R&D Contracting Directorate, Bldg 7, 2530 C Street, WPAFB, OH 45433-7607

A -- PERIODICALLY POLED MATERIALS SOL PRDA #97-31-MLK DUE 050697 POC Phillip R. Nelson, Contracting Officer, WL/MLKM. (937) 255-5830 A -- INTRODUCTION: This is a Program Research and Development Announcement (PRDA). Wright Laboratory (WL/MLKM) is interested in receiving proposals (technical and cost) on the research effort described below. Proposals in response to this PRDA shall be submitted by 6 May 1997, 1500 hours Eastern Time, addressed to Wright Laboratory, Directorate of R&D Contracting, Building 7, Area B, Attn: Mr. Philip R. Nelson, WL/MLKM, 2530 C Street, Wright-Patterson AFB OH 45433-7607. This is an unrestricted solicitation. Small businesses are encouraged to propose on all or any part of this solicitation. Proposals submitted shall be in accordance with this announcement. Proposal receipt after the cutoff date and time specified herein shall be treated in accordance with restrictions of FAR 52.215-10; a copy of this provision may be obtained from the contracting point of contact. There will be no formal request for proposal (RFP) or other solicitation issued in regard to this requirement. Offerors should be alert for any PRDA amendments which may be published. This announcement may be amended to provide for subsequent dates for submission of proposals. Proposals shall be valid for Government acceptance for a period of not less than 180 days after submission cutoff. Offerors should request a copy of the WL Guide entitled, "PRDA and BAA Guide for Industry". This guide was specifically designed to assist offerors in understanding the PRDA/BAA proposal process. In addition, a supplemental package of proposal information should be used in preparing the proposal. The "PRDA and BAA Guide for Industry" and the supplemental package are available on the Internet, at the following address: www.wl.wpafb.af.mil/contract/hp.htm (For "PRDA and BAA Guide for Industry", use the Wright Laboratory R&D Contracting Home Page. Look under "A Contracting Toolbox" for "PRDA/BAA Indexed Guide". For the supplemental package, also use the Wright Laboratory R&D Contracting Home Page. Look under "Contracting Opportunities" for "Supplemental Package for PRDA Solicitation 97-31-MLK." If you access or download the information, please confirm by providing your name, company name, address, and telephone number via e-mail or telefacsimilie to Philip R. Nelson at nelsonpr@b045mail.wpafb.af.mil or FAX to (937) 255-9217). If you are unable to access or download the information from the Home Page, provide a written request for the information to Philip R. Nelson, WL/MLKM, Bldg 7, Area B, 2530 C Street, Wright-Patterson AFB OH 45433-7607. B-REQUIREMENTS: (1) Technical Description: OBJECTIVE: The goal of this program is to provide a capability to perform special focused studies in two main areas: 1) hardened materials development and applications, and 2) optics and electronics materials development and applications. Current 6.3 Advanced Development programs are developing hardened and improved optical/electronic materials approaches to a number of broad based scenarios for applications to airborne and space assets. In a similar manner, 6.2 materials development programs are improving the performance of hardened and improved optical/electronic materials under a broader set of goals not necessarily tied to the specific requirements of any one particular system. Because there will be occasion where specific problems, applications, or related areas of research will require a more in depth and focused level of attention, this program will provide the ability to perform those studies without interrupting the core research programs in both the 6.2 and 6.3 technical areas. This effort will be the means to enable a focused study of specific problems, provide a means to investigate the effectiveness of advances in materials development in a number of specific applications areas, and provide a link between the systems user and the technology developer by exploring specific technical issues or approaches or proving concepts or maturing technologies in applications of interest to both parties. TECHNICAL APPROACH: This award is a continuation of an ongoing requirement initiated under the current effort, Special Advanced Studies for Hardened Materials (SASHM), and will result in the award of one or more delivery order type of contracts. The prime contractor will be expected to respond to short term, focused problems in the application of hardening to airborne and space assets, advanced optical/electronic materials, and technologies. This contract will allow a quick response, focused look at specific hardening/optical/electronic problems or scenarios to prove a concept, investigate manufacturing concerns, or investigate advantages or limitations of specific hardening/optical/electronic concepts in specific systems or similar applications so as to determine that approach's potential for effectiveness. (2) Deliverable Items: The following deliverable data items shall be required: (a) Status Report, DI-MGMT-80368/T, monthly; (b) Funds and Manhour Expenditure Report, DI-FNCL-80331/T monthly; (c) Project Planning Chart, DI-MGMT-80507A/T monthly; (d) Contract Funds Status Report (CFSR), DI-F-6004B/T, quarterly; (e) Presentation Material, DI-ADMN-81373/T, as required; (f) Informal Technical Information Contractor's Billing Voucher, DI-S-30593/T, monthly; (g) Scientific