BAA-HYPERSPECTRAL OR MULTISPECTRAL MINE DETECTION This single topic Broad Agency Announcement is issued pursuant to the Provisions of paragraph 6.102 (d) (2) of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) which provides for competitive selection of basic research proposals. Proposals submitted in response to this BAA that are selected for award are considered to be the result of Full and Open Competition and are in full compliance with the Provisions of Public Law 98-369, "The Competition in Contracting Act of 1984". This announcement is an expression of interest only and does not commit the Government to pay for proposal preparation cost. The cost of preparing proposals in response to this BAA is not considered an allowable direct charge to any resulting contract or to 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. BAA amendments may be issued and shall be incorporated into the contractor's proposal. Failure to do so may be grounds for rejecting the proposal withoutfurther review. Questions concerning contractual, cost or pricing proposal format matters may be directed to Jeanine Lattin, Contract Specialist, E-Mail: jlatti@hoffman-issa2.army.mil or phone:(703) 325-4998. Individuals with questions on technical matters may refer to Kurt Montavon at (703) 704-1381. Potential offerors may contact the cited individuals prior to submission of full-blown proposals in order to discuss technical direction/interests and to determine if it would be worthwhile to submit a proposal. Copies of the BAA will be available in Adobe (PDF Format) only by accessing the CECOM Business Opportunities Page (BOP). The CECOM BOP can be accessed via the World Wide Web at http://acbop.monmouth.army.mil. CLOSING: Proposals are due by 20 January 1998 at 1400 hours Eastern Standard Time. TYPE OF CONTRACT: Cost Plus Award Fee. Submit one hard copy original and one electronic copy in Microsoft Word 7.0 of the proposal to Commander, US Army CECOM, ATTN: AMSEL-RD-NV-CD-MD (Montavon), 10221 Burbeck Rd. Ste 430, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060-5806. CONTRACT PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: This is for a total effort of approximately nine months. GENERAL INFORMATION: BACKGROUND: Mines and minefields present a major obstacle to rapid advance of early entry forces as well as planned major assaults. Further, the proliferation of mines in countries such as Bosnia, Cambodia, and Mozambique demonstrate the crippling effect of mines, physically and societally, and the need for a solution for mine and minefield detection. Recently completed Army evaluations of current infrared technologies suggest that additional technology development is necessary to provide a robust minefield detection capability. DESCRIPTION: The US Army Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM), Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD), Countermine Division is soliciting proposals for the investigation and exploitation of spectral phenomenology associated with the detection of mines and minefields. There are three main objectives for this effort which are broken into the following tasks: Task 1 -- to determine any and all spectral discriminants which can be used for airborne mine and minefield detection through a scientific investigation of the spectral phenomenology of mines and minefields. This scientific investigation is expected to occur primarily through ground based data collections. Task 2 -- to perform a multispectral or hyperspectral data collection from an airborne platform. This data will be used for subsequent algorithm development of minefield detection algorithms; Task 3 -- Produce a scientific report describing in detail a) all spectral metrics which can be utilized to exploit minefield detection, b) the physics underlying these metrics, c) algorithm concepts which are useful for mine and minefield detection using hyperspectral or multispectral data, d) a technical examination of all possible minefield sensors and the underlying advantages and disadvantages of such sensors, and d) a definitive sensor specification utilizing information from the above tasks as well as any other relevant information. The sensor specification shall incorporate all performance/design requirements necessary for a successful minefield detection sensor, and discuss the trade-offs inherent in the design requirements. OTHER INFORMATION: Proposals should be based upon the following milestones: Award is scheduled for 24 Mar 98 with completion of Tasks 1, 2, and 3 by 31 Dec 98. This BAA is not intended to be a sensor development program. Rather, it is intended to focus primarily on a scientific underpinning of spectral discriminants, and to collect high quality hyperspectral or multispectral data from an airborne platform for future algorithm work. This BAA is the first of several expected BAA's. Other BAAs pertaining to sensor development and algorithm development as a result of this effort are expected to be released in FY 99. TECHNICAL PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS: The technical proposal shall include the following sections: 1) Table of Contents; 2) Proposal Synopsis; 3) Theoretical Background; 4) Statement of Work (SOW); 5) Technology Transfer; 6) Technical Data and 7) Personnel Qualifications. The Table of Contents shall reflect the section number, title and page number. The Proposal Synopsis section shall summarize the proposed concept, objectives, how the objectives will be accomplished, and the anticipated outcome. The reader of this synopsis should gain an overview of all aspects of the proposal. The synopsis shall be limited to two (2) pages. The Theoretical Background section shall describe the theoretical and analytical development of the concept. This shall be in sufficient detail so that all theoretical concepts and the overall theoretical framework is explained. Supporting calculations, analyses, and data are appropriate to this section. This section shall make a clear connection of the theory to the specific application of mine detection. Data obtained from laboratory or field experiments is acceptable and encouraged. The relevance of the data to the proposed techniques must be clearly explained. The Statement of Work (SOW) section shall detail the technical tasks