SAMDaily.us | PRESOL | A | Terahertz (THz) Communications

SAMDAILY.US - ISSUE OF JULY 17, 2021 SAM #7168
SOLICITATION NOTICE

A -- Terahertz (THz) Communications

Notice Date: 7/15/2021 4:59:19 AM
Notice Type: Presolicitation
NAICS: 541715 — Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology)
Contracting Office: FA8750 AFRL RIK ROME NY 13441-4514 USA
ZIP Code: 13441-4514
Solicitation Number: FA875018S7016
Archive Date: 09/30/2022
Point of Contact: ROBERT DIMEO, BAA MANAGER, Phone: 315-330-2605, Amber Buckley, Contracting Officer, Phone: 315-330-3605
E-Mail Address: Robert.DiMeo@us.af.mil, amber.buckley@us.af.mil
(Robert.DiMeo@us.af.mil, amber.buckley@us.af.mil)
Description: AMENDMENT 1 to BAA FA8750-18-S-7016 The purpose of this modification is to republish the original announcement, incorporating any previous amendments, pursuant to FAR 35.016(c). This republishing also includes the following changes: �� 1. Updates the Contracting POC throughout; �� 2. Section V.3 updated SAT to current threshold; �� 3. Section VI.1, deleted in its entirety and replaced as shown below; �� 4. Section VII: updated the OMBUDSMAN. No other changes have been made. ________________________________________ NAICS CODE: 541715 FEDERAL AGENCY NAME: Department of the Air Force, Air Force Materiel Command, AFRL - Rome Research Site, AFRL/Information Directorate, 26 Electronic Parkway, Rome, NY, 13441-4514 BAA ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE: Initial announcement BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT (BAA) TITLE: Terahertz (THz) Communications BAA NUMBER: FA8750-18-S-7016 PART I - OVERVIEW INFORMATION This announcement is for an Open, 2 Step BAA which is open and effective until 30 Sep 2022. Only white papers will be accepted as initial submissions; formal proposals will be accepted by invitation only. While white papers will be considered if received prior to 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on 30 Sep 2022, the following submission dates are suggested to best align with projected funding: FY19 by 05 OCT 2018 FY20 by 13 SEP 2019 FY21 by 15 SEP 2020 FY22 by 15 SEP 2021 Offerors should monitor the Federal Business Opportunities website at http://www.fbo.gov in the event this announcement is amended. CONCISE SUMMARY OF TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENT: Seeking innovative research to develop, and demonstrate innovative RF technologies above 100 GHz and associated networking strategies for future line of sight air to air communications capabilities. The ultimate goal is to provide warfighters an interoperable, modular, and sustainable network connectivity fabric that satisfies Joint Service, Interagency, and Coalition tactical information exchange requirements for the relay of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) sensor data, to shared situational awareness and reliable command & control (C2) dissemination. BAA ESTIMATED FUNDING: Total funding for this BAA is approximately $9.9M. Individual awards will not normally exceed 36 months with dollar amounts normally ranging from $300,000 to $3,000,000. There is also the potential to make awards up to any dollar value as long as the value does not exceed the available BAA ceiling amount. ANTICIPATED INDIVIDUAL AWARDS: Multiple Awards are anticipated. TYPE OF INSTRUMENTS THAT MAY BE AWARDED: Procurement contract, grant, cooperative agreement or other transactions. AGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION: All white paper submissions and any questions of a technical nature shall be directed to the cognizant Technical Point of Contact (TPOC) as specified below (unless otherwise specified in the technical area): BAA MANAGER: Robert DiMeo AFRL/RITE 525 Brook Rd Rome, NY 13441-4505 Telephone: (315)330-2605 Email: Robert.DiMeo@us.af.mil Questions of a contractual/business nature shall be directed to the cognizant contracting officer, as specified below (email requests are preferred): Amber Buckley Telephone (315) 330-3605 Email: Amber.Buckley@us.af.mil Emails must reference the solicitation (BAA) number and title of the acquisition. Pre-Proposal Communication between Prospective Offerors and Government Representatives: Dialogue between prospective offerors and Government representatives is encouraged. Technical and contracting questions can be resolved in writing or through open discussions. Discussions with any of the points of contact shall not constitute a commitment by the Government to subsequently fund or award any proposed effort. Only Contracting Officers are legally authorized to commit the Government. Offerors are cautioned that evaluation ratings may be lowered and/or proposal rejected if proposal preparation (Proposal format, content, etc.) and/or submittal instructions are not followed. PART II - FULL TEXT ANNOUNCEMENT BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT (BAA) TITLE: Terahertz (THz) Communications BAA NUMBER: FA8750-18-S-7016 CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE (CFDA) Number: 12.800 I. TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS: The Air Force Research Laboratory is soliciting white papers under this Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for research, development, integration, test and evaluation of technologies and techniques for Terahertz Communications. The objective of this BAA is to conceive, develop, and demonstrate innovative RF technologies above 100 GHz and associated networking