Signals Intelligence Focused Technologies for Exploitation and Reporting (SIFTER)

Amendment / Modification

This document is Amendment 4, which republishes the original announcement (FA8750-24-S-7007) incorporating previous amendments. Key changes include:

• Part II, Section III.2.b.2: Updates Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence (FOCI) guidance.
• Part II, Section IV.4.b: Updates the provision date.
• Part II, Section V.2: Corrects numbering and updates paragraph e language.
• Part II, Section V.4: Updates thresholds.
• Part II, Section VI.1: Updates proposal formatting language.
• Part II, Section VI.7: Updates provisions.
• Part II, Section VI: Adds paragraph 9.
• Part II, Section VII: Updates the Ombudsman information.

Specific sections within Part II (Sections III.2.b.2, IV.4.b, V.2, V.4, VI.1, VI.7, VI, and VII) have been updated.

Proposal formatting language has been updated in Section VI.1. Offerors should refer to the latest versions of the AFRL "Broad Agency Announcement (BAA): Guide for Industry" and "RI-Specific Proposal Preparation Instructions" for proposal development. No changes to proposal deadlines or evaluation factors are explicitly mentioned beyond the formatting update.

Amendment / Modification

This modification (Amendment No. 2) updates the Technical Point of Contact (TPOC) throughout the synopsis. The ARA Manager, Charles Estrella, is now listed as the primary contact for technical inquiries.

• Part I, Agency Contact Information
• Part II, Section VII, Agency Contacts

No changes to proposal deadlines, requirements, or evaluation factors are indicated by this amendment. Bidders should ensure they are using the updated contact information for technical questions.

Amendment / Modification

This amendment updates the solicitation 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 regarding the Security Risk Review process. This includes:
  • Clarification that proposals are subject to a Security Risk Review prior to award.
  • Specification that reviews are based on information in the Research and Related Senior and Key Person Profile and Security Questionnaire, along with publicly available and internal government data. Nationality or citizenship is not a determining factor.
  • Details on the holistic decision-making process and risk factors considered.
  • Requirements for applicants/recipients to submit specific forms (Standard Form 424, Research and Related Senior and Key Person Profile (Expanded), Security Program Questionnaire, and Privacy Act Statement consent forms for Covered Individuals) with their proposals, depending on the instrument type (Grant/CA vs. Contract/OTA).
  • Notification procedures if a security risk exceeds the acceptable threshold.
  • Certification requirements for applicants/recipients regarding awareness of disclosure requirements, prosecution for false representations, and the establishment of internal processes to address foreign talent programs, conflicts of interest, and research integrity.
  • Requirements for Covered Individuals to disclose current and pending research support and sign a Privacy Act Statement.
  • Annual re-submission of the Senior and Key Person Profile during the period of performance and requirements for updating this profile when new covered individuals are added.
  • Notification requirements for applicants/recipients if Senior/Key Research Personnel are believed to be participants in Foreign Government Talent Programs or have Foreign Components with strategic competitors.
• Section V, Paragraph 2.e (Review and Selection Process): Updates language regarding the S&T review.
  • Clarifies that in parallel with the technical evaluation, the Government will review the SF424, Research and Related Senior and Key Person Profile Worksheet, Security Program Questionnaire, and Privacy Act Statement to satisfy S&T Protection requirements.
  • Reiterates that if a security risk is identified and exceeds the acceptable threshold, the Offeror will be notified of the declination of award.

No changes to proposal deadlines are indicated. However, bidders must ensure they submit the updated and required S&T Protection documentation as detailed in the amendment to comply with the revised requirements.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This is an Advanced Research Announcement (ARA) for the Signals Intelligence Focused Technologies for Exploitation and Reporting (SIFTER) program. The Department of the Air Force is seeking innovative research to investigate algorithms, methodologies, and techniques for enhanced signal information exploitation, dissemination, and analytics of existing and emerging adversarial systems. This ARA is open until September 28, 2029.

Areas of emphasis include:

• Onboard processing enhancements for ISR platforms.
• High-speed signal detection and prosecution technology.
• Cross-domain multi-sensor/multi-platform data analytics.
• Open System Architecture (OSA) compliance.

Specific Technology Areas (TAs) include:

• Technologies for Electronic Intelligence (radar signal detection/geolocation).
• Technologies for Signals Intelligence Analytics (SIGINT multi-intelligence data aggregation).
• Technologies for Autonomous Processing (automated SIGINT architectures).
• Technologies for Resilient Exploitation (SIGINT in Denied, Degraded, Interrupted, and Limited (DDIL) environments).
• Technologies for Cyber-SIGINT Cross Domain (cyber awareness and operations).

Deliverables may include capability artifacts, performance evaluations, system/software interface control documentation, and source code.

• ARA Number: FA8750-24-S-7007

• Estimated Funding: Approximately $99.9M total.

• Individual Award Value: Typically $1M to $5M, not normally exceeding 60 months, but can be up to the ARA ceiling.

• Anticipated Awards: Multiple Awards.

• Award Instruments: FAR-based procurement contracts or Other Transactions (OTs) under 10 USC 4021, 4022, 4023.

• Potential for follow-on production contracts/transactions after successful prototype completion.

• This is a two-step ARA. Only white papers are accepted as initial submissions.

• Formal proposals will be accepted by invitation only.

• Suggested White Paper Submission Dates (to align with projected funding):

  • FY25: by 21 OCT 2024
  • FY26: by 25 SEP 2025
  • FY27: by 25 SEP 2026
  • FY28: by 25 SEP 2027
  • FY29: by 25 SEP 2028

• White papers accepted until 3 PM EST on 28 September 2029.

• White Paper Format: 3-5 pages, double-spaced, 12pt font. Includes Title/POCs, Task Objective, Technical Summary/Deliverables.

• Evaluation Criteria for White Papers: Scientific/Technical Merit, Related Experience, Openness/Maturity of Solution, Reasonableness of Costs.

• Closed to foreign participation (ownership and nationals), with exceptions for fundamental research.

• Offerors must be registered in SAM.gov.

• Specific requirements for FFRDCs and Government entities.

• Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) disclosures are required.

• Follow proposal preparation instructions available at the provided SAM.gov link.

• Foreign participation restrictions apply.

• Specific requirements for cloud computing, human use research, and NIST SP 800-171 DoD Assessment.

• Technical POC: David Rose (David.Rose.50@us.af.mil). Contracting POC: Amber Buckley (Amber.Buckley@us.af.mil).