT (BAA)

Solicitation Number: W91CRB-16-R-0005

Issued by:

U.S. Army Contract Command- Aberdeen Proving Ground (ACC-APG) 4401 Boothby Hill Avenue

Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21005 FY

2016 – FY 2020

OVERVIEW INFORMATION

Agency Name: Project Manager Soldier Protection and Individual Equipment (PM SPIE)

Issuing Acquisition Office: ACC-APG, 4401 Boothby Hill Avenue, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21005

Research Opportunity Title: PM Soldier Protection and Individual Equipment Broad Agency Announcement for Fiscal Years 2016 through 2020

Announcement Type and Date: 15 December 2015

Research Opportunity Number: W91CRB-16-R-0005

Eligible Applicants: Proposals may be submitted by degree granting colleges and universities, nonprofit organizations, foreign organizations, foreign Governments and commercial firms including small businesses, large businesses, Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZones) small businesses, minority businesses, and women owned businesses. Proposals are encouraged from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (as determined by the Secretary of Education to meet requirements of Title III of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. § 1061)) and from Minority Institutions defined as institutions “whose enrollment of a single minority or a combination of minorities exceeds 50 percent of the total enrollment.” [20 U.S.C. § 1067k(3) and 10 U.S.C. § 2323(a)(1)(C)].

To be eligible for award, a prospective recipient (except other Governments, including state and local Governments) shall 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.

Cost Sharing or Matching: cost sharing, matching, or cost participation is not required for eligibility under this BAA.

Research Opportunity Description: PM Soldier Protection and Individual Equipment solicits proposals for the development of state-of-the-art Soldier clothing and individual equipment, personal body armor, and other survivability items.

INTRODUCTION

This Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), which sets forth research areas of interest to Project Manager Soldier Protection and Individual Equipment (PM SPIE), is issued under paragraph 6.102(d)(2) of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), which provides for the competitive selection of proposals. Proposals submitted in response to this BAA and selected for award are considered to be the result of full and open competition and in full compliance with the provision of Public Law 98-369, "The Competition in Contracting Act of 1984" and subsequent amendments.

PM SPIE is one of the five project management offices under Program Executive Office Soldier. PM SPIE’s mission is to develop and provide superior and sustainable integrated clothing and equipment in a rapidly changing global environment as well as to provide Soldiers with state-of-the-art protection to defeat and reduce threats associated with ballistics, blast overpressure, flame, and heat. There are two Product Managers under PM SPIE, Product Manager Soldier Protective Equipment (PM SPE) and Product Manager Soldier Clothing and Individual Equipment (PM SCIE).

PM SPE produces state-of-the art armor protection to defeat ballistic and fragmentation threats. Its products include body armor, helmets, and ballistic eye protection. PM SCIE develops and provides superior and sustainable integrated clothing and equipment for Soldiers in a rapidly changing global environment.

This BAA is intended to fulfill requirements directed toward advancing state-of-the-art technologies.

This BAA identifies PM SPIE 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 and contracts against this BAA.

Please note that, typically, technology 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 Warfighter. 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 which add new Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs), and/or expand on current CLINs, for services providing for flexibility in technology assessment 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 (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 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.

The costs of concept papers and/or complete proposals in response to this BAA are not considered an allowable direct charge to any award resulting from this BAA or any other award. It may be an allowable expense to the normal bid and proposal indirect costs specified in FAR 31.205-18.

In accordance with federal statutes, regulations, and Department of Defense and Army policies, no person on grounds of race, color, age, sex, national origin, or disability shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving financial assistance from the Army.

Offerors submitting proposals are cautioned that only a duly appointed Contracting Officer acting within the scope and limits of his/her authority may obligate the Government to the expenditure of funds.

This BAA is a continuously open announcement valid throughout the period from the date of issuance through 30 November 2020, unless superseded, extended or canceled. Concept papers will be accepted up until 30 November 2020. Awards against this BAA may be made up until 30 January 2021. The BAA, and any subsequent amendments to this BAA when they occur, will be posted to the FedBizOpps web site. Interested parties are encouraged to periodically check this website for updates and amendments.