strategies for future line of sight air to air communications capabilities. The ultimate goal is to provide warfighters an interoperable, modular, and sustainable network connectivity fabric that satisfies Joint Service, Interagency, and Coalition tactical information exchange requirements for the relay of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) sensor data, to shared situational awareness and reliable command & control (C2) dissemination. This BAA seeks to explore the use of frequency bands exceeding 100 GHz for new communications capabilities to deliver sustainable connectivity across the United States Air Force C2ISR enterprise. Efforts under this BAA will explore the use of RF spectra above 100 GHz for communications purposes in an air to air environment. White papers may include but are not limited to the following focus areas: �� Propagation Modeling, Channel Testing, and Link Budget Analysis Above 100 GHz �� Development of Network Strategies to Optimize use of Spectra Above 100 GHz Research efforts under this BAA are expected to result in functional capabilities, concepts, theory and applications that help shape future Air Force communications solutions. The effectiveness of the developed technologies for potential operational use will be assessed through modeling, simulation, testing, and evaluation activities. Technologies that can be transitioned for operational use are of high interest. Offerors are encouraged to describe the pre-conditions that are necessary for the proposed techniques to work effectively. Additional details on the aforementioned focus areas include: FOCUS AREA 1: Propagation Modeling, Channel Testing, and Link Budget Analysis Above 100 GHz As frequency is increased, atmospheric propagation characteristics change based on the atmospheric pressure, humidity, and altitude at a given point in space. By understanding the trade-offs between frequency, atmospheric pressure, humidity, and altitude above 100 GHz, new communications capabilities can be deployed based on link conditions. We are looking to conduct a thorough characterization of the channel and extensive measurements of atmospheric attenuation at AF-relevant altitudes, distances and weather conditions. Our broad objectives include: �� Analyze current physics-based propagation models to understand the gaps and limitations of current practice. �� Develop statistical modeling of reflection, scattering and blocking due to various weather events and mobility of the system. �� Develop and test in a relevant environment RF channel sounding equipment to determine losses across various Air Force relevant distances of up to 400 km. �� Develop verifiable statistical channel models to close the gap in predicted performance for relevant Air Force airborne scenarios. FOCUS AREA 2: Development of Network Strategies to Optimize use of Spectra Above 100 GHz Unique properties of spectra above 100 GHz, such as high propagation loss and high amounts of directivity required from antennas, can be used to optimize networks by enabling frequency reuse in much closer proximity than traditional communication systems. The focus of this research is to develop novel networking solutions that will exploit the full potential of unprecedentedly large bandwidth offered by the recent developments in high frequency bands. We are interested in new and novel protocols at physical layer and above that address the challenges stemming from the peculiarities of channel physics at frequencies above 100 GHz. For example, the challenges include very high path loss, directional beams and beam blockage. In this new paradigm, our research areas of interest include but are not limited to: �� Use of dynamic electronically steerable MIMO arrays for dynamic beamforming, beam tracking and alternate path finding in case of beam blockage. �� Active and passive relaying and multi-hop communication schemes for robust signaling. �� In-band and out-of-band link layer protocols that consider challenges stemming from channel characteristics and use of directional antennas. �� Synchronization and medium access strategies that consider the effect of very high-speed data rates (Tbps or at least multi-Gbps) in high-speed airborne networks. �� Transport and network layer protocols that can support very high data arrival rates without data loss or queueing issues. �� Compatibility with legacy frequency band access to provide spectrum diversity to the system. IMPORTANT NOTES REGARDING: FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH. It is DoD policy that the publication of products of fundamental research will remain unrestricted to the maximum extent possible. National Security Decision Directive (NSDD) 189 defines fundamental research as follows: �Fundamental research' means basic and applied research in science and engineering, the results of which ordinarily are published and shared broadly within the scientific community, as distinguished from proprietary research and from industrial development, design, production, and product utilization, the results of which ordinarily are restricted for proprietary or national security reasons. As of the date of publication of this BAA, the Government cannot identify whether work proposed under this BAA may be considered fundamental research and may award both fundamental and non-fundamental research. Proposers should indicate in their proposal whether they believe the scope of the research included in