SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- BAA - Diving Equip & Sub Rescue
- Notice Date
- 2/20/2014
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541712
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Navy, Naval Sea Systems Command, NAVSEA HQ, SEA 02, 1333 Isaac Hull Avenue SE, Washington Navy Yard, District of Columbia, 20376, United States
- ZIP Code
- 20376
- Solicitation Number
- N0002414R4109
- Point of Contact
- Gail Nagle, Phone: 2027812940
- E-Mail Address
-
gail.nagle@navy.mil
(gail.nagle@navy.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- A--Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for BAA-14-G-01DIVING EQUIPMENT, SAFETY, AND EFFECTIVENESS, AS WELL AS SUBMARINE ESCAPE, AND RESCUE Research and Development Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) is soliciting pre-proposals and proposals for applied Biomedical Research and Diving Equipment Development with a focus on Diving Safety, Diving Effectiveness, and Submarine Escape and Rescue. The goals of this program are presented in more detail below. It is the intent that this Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) be open for a two year period from the date of this publication. However, specified dates are given in paragraph (2) below for submission of pre-proposals and full proposals to be awarded within FY 2015. There will be no request for proposals (RFP) or other formal solicitation in regard to this effort. (1) Primary Interests This program's objectives are to focus on improving or developing diving equipment that can be rapidly transitioned to a fleet capability and researching the biomedical aspects of Submarine Escape, Rescue, and Diver Safety so that procedures can be developed/improved that will increase the levels of safety and effectiveness for Navy personnel. The typical project will be two years or less, although we will consider three year projects. (1.1) The areas of primary interest in diving equipment, safety and effectiveness and biomedical research are organized along five Lines of Operation (LOO). These LOO describe the primary areas of limitations for a diver and are: Breathing Gas Supply, Human Performance, Environmental Protection, Decompression, and Tools, Transportation and Training. Areas of interest in each LOO are: (I) Breathing Gas Supply: (1) Improved Portable Air Monitor that can test for all contaminants listed in table 4-2 of the U.S. Navy Dive Manual in real time; (2) Improved CO2 scrubbing material for both free-swimming and fixed systems; (3) development of portable, minimal power input, O2 concentrators capable of working in conjunction with existing diving air compressors; (4) Developing a diver-worn system to extract breathing gas from surrounding seawater; (5) Developing a diver-worn system that could utilize seawater as CO2 scrubbing medium; (6) Improved helium reclaim system to support mixed gas and saturation dive systems; (7) Improved O2 sensor for use in closed-circuit UBAs; (8) Development of High pressure air flask, hose and regulators, high pressure defined for this purpose as greater than 5,000psi. (II) Human Performance: (1) Improving understanding of mechanism of oxygen toxicity and development of mitigations; (2) Developing and/or refining noise protection exposure limits; (3) Refine the understanding and mitigation of hypercapnia in divers; (4) Improve understanding of nitrogen narcosis to include mitigations and predictions of equivalent narcotic depths; (5) Improve understanding of effects on human body from immersion, exertion, breathing resistance, and temperature in relation to working underwater; (6) Improving understanding of and developing guidance for the prevention of immersion pulmonary edema. (III) Environmental Protection: (1) Diver worn heater and/or chiller; (2) Temperature control for submerged divers in a wet submersible; (3) Physical protection for diver in grossly contaminated water as well as decontamination equipment and procedures; (4) Improved understanding of heat loss/retention in the submerged body, in effort to optimize heating/cooling of diver; (5) Improved passive thermal protection for divers to include improved durability to support field/combat conditions. (IV) Decompression: (1) Development of new decompression models valid across the full spectrum of diving; (2) Improved procedures for shallow nitrogen-oxygen saturation diving including downward excursion dive capability on helium-nitrogen-oxygen mixtures; (3) Pharmacological or other novel mitigations for elimination of retained nitrogen in a diver; (4) Improving diagnosis of decompression illness through, but not limited to utilization of algorithms; (5) Improving understanding of the mechanisms of isobaric counter diffusion as it effects the skin, inner ear, and deep body tissues; (6) Improved decompression profiles based on the use of alternate gas mixtures, to include but not limited to Trimix. (V) Tools, Transportation and Training: (1) Electronic recording and archiving of operational dive profiles to develop an operational dive data base; (2) Develop a Transportable Recompression Chamber System (TRCS) replacement of similar or smaller dimensional size and functionality, using advance materials (i.e. carbon fiber, or