SOLICITATION NOTICE
A -- Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for data fusion in space control technology
- Notice Date
- 9/11/2007
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 541710
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Air Force, Air Force Space Command, SMC - Space and Missile Systems Center, 483 North Aviation Blvd, El Segundo, CA, 90245-2808, UNITED STATES
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- Reference-Number-07-55
- Response Due
- 3/14/2008
- Archive Date
- 3/29/2008
- Description
- 1. Type of Action: K Combined Synopsis and Solicitation 2. Classification Code: A Research and Development 3. Title: Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for data fusion in space control technology 4. Primary POCs: Capt Dan Gallton, Technical Advisor, (310) 416-1782; Kristy Kuhlman, Contracts Manager, (310) 416-1728. 5. Reference number: 07-55 6. Description: The Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC), Space Superiority Systems Wing (SYSW), Space Control Technologies Division (SYSW/ENT) Los Angeles AFB, is soliciting white papers to advance the state-of-the-art and scientific knowledge in Intelligence Data Fusion and Decision Support Tools to support the Defensive Counterspace (DCS) Mission area. The purpose of this BAA is the acquisition of basic and applied research consistent with advancing the knowledge of data fusion and decision support tools. This BAA will be used by SYSW to fulfill their requirements for scientific study and experimentation directed toward advancing the state-of-the-art and increasing knowledge in the areas of data fusion and decision support analysis. Submittals that focus on a specific existing system or program, such as SBSS or RAIDRS, or planned system will not be considered eligible for award. For more information regarding BAAs see FAR Part 35.016. This BAA seeks a white paper on offerors? concepts for Intelligence Data Fusion and Decision Support Capabilities focused on space control applications including Space Situational Awareness (SSA) and DCS. It is desired that, at a minimum, Joint Directors of Laboratories (JDL) Fusion Levels 1-3 and potentially 0, 4 and 5 shall be addressed in the BAA concepts. The goal of this basic and applied research is to develop and demonstrate the capability to bring together a large number of data sources with differing formats and data types to enable predictive battlespace awareness and characterization to support a quick decision process. Several obstacles to obtaining access to the data sources are security classification, restricted data access, or lack of a network interface. SYSW/ENT desires to have predictive capability to identify a threatening situation which may be developing. The goal of studying the fusing of various data sources and decision support analysis is to enable an operator to easily identify what is occurring and what the required defensive action might be. Offerer's white paper should recommend data fusion and/or decision support approaches for the space control mission area that provide the best method to make quick decisions and address how they will mitigate any problems to accessing the various data sources. Offerors shall additionally demonstrate their concept to the Government by modeling and simulation demonstrations. Below are specific areas to consider: A. Data Fusion 1. Intelligence Data Fusion (primary focus) a. Multiple intelligence sources integration b. Key entity extraction from unstructured text 2. Sensor Fusion (secondary focus) a. Multiple hypothesis tracking ? both quantitative (e.g. position) & qualitative (e.g. electronic identification) b. Tools to fuse different types of sensor data B. Decision Support 1. Threat Level Indication a. Ability to adapt to new threats scenarios b. Quickly identify new trends without long training sequences 2. Data Visualization ? clearly and concisely present event data to operator 3. Data Correlation ? correlate events (objects with attributes) C. Data Mining 1. Unsupervised ? multivariate statistics methods & clustering 2. Supervised ? classification engines including decision trees, neural networks, and Bayesian networks D. Data Handling 1. Handle different data source formats 2. Database schema translation 3. Generate/update/manage data schema, meta data content & data dictionaries 4. Data validation methods (e.g. watermarking) E. Information Management and Exploitation 1. Database and management functions - support agile exchange between producers and consumers in dynamic environments 2. Collaborative tools and processes - ensure rapid, effective decision-making in dynamic environments F. Automated Capabilities 1. Immediate threat action required warnings 2. Conjunction predictions 3. Proximity awareness 4. Maneuver detection The white papers will be evaluated utilizing a peer or scientific review process and shall be evaluated based on the following criteria that are listed in descending order of importance: (1) Overall scientific and technical merits of the white paper, (2) Importance to advancing knowledge of data fusion technology and decision support analysis, and (3) Affordability. Price, in the context of affordability of white papers versus availability of funds, will be a substantial consideration in selecting white papers for awards, but will be secondary to technical considerations. Price will be evaluated and white papers may be negotiated or selected for award. No further evaluation criteria will be used. White papers submitted will be evaluated as they are received. Individual white paper evaluations will be based on acceptability or unacceptability without regard to other white papers submitted under this BAA. The government estimates awarding multiple contracts for a combined total of $2M. The period of performance for any proposed effort should be no longer than nine months. The white paper shall include the following items. (a) Executive Summary: Describe the proposed study, objectives, and approach. A description of the innovation and benefits of the proposed approach and relationship to similar efforts should be discussed. b) Description: Describe the techniques, methods, materials, or ideas that will be addressed in this white paper, their innovation, and to what degree they advance the state-of-the-art. (c) Program Plan: Describe in detail the planned technical approach, how the approach will be executed, and anticipated period of performance in months. (d) Rough Order of Magnitude Cost Estimate (ROM). Please be advised that The Aerospace Corporation, MITRE, SAIC, and Scitor will be assisting the Government in the evaluation of white papers. If you believe that a potential conflict of interest exists, or you have other concerns, contract the Contracting Officer, Ann Birbeck at (310) 535-2634, as soon as possible, but no later than the time of your white paper submission. