MODIFICATION
A -- Next Generation Spectrum Assignment
- Notice Date
- 12/23/2003
- Notice Type
- Modification
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Air Force, Air Force Materiel Command, AFRL - Rome Research Site, AFRL/Information Directorate 26 Electronic Parkway, Rome, NY, 13441-4514
- ZIP Code
- 13441-4514
- Solicitation Number
- Reference-Number-PRDA-02-01-IFKPA
- Response Due
- 9/30/2005
- Point of Contact
- Renee Arcuri, Contracting Officer, Phone (315) 330-4777, Fax (315) 330-8094,
- E-Mail Address
-
Renee.Arcuri@rl.af.mil
- Description
- The purpose of this modification is to republish the original announcement, with administrative corrections and updates, pursuant to FAR 35.016(c). The administrative corrections and updates are as follows: (1) update the technical POC, (2) update the contracting POC in the body of the announcement, (3) delete the ombudsman program for the announcement (4) delete the requirement to send IFB a copy of the white paper cover letter and (5) extend the period for white paper acceptance to coincide with the length of the announcement. This PRDA is open and effective until September 30, 2005. Technical POC: James Perretta, Laboratory Program Manager, 315-330-2016, (James.Perretta @rl.af.mil) and Renee Arcuri, Contracting Officer, 315-330-4777; (Renee.Arcuri@rl.af.mil). The AFRL Sensors Directorate at the Rome Research Site, as DARPA/ATO's technical and program execution agent, is soliciting white papers for innovative next generation spectrum assignment approaches to improve effective spectrum use for communications and sensors. This is a four-year open-ended Program Research and Development Announcement (PRDA) to solicit research and development white papers for the DARPA/AFRL Next Generation communications program. The desired overall result of the XG program is the transformation of spectrum assignment technology for DoD applications through dynamic spectral use. This effort covers a broad range of requirements in the area of next generation radio frequency spectrum use. Emphasis is placed on novel dynamic, autonomous spectrum assignment methodologies for communications and sensing, through integration and application of technology that can increase spectrum access through adaptive use of available spectrum. Concepts are sought in one of more of the following areas: a. Real-time sensing of spectrum usage; b. Real-time Characterization spectrum usage; c. Autonomously Reacting to and planning spectrum usage through selection of frequency, waveform, directionality, polarization, temporal characteristics and other novel usage approaches; d. Dynamically adapting to changes in spectrum usage. Although implementation is not required, communications techniques that are extensible to include Information Security (INFOSEC), Transmission Security (TRANSEC) and Communications Security (COMSEC) are desired. Awardees will prepare concepts and designs for demonstrations to address these requirements, and will perform analysis of the anticipated performance, including increases in spectrum access over existing technologies and practices. BACKGROUND. Currently, U.S. forces face unique spectrum access issues in each country in which they operate, due to competing civilian and government users of spectrum. These constraints must be reflected in all force planning, and may preclude the operation of critical systems. Coalition and Allied operations are even more complex to manage, and spectrum assignment issues may severely limit the U.S.'s ability to fully exploit its superiority and investment in information technology. We need a mechanism for rapid and efficient utilization of the shrinking military bandwidth in the dynamic environment of the 21st century and a viable solution to the commercial carriers' demands for additional spectrum. Assured communications (currently limited by spectrum availability) will be the difference between success and failure in the modern battlespace. The need for higher and more complex data services (a projected 250% increase in the next 10 years), coupled with the explosion of the commercial wireless market (request for additional 100 MHz of DoD assigned spectrum for 3rd Generation cellular), strain the current limits of military spectrum allocations both domestically and abroad. The military is transitioning to new warfighting systems (that require high degrees of situation awareness for survival) and new doctrine (that requires connectivity for coordination). It is estimated that temporal and spatial reuse of the spectrum by DoD emitters is much less than 1%. This low utilization is due to the inefficient use of the available bandwidth by legacy communications systems and allocation procedures. Additionally, the current and projected in-garrison problems are compounded by the inconsistencies of the international spectrum allocation environment when forces deploy. The advent of dynamic spectrum allocation will ameliorate the potential crisis for DoD spectrum availability for military and government systems. Dynamic spectrum allocation and control will require developments significantly beyond those taking place in the 3rd Generation cellular world, taking the U.S. beyond the 3rd Generation and into the next generation following it. It is the intent of AFRL and DARPA to fill this development need. The DARPA neXt Generation (XG) program goals are to develop both the enabling technologies and system concepts to provide dramatic improvements in assured military communications in support of a full range of worldwide deployments through the dynamic redistribution of allocated spectrum. DARPA's vision is to develop and demonstrate a range of innovative approaches to enabling technologies and system concepts to improve spectral utilization of military radio frequency emitters by a factor of 20. The XG program approach is to develop the theoretical underpinnings for dynamic control of the spectrum, the technologies and subsystems that enable reallocation of the spectrum, and the system appliqu? prototypes to demonstrate applicability to legacy and future DoD radio frequency emitters. The approach plans to investigate methods to leverage the technology base in microelectronics with new waveform and medium access and control (MAC) protocol technologies to construct an integrated system. The proposed program goals are to develop, integrate, and evaluate the technology to