their proposal is fundamental or not. While proposers should clearly explain the intended results of their research, the Government shall have sole discretion to select award instrument type and to negotiate all instrument terms and conditions with selectees. Appropriate clauses will be included in resultant awards for non-fundamental research to prescribe publication requirements and other restrictions, as appropriate. For certain research projects, it may be possible that although the research being performed by the awardee is restricted research, a sub-awardee may be conducting fundamental research. In those cases, it is the awardee's responsibility to explain in their proposal why its sub-awardee's effort is fundamental research. CLOUD COMPUTING. In accordance with DFARS Clause 252.239-7010, if the development proposed requires storage of Government, or Government-related data on the cloud, offerors need to ensure that the cloud service provider has been granted Provisional Authorization by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) at the level appropriate to the requirement. II. AWARD INFORMATION: 1. FUNDING: Total funding for this BAA is approximately $9.9M. The anticipated funding to be obligated under this BAA is broken out by fiscal year as follows: FY19 - $2.0M FY20 - $3.5M FY21 - $3.0M FY22 - $1.4M � a. Individual awards will not normally exceed 36 months with dollar amounts normally ranging from $300,000 to $3,000,000. There is also the potential to make awards up to any dollar value as long as the value does not exceed the available BAA ceiling amount. � b. The Government reserves the right to select all, part, or none of the proposals received, subject to the availability of funds. All potential Offerors should be aware that due to unanticipated budget fluctuations, funding in any or all areas may change with little or no notice. 2. FORM. Awards of efforts as a result of this announcement will be in the form of contracts, grants, cooperative agreements or other transactions depending upon the nature of the work proposed. 3. BAA TYPE: This is a two-step open broad agency announcement. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation. As STEP ONE - The Government is only soliciting white papers at this time. DO NOT SUBMIT A FORMAL PROPOSAL. Those white papers found to be consistent with the intent of this BAA may be invited to submit a technical and cost proposal. See Section VI of this announcement for further details regarding the proposal. III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION: 1. ELIGIBILITY: All qualified offerors who meet the requirements of this BAA may apply. � a. This BAA is closed to foreign participation. This includes both foreign ownership and foreign nationals as employees or subcontractors. � b. Exceptions. �� 1. Fundamental Research. If the work to be performed is unclassified, fundamental research, this must be clearly identified in the white paper and/or proposal. See Part II, Section I for more details regarding Fundamental Research. Offerors should still identify any performance by foreign nationals at any level (prime contractor or subcontractor) in their proposals. Please specify the nationals' country of origin, the type of visa or work permit under which they are performing and an explanation of their anticipated level of involvement. You may be asked to provide additional information during negotiations in order to verify the foreign citizen's eligibility to participate on any contract or assistance agreement issued as a result of this announcement �� 2. Foreign Ownership, Control or Influence (FOCI) companies who have mitigation plans/paperwork in place. Proof of approved mitigation documentation must be provided to the contracting office focal point, Amber Buckley, Contracting Officer, telephone (315) 330-3605, or e-mail Amber.Buckley@us.af.mil prior to submitting a white paper and/or a proposal. For information on FOCI mitigation, contact the Defense Security Service. Additional details can be found at: https://www.dss.mil/ma/ctp/isia/bams/foci/foci_mitigation/ �� 3. Foreign Nationals as Employees or Subcontractors. Applicable to any effort not considered Fundamental Research. Offerors are responsible for ensuring that all employees and/or subcontractors who will work on a resulting contract are eligible to do so. Any employee who is not a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident will be restricted from working on any resultant contract unless prior approval of the Department of State or the Department of Commerce is obtained via a technical assistance agreement or an export license. Violations of these regulations can result in criminal or civil penalties. � ��c. Information Regarding Non-US Citizens Assigned to this Project �� a. Contractor employees requiring access to USAF bases, AFRL facilities, and/or access to U.S. Government Information Technology (IT) networks in connection with the work on contracts, assistance instruments or other transactions awarded under this BAA must be U.S. citizens. For the purpose of base and network access, possession of a permanent resident card (""Green Card"") does not equate to U.S. citizenship. This requirement does not apply to foreign nationals approved by the U.S. Department of Defense or U.S. State Department under international personnel exchange agreements with foreign governments. It also does not apply to dual citizens who possess US citizenship, to