Metal Casting BAA 0001-21

Amendment / Modification

This amendment (0004) to Solicitation BAA-0001-21 incorporates the following Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) clauses:

• FAR 52.230-2 Cost Accounting Standards (Jun 2020): This clause requires contractors to disclose their cost accounting practices, follow them consistently, and comply with CAS rules. It outlines procedures for changes to these practices and potential adjustments to contract price or cost allowance. It also mandates inclusion of similar clauses in subcontracts.

• FAR 52.230-3 Disclosure and Consistency of Cost Accounting Practices (Jun 2020): This clause details the requirements for complying with specific CAS standards (48 CFR 9904.401, 402, 405, 406), disclosing cost accounting practices, and ensuring consistency. It also addresses changes to practices and potential disputes.

• FAR 52.230-4 Disclosure and Consistency of Cost Accounting Practices-Foreign Concerns (Jun 2020): Similar to FAR 52.230-3, but specific to foreign concerns.

• FAR 52.230-5 Cost Accounting Standards-Educational Institution (Jun 2020): This clause is tailored for educational institutions, requiring disclosure of cost accounting practices and compliance with CAS rules, with specific considerations for OMB Uniform Guidance.

• FAR 52.230-6 Administration of Cost Accounting Standards (June 2010): This clause outlines the administrative procedures for managing CAS requirements, including submitting practice change descriptions, cost impact proposals (GDM and DCI), and handling noncompliance.

• The primary change is the addition of the aforementioned CAS clauses to the solicitation.

• This amendment does not appear to change proposal deadlines or submission requirements. However, bidders must be aware of and prepared to comply with the newly incorporated Cost Accounting Standards and their implications for cost estimation, accumulation, and reporting if awarded the contract.

Amendment / Modification

• This amendment corrects Attachment C of BAA 0001-21.

• The phrase "DLA Emergent III R&D BAA" has been replaced with "DLA Emergent Metal Castings R&D BAA" in Attachment C.

• Attachment C of BAA 0001-21.

• No impact on proposal deadlines or submission requirements is indicated. All other terms and conditions remain unchanged.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) from the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) seeks research and development proposals related to emergent metal casting requirements. The BAA is open for five years with a contract award ceiling of $90 million. Funding will be provided through individual task orders awarded under Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) cost-sharing contracts.

• Interested parties must submit "White Papers" describing specific projects related to the Areas of Interest listed in Attachment B.

• DLA will review White Papers to determine interest and feasibility.

• If a White Paper is of sufficient interest, DLA may request technical and cost proposals.

• Projects should aim to advance the state-of-the-art or increase knowledge in metal casting.

• The government intends to award one or more Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) cost-sharing contracts.

• Each IDIQ contract is planned for five years (three-year base, one two-year option), though shorter periods may be established.

• Contract types may include cost-sharing, cost-plus-fixed-fee, or fixed-price, but cost-sharing is preferred.

• White Papers: Submit via email to RANDD.DCSO@dla.mil. No deadline specified, but DLA aims to respond within 30 days.

• Technical Proposals: Only submitted if requested by DLA after White Paper review.

• Cost Proposals: Only submitted if requested by DLA, either with or after the technical proposal.

• Evaluation of technical proposals will be based on Scientific and Technical Merit, Viability, Desirability, and Past Performance, Capabilities, and Related Experience.

• Respondents must meet minimum standards for financial resources, accounting systems, performance schedules, past performance, integrity, organization, experience, operational controls, and technical skills/equipment.

• No specific set-asides are mentioned; however, subcontracting plans are required for large businesses and non-profits.

• The BAA is for research and development only; non-innovative concepts or marginal improvements are inappropriate.

• A template for White Papers is provided in Attachment C and is mandatory.

• Areas of Interest are detailed in Attachment B, including Improved Alloy Development, Innovative Simulation and Performance Modeling, Design and Process Optimization, Nondestructive Evaluation or Testing, Testing and Qualification Standards, Molds/Dies/Patterns, Respondent Area of Research Interest, and Procurement Solutions.

Amendment / Modification

• Incorporates Questions and Answers (Q&A) submitted in response to BAA-0001-21.

• Revises the BAA Introduction Section.

• BAA Introduction Section (revised).

• Q&A from subsequent pages (incorporated).

• The document clarifies the process for submitting White Papers and technical/price proposals.

