MODIFICATION
A -- Counter Underground Facilities (CUGF) Unattended Ground Sensor System and Innovative Technology Initiatives
- Notice Date
- 2/26/2002
- Notice Type
- Modification
- Contracting Office
- Other Defense Agencies, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Contracts Management Office, 3701 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA, 22203-1714
- ZIP Code
- 22203-1714
- Solicitation Number
- BAA02-04
- Response Due
- 1/25/2004
- Archive Date
- 2/9/2004
- Point of Contact
- Daniel Cress, DARPA Program Manager, Phone 000-000-0000, Fax 703-516-7360,
- E-Mail Address
-
none
- Description
- The following text is a revised version of the Proposer Information Pamphlet (PIP) previously posted for BAA02-04. This version increases the page limit for Work Area 2 proposals from 5 pages to 10 pages. The below text may also be accessed in a more reader friendly format on the DARPA/SPO website at the following URL: http://www.darpa.mil/spo/solicitations.htm ---------- BAA 02-04 Counter Underground Facilities (CUGF) Unattended Ground Sensor System and Innovative Technology Initiatives --- Proposer Information Pamphlet 1.0 PROPOSER INFORMATION The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) often solicits research efforts through the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA). The BAA is in the Federal Business Opportunities (FEDBIZOPPS), a Web-site (http://www.eps.gov/) sponsored by the General Services Administration (GSA). This Proposer Information Pamphlet (PIP) is for parties interested in responding to the BAA. It presents the research objectives, scope, procurement description, recommended elements of proposal response, and procurement schedule and procedures. It is the policy of DARPA to treat all proposals as competitive information and to disclose the contents only for the purposes of evaluation. The Government evaluation team will consist of Government personnel from DARPA and other Government agencies. For this solicitation, non-government advisors from Booz/Allen Hamilton (BAH) who have signed appropriate non-disclosure and conflict of interest statements may assist in the proposal administration and review process when their particular expertise is required; however, they will not participate in the final source selection process. 2.0 BACKGROUND Underground facilities (UGFs) are a serious and growing asymmetric threat to our security and operational dominance. The DARPA program is focused on characterization of UGFs. The initial focus has been on theater-level, strategic facilities, which have significant electrically powered equipment (example: central command and control facilities). Recent events show the importance of also being able to characterize tunnels and caves with primitive infrastructure. UGF defeat using conventional standoff weapons or ground attack requires substantial characterization including knowledge of facility function and significance, location and temporal availability of critical vulnerabilities for targeting, and battle damage assessment (BDA). Characterization for targeting is very demanding: What is the priority? Where are the aimpoints? When to strike? Strike again? This PIP is directed at development and initial evaluation of innovative methods and/or designs for detection and exploitation of UGF-related observables ranging from the tactical use of caves to strategic-level UGFs. Areas of interest include novel sensors; sensor system planning, deployment, and communications; and modeling, exploitation algorithms and signal processing. As background, BAA 02-04 solicits responses in two discrete work areas. This work area, addressing innovative methods and technologies, is Work Area 2. Work Area 1 addresses the development and demonstration of a functional (non-form factored) prototype ground sensor system. For offerors submitting an unclassified proposal or white paper for the work area addressed herein (Work Area 2), this unclassified PIP is sufficient. A classified PIP is available to offerors meeting security requirements and intending to submit a classified white paper or proposal under Work Area 2. These offerors should request the classified PIP in accordance with the procedures identified in the FEDBIZOPPS SOL BAA 02-04 which may be found on the BAA Web site http://www.darpa.mil/spo/solicitations.htm. 3.0 Objectives, Approach and Scope The goal is to identify innovative CUGF technologies, methods or techniques that offer potential performance improvements for sensor systems, their deployment, emplacement and/or operation. Potential innovations include, but are not limited to: exploitation of novel observables or new applications of currently-exploited observables; improved deployable sensors; new techniques for sensor system planning and deployment; improved communications in rugged terrain; new methods for sensor and system modeling; and exploitation algorithms and signal processing. Areas of interest also includes new methods for characterizing activity associated with minimum infrastructure tunnels and caves. Concepts may include technologies for identifying the presence of humans or level of activity within or at the entrance to a tunnel or cave, tagging techniques for monitoring personnel-level activity into and out of such a facility, and support to ground attack such as exterior-based detection of personnel movement inside a cave or tunnel. 