include Naturalized citizens. Any waivers to this requirement must be granted in writing by the Contracting Officer prior to providing access. Specific format for waiver request will be provided upon request to the Contracting Officer. The above requirements are in addition to any other contract requirements related to obtaining a Common Access Card (CAC). �� b. For the purposes of Paragraph 1, it an IT network/system does not require AFRL to endorse a contractor's application to said network/system in order to gain access, the organization operating the IT network/system is responsible for controlling access to its system. If an IT network/system requires a U.S. Government sponsor to endorse the application in order for access to the IT network/system, AFRL will only endorse the following types of applications, consistent with the requirements above: �� a) Contractor employees who are U.S. citizens performing work under contracts, assistance instruments or other transactions awarded under this BAA. �� b) Contractor employees who are non-U.S. citizens and who have been granted a waiver. Any additional access restrictions established by the IT network/system owner apply. 3. FEDERALLY FUNDED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTERS AND GOVERNMENT ENTITIES: Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) and Government entities (e.g., Government/National laboratories, military educational institutions, etc.) are subject to applicable direct competition limitations and cannot propose to this BAA in any capacity unless they meet the following conditions: � a. FFRDCs: FFRDCs must clearly demonstrate that the proposed work is not otherwise available from the private sector; and FFRDCs must provide a letter on official letterhead from their sponsoring organization citing the specific authority establishing their eligibility to propose to Government solicitations and compete with industry, and their compliance with the associated FFRDC sponsor agreement's terms and conditions. This information is required for FFRDCs proposing to be prime contractors or sub-awardees. � b. Government Entities: Government entities must clearly demonstrate that the work is not otherwise available from the private sector and provide written documentation citing the specific statutory authority and contractual authority, if relevant, establishing their ability to propose to Government solicitations. While 10 U.S.C.� 2539b may be the appropriate statutory starting point for some entities, specific supporting regulatory guidance, together with evidence of agency approval, will still be required to fully establish eligibility. FFRDC and Government entity eligibility will be determined on a case-by-case basis; however, the burden to prove eligibility for all team members rests solely with the proposer. Government agencies interested in performing work related to this announcement should contact the Technical Point of Contact (TPOC). If resulting discussions reveal a mutual interest, cooperation may be pursued via other vehicles. IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION: All responses to this announcement must be addressed to the Technical Point of Contact (TPOC) listed in SECTION VII. DO NOT send white papers to the Contracting Officer. 1. SUBMISSION DATES AND TIMES: It is recommended that white papers be received by 4 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the following dates to maximize the possibility of award: FY19 by 05 OCT 2018 FY20 by 13 SEP 2019 FY21 by 15 SEP 2020 FY22 by 15 SEP 2021 White papers will be accepted until 4PM EST on 30 Sept 2022, but it is less likely that funding will be available in each respective fiscal year after the dates cited. This BAA will close on 30 Sept 2022. All offerors submitting white papers will receive notification of their evaluation results within 45 days of submission. Offerors should email the TPOC and the Contracting Officer listed in Section VII, for status of their white paper(s) after 45 days, if no such correspondence has been received. 2. CONTENT AND FORMAT: Offerors are required to submit 1 copy of a 3 to 5 page white paper summarizing their proposed approach/solution. 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. The white paper will be formatted as follows: �� a. Section A: Title, Period of Performance, Estimated Cost, Name/Address of Company, Technical and Contracting Points of Contact (phone and email)(this section is NOT included in the page count); �� b. Section B: Task Objective; and �� c. Section C: Technical Summary and Proposed Deliverables. All white papers shall be double spaced with a font no smaller than 12 point. In addition, respondents are requested to provide their Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code, their unique entity identifier and electronic funds transfer (EFT) indicator (if applicable), an e-mail address and reference BAA FA8750-18-S-7016 with their submission. Multiple white papers within the purview of this announcement may be submitted by each offeror. If the offeror wishes to restrict its white papers, they must be marked with the restrictive language stated in FAR 15.609(a) and (b). 