• It confirms that the government intends to award Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) cost-sharing contracts, but reserves the right to award other contract types if deemed in the government's best interest. Submittals not based on cost-type, fixed-price, or Other Transactions will be rejected.

• Cost-sharing contracts are highly encouraged.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) from the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) seeks research and development proposals related to emergent metal casting requirements. The BAA is open for five years with a ceiling of $90 million for contract awards. Funding will be established against individual task orders.

• The BAA addresses DLA's need for scientific study and experimentation to advance the state-of-the-art in metal casting.

• Interested parties must submit a "White Paper" describing a specific project related to the Areas of Interest listed in Attachment B.

• If a White Paper is of sufficient interest, DLA may request technical and cost proposals.

• White Papers should address:

  • What the proposed work aims to accomplish.
  • How it is done currently, including limitations and challenges.
  • Who will benefit and the potential impact of success.
  • Estimated cost and timeline.

• The government intends to award one or more Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) cost sharing contracts.

• IDIQ contracts are planned for a five-year period (three-year base, one two-year option), though shorter periods may be established.

• DLA will consider White Papers and Technical Proposals for cost, cost-plus-fixed-fee, or fixed-price contracts, or other transactions, but reserves the right to award other contract types if deemed in the government's best interest.

• White Papers: Submit via email to RANDD.DCSO@dla.mil. The submission period is from 7/1/2021 through 6/30/2026.

• Technical Proposals: Will only be requested by DLA after White Paper review. Submission instructions will be provided via email.

• Cost Proposals: Will be requested by DLA after technical proposal review.

• Evaluation: Technical proposals will be evaluated based on Scientific and Technical Merit (Feasibility), Viability, Desirability, and Past Performance, Capabilities, and Related Experience. Cost realism will also be a factor.

• Respondents must meet minimum standards for financial resources, accounting systems, performance schedules, past performance, integrity, organization structure, experience, operational controls, technical skills, facilities, and equipment.

• No specific set-asides are mentioned.

• Non-innovative concepts or marginal improvements are inappropriate for this BAA.

• A template for White Papers is provided as Attachment C and is mandatory for all submissions.

• Source Selection Information is included throughout the document and must be marked accordingly.

Questions & Answers / Clarifications

This document provides answers to questions submitted in reference to BAA 0001-21.

• White Paper Due Date: The proposal due date of September 29, 2021, has been deleted. White Papers can be submitted anytime during the BAA open period (7/1/2021 - 6/30/2026). The government may request proposals after White Paper review, which will include a specific due date.
• Multiple Areas of Interest: A single project may address more than one BAA Area of Interest, but each White Paper can only contain one project.
• Technical Proposal Template: No template will be provided for Technical Proposals. Refer to Section IV and Section VII of the BAA for required contents and instructions.
• White Paper Page Limit: The table on the White Paper Cover Sheet (Attachment C) is for the cover sheet only. The total page limit for White Papers is 6 pages (1 cover sheet + 1 executive summary + 4 project summary pages).

This amendment clarifies submission timelines and page limit details for White Papers, and directs bidders to specific sections for technical proposal requirements.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) from the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) seeks research and development (R&D) in emergent metal casting requirements. The BAA is open for five years and has a ceiling of $90 million. Funding will be awarded through individual task orders.

• Interested parties must submit a "White Paper" describing a specific project related to an Area of Interest (listed in Attachment B).

• If a White Paper is of sufficient interest, DLA may request technical and cost proposals.

• Projects should focus on advancing the state-of-the-art or increasing knowledge in metal casting.

• DLA intends to award one or more Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) cost-sharing contracts.

• Contracts will typically have a three-year base period and a one-year option period, though shorter periods may be established.

• While cost-sharing is preferred, DLA will consider cost, cost-plus-fixed-fee, or fixed-price contracts, or Other Transactions, if deemed in the best interest of the Government.

• White Papers: Submit via email to RANDD.DCSO@dla.mil. DLA aims to respond within 30 calendar days.

• Technical Proposals: Only submitted upon request by the Contracting Officer after White Paper review.

• Cost Proposals: Submitted only if requested by the Contracting Officer.

• Evaluation will be based on scientific and technical merit, viability, desirability, and past performance. Cost realism will also be considered.

• Respondents must meet minimum standards for financial resources, accounting systems, performance, integrity, organization, experience, controls, technical skills, and facilities.