SECTION I – PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION

PART 1 – The Application Process

The application process is in three steps as follows:

Step 1 - Verify the accuracy of your Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) registration at the D&B website http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform before registering with the System For Award Management (SAM) at https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/. Prospective offerors shall be registered in SAM prior to award, during performance, and through final payment of any contract resulting from this solicitation. Offerors that are not registered should consider applying for registration immediately upon receipt of this solicitation. The SAM obtains Legal Business Name, Doing Business Name (DBA), Physical Address, and Postal Code/ Zip+4 data fields from D&B: If corrections are required, registrants will not be able to enter/modify these fields in SAM; they will be pre-populated using D&B Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) record data. When D&B confirms the correction has been made, the registrant shall then re-visit sam.gov and 'accept' D&B's changes. Only at this point will the D&B data be accepted into the SAM record. Allow two (2) business days for D&B to send the modified data to SAM. To remain registered in the SAM database after the initial registration, the contractor is required to confirm on an annual basis that its information in the SAM database is accurate and complete.

Step 2 - Prospective offerors are required to submit concept papers prior to the submission of a formal, complete and detailed proposal. 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.

Concept papers should present the effort in sufficient detail to allow evaluation of the concept's technical merit and its potential contributions of the effort to the Army mission. Those concept papers 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 three). 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, complete and detailed proposal by Government personnel.

Step 3 - At the time an offeror has been invited to submit a proposal, a single technical point of contact (POC) will be assigned. Interested offerors are required to submit formal, complete and detailed proposals. Early communication with the technical POC is essential to tailor proposals to the specific needs of PM SPIE. This preliminary communication is especially important because once the formal, complete and detailed proposal is accepted by the technical POC and submitted to ACC-APG, no further communication between the proposed contractor and the Government technical POC is allowed.

PART 2 – Concept Paper Preparation and Submission

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

If the offeror has a novel development approach within an area of interest covered by this BAA, a concept paper should be prepared. Concept papers shall include the following:

http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform http://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/

(1) A brief technical explanation of the effort that addresses the effort’s objective, goals and deliverables, proposed approach to achieve these goals and deliverables, performance schedule, and military relevancy.

(2) The name and address of the performing organization, the name of the principal investigator including a brief description (one page) of key personnel, highlighting their qualifications and experience.

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

(4) A brief cost estimate revealing all the component parts of the proposal, including hours, material costs, travel, etc.

RESTRICTIVE MARKINGS ON CONCEPT PAPERS:

Any proprietary data that the offeror intends to be used by the Government solely for evaluation purposes shall be identified. The offeror shall also identify any technical data contained in the concept paper that is to be treated by the Government as limited rights data. In the absence of such identification, the Government will assume to have unlimited rights to all technical data in the concept paper. Records or data bearing a restrictive legend may be included in the concept paper. It is the intent of the Army to treat all concept papers as privileged information before the award and to disclose their contents only for the purpose of evaluation. Offerors are cautioned, however, that portions of the concept paper may be subject to release under terms of the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552 as amended.

CONCEPT PAPER SUBMISSION

Concept papers shall be in the following format:

• Single PDF formatted file as an email attachment

• Page Size – 8 ½ x 11 inches

• Margins – 1 inch

• Spacing – single

• Font – Times New Roman, 12 point

• Page number– May not exceed 5 single-sided pages (including charts, graphs, photographs, etc.)

Concept papers and inquires shall be submitted electronically to the following:

usarmy.belvoir.peo-soldier.mbx.spiebaa@mail.mil

The submittal shall include BAA number W91CRB-16-R-0005 in the email subject line.

PART 3 – Proposal Preparation and Submission

After a concept paper has been submitted, and once an offeror has been invited by the

Government to submit a formal, complete and detailed proposal the following process shall be adhered to by the offeror. The offeror's technical, management, cost/price, past performance, and subcontracting (if applicable) sections of the proposal shall be submitted as a single document, with each section separated by page breaks as set forth below. 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. The proposal shall be evaluated in accordance with the process described in Section III herein.

PART I - Technical Section PART II - Management Section PART III - Cost/Price Section PART IV - Past Performance Section PART V - Subcontracting (if applicable) PART VI - Contractor Representations and Certifications

Proposals should be submitted electronically to the following address:

usarmy.belvoir.peo-soldier.mbx.spiebaa@mail.mil

Informal exchanges of information with the technical POC for any proposed research shall occur BEFORE the submission of a formal, complete & detailed proposal.

Noncompliance with these instructions may preclude the offeror from receiving an award.

