One-Step Open BAA, US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Indo-Pacific Fundamental Research Collaboration Opportunities

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This is a One-Step Open Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) from the Pacific Air Force (PACAF) for the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Indo-Pacific Fundamental Research Collaboration Opportunities. The BAA aims to solicit fundamental (basic and applied) research collaboration in the Indo-Pacific region, focusing on discovery, development, and integration of novel science and technologies. Engagements in the Continental United States are NOT supported.

• Research efforts are defined in Attachment 6, Statement of Objective(s) (SOO).

• Deliverables may include Data Items (specified via DD Forms 1423-1, CDRLs), Software, and Hardware (e.g., manufacturing demonstration articles, test articles/samples, contractor-acquired property).

• OPSEC guidance is provided in the SOO.

• Export Control: Efforts may be subject to Export Control (ITAR/EAR). A Certified DD Form 2345 may be required.

• Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) may apply.

• Government Furnished Property (GFP) availability is unlikely.

• Base Support / Network Access is not anticipated.

• Data Rights: The Government generally seeks Unlimited Rights for noncommercial technical data and computer software developed with Government funds. Government Purpose Rights are sought for development with mixed funding. Offerors must clearly explain any restrictions or limitations on data rights.

• Anticipated contract type is Firm-Fixed Price, but other types may be awarded.

• Period of performance for each award will vary. The BAA is open for 60 months (5 years) from the initial publication date.

• Individual award value is anticipated to be between $5,000.00 and $9,500,000.00, though contract values may vary.

• Multiple awards are anticipated.

• Full Proposals are due within 60 months (5 years) of the initial publication date.

• Submission is electronic via email or DoD SAFE Site.

• Proposals will be reviewed based on Technical, Relevance, Qualifications, and Cost Realism/Reasonableness criteria.

• Proposals may be categorized as Selectable or Not Selectable.

• The Government reserves the right to award some, all, or none of the proposals.

• Award notices are expected approximately 30 days after receipt of a complete proposal.

• This is an unrestricted solicitation.

• Small businesses, nonprofits, and not-for-profit organizations located in the Indo-Pacific are encouraged to propose.

• Cost Sharing is not required.

• Offerors are advised that only Contracting Officers can commit the Government.

• The cost of preparing proposals is not considered a direct charge but may be an allowable indirect cost.

• Technical/Management proposals are limited to 20 pages; SOWs are limited to 10 pages.

• Cost/Business proposals have no page limitations.

• Attachments include Model Contract, Representations and Certifications, Cost Proposal Template, CDRLs, SOO, and others.

Statement of Work (SOW) / Performance Work Statement (PWS)

This Statement of Work outlines the requirements for services related to the International Technology Center Indo-Pacific (ITC IPAC).

• Deliverables: The contractor is expected to provide several key deliverables, including a Project Proposal, an Interim Report, and a Final Report. The Final Report includes a draft version, the final version, a financial report, and a report presentation.

• Payments: Invoices for completed deliverables will be submitted after ITC IPAC's acceptance. Payment is contingent upon ITC IPAC's certification of the invoice.

• Deliverables must be accepted by ITC IPAC.

• Invoices require ITC IPAC's certification for payment.

Not explicitly stated in the provided text.

• Contractor Employees: Restrictions apply to hiring current U.S. Government employees or individuals under contract to the U.S. Government if it creates a conflict of interest. Approval is required to employ DoD personnel.
• Publication Review: All research findings intended for public release must be coordinated with the government.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is an Excel spreadsheet serving as a cost proposal template for bidders. It outlines the structure for detailing labor, overhead, equipment, materials, IT systems, publication costs, travel, and other direct costs, as well as indirect costs, across a base period and four option periods.

• Currency Conversion: Provides a rate of 0.718101 USD/AUD.
• Labor: Sections for various roles (e.g., Principal Investigator, Research Assistant, PhD Students) with fields for hourly rate, hours, annual rate, FTE, and total costs in AUD and USD.
• Labor Overhead (Burden): Details on-costs with associated rates.
• Equipment, Materials & Supplies, Computing Devices, Publication Costs, Travel, Other Direct Costs: Sections for itemized costs in USD and AUD, including quantity and total amounts. References to attachments (2c through 2h) for specific details.
• Indirect Costs: Includes operating expenses with direct cost basis and rates.
• Period Totals: Summarizes costs for the Base Year and Option Period 1, with zero totals for Option Periods 2-4.

This template is crucial for bidders to structure and submit their cost proposals in a format consistent with the government's requirements. It guides the breakdown of all anticipated expenses, ensuring comprehensive and comparable cost submissions across all offerors. Bidders must use this template to detail their pricing for labor, materials, travel, and other direct/indirect costs for the base and option periods.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document, "Section K - Representations, Certification, & Other Statements," provides instructions and lists various provisions and clauses that offerors must review and complete as part of their proposal submission. It details specific requirements for annual representations and certifications, including those related to telecommunications and video surveillance services, previous contracts, and other compliance matters.