other lightweight material) to reduce overall system weight for easier transport in military and commercial aircraft; (3) Improved diver communications, both wired and through-water; (4) Ability to track divers location underwater from surface support craft; (5) Through water data communication for divers (text, navigation, biometrics); (6) Improved diver propulsion devices to include diver worn and diver as passenger; (7) Decompression dive computer with flexibility to support multiple dives and varying breathing gas mixes; (8) Heads Up Display (HUD) for divers, both free-swimming and surface-supplied. HUD need not be limited to life support data (text, navigation, diagrams/schematics for projects, etc); (9) Low visibility vision enhancement for diver. (1.2) The areas of primary interest in submarine escape and rescue and biomedical research are: (1) development of rapid methods of disabled submarine (DISSUB) atmosphere assessment; (2) development of novel means to manage oxygen toxicity aboard the pressurized disabled submarine; (3) development of novel means to accelerate or eliminate saturation decompression of survivors, including, but not limited to greater oxygen use and perfluorocarbon (PFC) administration; (4) assuring survival in a disabled submarine (DISSUB) for seven days by evaluation of the adequacy and effectiveness of present life support stores. Improved Guard Book guidance and procedures, utility of medication to reduce the metabolic rate of the crew; impact of starvation, dehydration, sleep deprivation and nitrogen narcosis at 5ATA on decision making and ability to carry out Guard Book directed survival actions and escape; (5) improving understanding and guidance for thermal stress in a disabled submarine by development and evaluation of heat stress curves for time and/or conditions to escape; heat mitigation measures (body cooling) in conditions of increased temperature and elevated CO2 (2.5 - 3%); (6) improving understanding and guidance for surface interval decompression sickness (DCS) risk after saturation dropout or aborted decompression, including, but not limited to; mitigation with various periods of oxygen pre-breathing and perfluorocarbon (PFC) administration; (7) evaluating the adequacy of hypothermia protection with present available clothing in combination with SEIS suits in SEIS rafts; (8) evaluating capability to escape from depths deeper than 600 feet by updating escape procedures and equipment; identifying necessary compression rates and further escape procedure and equipment changes that are needed; including new classes of operational submarines in the analysis; (9) improving senior survivor decision tools;(10) improving care of escape and rescue casualties within the U.S. Navy Submarine Rescue Diving and Recompression System, including, but not limited to critical care and casualty assessment. (1.3) Of additional interest is any equipment, procedures, or medical treatment protocol, not specifically listed above, that could be used to improve the safety or efficiency of Navy diver's or submarine rescue operations will be considered if a pre-proposal is submitted under this BAA. (2) Instructions for Preparation of Pre-proposal and Proposals Proposals to this BAA will be reviewed using a two-step process. To be considered for an award, first, respondents are required to submit a pre-proposal. For FY15, the deadline for submission of pre-proposals is no later than 3:00 PM EST, 30 April 2014 for the funding cycle that begins 1 October 2014. The second step will be a request for full proposals. The deadline for submission of full proposals is no later than 3:00 PM EST, 06 June 2014. Proposals received after the due date will be considered only if funds remain available. Pre-Proposals and subsequent full proposals should be submitted to: EA00C_R&D@supsalv.org, ATTN: BAA-14-G-01. This synopsis constitutes a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) per FAR 6.102(d)(2)(i). The step one pre-proposal should be three to five pages of text and should include an estimate of overall costs (including indirect) for each year of the proposed effort. A curriculum vitae of the principal investigator(s) must be appended together with any supporting information, such as reprints or preprints, which will assist in the evaluation of the pre-proposal. Pre-proposals will be evaluated based on the criteria specified below using a scale of 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest). All pre-proposals will be acknowledged. Proposals will not be returned after evaluation. The highest rated pre-proposal responses will be invited to submit a step two full technical and separate full cost proposal on all or part of their pre-proposal submission. Highest rated Offerors will also be provided a copy of the draft contract. Any such invitation does not obligate the Government to make an award. Offerors are also advised all awards are subject to the DCAA contract audit process. A completed "animal use" protocol with supporting documentation is required before award of a proposal when animals are employed. (Ref. SECNAVINST 3900.38C) Any proposal that involves the experimental use of human subjects must include a separate evaluation of proposed technical approaches and