PART I - Technical Section (15 page limit):

Offeror is responsible for including sufficient detail, without reference to cost/price, to permit a complete and accurate evaluation of the proposal from a strictly technical standpoint. The technical portion of the proposal shall contain the following:

1. Cover sheet including:

a) BAA number;

b) technical area by number and title for which the proposal is being submitted under;

c) lead organization submitting proposal;

d) type of business, selected among the following categories: “Large Business,” “SDB,”

“Other SB,” “HBCU,” “MI,” “Other Education,” or “Other Nonprofit;”

e) proposal title;

f) technical point of contact, including salutation, last name, first name, street address, city, state, zip code, telephone, and electronic mail (if available);

g) administrative point of contact, including salutation, last name, first name, street address, city, state, zip code, telephone, and electronic mail (if available);

h) proposed contract-type;

i) total funds requested;

j) date proposal prepared; and

k) date of proposal expiration.

2. A summary of the objective/purpose of proposed work and an explanation of the planned approach, techniques, and/or processes to be used in this effort. Provide rationale for the proposed methodology and identify technical risks in completing this project and the approach taken to overcome these risks.

3. Offeror Statement Of Work (SOW)

a) It is the intent of the Government to use the Offeror's SOW, as written, provided that the Offeror’s SOW accurately describes the work to be performed, is enforceable, and is void of inconsistencies. If, in the Government’s opinion, the Offeror's SOW does not reflect these requirements, the Government will prepare a SOW using information available in the offeror's proposal; this process may delay the award. The SOW shall be a separate and distinct part of the proposal, in the format called out in Reference 1. The proposed SOW must contain a summary description of the technical methodology as well as the task description, but not in so much detail as to make the contract inflexible. Do not include any proprietary information in the SOW.

b) The following is offered as a recommended format for the SOW. Begin this section on a new page. Start your SOW at Paragraph 1.0. Remember a SOW only has three sections.

(See MIL-HDBK-245D for additional guidance)

• Scope: This section is intended to give a brief overview of the specialty area and should describe why it is being pursued, and what you are trying to accomplish.

• Objective: This section provides an overall concise picture of the work to be accomplished and should include the technology area to be investigated, goals to be achieved and major milestones for the effort. The key elements of this section, however, are task development and deliverables.

This section should describe in a clear statement, the anticipated end result or end product of the effort. It must also be consistent with the detailed requirements stated in the 3.0 section.

• Background: This section includes any information, explanations, or constraints that are necessary in order to understand the requirements. It may include relationship to previous, current and future operations. It may also include techniques previously tried and found ineffective.

• 2.0 - Applicable Documents: The Offeror shall identify appropriate documents that are applicable to the effort to be performed. This section shall include a listing of all documents used as a reference in the technical requirements (Section 3.0) and specify the exact title, revision and date.

• 3.0 - Task/Technical Requirements:

• The detailed description of tasks, which represent the work to be performed under the contract, are to be considered binding. Thus, it should be developed in an orderly progression and in enough detail to establish the feasibility of accomplishing the overall program goals. The work effort should be segregated into major tasks and identified in separately numbered paragraphs according to a numeric decimal system. Each numbered major task should delineate by subtask the work to be performed. The SOW MUST contain every task to be accomplished. The tasks must be definite, realistic, and clearly stated in performance terms. Use "shall" whenever the work statement expresses a provision that is binding. Use "should" or "may" whenever it is necessary to express a declaration of purpose. Use "will" in cases where no contractor requirement is involved; i.e., power will be supplied by the Government.

• If presentations/meetings are identified in your schedule, include the following paragraph in your SOW: "Conduct presentations/meetings at times and places specified in the Contract Schedule."

• The Offeror shall reference/acknowledge in the SOW all specified data items that were attached to the letter requesting a formal proposal.

4. The number of proposed systems/solutions that will be pursued and a description of the materials that will be utilized.

5. A list of the deliverables (technical data, processes, prototypes, reports, etc.) that will result from the effort plus demonstration of a clear pathway from the research/development effort to the intended deliverables.

6. Identification of any potential military and/or civilian applications of the product(s) which may be developed, following completion of the proposed contract.

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

8. Any planned interactions with PM SPIE required during the performance of proposed contract, to include post-award conference and technical meetings.