• The document emphasizes providing opportunities for small businesses, including SDBs, WOSBs, HUBZones, VOSBs, and SDVOSBs.

• This BAA is the sole solicitation; no other solicitations will be issued.

• Non-innovative concepts or marginal improvements are considered inappropriate.

• Source Selection Information is included throughout the document.

Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)

This Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) from the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) seeks research and development proposals related to emergent metal casting requirements. The BAA is open for five years with a ceiling of $90 million, with funding established against individual task orders, not the BAA itself. The goal is to advance the state-of-the-art or increase knowledge in areas related to metal casting.

• Interested parties must submit an initial "White Paper" describing a specific project related to the Areas of Interest (listed in Attachment B).

• If a White Paper is of sufficient interest, DLA may request technical and cost proposals.

• The process involves three steps: White Paper submission, optional technical proposal submission (if requested), and optional cost proposal submission (if requested).

• Deliverables for individual projects may include study plans, monthly progress reports, interim briefings, meeting minutes, presentation materials, final reports, and any developed software or algorithms.

• The DLA intends to award one or more Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) cost-sharing contracts.

• The period of performance for the IDIQ contracts is up to 5 years (3-year base + 2-year option).

• While cost-sharing contracts are preferred, DLA will consider cost, cost-plus-fixed-fee, or fixed-price contracts, or Other Transactions, if deemed in the Government's best interest.

• White Papers are submitted via email to RANDD.DCSO@dla.mil.

• Technical and cost proposals, if requested, are submitted via email or DoD SAFE for larger files.

• White Papers are reviewed for technical feasibility and viability, not evaluated against each other.

• Technical proposals will be evaluated based on Scientific and Technical Merit, Viability, Desirability, and Past Performance, Capabilities, and Related Experience.

• Cost realism will be a factor in evaluating cost proposals.

• DLA reserves the right to award multiple, some, or no awards.

• NAICS Code: 541715 - Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology).

• Respondents must meet minimum standards for financial resources, accounting systems, performance, integrity, experience, etc.

• Small business participation is strongly encouraged.

• This BAA is the sole solicitation; no other solicitations will be issued.

• White papers for non-innovative or marginal improvements are inappropriate.

• Proposal prices must remain valid for 180 days.

• Source Selection Information is included throughout the document.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) intends to award a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for scientific study and experimentation to advance the state-of-the-art or increase knowledge in Areas of Interest related to Metal Casting. Interested parties are required to submit an initial "White Paper" describing a specific project.

The BAA outlines several Areas of Interest for research and development:

• Improved Alloy Development: Focus on identifying and demonstrating alloys for improved quality, service life, sustainability, and reduced cost/production time, applicable to multiple DoD weapon systems.

• Innovative Simulation and Performance Modeling: Focus on process modeling to identify and predict end item properties and performance, aiming to reduce lead-time and increase part performance.

• Design and Process Optimization: Focus on non-traditional production methods (e.g., additive manufacturing, hybrid steel/composite materials) applicable to multiple DoD weapon systems.

• Nondestructive Evaluation or Testing: Focus on improving methodologies to inspect and evaluate steel castings, including updated NDT standards and counterfeit detection.

• Testing and Qualification Standards: Focus on developing standards for current materials and test methods, identifying alternative materials, and providing quality standards for legacy requirements.

• Molds, Dies and Patterns: Focus on identifying and demonstrating advanced methodologies or technologies for creating molds, dies, or patterns that offer benefits like reduced cost, lead-time, or improved part performance.

• Respondent Area of Research Interest: Projects involving casting processes or materials not covered above, such as research in identifying and eliminating defects.

• The BAA ceiling is estimated at $90 Million.

• The BAA will remain open for five years.

• The period of performance will consist of a Three-Year Base Period with one, Two-Year Option Period.

• Interested parties must submit an initial "White Paper" describing their project.

• If White Papers are deemed of sufficient interest, DLA may request technical and cost proposals.

• Proposals must generally be for cost-sharing contracts. DLA will consider cost, cost-plus-fixed-fee completion, or fixed-price contracts, or Other Transactions, but reserves the right to award other contract types if in the Government's best interest. Submittals not based on cost-type or fixed-price contracts, or Other Transactions, will be rejected.

• Set-aside Status: Unrestricted.

• The anticipated closing date is July 2021, but is subject to change based on the solicitation issuance date.

• The majority of the work will be performed at the Contractor-provided facility.