Basic Research Innovation and Collaboration

1. PURPOSE/BACKGROUND

This a REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP): AFRL/AFOSR, is requesting a technical proposal to enter into a Partnership Intermediary Agreement with entities that facilitate joint projects and accelerate technology transfer between the lab and commercial market under the authority of §15 USC 371 5 - Use of Partnership Intermediaries and §10 USC 4214. The anticipated period of performance for this agreement is 15 Sep 2025 – 14 Sep 2030. The purpose of the Partnership Intermediary is to perform the work on projects and collaborate on across the many research topics and areas of interest that are associated with the Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) on behalf of the Air Force Research Laboratory. The partnership intermediaries increase the likelihood of success in the conduct of joint activities between AFRL, small business firms, and educational institutions. The intermediaries also help the Air Force to identify federal technologies that can be licensed and commercialized; and work to develop and grow environments and capabilities for fostering innovation and collaboration necessary for addressing the basic and applied research challenges of the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The Partnership Intermediary Agreement will enable AFOSR to identify, investigate, and exploit research opportunities that will transform future Air Force and Department of Defense (DoD) capabilities.

EVALUATION ON CRITERIA

The proposal submission will be evaluated using the evaluation factors in the order they are listed: Technical Capability, Past Performance, and Cost. These evaluation factors are weighted equally; Technical Proposal (1/3), Past Performance (1/3), and Cost (1/3).

Technical Proposal

The PIA’s Program goals, and technical approach are:

The objective of this Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) is to support the Department of the Air Force's (DAF) basic research enterprise and research laboratory by accelerating the transition of scientific discoveries, building national security innovation ecosystems, strengthening the STEM workforce pipeline, and aligning partnerships to mission priorities. The Intermediary shall operate as a strategic facilitator and neutral convener capable of executing complex partnership functions across academic, industry, and government interfaces. The program is expected to provide integrated programmatic and technical support that increases transition and transfer success rates, drives return on investment from 6.1 research, and advances the capabilities of the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), and broader DoD S&T partnerships and priorities.

The Intermediary is expected to:

1. Execute all activities in alignment with capability areas that reflect strategic functions necessary to advance the AFOSR and AFRL’s technology transition and transfer, ecosystem engagement, and innovation integration goals and maintain integration across all functions to promote seamless collaboration.

2. Establish, operate and manage government-accessible, contractor-leased collaboration environments that function as a strategic hub for stakeholder integration, innovation facilitation, and secure engagement. These collaboration environments are to support long-term planning teams, workshops, technical reviews, industry and academic engagements, technical strategic planning, workforce development and stakeholder meetings.

3. Maintain awareness of the latest tools, techniques, and processes for innovation and collaboration, and provide this information on to AFOSR as well as to provide analytical support to AFOSR/AFRL scientists and engineers (S&E’s) to identify, investigate, and exploit research and T3 opportunities.

4. Capture and promote impact and outcomes of associated activities: collaborations, events, workshops, panels, reviews and events such as challenges and webinars to educate and promote Science and Technology activities from AFOSR and AFRL.

5. Develop a comprehensive plan for enhancing the technology transition potential of AFOSR’s basic research.

6. Increase the skills of the current workforce, assist in recruiting the future workforce, identify opportunities for partnering with industry, professional societies, non-governmental organizations, and state/local organizations on efforts to develop the future generations of scientists and engineers in DoD relevant fields.

 The PIAs Objectives and technical requirements are included as attachments: PIA Statement of Objectives (SOO) 2025 and technical requirements are included as attachment: PIA BRICC Statement of Work (SOW) 2025.

Past Performance

The Government will consider past performance from a variety of sources both inside and outside the Federal Government in accordance with policies and procedures as follows contained in FAR supart 9.1, 13.106, or subpart 15.3 as applicable. The Government will consider the quality of recent and relevant efforts (how well the contractor performed on the contracts). For each recent and relevant past performance effort reviewed. The assessment consists of an evaluation of all past performance information available, regardless of its source.

Cost Proposal

1.          The government will evaluate price for reasonableness.

2.          The offeror's cost proposal will be evaluated, for award purposes, based upon 2 CFR 200 Subpart E - Cost Principles.

3.          The offeror's Price proposal will l be evaluated, using the techniques defined in 2 CFR 200, in order to determine if it is fair and reasonable.