9. Additional technical information or data.

PART II – Management (30 page limit) The management section of the proposal shall include the following for the offeror and any collaborators identified in Part I:

1. Describe the management systems and controls to be utilized by the contractor.

2. Present the Principal Investigator’s relevant past experience, accomplishments, and work in this and closely related areas. Provide resumes and relevant past experience for each of the key personnel.

3. Provide the roles and responsibilities of key technical and management personnel.

4. Provide location and list of equipment that will be used in the proposed effort. Delineate between classified and unclassified facilities.

5. Describe all required information and data with the respective classification level, if known, which shall be provided by the Government to support the proposed work, if any.

6. Describe the rationale for what aspects of the work, if any, need to be protected, at what classification level, and propose a strategy for doing so. Provide the collateral clearance level held, if any, by each team member.

Part III - Cost/Price Section:

FAR 15.403-5(b) allows the Contracting Officer to specify the format of cost or pricing data or data other than certified cost or pricing data. Therefore, each offer shall submit its proposal in a Microsoft Excel format similar to that contained in Cost Proposal Sample.xls attached to this solicitation.

1. The Cost/Price section of each proposal shall identify:

a) proposed contract-type;

b) proposed contract line item number (CLIN) structure; and

c) proposed payment schedule breakdown (if applicable).

2. Each proposal shall contain a budget for each year of support requested and a cumulative budget for the full term of requested support.

3. A signed summary budget page shall be included. The documentation pages should be titled appropriately with the project name and shall be numbered chronologically starting with the Proposal Summary form. The need for each item should be explained clearly.

4. The itemized budget(s) shall include the following:

a. Direct Labor: A detailed section including Labor Category, Unburdened Hourly Rates, Hours proposed, and the Total Cost of Labor. Offeror must provide basis of direct labor rates proposed and documentary support. Direct labor rate support should include current W-2s, payroll information, letters of intent or market research.

b. Other Direct Costs (ODC) - a detailed description and rationale for

(1) Subcontractor Costs - Direct Labor, ODC, and Indirect Rates. With respect to subcontract costs, each prime offeror shall conduct appropriate cost or price analysis for reasonableness and fairness in accordance with FAR 15.404-3 entitled “Subcontract Pricing Considerations” if subcontractor’s costs are more than $10,000.00. For subcontracts totaling $10,000 or more, the offeror shall also provide the following specific information:

(a) A clear description of the work to be performed.

(b) A detailed cost summary (Direct Labor Costs, Other Direct Costs, Indirect Costs, etc.).

(c) If known, the identification of the proposed subcontractor and an explanation of why and how the subcontractor was selected or will be selected, identification of the type of award to be used (cost reimbursement, fixed price, etc.).

(d) Whether or not the award will be competitive and, if noncompetitive, rationale to justify the absence of competition.

(2) Materials, Supplies, and Consumables: A general description and total estimated cost of expendable equipment and supplies are required. The basis for developing the cost estimate

(vendor quotes, invoice prices, engineering estimate, purchase order history, etc.) shall be included. If possible, provide a material list.

(3) Travel – Airfare, lodging, car rental, days/nights, etc. The costs should be in sufficient detail to determine the reasonableness of such costs. Include the following information:

(a) Cost of Airfare / Train ticket (weighted average cost using a last minute booking, two week advance booking, and month in advance booking) and where data was attained from (Travelocity, Expedia, etc.).

(b) Number of days of travel.

(c) Number of contractors traveling.

(d) Per Diem.

b. Indirect Costs (Overhead, General and Administrative, and Other): All Indirect Rates incurred shall be provided within the proposal; this includes General and Administrative (G&A), Overhead, Fringe, and Fee. Note that the rates for these costs, like labor rates, shall be supported with a detailed description. Provide data such as Pool Rate Calculations, Pay Scales, Overhead, Labor Detail, etc. to support all indirect rates. The Government requires this data in order to determine the cost reasonableness of the proposal. All Indirect Rates (Overhead, Fringe, G&A, COM, and Fee) shall be applicable to the proposal, if not a rate of 0% should be applied.

