AERIAL LAYER NETWORKING & TRANSMISSION TECHNOLOGIES

Amendment / Modification

This document is Amendment 6 to Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) FA8750-23-S-7002, which serves to republish the original announcement with incorporated previous amendments. Key changes include:

• Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Reference: Updated to "Assistance Listing number."
• Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence (FOCI) Language: Updated in Section III.2.b.2.
• Information Protection Contact: Updated in Section IV.3.a.
• Provision Date: Updated in Section IV.4.b.
• CFR Hyperlink: Updated in Section IV.4.c.
• New Language Added: In Section IV.4.e.
• S&T Review Language: Updated in Section V.2.c.
• Proposal Formatting Language: Updated in Section VI.1.
• Provisions: Updated in Section VI.7.
• New Paragraphs Added: Section VI now includes paragraphs 10 (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) Compliance) and 11 (Financial Resources).
• OMBUDSMAN: Updated in Section VII.

Sections I, III, IV, V, VI, and VII of the original announcement have been affected by these modifications.

No changes to proposal deadlines or submission requirements are explicitly stated as a result of this amendment, beyond the updates to specific sections and language within the document. Offerors are advised to monitor SAM.gov for further amendments. The BAA remains open until September 30, 2027.

Amendment / Modification

This amendment (No. 5) updates the solicitation FA8750-23-S-7002 by modifying specific sections related to Science and Technology (S&T) Protection and the review process.

• Section III, Paragraph 5 (S&T Protection): Updates language concerning the Security Risk Review process. This includes details on the review's purpose (protecting Department of the Air Force S&T from foreign influence), the information used (questionnaires, publicly available data, internal databases), and that nationality is not a determining factor. It also outlines required documentation for proposals (SF 424, Security Program Questionnaire, Privacy Act Statement for Covered Individuals) and the consequences of identified security risks (potential decline of award).

• Section V, Paragraph 2.e (S&T Review): Updates language regarding the S&T review within the proposal evaluation process. It clarifies that the SF424, Senior and Key Person Profile Worksheet, Security Program Questionnaire, and Privacy Act Statement are reviewed in parallel with technical evaluations to satisfy S&T Protection requirements. It reiterates that if a security risk exceeds the acceptable threshold, the Offeror will be notified of the award declination.

• Section III, Paragraph 5

• Section V, Paragraph 2.e

No changes to proposal deadlines are indicated. However, bidders must ensure they submit the updated or clarified documentation related to S&T Protection as outlined in the amended sections. Failure to comply with S&T Protection requirements, including providing accurate and complete information on personnel, may lead to award declination.

Amendment / Modification

This modification republishes the original announcement, incorporating previous amendments, to address the following changes:

• Part I, Overview Information: Updated language regarding the "type of instruments that may be awarded."
• Part II, Full Text Announcement:
  • Section IV: Added language regarding responsible sources.
  • Section IV.2: Updated white paper content and format instructions.
  • Section IV.4.a: Added language to the cost sharing or matching paragraph.
  • Section VI.1: Updated proposal formatting language.
  • Section IV.3: Updated debriefing language.
  • Section VII: Updated provisions.
  • Section VII: Updated the OMBUDSMAN.

Parts I, II (Sections IV, VI, VII), and VI.

White paper content and format instructions have been updated. Proposal formatting language has also been updated. Offerors should review the updated sections carefully. No changes to submission deadlines were indicated in this amendment.

Amendment / Modification

This modification updates the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) Program Manager contact information.

• Updated Program Manager: Peter Fitzgerald

• New Contact Information:

  • AFRL/RITGB
  • 525 Brooks Rd, Rome, NY 13441-4505
  • Telephone: (315)330-2082
  • Email: peter.fitzgerald.1@us.af.mil

• Agency Contact Information (Part I and Part VII)

No changes to submission deadlines, requirements, or evaluation factors are indicated by this modification. Bidders should use the updated contact information for inquiries.

Amendment / Modification

This amendment modifies the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) FA8750-23-S-7002 as follows:

• Part II, Section I: Adds a paragraph to the Technology Description.
• Part II, Section V.2.b.2: Adds language concerning the S&T process.
• Part II, Section VI.7: Updates applicable provisions.
• Part II, Section VII: Updates the OMBUDSMAN date and changes AFFARS to DAFFARS.

Sections I, V, VI, and VII of Part II of the BAA have been updated.

No changes to proposal submission deadlines or evaluation factors are indicated. Bidders should ensure they are referencing the updated sections of the BAA.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) solicits white papers for research, development, integration, test, and evaluation of technologies for Airborne Network Connectivity and Dissemination. The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) seeks innovations to create a more on-demand, self-forming, and self-healing aerial layer network, moving beyond current architectures that require significant pre-planning and have limited interoperability. This BAA is a follow-on to FA8750-19-S-7001.

Research efforts should focus on advancing aerial layer networking capabilities, particularly in contested, degraded, and operationally limited (CDO) environments. Key areas of interest include:

• Airborne Network Management and Monitoring: Novel concepts, tools, and techniques for managing current and emerging airborne networks, including self-managing, self-healing autonomic wireless capabilities (e.g., SDN, NFV).

• Robust Airborne Networking: Technologies for apertures, waveforms, and networking to ensure robust and resilient airborne networks, enhancing security and reliability.

• Demonstrable Aerial Layer Network Technologies: Advanced radios, waveforms, networking, and management technologies suitable for proof-of-concept demonstrations.

• BAA Number: FA8750-23-S-7002

• NAICS Code: 541715

• Estimated Funding: Approximately $99.5M total.

• Anticipated Awards: Multiple awards are anticipated.

• Award Instruments: FAR-based Procurement contracts, DODGARS-based grants and cooperative agreements, or Other Transactions (OTs).

• Individual Award Size: Typically $1M to $10M, not normally exceeding 36 months. Potential for awards up to $49.5M.

• Type: Open, Two-Step BAA. White papers are accepted as initial submissions; formal proposals are by invitation only.

• Submission Dates: White papers are accepted until September 30, 2027. Suggested submission dates for FY23-FY27 are provided to align with projected funding (FY23 by March 2, 2023; FY24 by Sept 15, 2023; FY25 by Sept 15, 2024; FY26 by Sept 15, 2025; FY27 by Sept 15, 2026).

• White Paper Format: 3-5 pages, double-spaced, 12-point font. Specific sections required (Title, Period of Performance, Cost, Company Info, Technical/Contracting POCs; Task Objective; Technical Summary/Deliverables).

• Evaluation Criteria: Overall Scientific and Technical Merit, Related Experience, Openness/Maturity/Assurance of Solution, and Reasonableness/Realism of proposed costs.

• General Eligibility: All qualified offerors.

• Foreign Participation: Closed to foreign participation (ownership and nationals), with exceptions for unclassified fundamental research. Specific requirements for foreign nationals and FOCI companies are detailed.

• FFRDCs/Government Entities: Subject to competition limitations; specific eligibility criteria apply.

• Offerors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM).

• Specific requirements for S&T Protection, Cloud Computing, and Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCI) are detailed.

• Technical questions should be directed to Timothy Weaver; contractual questions to Amber Buckley.