4.          The offeror's price must be determined fair and reason able to be eligible for award.

The Cost Proposal must be submitted as a Microsoft Excel sheet with all cells and formulas viewable, to include the labor categories, labor hours, direct labor rates associated with proposed categories, as well as fringe benefits, other direct costs (i.e. travel, materials) overhead , and G&A rates and costs, and any other components with all dollar amounts rounded to the nearest dollar. The Government may use information provided by DCMA, DCAA, ONR, or other information sources deemed appropriate by the Government. The proposed costs/rates shall be for the performance of all requirements as described in all solicitation documents.

All subcontractor costs/prices shall be identified separately in the proposal and also identify the percentage of work each subcontractor will perform under the contract. An analysis of subcontractor costs must be submitted with the proposal.

II. CAPABILITY STATEMENT:

 Capability Statements in response to this notice must include:

1.          Describe briefly the capabilities of your company and the nature of the services you provide.

2.          Describe your company’s past experience on previous projects similar to in complexity to this requirement. Please include government point of contact for these projects.

lll. BUSlNESS lNFORMATION:

Business Information in response to this notice must include the following:

• Company/Institute Name:
• Address:
• Point of Contact:
• CAGE Code:
• Phone Number:
• E -mail Address:
• Web Page URL:
• Size of business pursuant to North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code
• Corporate Status s
• Economic Development of Mission

Based on the above NAICS Code, state whether your company is:

• Small Business (Yes / No)
• Woman Owned Small Business (Yes / No)
• Small Disadvantaged Business (Yes / No)
• 8(a) Certified (Yes / No)
• HUBZone Certified (Yes / No)
• Veteran Owned Small Business (Yes / No)
• Service-Disabled Veteran Small Business (Yes / No)
• Is your company interested in possible subcontracting opportunities? (Yes / No)

IIII. SAM REGISTRATION

SAM Registration Required

All applicants must:

• Be registered in SAM.gov before submitting application.
• Provide a valid Unique Entity Identifier issued by SAM.gov as part of the registration process, and provide commercial and government entity (CAGE) code as issued by the Defense Logistics Agency through the SAM.gov registration process; and
• Continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times any Federal award is active, or when any application is under consideration by a Federal awarding agency.

SAM Exemption or Exceptions Not Available Under This Announcement

We will not Issue an Agency level exemption on to SAM registration under 2 CFR 25.110(d) for applicants under this announcement. You must comply with SAM registration requirements and include Organizational Unique Entity Identifier in the application, or we cannot make an award.

Questions about SAM Registrations and Updates

You can get questions about SAM registration entity updates answered by live chat at https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp and telephone at (866) 606-8220.

Help topics for SAM.gov are available at: https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp? l d=kbcategory&kbcategory=f56ee43edbfadcl 02c5f368f7c96l 906.

Consequences of Non -Compliance with SAM Registration Requirements

We cannot make an award to you unless you comply with SAM requirements. If you are non-compliant, we may determine you are not qualified to receive an award and use that determination to make an award to someone else as authorized by 2 CFR 25.205(b). You cannot receive payments without an active SAM record and CAGE code.

State and local government entities and their affiliates may qualify as Partnership Intermediaries. A Partnership Intermediary can be: (I) a state or local government agency; (2) a non-profit entity owned, operated, or funded in whole or in part by, or on behalf of, a state or local government; or 3) a non-profit entity chartered by a state or local government. 10 USC §2368 (f)(2); 15 USC §3715(c). A non-profit entity seeking to qualify as a partnership intermediary therefore must show a nexus to a state or local government. This nexus many consist of legislative sponsorship and/or (partial) funding, a defined state or local role in its operations, even if limited, or some form of government action demonstrating the organization is authorized to work on behalf of a state or local government.

Place of performance is anticipated to be within Arlington, VA.

Forward all responses to:

Leah Haugen, leah.haugen.1@us.af.mil

Mehwish Syed, mehwish.syed@us.af.mil

Subject line: “AFRL/AFOSR Partnership Intermediary Agreement: (PIA) Proposal”.

Responses must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. EST on 28 Jul 2025.

Responses shall not exceed 15 pages.

Notes: 

Proposal due date has been updated.

Statement of Work has been updated.

Response to RFP Questions have been posted.