Rationale and/or support for designated rates (i.e. DCAA, pool rate, labor description, etc.) are also required to support all data provided by the Offeror. Note to Universities: Negotiated rate agree with cognizant agency should be included in proposal.

c. Permanent Equipment: If facilities or equipment are required, a justification shall be submitted, describing why this property should be furnished by the Government. Offerors shall provide an itemized list of permanent equipment showing the cost for each item. Permanent equipment is any article or tangible nonexpendable property having a useful life of more than one year and an acquisition cost of $5,000 or more per unit. The basis for the cost of each item of permanent equipment included in the budget shall be disclosed, such as:

(1) Vendor Quote: Show name of vendor, number of quotes received and justification, if intended award is to other than lowest bidder.

(2) Historical Cost: Identify vendor, date of purchase, and whether or not cost represents lowest bid.

Include reason(s) for not soliciting current quotes.

(3) Engineering Estimate: Include rationale for quote and reason for not soliciting current quotes. If applicable, the following additional information shall be disclosed in the offeror's cost proposal:

(4) Special test equipment to be fabricated by the awardee for specific research purposes and its cost.

(5) Standard equipment to be acquired and modified to meet specific requirements, including acquisition and modification costs, listed separately.

(6) Existing equipment to be modified to meet specific research requirements, including modification costs. Do not include equipment the organization will purchase with its funds if the equipment will be capitalized for Federal income tax purposes. Proposed permanent equipment purchases during the final year of an award shall be limited and fully justified.

(7) Contracts may convey title to an institution for equipment purchased with project funds. At the discretion of the contracting officer, the contract may provide for retention of the title by the

Government or may impose conditions governing the equipment conveyed to the organization.

The Government will not convey title to commercial contractors.

(8) It is the policy of the DOD that all commercial and nonprofit contractors provide the equipment needed to support proposed research. In those rare cases where specific addition, commercial contractors are precluded from using contract funds to acquire facilities with a unit acquisition cost of $10,000 or less (see FAR 45.302-.1).equipment is approved for commercial and nonprofit organizations, such approved cost elements shall be "nonfee-bearing." In addition, commercial contractors are precluded from using contract funds to acquire facilities with a unit acquisition cost of $10,000 or less (see FAR 45.302-.1).

d. Total Contract Cost: Sum of all aforementioned costs

2. If proposing a cost-type contract, all cost data shall be current and complete and in accordance with FAR 15.4. Costs proposed shall conform to the following principles and procedures:

Reference table 15-2 at FAR 15.408; in order to ensure that this requirement is met we have included a sample Excel spreadsheet titled “Cost Proposal Sample.xls” as an attachment to this BAA. Each offeror shall submit its cost proposal in a similar format.

Educational Institutions: OMB Circular A-21 Nonprofit Organizations: OMB Circular A-122* Commercial Organizations: FAR Part 31, DFARS Part 231, FAR Subsection 15.403-5, and DFARS Subsection 215.403-5.

*For those nonprofit organizations specifically exempt from the provisions of OMB Circular A- 122, FAR Part 31 and DFARS Part 231 shall apply.

A proposal is presumed to represent an offeror's best efforts to respond to the solicitation. Any inconsistency, whether real or apparent, between promised performance and cost/price, should be explained in the proposal. For example, if the intended use of new and innovative production techniques is the basis for an abnormally low estimate, the nature of these techniques and their impact on cost/price should be explained; or, if a corporate policy decision has been made to absorb a portion of the estimated cost, that should be stated in the proposal. Any significant inconsistency, if unexplained, raises a fundamental issue of the offeror's understanding of the nature and scope of work required and of its financial ability to perform the contract, and may be grounds for rejection of the proposal. The contractor shall supply the Government with sufficient information to allow the Government to assess the reasonableness of the contractor's costs/prices.

Part IV – Past Performance Section:

Information should be submitted for all proposed first-tier subcontractors with whom the offeror is teaming, as well as the offeror.

1. Offeror should submit past performance information on any contracts (as a prime or subcontractor) they worked on during the previous three (3) years that are relevant to the efforts required by this solicitation. The following information should be included:

a. Identify Role: Prime or Subcontractor

DUNS

b. Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) CodeIf from past Government contract, the contracting activity, address, contracting officer's name, telephone number and email address

c. If from past Government contract, the technical point of contact’s name, telephone number and email address

d. Contract Number

e. Contract type

f. Awarded cost/price

g. Final, or projected final, cost/price

h. Original delivery schedule

i. Final, or projected final, delivery schedule

2. 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.

3. Any and all contracts terminated in whole or part during the previous five (5) years, to include those currently in the process of such termination, are considered relevant and the offeror shall provide past performance information for those contracts, including termination type and reasons.