3. HANDLING AND MAILING INSTRUCTIONS: �� a. CLASSIFICATION GUIDANCE. All Proposers should review the NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL SECURITY PROGRAM OPERATING MANUAL, (NISPOM), dated February 28, 2006 and incorporating Change 2, dated May 18, 2016, as it provides baseline standards for the protection of classified information and prescribes the requirements concerning Contractor Developed Information under paragraph 4-105. Defense Security Service (DSS) Site for the NISPOM is: http://www.dss.mil/. In the event of a possible or actual compromise of classified information in the submission of your white paper or proposal, immediately but no later than 24 hours, bring this to the attention of your cognizant security authority and AFRL Rome Research Site Information Protection Office (IPO): Information Protection Office (contact only if a security compromise has occurred) Monday-Friday (0730-1630): Call 315-330-4048 or Email: vincent.guza@us.af.mil Evenings and Weekends:�� Call 315-330-2961 �� b. CLASSIFIED SUBMISSIONS. AFRL/RITE will accept classified responses to this BAA when the classification is mandated by classification guidance provided by an Original Classification Authority of the U.S. Government, or when the offeror believes the work, if successful, would merit classification. Security classification guidance in the form of a DD Form 254 (DoD Contract Security Classification Specification) will not be provided at this time since AFRL is soliciting ideas only. Offerors that intend to include classified information or data in their white paper submission or who are unsure about the appropriate classification of their white papers should contact the technical point of contact listed in Section VII for guidance and direction in advance of preparation. �� c. MAILING INSTRUCTIONS. Any mailed responses, unclassified/classified, to this announcement must be sent U.S. Postal Service, registered mail or similar service and addressed to AFRL/RITE, 525 Brooks Road, Rome NY 13441-4505, and reference BAA FA8750-18-S-7016. When mailing follow the directions regarding the number of copies required. Unclassified electronic submission to the TPOC identified in Section VII will also be accepted. Encrypt or password-protect all proprietary information prior to sending. Offerors are responsible to confirm receipt with the TPOC. AFRL is not responsible for undelivered documents. If electronic submission is used, only one copy of the documentation is required. Questions can be directed to the TPOC listed in Section VII. 4. OTHER SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS/CONSIDERATIONS: �� a. COST SHARING OR MATCHING: Cost sharing is not a requirement. Cost sharing may be proposed and will be considered on a case-by-case basis. �� b. SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT (SAM). Offerors must be registered in the SAM database to receive a contract award, and remain registered during performance and through final payment of any contract or agreement. Processing time for registration in SAM, which normally takes forty-eight hours, should be taken into consideration when registering. Offerors who are not already registered should consider applying for registration before submitting a proposal. The provision at FAR 52.204-7, System for Award Management (Oct 2016) applies. �� c. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION AND FIRST-TIER SUBCONTRACT/ SUBRECIPIENT AWARDS: Any contract award resulting from this announcement may contain the clause at FAR 52.204-10 - Reporting Executive Compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards (Oct 2016). Any grant or agreement award resulting from this announcement may contain the award term set forth in 2 CFR, Appendix A to Part 25 which can be viewed at: http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=8fb6c83606df57968c3e7e145e7d683c&mc=true&node=ap2.1.25_1360.a&rgn=div9 �� d. ALLOWABLE CHARGES: The cost of preparing white papers/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. Incurring pre-award costs for ASSISTANCE INSTRUMENTS ONLY are regulated by 2 CFR part 200.458, Pre-Award Costs. �� e. GOVERNMENT APPROVED ACCOUNTING SYSTEM: An offeror must have a government approved accounting system prior to award of a cost-reimbursement contract per limitations set forth in FAR 16.301-3(a) to ensure the system is adequate for determining costs applicable to the contract. The acceptability of an accounting system is determined based upon an audit performed by the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA). IMPORTANT: If you do not have a DCAA approved accounting system access the following link for instructions: https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=1cffad228f48b58057072a6c9113799d&tab=core&_ cview=1 �� f. HUMAN USE: All research involving human subjects, to include the use of human biological specimens and human data, selected for funding must comply with Federal regulations for human subject protection. Further, research involving human subjects that is conducted or supported by the DoD must comply with 32 CFR 219, ""Protection of Human Subjects"" found at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_07/32cfr219_07.html, and DoD Instruction 3216.02, ""Protection of Human Subjects and Adherence to Ethical Standards in DoD-Supported Research"" found at: http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/321602p.pdf. �� 1. Institutions awarded funding for research involving human subjects must provide documentation of a current Assurance of Compliance with Federal regulations for human subject protection, for example a Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Human Research Protection Federal Wide Assurance