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES A SOLICITATION FOR A WHITE PAPER. DO NOT SEND A PROPOSAL AT THIS TIME. The government may award classified or unclassified contracts as a result of this BAA. Offerors responding to this announcement are required to submit with a cover letter, an original and three copies of the white paper. In addition to the hardcopy white paper, please submit a MS Word 2000+ or Adobe Acrobat (PDF) formatted copy on MS-DOS formatted 3.5? diskette or ISO 9660 formatted CD-ROM diskette. All responses to this announcement must be addressed to the following address: ATTN.: Ms. Ann Birbeck, SYSW/PK, 485 N. Aviation Way, El Segundo, CA 90245. If an offeror is interested in submitting a classified white paper they must pre-coordinate with Mr. Reginald King at 310-416-1578 before submitting a white paper. The applicable NAICS code for this solicitation is 541710 with a size standard of 1,000 employees. This acquisition is unrestricted; full and open competition is anticipated. Specific White Paper Instructions: (1) Cover letter. Submit an unclassified cover letter with each white paper. Reference the BAA number 07-55 in your cover letter. Responses from small business and small, disadvantaged business firms are highly encouraged. Provide technical and contracting points of contact, CAGE code, and include statement indicating if the firm is a Small Business, a Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Business, an 8(a) Certified Business, a HUB Zone certified business, a Woman-Owned Business concern, a veteran-owned small business, or a service-disabled veteran-owned small business. The cover letter must be signed and dated by an authorized official of the organization Page Limitations: The white papers shall be limited to 10 pages, single spaced, double-sided, 8.5 by 11-inch pages. When both sides of a sheet display printed material, it shall be counted as two pages. Each page of the white paper will be counted except for cover pages, table of contents, tabs, glossaries, and acronym lists. Margins shall be one-inch on all sides. Select an easy to read font no smaller than 12 point. Smaller type may be used in figures and tables as long as it is clearly legible. The Government will not consider white papers in excess of this page limitation. Multiple white papers within the purview of this announcement may be submitted by each offeror. The purpose of the white paper is to preclude unwarranted effort on the part of an offeror whose proposed work is not of interest to the Government. THOSE WHITE PAPERS FOUND TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT OF THIS BAA MAY BE INVITED TO SUBMIT A TECHNICAL PROPOSAL AND A COST PROPOSAL. Such invitation does not assure that the submitting organization will be awarded a contract. Complete instructions for proposal preparation will be forwarded with the invitation for proposal submission. The Government reserves the right to enter negotiations on any, all, part, or none of the papers received in response to this announcement, subject to the availability of funds. The selection of one or more sources for award will be based on an evaluation of each offerors paper to determine the overall merit of the paper in response to this announcement. Principle funding of this BAA and the anticipated award of contracts will start in FY08. Foreign or foreign-owned offerors are advised that their participation is subject to a foreign disclosure review. Foreign or foreign-owned offerors should immediately contact the contracting focal point, SMC/SYSW, Los Angeles AFB, CA: Ms. Kristy Kuhlman, phone (310) 416-1728, email kristy.kuhlman.ctr@losangeles.af.mil for information if they contemplate responding. The cost of preparing white papers 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. The work to be performed may require a TOP SECRET/SCI facility clearance and safeguarding capability, therefore, personnel identified for assignment to a classified effort must be cleared for access to TOP SECRET/SCI information at time of award. BE ADVISED: An Ombudsman has been appointed to hear concerns from potential offerors. The purpose of the Ombudsman is to receive and communicate concerns from potential offerors when an offeror prefers not to use established channels to communicate his/her concern during the proposal development phase of this acquisition. The Ombudsman will communicate certain offeror issues, disagreements, and recommendations on this acquisition into the proper channels. The Ombudsman's role is not to diminish the authority of the program director or the contracting officer but to advocate an offeror's concern on a non-attribution basis. The Ombudsman will maintain strict confidentiality as to the source of the concern when requested by the offeror. The Ombudsman will not participate in the evaluation of white papers or the source selection process for this acquisition. The Ombudsman is Mr. James Gill, phone number (310) 653-1789. Routine questions, such as clarifications, are not considered to be "significant concerns" and should be communicated directly to the Contracting Officer, Ms Ann Birbeck (310) 535-2634. This BAA will remain open for 6 months from the date of publication or until replaced by a successor BAA, whichever is first. While white papers will be accepted at any time, proposals received later in the fiscal year have a greater risk of not being funded due to unavailability of funds. Offerors are cautioned that only contracting officers are legally authorized to bind the government.
- Record
- SN01402500-W 20070913/070911221328 (fbodaily.com)
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