and Technical Reports, DI-MISC-80711/T, (Interim and Final for Delivery Orders; Draft and Reproducible Final for overall contract); (h) Still Photo Coverage, DI-MISC-80169, as required; (I) Test Plan/Procedures, DI-NDTI-80808/T; (j) Video Tape Presentation, DI-MG-MT-81275. Samples developed under this effort shall also be delivered, as appropriate, at the completion of the Delivery Order(s) requiring sample delivery. (3) Security Requirements: Parts of this effort will be classified. PRIMARY OR PRINCIPAL PERSONNEL associated with this program are required to have a minimum SECRET security clearance. The prime contractor is also required to have a SECRET facility security clearance and the capability to store SECRET information. TEMPEST requirements may apply. See supplemental package for criteria. (4) OTHER SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) restrictions apply to areas covered by this announcement. See the supplemental package for additional information. C -- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: (1) Anticipated Period of Performance: The total length of the technical effort is estimated to be sixty (60) months. The contractor shall also provide for an additional four (4) months for processing/completion of the final report. (2) Expected Award Date: 1997 July. (3) Government Estimate: The Government funding profile is the total planned for all contracts awarded and is estimated to be as follows: FY97 -- $1.2M, FY98 -$4.8M, FY99 -- $5.5M, FY00 -- $5.9M, FY01 -- $5.9M. This profile represents the funding anticipated to be available to fund Delivery Orders. One or more contract awards may result for this program. This funding profile is an estimate only and is not a promise for funding as all funding is subject to change due to Government discretion and availability. (4) Type of contract: Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity with Cost Plus Fixed Fee Delivery Orders. (5) Government Furnished Property/Base Support: None contemplated, however, may be considered based on the requirements of individual Delivery Orders. (6) Size Status: For purposes of this acquisition, a small business is defined as one with 500 or fewer employees (SIC 8731). Firms responding should indicate whether they are or are not a socially or economically disadvantaged business, a woman-owned business, a Historically Black College, or a University/Minority Institution, and should also indicate their business size status. (7) Notice to Foreign-Owned Firms: Restrictions applicable to this procurement preclude participation of foreign owned firms in a prime contractor role. (8) Contract Ceiling: The resulting contract(s) is/are anticipated to have a combined ceiling of $23,300,000.00 for the execution of Delivery Orders. D-PROPOSAL PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS: (1) General Instructions: Offerors should apply the restrictive notice prescribed in the provision at FAR 52.215-12, Restriction on Disclosure and Use of Data, to trade secrets or privileged commercial and financial information contained in their proposals. Proposal questions should be directed to one of the points of contact listed elsewhere herein. Offerors should consider instructions/information contained in the "WL PRDA and BAA Guide for Industry" and the supplemental package referenced in Section A of this announcement. Technical and cost proposals, submitted in separate volumes, are required and must be valid for 180 days from the proposal due date. Proposals must reference the above PRDA number on all proposal volumes. Cost and Technical proposals shall be submitted in an original plus five (5) copies. An electronic version of the proposal shall also be submitted in Microsoft compatible files (MS Office 4.2 -- Word 6.0 and Excel 5.0 compatible). All responsible sources may submit a proposal which shall be considered against the criteria set forth herein. Offerors are advised that only contracting officers are legally authorized to contractually bind or otherwise commit the government. (2) Cost Proposal: Adequate price competition is anticipated. The accompanying cost proposal/price breakdown shall be supplied, together with supporting schedules, and shall contain an anticipated cost and person-hour breakdown by fiscal year. The offerer shall also provide in the proposal an explanation of how the offeror intends to minimize open commitments to subcontractors throughout the performance of the contract. Included in this explanation shall be the offerer's approach to ensure timely submission of vouchers from the subcontractor to the prime contractor (at least monthly, or more frequently if practical) and from the prime contractor to the Government. (3) Technical Proposal: The technical proposal shall include a discussion of the nature and scope of the research and the technical approach, as well as a discussion regarding the approach to the administration and management of theindividual Delivery Orders. Additional information on experience in this area, descriptions of available equipment, data and facilities, and resumes of prime contractor personnel who will be participating in this effort should also be included as attachments to the technical proposal, and are included in the overall proposal page limit. A listing of the technical experts/organizations anticipated to be used under this program and their respective areas of expertise shall be provided in the