Scientific Management Advice for Research and Technology (SMART)

This notice announces the release of the draft solicitation for industry review and feedback for future anticipated solicitation No. FA9453-15-R-0003 entitled Scientific Management Advice for Research and Technology (SMART). These documents are in draft form. Our objective in providing these documents is to promote early exchange of information with industry and solicit comments regarding the acquisition. The Government is interested in your comments regarding this draft Request for Proposal. Your response to this draft RFP is voluntary and all comments will become the property of the Government. Your comments will remain anonymous unless your release is obtained in writing.

This is a draft RFP only and not a Request for Proposals (RFP). This is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. No proposals shall be accepted. Any costs incurred as a result of this announcement shall be borne by the offeror and will not be charged to the Government for reimbursement.

There are security requirements for this effort. The final RFP will have DD Forms 254, Contract Security Classification Specification, available for review.

The Sources Sought and Pre-Solicitation Notice previously posted in FedBizOpps under solicitation numbers FA9453-14-R-0368 and FA9453-15-R-0003, respectively, resulted in the determination that a small business set-aside was not warranted. Competition will be full and open (unrestricted) for this solicitation.

Interested parties are to submit questions and/or comments on or before 05 Jan 2015, 1200 hours MST via email to AFRL.RVKVS.FBOCENTER@us.af.mil.

THIS IS A PRESOLICITATION NOTICE. This is not a not a Request for proposal (RFP), Request for Quotation (RFQ), or an Invitation for Bid (IFB), nor does this issuance restrict the Government's acquisition approach. The Government reserves the right to reject in whole or in part any industry input as a result of this announcement. This notice is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. PROPOSALS/STATEMENTS OF CAPABILITY/PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS ARE NOT REQUESTED, NOR ARE THEY DESIRED FOR THIS NOTICE. IN ADDITION, PLEASE REVIEW THE ATTACHMENT ENTITLED "SMART RULES OF ENGAGEMENT" PRIOR TO CONTACTING THE GOVERNMENT POINTS OF CONTACT.

Description of Services:

The scope of this work shall encompass professional services related to military space and directed energy research for: strategic and technology planning for, business, leadership and organizational development for, and integration of, space, directed energy and missile defense technology developments with Air Force Major Command needs; cooperative requirements and technology planning with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) space technology development centers; and technical analysis and management support of joint technology development programs with the Missile Defense Agency, High Energy Laser Joint Technology Office and the Operationally Responsive Space Office. The effort will encompass the planning, coordination, analysis, and evaluation of the development and/or production of systems/subsystems/technologies to meet cost, schedule and performance criteria as well as the ability to plan, analyze and evaluate research and development, engineering and technical efforts used to define total weapon system/subsystem/technology space and directed energy requirements. In addition, the services of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) in the fields of space and directed energy may be required on a full time, part time, or temporary basis to review the status of ongoing programs, provide recommendations for redirection of existing or establishment of new programs and develop and/or deliver information (in the form of briefings, papers, participation in meetings, etc.) to higher level AF, DOD and other organizations. This effort will not include any physical laboratory research, testing, development, or production of any hardware or software systems/subsystems/technologies.

SMEs must be highly qualified with experience involving space and/or directed energy activities as well as having a thorough understanding of the AF and AFRL Planning, Programming, Budgeting & Execution (PPBE) process (based on experience and/or education) and have high professional standing within the space and directed energy community of interest.

To meet the needs of the AFRL/RV, potential contractors shall possess a thorough understanding of the challenges facing space technologies in the areas of: Defensive Space Control; Space Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance; Space Communications, Positioning, Navigation and Timing; and Space Situational Awareness. Furthermore, potential contractors will need a thorough understanding of directed energy technologies such as high-powered electromagnetics; laser systems, directed energy and electro-optics for space superiority; and directed energy weapons modeling and simulation to meet the needs of the warfighter. A major component of this requirement is the advising/guidance of future technical strategic portfolio planning and organizational and business development, to include future technology development/investments involving space and/or directed energy technologies. In order to meet the needs of both directorates, potential contractors will be required to have experience in Air Force or AFRL planning processes (Planning, Programming, Budgeting, & Execution (PPBE)).

This advisory and assistance services effort requires the following demonstrated expertise involving space and directed energy technologies:
• Providing technical analysis reports, strategic planning documents, technical consultation, systems engineering analyses, and senior financial advice on space and directed energy technology investment strategies;
• Analyses to identify potential space and directed energy business development and organizational development opportunities and methods for pursuing these opportunities;
• Interfacing directly with the various Major Commands', System Program Offices', academia's or commercial industry's plans and programs offices and leadership to provide strategic consultation on future space or directed energy systems taking into account projected science and technology advances; and
• Conducting studies to evaluate the payoff of emerging, developing, and current technologies for application to advanced space and directed energy systems.

If a subsequent acquisition or a related effort should result, a 3-year Indefinite-Delivery Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) task order is anticipated. This effort is estimated at ~ 33 man-years annually. The Government expects that contractors will have access to or will generate data that is unclassified and/or classified with limited distribution and/or subject to U.S. Export Control laws reference DFARS Clause 252.225-7048, "Export-Controlled Items." This requires certification with the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) located at http://www.dlis.dla.mil/jcp/search.aspx. Additionally, an organizational conflict of interest clause will be incorporated within any resultant contract, reference AFFARS Clause 5352.209-9000, "Organizational Conflict of Interest" (OCT 2010), to include Alternates I, II, III, IV, & VI, and AFFARS Clause 5352.209-9001, "Potential Organizational Conflict of Interest" (OCT 2010). Security Requirements for the effort would be up to Top Secret/SCI.

The Contracting Officer has determined if a subsequent acquisition should result from this notice the requirement will be solicited as Full and Open Competition, i.e., Unrestricted. The RFP number will be FA9453-15-R-0003 in lieu of FA9453-14-R-0368. Additionally, a draft RFP may be posted as early as 08 December 2014 for the requirements outlined within the original notice.