• FAR 52.204-8 (Annual Representations & Certifications): Requires completion of specific paragraphs, with notes indicating that some sections are replaced by DFARS 252.204-7007.
• FAR 52.204-24 (Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment): Requires check boxes to be completed in paragraph (d).
• FAR 52.204-26 (Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services-Representation): Requires check boxes to be completed in paragraph (c).
• FAR 52.222-22 (Previous Contracts and Compliance Reports): Requires check boxes to be completed.
• DFARS 252.204-7007 (Alternate A - Annual Representations and Certifications): Substitutes certain paragraphs of FAR 52.204-8 and requires completion of check boxes and a table if changes exist.
• DFARS 252.227-7017 (Identification and Assertion of Use, Release, or Disclosure Restrictions): Requires completion if the proposal involves the delivery of technical data; otherwise, it does not need to be completed. Assertions must be submitted as an attachment.
• SAM.gov Integration: Many representations and certifications can be completed electronically via the SAM website, with a verification process required.

This document is critical for bidders as it outlines the mandatory representations and certifications required for proposal submission. Failure to complete these accurately and in the specified format may render an offer ineligible for award. Bidders must carefully review each provision and complete the required sections, either directly or by referencing their SAM.gov profile, ensuring all information is current, accurate, and applicable to the solicitation.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document, "Additional Key Personnel Information" (Attachment 9), is a form required for the Broad Agency Announcement FA52092250001. It is used to collect detailed information about any key personnel or investigators who will be associated with the project.

• Other Key Personnel/Investigator Information: Collects name, contact details (phone, email), organization, position, department, and academic qualifications (degrees, previous employment, publications).
• Current & Pending Support: Requires details on any current or pending support for the project and other projects, including source of support, award amount, period covered, and person-months committed.
• Privacy Act Completion: Includes sections for "Covered Individual" and "Institution Name" and requires acknowledgment of consent.

Bidders must complete this form accurately for all key personnel and investigators proposed for the opportunity. Failure to provide this information may delay or prevent the consideration of the proposal. It helps the government assess the qualifications and resource commitment of the proposed team.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document, "20230417 BAA ITC IPAC Atch 8 Coversheet and Principal Investigator Information.pdf", serves as Attachment 8 to a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) and is a Project Submission Coversheet. It requires applicants to provide detailed information about their organization, SAM registration, project, point of contact, funding request, authorized contract representative, and principal investigator.

• Applicant Information: Legal name, department/division, address, country.
• SAM Registration Information: Status, expiration date, UEI, CAGE.
• Application Point of Contact: Name, telephone, email, organization, position.
• Project Information: Descriptive title, proposed start and end dates.
• Estimated Funding Information: Total ITC IPAC Funds Requested.
• Authorized Contract Representative: Name, telephone, email, organization, position.
• Principal Investigator Information: Prefix, name, organization, position, department, phone, email, degrees, previous employment/experience, publications.
• Current and Pending Support: Details on current and future funding for the project and other projects.
• Privacy Act Statement: Information regarding the collection and use of personal data, requiring consent and signatures.

This coversheet is essential for bidders to accurately complete and submit their proposals. It outlines all the required organizational, personnel, project, and financial details needed for the application. Failure to provide complete and accurate information may result in the rejection of the application.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is a Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL), DD Form 1423-1, used to specify data items required from a contractor. It outlines the specific data deliverables, their format, frequency of submission, and other requirements.

• Data Item Number and Title: Identifies the specific data deliverable.
• Authority: Cites the document defining the data requirements (e.g., DID, military specification).
• Contract Reference: Links the data item to a specific contract task or SOW paragraph.
• Distribution: Specifies addressees and the number of copies (draft/final).
• Submission Requirements: Details frequency, first submission date, and subsequent submission dates.
• Price Group: Categorizes the effort required to produce the data for pricing purposes (Groups I-IV).
• Estimated Total Price: The portion of the total contract price attributable to the data item.

This form is crucial for bidders to understand the specific documentation and reporting requirements that will be imposed if they are awarded the contract. It details what data must be produced, when it is due, and how it should be formatted, directly impacting proposal preparation and contract performance.

Statement of Work (SOW) / Performance Work Statement (PWS)

This document outlines the "Statement of Objectives" (SOO) for fundamental research proposals in engineering, physical, life, and information sciences. The goal is to "Operationalize Science for Transformational Overmatch."