4.0 Program Structure, Proposal Content, Formal Schedule, and Submission 4.1 Program Structure Responses will be accepted up to 24 months from the date of publication of this BAA. Either abbreviated proposals or white papers may be submitted (see Section 5.2). DARPA recognizes that proposed work may be immature and may not have been significantly evaluated in the context of the UGF application. DARPA may make modest investments in such areas prior to a commitment to system integration and demonstration. Individual awards are generally expected to be less than $1M. 4.2 Proposal/White Paper Content Submissions must provide a brief description of the performance gap or capability being addressed, a top-level description of the concept, an explanation of how the identified innovation differs from other concepts and why it is an improvement over the SOA devices or concepts, the physical principles supporting the concept, and if possible, rule-of-thumb modeling indicative of the potential success and value. Full proposals will be requested from offerors whose white papers show promise for innovative technical solutions. DARPA may select from among full proposals submitted and fund proposed individual tasks. Initial efforts that subsequently demonstrate promise for CUGF applications may be funded for additional related work by the same performer to mature the concept for inclusion into a system for demonstration. Submissions under this unclassified PIP should reference Work Area 2 on the title page in order to be readily categorized with innovative technology proposals submitted using the classified PIP. 5.0 PROCUREMENT SCHEDULE AND PROCEDURES 5.1 Procurement Schedule Immediate submission of white papers is encouraged. There is no predetermined schedule for granting awards for this work area. White papers or proposals may be submitted any time after publication of the BAA. Proposals can be reviewed and selected for award any time after publication of the BAA. This portion of the BAA will be left open for 24 months after publication, and white papers and proposals will be accepted and considered throughout the full 24 months. Unclassified white papers and proposals should be mailed to DARPA, 3701 N. Fairfax, Drive, Arlington, VA 22203, ATTN: Dr. Dan Cress/BAA 02-04/Document Control. 5.2 Proposal/White Paper Format White Paper submissions are recommended. They should be short (i.e., 3 pages or less of technical content) and address the content described in Section 4.2.2. A first-level cost estimate for the full effort should be provided. Proposals shall comprise separate technical and cost sections. The technical section shall not exceed 10 pages and contain: Body: notional concept and the performance gap it addresses, SOA description and projected performance improvement over SOA, and a statement of work (SOW) Schedule/Milestones List of Deliverables Brief Qualifications of Key Personnel (not included in page count) Security Plan (if required not included in page count) The technical section shall be strictly limited to a maximum of 10 pages, not including the title page, table of contents, qualifications of principal investigators and key personnel and security plan (if required). Both the technical and cost sections shall be on single-sided, double-spaced pages; page size not larger that 8 1/2X11 inches; font to be not smaller than 12 point; one inch left/right margins, 1.25 inch top margin, 0.5 inch bottom margin on all sheets. Each cost proposal shall contain a section addressing the following: awards made under this initiative are subject to the provisions of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 9.5, Organizational Conflict of Interest. All offerors and proposed subcontractors must affirmatively state whether they are supporting any DARPA technical office(s) through an active contract or subcontract. All affirmations must state which office(s) the offeror supports and identify the prime contract number. Affirmations shall be furnished at the time of proposal submission. All facts relevant to the existence or potential existence of organizational conflicts of interest, as that term is defined in FAR 9.501, must be disclosed. This disclosure shall include a description of the action the Contractor has taken, or proposes to take, to avoid, neutralize or mitigate such conflict. If the offeror believes that no such conflict exists, then it shall so state in this section. Only those offerors whose proposal is expected to result in contract award will be required to submit a completed and signed copy of Representations, Certifications, and other Statements by Offerors or Respondents. This document is not required for the submission of a proposal unless specifically requested. Offerors are notified that this document is frequently updated and any offeror selected for award may be requested to submit an updated Representations, Certifications, and Other Statements by Offerors or Respondents. 5.3 Evaluation Criteria and Funding Processes For evaluation purposes, a proposal is comprised of the Technical and Cost sections described in the Proposal Format Section. Where an oral presentation is given, the proposal as defined for evaluation refers to the combined written and oral responses. Other supporting or background materials submitted with the proposal will be examined at the reviewer's convenience and not considered as part of the proposal. Each offeror's proposal will be evaluated for overall merit. The evaluation of the Technical Section ranks as the highest priority, and will be based on the following criteria: a. Innovative and creative technical approaches. Innovativeness and creativity of the offeror's proposed technical approach. In particular, the following items will be considered: innovation and technical merit of proposed approach, soundness of proposed work, probability of success, and advances in the state-of-the-art. b. Understanding of the technical issues and risks. Proposals will