PART V - Subcontracting (if applicable) 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. Offerors seeking an award of greater than $700,000, who submit a contract proposal and includes subcontractors, is required to submit a subcontracting plan in accordance with FAR 19.702, AFARS 5119.704 and Appendix DD 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 the required elements of FAR 52.219-9(d) subdivisions (1) through (11). An offeror's refusal to submit a subcontracting plan is grounds for the Government to not negotiate award of an offeror's BAA proposal. DCMA approved corporate or master subcontracting plans will also be accepted.

A Small Business Participation Plan is required from all Offerors, regardless of the Offeror’s size status. The Offeror’s SB Participation Plan percentages are to be presented in terms of total dollars of work for each SB category, divided by the total contract value.

The Offeror shall identify the extent and nature of participation of SB, WOSBs, HUBZone SBs, and SDVOSBs in the performance of the proposed contract. Participation includes subcontractors or material suppliers to the prime contractor or subcontractors. The Offeror’s own participation as a SB, WOSB, HUBZone SB or SDVOSB shall be identified and included in the percentages.

PART VI - Contractor Representations and Certifications

Contractors are encouraged to complete the annual representations and certificates electronically on the SAM website at https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/ and should note in part VI of their proposal what their Dun & Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number is and the fact that they have completed their online certifications in SAM. Please note that if a contractor does regular business with DoD, or intends to start, PM SPIE strongly recommends they complete the electronic certifications at SAM to ease their business practices with the Government.

Note: The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the majority of work submitted under this BAA will be 541712 with a size standard of 1000 employees. If the offeror feels a different NAICS applies then provision 52.219-1 may be altered by the offeror accordingly.

Once a proposal has been submitted by the technical POC to the contracting office the contractor is to have no further contact with the technical POC until the time a contract award exists.

Inquiries regarding status of the evaluation may be addressed to the contracting officer.

SECTION II - ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS

PARTICIPATION

Small Businesses (SBs), Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SDBs), Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZone) Small Businesses, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Institutions (MIs): Although no portion of this BAA has been set aside for SBs, SDBs, HUBZones, HBCUs, or MIs, their participation is highly encouraged. For any topic area (see Section VI) where sufficient quality proposals are received that demonstrate a set-aside would be appropriate, PM SPIE will consider doing so and modifying this BAA accordingly. Therefore, all named business types are encouraged to submit proposals under any topic that they feel they are highly qualified to perform.

GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY (GFP)

Government-furnished property, 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 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.

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 Government furnished property.

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.

TYPE OF CONTRACT

The ACC-APG has the authority to award procurement contracts. A Procurement Contract is 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.

Offerors should familiarize themselves with this instrument and the applicable regulations before submitting a proposal.

Contract type may vary according to the degree and timing of the 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 propose the type(s) of contract (see 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, their accounting system shall be adequate for determining costs on a Government contract. This is determined by the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) based on information Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) assigned to the offeror's business location. The adequacy of a contractor’s accounting system is determined in a review performed by the cognizant Defense contract Audit Agency. An offeror's suggestion regarding suitable contract type does not obligate the Government to employ the suggested contract type. The selection of the contract type is subject to negotiation.

PREPARATION COSTS

It shall be clearly understood that the receipt and review of concept papers and proposals as described in this BAA by the Government is entirely for the purpose of technical evaluation and in no way constitutes an agreement to enter into contractual or other relationships.

AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS

It shall be clearly understood that, as of the date of release of this BAA, there are no funds committed for any project. Until such time as funds are released to the Contracting Officer, no contract can, or will, be made for an otherwise acceptable proposal.

The Government intends to incrementally fund contracts awarded from this BAA as provided by FAR 52.232-22 entitled “Limitation of Funds.” When the contractor has fully expended the funds included in the contract, there is no further obligation to continue performance or incur costs, but when the Government provides additional funds, the contractor must continue performance as long as the funds are available until completion of the specified work as stated in FAR 52.232-20 entitled “Limitation of Cost.”