found at: http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp. �� 2. All institutions engaged in human subject research, to include subcontractors, must have a valid assurance. In addition, personnel involved in human subject research must document the completion of appropriate training for the protection of human subjects. �� 3. For all research that will involve human subjects in the first year or phase of the project, the institution must submit evidence of a plan for review by an institutional review board (IRB) as part of the proposal. The IRB conducting the review must be the IRB identified on the institution's Assurance of Compliance. The protocol, separate from the proposal, must include a detailed description of the research plan, study population, risks and benefits of study participation, recruitment and consent process, data collection, and data analysis. The designated IRB should be consulted for guidance on writing the protocol. The informed consent document must comply with 32 CFR 219.116. A valid Assurance of Compliance and evidence of appropriate training by all investigators should accompany the protocol for review by the IRB. �� 4. In addition to a local IRB approval, an AFRL-level human subject regulatory review and approval is required for all research conducted or supported by the DoD. The Air Force office responsible for managing the award can provide guidance and information about the AFRL-level review process. Confirmation of a current Assurance of Compliance and appropriate human subjects protection training is required before AFRL-level approval can be issued. �� 5. The time required to complete the IRB review/approval process will vary depending on the complexity of the research and/or the level of risk to study participants; ample time should be allotted to complete the approval process. The IRB approval process can last between 1 to 3 months, followed by a DoD review that could last 3 to 6 months. No funding may be used toward human subject research until all approvals are granted. Therefore, in their cost proposals offerors should separate human use into a separate option. V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION: 1. CRITERIA: The following criteria, which are of equal importance and will be used to determine whether white papers and proposals submitted are consistent with the intent of this BAA and of interest to the Government: �� a. Overall Scientific and Technical Merit -- The soundness of approach for the development and/or enhancement of the proposed technology, �� b. Related Experience - The extent to which the offeror demonstrates relevant technology and domain knowledge, �� c. Openness, Maturity and Assurance of Solution - The extent to which existing capabilities and standards are leveraged and the relative maturity of the proposed technology, and �� d. Reasonableness and realism of proposed costs and fees (if any). No further evaluation criteria will be used to select white papers for proposal invitation. Proposals will be evaluated IAW this evaluation criteria only and categorized/selected for award as detailed in Section V.2.b.2. White papers and proposals submitted will be evaluated as they are received. 2. REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS: �� a. Only Government employees will evaluate the white papers/proposals for selection. The Air Force Research Laboratory's Information Directorate has contracted for various business and staff support services, some of which require contractors to obtain administrative access to proprietary information submitted by other contractors. Administrative access is defined as ""handling or having physical control over information for the sole purpose of accomplishing the administrative functions specified in the administrative support contract, which do not require the review, reading, and comprehension of the content of the information on the part of non-technical professionals assigned to accomplish the specified administrative tasks."" These contractors have signed general non-disclosure agreements and organizational conflict of interest statements. The required administrative access will be granted to non-technical professionals. Examples of the administrative tasks performed include: a. Assembling and organizing information for R&D case files; b. Accessing library files for use by government personnel; and c. Handling and administration of proposals, contracts, contract funding and queries. Any objection to administrative access must be in writing to the Contracting Officer and shall include a detailed statement of the basis for the objection. �� b. WHITE PAPER/PROPOSAL REVIEW PROCESS: �� 1. FIRST STEP - White Paper Reviews: The Government will review White Papers to determine which of them have the potential to best meet the Air Force's needs based on the criteria listed above. If white papers are of interest and funding is available, AFRL/RI will request a formal technical and cost proposal from offeror. If white papers are not of interest or there is not funding available, a letter will be sent to the offeror indicating the reason not selected. �� 2. SECOND STEP - Proposal Review and Selection Process �� a) Categories: Based on the evaluation, proposals will be categorized as Selectable or Not Selectable (see definitions below). The selection of one or more offerors for...
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A -- Terahertz (THz) Communications