be evaluated for the applicability of technologies identified and a preliminary risk analysis of the efforts associated with execution. In particular, evaluations will be based upon the offeror's understanding and knowledge as determined by the proposed technology and its maturity, risks involved and risk avoidance, and trade-off studies. c. Soundness of technical and management approach, including teaming. Evaluation of the offeror's proposed Program Plan and the likelihood that it will meet or exceed the CUGF program goals and objectives as defined in the Proposer Information Pamphlet (PIP). Also, evaluation of the teaming arrangement and the probability that the team will result in enhanced contract performance. d. Offeror's relevant experience, facilities, and availability of qualified experienced technical personnel, in addition to experience in areas such as signal prediction, signal processing, and ground sensors. The capabilities of the offeror to perform the stated work will be examined. In particular, the qualifications of principal investigators will be considered. The range, depth, and mix of expertise of the offeror's key personnel (and those of other team members, if appropriate) will be evaluated to ensure that they are qualified in the theory and application of the technologies involved in the research and development related to the CUGF program. e. Organization, clarity, and thoroughness of proposal. Proposals will be evaluated on readability. This includes flow, organization, clarity and thoroughness. The Cost proposal will be assessed to determine whether the offeror's estimate is reasonable and realistic for the technical and management approach offered, as well as to determine the offeror's practical understanding of the effort. Cost reasonableness assessment will be based upon the number of labor-hours and labor mix proposed as well as the reasonableness of other cost elements (e.g. travel, materials, subcontractors, etc.) Cost realism will only be assessed if there is reason to believe that offerors have significantly under- or over-estimated costs to complete the effort. All awards will be subject to availability of government funds. Awards will be made to those offerors whose proposals are considered most advantageous to the government. The government reserves the right to select for award any, all, part or none of the proposals received in response to this announcement. Proposals identified for funding may result in a procurement contract, grant, cooperative agreement, or an Other Transaction Agreement depending upon the nature of the work proposed, the required degree of interaction between the parties, and other factors. No portion of the BAA will be set aside for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) or minority institutions (MI) participation due to the impracticality of reserving discrete severable areas of research for exclusive competition among the entries. Based upon proposals received, DARPA may wish to negotiate options for follow-on technology development into resultant awards. Offerors who believe their technology solutions may afford opportunities for additional investigation or further development may wish to submit an option proposal along with their proposal for the basic effort envisioned within this Initiative. However, any optional tasks must be described in a separate technical and cost document that will not be considered in the evaluation of the requested proposal. 5.4 Proposal/White Paper Security The proposals submitted under this should be unclassified. Those anticipating classified proposals should request the classified PIP. Offerors may obtain a classified Compact Disk (CD) containing the classified PIP by faxing their facility clearance level, Defense Security Services CAGE code and classified mailing address to Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH), fax number (703) 524-2449 (Attn: Ms. Mary Thomson/BAA 02-04). Please identify the specific information being requested and the name and telephone number of the requester. 6.0 REQUIREMENTS, REPORTS, AND DELIVERABLES 6.1 Fixed Schedule Reporting The performer will provide quarterly progress reports documenting progress, coordination activities, and cost. Total planned and actual costs will be presented in monthly increments in the quarterly reports. 6.2 Milestone-Driven Reporting In addition to the fixed schedule reporting, performers should clearly define additional reporting activities associated with key milestones defined in their proposed effort. 6.3 Communications Since this work area (innovative methods and technologies) will be open for 24 months, there will not be a structured question and answer mechanism. However, unclassified questions regarding this work area may be sent via the BAA email address: baa02-04@darpa.mil. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) will be updated as appropriate and posted on the BAA Website under the category Work Area 2. 6.4 Ownership of Products The U.S. Government wishes to retain, at a minimum, Government Purpose Rights to all output from this effort, including software. The actual rights negotiated will depend on the type of award instrument, the type of awardee, and the nature of the technology. The Government may choose to disseminate some of the results publicly and may discuss them at conferences and at other public and private meetings under appropriate security constraints. They may form the basis for subsequent BAA, Research Announcement (RAs), or other solicitations from DARPA or other Government organizations.
- Record
- SN00031395-W 20020228/020226213412 (fbodaily.com)
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