FAR INFORMATION/REFERENCES

All FAR information/references, plus other related acquisition information may be found on the Internet at any of the following addresses:

http://www.acquisition.gov/?q=browsefar http://farsite.hill.af.mil/VFFARa.htm http://web2.deskbook.osd.mil/default.asp

INVOICING AND PAYMENTS

All payments by the Government under contracts awarded from this BAA shall be made through Wide Area Work Flow (WAWF) in accordance with Department of Defense (DoD) Federal Acquisition regulations Supplement (DFARS) clause 252.232.7003, which will be included in any resulting contract from this BAA. This application allows DoD vendors to submit and track invoices and receipt/acceptance (RA) documents electronically. The contractor shall register to use WAWF at https://wawf.eb.mil. Offerors are encouraged to view this website and familiarize themselves with the invoicing process. More specific instructions on WAWF will be provided in any BAA award document.

RESTRICTED DATA ON PROPOSALS

As stated in FAR clause #52.215-1-Instructions to Offerors - Competitive Acquisition, the following guidance is provided for offerors desiring to restrict any information in their concept paper or proposal:

Offerors that include in their proposals data that they do not want disclosed to the public for any purpose, or used by the Government except for evaluation purposes, shall:

http://web2.deskbook.osd.mil/default.asp https://wawf.eb.mil/

1. Mark the title page with the following legend:

This proposal includes data that shall not be disclosed outside the government and shall not be duplicated, used, or disclosed - in whole or in part - for any purpose other than to evaluate this proposal.

If, however, a contract is awarded to this offeror as a result of - or in connection with - the submission of this data, the Government shall have the right to duplicate, use, or disclose the data to the extent provided in the resulting contract. This restriction does not limit the Government’s right to use information contained in this data if it is obtained from another source without restriction. The data subject to this restriction are contained in sheets [insert numbers or other identification of sheets]; and

2. Mark each sheet of data it wishes to restrict with the following legend:

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

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

1. Noncommercial Items (Technical Data and Computer Software)

Offerors responding to this BAA requesting a procurement contract to be issued under the FAR/DFARs, shall identify all noncommercial technical data, and noncommercial computer software that it plans to generate, develop, and/or deliver under any proposed award instrument in which the Government will acquire less than unlimited rights, and to assert specific restrictions on those deliverables. Offerors shall follow the format under DFARS 252.227-7017 for this stated purpose. In the event that offerors do not submit the list, the Government will assume that it automatically has “unlimited rights” to all noncommercial technical data and noncommercial computer software generated, developed, and/or delivered under any award instrument, unless it is substantiated that development of the noncommercial technical data and non-commercial computer software occurred with mixed funding. If private or mixed funding is anticipated in the development of noncommercial technical data and noncommercial computer software delivered under any award instrument, then offerors should identify the data and software in question, as subject to Limited Rights or Government Purpose Rights, respectively. In accordance with DFARS 252.227-7013 Rights in Technical Data- Noncommercial Items, and DFARS 252.227-7014 Rights in Noncommercial Computer Software and Noncommercial Computer Software Documentation, the Government will automatically assume that any such General Purpose Rights restriction is limited to a period of five (5) years in accordance with the applicable DFARS clauses, at which time the Government will acquire “unlimited rights” unless the parties agree otherwise. Offerors are cautioned that the Government will use the list during the source selection evaluation process to evaluate the impact of any identified restrictions, and may request additional information from the proposer, as may be necessary, to evaluate the proposer’s assertions. If no restrictions are intended, then the proposer should state “NONE” on the list.

A sample list for complying with this request is as follows:

NONCOMMERCIAL

Technical Data or

Computer Software To be Furnished with

Restrictions

Basis for Assertions serted Rights Category

Name of Person

Asserting Restrictions

(LIST) (LIST) (LIST) (LIST)

2. Commercial Items (Technical Data and Computer Software)

Offerors responding to this BAA requesting a procurement contract to be issued under the FAR/DFARS, shall identify all commercial technical data, and commercial computer software that may be embedded in any noncommercial deliverable technical data and/or computer software contemplated under the research effort on the list. The Government may use the list during the source selection evaluation process to evaluate the impact of any identified commercial data/software restrictions, and may request additional information from the proposer, as may be necessary, to evaluate the proposer’s assertions. If no deliverable commercial technical data/software is intended, then the proposer should state “NONE” on the list.