proposal as well. The technical proposal shall include a Statement of Work (SOW) detailing the technical areas proposed (in accordance with the "Requirements" section of this PRDA) to be accomplished under the proposed effort and suitable for contract incorporation. PL 98-94 applies. Any questions concerning the technical proposal or Delivery Order SOW preparation shall be referred to the Technical Point of Contact cited in this announcement. (4) Page Limitations: The technical proposal shall be limited to 125 pages (12 font type or larger), double-spaced, single-sided, 8.5 by 11 inches. The page limitation includes all information, i.e. indexes, photographs, foldouts, appendices, attachments, etc. Pages in excess of this limitation will not be read or considered by the Government. Cost proposals have no limitations, however, offerors are requested to keep cost proposals to 100 pages as a goal. (5) Preparation Cost: This announcement is an expression of interest only and does not commit the Government to pay for any response preparation cost. The cost of preparing proposals in response to this PRDA is not considered an allowable direct charge to any resulting contract or any other contract. However, it may be an allowable expense to the normal bid and proposal indirect cost as specified in FAR 31.205-18. E -- BASIS FOR AWARD: The Air Force anticipates awarding one (1) or more Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contracts to include the award of one or more Delivery Orders. The selection of a source for contract award, as well as the extent of the effort to be performed, will be based on scientific and/or engineering evaluation of the offerors' responses (both technical and cost aspects) to determine the overall merit of the proposal in response to this announcement. Both the overall technical/management approach and the candidate Delivery Order proposals will be part of the assessment. The technical aspect, which is ranked as the first order of priority, shall be evaluated based on the following criteria in descending order of importance, with (b) and (c) considered equal: (a) the offeror's understanding of the scope of the technical effort; (b) soundness of the offeror's technical approach, including the use of new or unique concepts, ideas, or approaches; (c) special technical factors such as the availability and commitment of qualified technical personnel, qualified subcontractors, and their experience with applicable technologies, background and/or demonstrated experience and capability with regard to the types of efforts to be expected under future Delivery Orders, and the availability and commitment of the necessary facilities; and (d) overall compliance with proposal requirements, including the organization, clarity, and thoroughness of the proposed SOW. Cost, which includes consideration of proposed budgets and funding profiles, is ranked as the second order of priority. The evaluation of cost and/or price will include consideration of proposed budgets and funding profiles. The Government will evaluate proposed costs and fees, both on a total and on an individual order basis, to ensure they are reasonable, realistic, and complete for the effort proposed. Cost and/or price will be a significant factor for award. No other evaluation criteria will be used. The technical and cost information will be evaluated at the same time. The Air Force reserves the right to select for award of a contract, grant or cooperative agreement any, all, part, or none of the proposals received. Award of a grant in lieu of a contract to universities or nonprofit institutions will be considered and will be subject to the mutual agreement of the parties. F -- POINTS OF CONTACT: Questions on technical issues may be referred to the Project Engineer, Robert Drerup, WL/MLPJ Building 651, 3005 P Street Suite 1, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH 45433-7702, (937) 255-3808, extension 3151. Questions on contractual and cost issues should be directed to the Contracting Officer, Philip Nelson, WL/MLKM Building 7, 2530 C Street, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH 45433-7607, (937) 255-5830. G -- OMBUDSMAN: An Ombudsman has been appointed to hear concern from offerors and potential offerors during the proposal development phase of this acquisition. The purpose of the Ombudsman is not to diminish the authority of the Contracting Officer, but to communicate contractor concerns, issues, disagreements and recommendations to the appropriate government personnel. All potential offerors should use established channels to maintain strict confidentiality as to the source of the concern. The Ombudsman will participate in the evaluation of proposals or in the selection decision. Interested parties should direct all routine communication concerning this acquisition to Philip R. Nelson, Contracting Officer, WL/MLKM, Bldg 7, 2530 C Street, Wright-Patterson AFB OH 45433-7607, telephone 937-255-5830. The Ombudsman should only be contacted with issues or problems that have been previously brought to the attention of the contracting officer and could not be satisfactorily resolved at that level. These serious concerns only may be directed to the Ombudsman, Mr. Daniel L. Kugel, ASC/SY, Bldg 52, 2475 K Street, Suite 1, Wright-Patterson AFB OH 45433-7642, E-Mail kugeldl@sy.wpafb.af.mil, phone 937-255-3855. SEE Note 26. (0073)

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