associated risks by the contractor's committee for protection of human subjects. The following is required documentation which must be submitted with the step two full technical proposal: DoD Assurance, IRB approved Consent or waiver of documentation of informed consent, IRB approved protocol, documentation that the submitter/PI completed Human Research Protections Training, and a policy statement indicating that the institution will comply with the 32 CFR 219, DoDINST 3216.02, the SECNAVINST 3900.39 series, and all applicable sections of the 21 CFR. Offerors must state in their pre-proposals and full proposals that it is submitted in response to this BAA. This BAA provides no funding for pre-proposals or subsequent proposal development purposes. Proposals will be evaluated based on the criteria specified below. Pre-proposals and subsequent full proposals shall be submitted to: SEA00C_R&D@supsalv.org. Offerors are to follow the sample format for submission of pre-proposal and proposals as found at www.supsalv.org under 00C3 Diving tab, BAA Submission Formats. (3) Criteria for Selecting Proposals, their Relative Importance, and the Method of Evaluation Pre-proposal and full technical proposal submissions will be evaluated on (1) the overall basis of innovation and scientific merit; (2) the relevance to submarine escape, rescue, and diving; (3) the overall value to the Government and affordability of the proposal; (4)the likelihood of achieving success, based on the offeror's abilities, capability, strengths and weaknesses that are integral for achieving the proposal objectives; and (5) business and contractual aspects, including proposed cost, cost realism and socio-economic merits including the extent of commitment in providing meaningful subcontracting opportunities for small business, small disadvantaged business, woman-owned small business concerns, and historically black colleges and universities. Selection of proposals for award will be based on the total evaluated score of the items above, weighed against the total cost of the proposed solution. This is to notify potential offerors that each contract that may be placed under this announcement to an institution of higher education must include the following clause: "As a condition for receipt of funds available to the Department of Defense (DoD) under this award, the recipient agrees that it is not an institution that has a policy of denying, and that it is not an institution that effectively prevents the Secretary of Defense from obtaining for military recruiting purposes: (A) an entry to campuses or access to students on campuses; or (B) access to directory information pertaining to students. If the recipient is determined, using procedures established by the Secretary of Defense to implement Section 558 of Public Law 103-337 (1994), to be such an institution during the period of performance of this agreement, and therefore to be in breach of this clause, the Government will cease all payments of DoD funds under this agreement and all other DoD grants and cooperative payments unilaterally for material failure to comply with the terms and conditions of award. If your institution has been identified under the procedures established by the Secretary of Defense to implement Section 558, then: (1) no funds available to DoD may be provided to your institution through any contract, including any existing contract, (2) as a matter of policy, this restriction also applies to any cooperative agreement, and (3) your institution is not eligible to receive a contract or cooperative agreement in response to this solicitation." Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and Minority Institutions (MI) are encouraged to submit pre-proposals or join others in submitting pre-proposals; however, no portion of this BAA will be set aside for HBCU and MI participation due to the impracticality of reserving discrete and severable areas of submarine escape, rescue, and diving for exclusive competition among these entities. This announcement constitutes a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) as contemplated in FAR 6.102(d) (2) (i). The Government reserves the right to select for award all, some, or none of the proposals received in response to this announcement. Questions regarding this announcement should be sent to SEA00C_R&D@supsalv.org, Technical content questions should be addressed to SEA00C_R&D@supsalv.org, Attn: Ryan Webb, Director of U.S. Navy Diving Programs. The following additional information is provided: (1) proposals may be submitted by any governmental agency, commercial firm, individual, non-profit, or institution of higher education, (2) notwithstanding the dates specified in this BAA, pre-proposals may be submitted any time prior to expiration of the BAA, (3) the following e-mail point of contact is provided for information regarding technical programs/technologies of interest within the areas identified: SEA00C_R&D@supsalv.org attn.: Ryan Webb, (4) offerors must be current in System for Award Management (SAM) and (5) the following e-mail point of contact is provided for information regarding contractual issues: Contract Specialist, Gail Nagle (gail.nagle@navy.mil).
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