The research sought aligns with eleven Foundational Research Competencies, including:

• Biological and Biotechnology Sciences (BBS)
• Electromagnetic Spectrum Sciences (EMSS)
• Energy Sciences (ES)
• Humans in Complex Systems (HCxS)
• Mechanical Sciences (MS)
• Military Information Sciences (MIS)
• Network, Cyber and Computational Sciences (NC&CS)
• Photonics, Electronics, and Quantum Sciences (PE&QS)
• Sciences of Extreme Materials (SEM)
• Terminal Effects (TE)
• Weapons Sciences (WS)

Proposals are invited from various entities, including higher education institutions, non-profits, state and local governments, foreign organizations, and for-profit businesses (large and small). The research should focus on creating discovery, innovation, and transition of technologies for transformational overmatch, with a potential for significant impact on enabling new and improved operational capabilities.

• Period of Performance (PoP) for each award is anticipated to be between 6 to 60 months.

• Deliverables: To be determined per award, with a list of CDRLs attached to the BAA.

• Security Requirements: Contractors must participate in OPSEC, Information Security, Personnel Security, and Antiterrorism programs. Subcontractors must also comply.

• Program Protection Plan (PPP): Potential critical program information (CPI) will be reviewed for PPP requirements.

• Contractor Employees: Restrictions apply to hiring current US Government employees or those under contract to the US Government to avoid conflicts of interest. Employment of DoD employees requires approval.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This document is a Solicitation, Offer and Award form (Standard Form 33) for a "model contract." The terms and conditions are subject to change by the actual acquisition. It outlines the structure for submitting offers and for the government to make an award.

• Section B details "Supplies or Services & Prices or Costs" with line items (0001, 0002, 0003) and option line items (1001, 1002, 1003). Each item has a placeholder for "Item Description," "Product Service Code: XXXX," and "Pricing Arrangement: Firm Fixed Price."

• Section C, "Description/Specifications/Statement of Work," states that requirements are detailed in the Statement of Work listed at Section J.

• Section E, "Inspection and Acceptance," specifies that supplies/services will be inspected/accepted at the U.S. Army International Technology Center Pacific (ITC-IPAC) and lists relevant FAR clauses.

• Section F, "Deliveries or Performance," outlines the "Overall Contract Delivery Period" with placeholders for delivery dates and periods of performance for each line item and option line item, with the destination being the ITC-IPAC.

• The contract type is indicated as "Negotiated (RFP)" in Item 4.

• Pricing arrangements are specified as "Firm Fixed Price" for all listed items and option line items.

• Offers are to be submitted to the address in Item 8.

• Item 12 indicates that the offer must be completed by the offeror and is valid for a specified number of calendar days (default 60).

• Section L, "Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Offerors," is referenced in the Table of Contents.

• Section M, "Evaluation Factors for Award," is also referenced in the Table of Contents.

• Not explicitly detailed in the provided sections, but the solicitation type (RFP) suggests evaluation criteria will be provided.

• The document is a "model contract" and subject to change.

• Section J lists "SOW" as an attachment with a placeholder date.

• Various DFARS and FAR clauses are incorporated by reference throughout the document, covering areas such as tax relief, payment instructions (WAWF), patent rights, prompt payment, and contract alterations.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document provides guidance and a template for bidders to submit their R&D proposal budget narrative and justification. It aims to assist the review process by ensuring proposed support directly enables the innovative research.

• Budget Justification: Detailed explanation of how proposed support enables research objectives.
• Currency Conversion: Instructions for non-USD costs, requiring documentation of costs and conversion rates (e.g., xe.com).
• Exchange Rates: Provided rates for Yen, Singapore Dollar, and South Korean Won for FY23.
• Performance Period: Guidance on structuring projects (1-3 years, up to 5 years) in 12-month increments (base + option periods).
• Cost Categories: Specific instructions and tables for detailing costs in the following areas:
  • Personnel (including salary basis, fringe benefits, and justification for direct administrative/clerical costs)
  • Equipment (definition, justification, vendor quotes, and table format)
  • Materials and Supplies (necessity, cost estimation, and table format)
  • Computing Devices and IT Systems (necessity, cost estimation, and table format)
  • Publications (estimation, expected publishers, and table format)
  • Travel and Conference Attendance (essentiality, per diem basis, airfare justification, and conference details)
  • Other Direct Costs (definition, cost, use, necessity, estimation, and table format)
  • Indirect Costs (overhead rates, cost, and requirements for negotiated rates or de minimis rate)
• Documentation Requirements: Emphasis on attaching supporting documents such as salary tables, vendor quotes, price quotations, institutional policies, and negotiated rate agreements.

This document is crucial for bidders as it outlines the specific format and content required for the budget and cost proposal. Adhering to these guidelines, including providing detailed justifications and necessary documentation for all cost categories, is essential for a compliant and competitive proposal submission. It also clarifies the government's policies on allowable costs and indirect rates.