A sample list for complying with this request is as follows:

COMMERCIAL

Technical Data or Computer Software To be

Furnished with Restrictions

Basis for Assertions

(LIST) (LIST)

3. All Offerors – Patents

Proposer responding to this BAA shall include documentation proving your ownership of or possession of appropriate licensing rights to all patented inventions (or inventions for which a patent application has been filed) that will be utilized under the proposal being submitted. If a patent application, provisional or non-provisional, has been filed for an invention that your proposal utilizes, but the application has not yet been made publicly available, you may provide only the serial number, inventor name(s), assignee names (if any), filing date, and a summary of the invention title, together with either: 1) a representation that you own the invention, or 2) proof of possession of appropriate licensing rights in the invention.

4. All Offerors – Intellectual Property Representations

Offerors shall provide a good faith representation that they either own or possess appropriate licensing rights to all other intellectual property (IP) that will be utilized under the proposal being submitted.

Additionally, offerors shall provide a short summary, for each such IP in which a proposer asserts the Government will be restricted, that describes the nature of the restriction and the intended use of the intellectual property in the conduct of the proposed research.

PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECTS

Proposals selected for funding are required to comply with provisions of the Common rule, 32 Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) 219, on the protection of human subjects in research and the Department of

Defense Directive 3216.2. All proposals that involve the use of human subjects are required to include documentation of the ability to follow Federal guidelines for the protection of human subjects. This includes, but is not limited to, protocol approval mechanisms, approved Institutional Review Boards, and Federal Wide Assurances. These requirements are based on the expected human use issues sometime during the entire length of the proposed effort.

ANIMAL USE

DOD Directive 3216.1, dated April 17, 1995, provides policy and requirements for the use of animals in DOD-funded research. The DoD definition of animal is any live nonhuman vertebrate. All proposals that involve the use of animals shall address DoD compliance with Directive 3216.1.

Provisions include rules on animal acquisition, transport, care, handling, and use in CFR parts 1-4, Department of Agriculture rules implementing the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (7 U.S.C.

2131-2156), and guidelines in the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) “Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals” (1996), including the Public Health Service Policy and Government Principles Regarding the Care and Use of Animals in Appendix D to the Guide.

INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC IN ARMS REGULATION (ITAR)

The offeror and their subcontractors shall comply with the ITAR, 22 CFR Parts 120 through 130.

Information regarding ITAR is available at http://www.dtic.mil/mctl.

http://www.dtic.mil/mctl

SECTION III - EVALUATION PROCESS

EVALUATION AND DISPOSITION OF CONCEPT PAPERS:

Offeror proposals will be evaluated in accordance with the criteria in FAR 15.404-1. Accordingly various analytical techniques/procedures may be used singly, or in combination with others, as determined necessary by the Contracting Officer per FAR 15.404-1(a)(1).

Concept papers will be evaluated by technical/scientific personnel that are knowledgeable within the particular topical area/specific interest area to determine if the paper presented is consistent with the intent of the BAA, and is of interest to the government. Concept papers will be evaluated on the scientific/technical merit, the management approach, the importance to agency programs, and the proposed cost/price. For those concept papers that are deemed unacceptable, notification will be made via email from applicable TMD personnel, with copy furnished to the cognizant Contracting Officer at ACC-APG, within ninety (90) days after receipt of the concept paper.

EVALUATION APPROACH FOR PROPOSALS

Part I (Technical Section) will be the primary proposal section for the evaluation, with Part II (Management) and III (Cost/Price) used as supplementary material at the discretion of the individual reviewer. The evaluation of proposals will be accomplished through an independent technical review of each using the following criteria, which are listed in descending order of relative importance:

• Quality and Technical Merit: Sound technical and managerial approach to the proposed work, including a demonstrated understanding of the critical technology challenges required to address the desired system performance parameters and a strategy to address those issues, including a risk mitigation strategy;

• Impact of the Project: Potential of the concept to address the desired system attributes, performance parameters, and affordability.

• Capabilities and Experience: Capability to perform proposed work and history of performance of the Team and Team members in developing related technologies and systems.

Non-compliance with instructions in Section I (Proposal Preparation and Submission) may preclude offeror from receiving an award. Each proposal will be evaluated based on the merit and relevance of the specific proposal as it relates to PM SPIE program requirements/needs, rather than against other proposals. As such, debriefings will not be offered.

Proposals not considered having sufficient technical merit or relevance to PM SPIE needs or those proposals in areas for which funds are not expected to be available may be rejected without further review.

For those proposals that are acceptable, notification will be made within ninety (90) days after receipt of proposal.