enable equipment to automatically select spectrum and operating modes to both minimize disruption of existing users, and to ensure operation of U.S. systems. The result of the XG program will be to develop and demonstrate an applique for legacy and future emitter systems for joint service utility. The program will develop both the enabling technologies and system concepts to provide assured military communications in support of worldwide, short notice deployments through the dynamic redistribution of allocated spectrum. This research will have significant impact on a wide variety of existing and future communications systems in the DoD and commercial environments. Specific areas of operational impact include: radars of all types, ground and air tactical communications, unmanned/robotic vehicle operations, data/video links and commercial mobile wireless operations. It is also expected to provide the common technical architecture that will meet the needs of both military and civilian future (beyond 3G) mobile communication and radar systems. This effort will require the involvement of a wide variety of government (joint and service laboratories) and commercial technology development centers and the support of the service operational communities and government spectrum agencies, Federal Communications Commission and the Office of Spectrum Analysis and Management (FCC & OSAM). These organizations have been briefed and support the effort. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ENTIRE SOLICITATION. DO NOT SUBMIT A FORMAL PROPOSAL AT THIS TIME. Offerors are required to submit five (5) copies of a three (3) to ten (10) page white paper with a cover letter indicating whether the offeror is a large, small, woman-owned, small business, Historically Black College or University, or Minority Institution. The white paper will be formatted as follows: Section A: Title, Period of Performance, Cost of Task, Name of Company; Section B: Task Objective; Section C: Technical Summary. Offerors must mark their white papers/proposals with the restrictive language stated in FAR 15.609. All white papers submitted in responses to this PRDA must be addressed to ATTN: James Perretta, Reference PRDA 02-01-IFKA, AFRL/SNRT, 26 Electronic Parkway, Rome, NY 13441-4514. Multiple white papers may be submitted in different areas of technology. White papers will be accepted until 30 Sep 2005. The purpose of the white paper is to preclude unwarranted effort on the part of an offeror whose proposed work is not of interest under this PRDA. Those white papers found to be consistent with the intent of this PRDA may be invited to submit a technical and cost proposal. Such invitation does not assure that the submitting organization will be awarded a subsequent award. White papers submitted will be evaluated as they are received. Individual white paper/proposal evaluations will be based on acceptability or non-acceptability without regard to other white papers/proposals submitted under the announcement. It is recommended that white papers be received by the following dates to maximize the possibility of award: FY02 - 7 Dec 01; FY03 - 30Jun02; FY04 - 30Jun03; FY05 - 30 Jun04. White papers will be accepted at any time, but it is less likely that funding will be available in each Fiscal Year after the dates cited. Evaluation of proposals will be performed using the following criteria: a) The overall scientific and/or technical merits of the proposal, b) The innovativeness of the proposed approach and /or techniques, and c) The reasonableness and realism of proposed costs and fees. Also, consideration of other factors, such as past and present performance on recent Government contracts and the capacity and capability to achieve the objectives of this PRDA will be used. No other evaluation criteria will be used in selecting proposals. The technical criteria will also be used to determine whether white papers submitted are consistent with the intent of this PRDA and of interest to the Government. Options are discouraged and unpriced options will not be considered for award. Principal funding of this PRDA and the anticipated award of contracts will start in FY02. Individual awards will normally range from 6 months to 36 months in duration with dollar amounts normally ranging from $200,000 to $750,000 per year. Total funding for this PRDA is approximately $20M. Awards of efforts as a result of this PRDA will be in the form of contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, or other transactions depending upon the nature of the work proposed. Complete instructions for proposal preparation will be forwarded with the invitation for proposal submissions. Responders are requested to provide their Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) number with their submission as well as a fax number, and an e-mail address. Foreign or foreign-owned offerors are advised that their participation is subject to foreign disclosure review procedures. Foreign or foreign-owned offerors should immediately contact the contracting focal point, Renee Arcuri, for information if they contemplate responding. Export-controlled technical data may be involved; only firms on the Certified Contractor Access List (CCAL) will be allowed to access such data. For further information on CCAL, contact the Defense Logistic Service Center at 1-800-352-3572. The work to be performed may require a Secret facility clearance and safeguarding capability; therefore in those instances, personnel identified for assignment to the proposed effort must be cleared for access to Secret information at time of award. The cost of preparing white papers and proposals in response to this announcement is not considered an allowable direct charge to any resulting contract or any other contract, but may be an allowable expense to the normal bid and proposal indirect cost specified in FAR 31.205-18. This PRDA is open and effective until September 30, 2005. A copy of the publication "BAA & PRDA: A Guide for Industry" may be accessed here: http://www.if.afrl.af.mil/div/IFK/bp-guide.html. All responsible organizations may submit a white paper, which shall be considered. Proposers are warned that only Contracting Officers are legally authorized to commit the Government.
- Record
- SN00495002-W 20031225/031223212011 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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