proposed to be accomplished under the effort and schedule for the performance of those tasks. A program chart which includes a detailed list of Tasks and Subtasks and the duration of same must be provided. Offerors shall clearly identify a list of contract deliverables which are traceable to the Chart. The milestones shall include the time frames for preparation, delivery, review and approval for all draft and final reports, and demonstrations as appropriate. Available equipment and data (GFE/GFI or CFE/CFI) shall be described in this section. The Technology Transfer section shall include methodology, techniques, and approach for transferring developments (software and hardware) on this program to other minefield detection programs. The Technical Data section shall identify any data proposed to be delivered with less than unlimited rights in the technical proposal. Unless otherwise stated in the proposal, all data delivered to the Government shall be with unlimited rights. The Personnel Qualifications section shall describe each team member, brief resumes of personnel, and the organizational structure of the team. Technical proposals shall not exceed a total of 50 pages in length (double spaced on 8.5 x 11 inch paper) exclusive of references, biographical sketches, and cost proposal data. The technical and cost proposals shall be submitted in one volume in order to facilitate a concurrent review and evaluation process. Pursuant to the requirements of FAR 52.219-9, if the total amount of the proposal exceeds $500,000, and if the offeror(s) selected for award, is other than a small business, the offeror(s) will be required at that time to submit a Subcontracting Plan for Small Business and Small Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Business concerns. EVALUATION CRITERIA: Proposals will be evaluated by a process of peer and/or scientific review. Proposals will not be evaluated against other proposalsin the same general research area. The basis for award: Awards will be made on the scientific or technical merit and relevance of the specific research proposal as it relates to this BAA needs; the importance of the BAA to Agency programs; the availability of funding and cost realism and reasonableness. Pursuant to FAR 52.215-34 Evaluation of Offers for Multiple Awards, evaluation of offers may result in one or more awards. The Government reserves the right to select for award any, all, part or none of the responses received. The Government reserves the right to award contracts as a result of this BAA for two years from the date of receipt of the proposals. R&D funds in the amount of $2.8 million has been set aside for this BAA. Proposals are expected to be in the $ 0.8 M to $1.3 M range. Specific costs and terms and conditions will be negotiated prior to award. Proposals will be evaluated in accordance with the following criteria. Factor 1 is more important than Factor 2 and both Factors are considerably more important than the remaining Factors. Factor 3 is more important than Factor 4 and Factor 5 is the least important factor. 1) Scientific and Technical Merits -- the overall scientific and technical merits of the proposal, including, but not limited to, the scientific design and statistical relevance of data collected, the test methodology, the length of time mines have been in place for the collection, the number of locations tested, the number and variety of mines tested, the environmental conditions tested and considered, and the degree to which simplifying assumptions are described and correspond to real world scenarios. 2) Airborne Data Collection -- the expected quality of the airborne data collected in task 2, including, but not limited to the following factors: resolution, sensitivity, dynamic range, data that is georeferenced and undistorted, and overall system performance. Quality is defined in terms of usefulness for minefield detection algorithm. 3) Past Performance -- the past performance will be a subjective evaluation of all relevant materials provided by the offeror or otherwise obtained by the Government. Particular emphasis will be placed on work of comparable complexity, timely delivery of deliverables, cost containment, success in meeting schedules and other areas of customer satisfaction. 4) Sensor Specification Parameters -- the completeness of the enumeration of sensor specification parameters which will be defined upon completion of task 3. 5) Technology -- the extent to which proposed solutions can be used at day and night, on buried and surface mines, and on mines which have been in place both short and long term (long term is defined as six months or longer). COST PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS: The proposal will be evaluated for cost realism and price reasonableness of all resources assigned to the three tasks and the estimated total contract price. Cost Realism means the costs are realistic for the work to be performed; reflect a clear understanding of the requirements; and are consistent with the various elements of the offeror's technical proposal. Reasonableness means the Government will make an assessment of the reasonableness of the cost and pricing data relative to the proposed effort. The cost proposal shall include all supporting information including, but not limited to: breakdown of labor hours by category, materials (vendor quotes or method of establishing cost), travel, direct and indirect. DCAA will validate the fixed hourly rates of each offeror. COST PROPOSAL FORMAT: The cost proposal shall be prepared in general accordance with FAR 15.804-6 and shall include a Standard Form 1411, Contracting Pricing Proposal Cover Sheet with all supporting data in order to allow for a complete review by the Government. When cost of money is being proposed, the offeror is required to complete a DD Form 1861. The breakdown of cost data shall include all costs expected to be incurred under the contract. All details, broken-down to coincide with the offeror's accounting periods as related to the specific period of performance as indicated in the proposed milestone chart. Prime contractors are responsible for insuring that all proposed subcontractors in excess of $500,000.00 are supported by an executed SF 1411. CERTIFICATE OF CURRENT COST AND PRICING DATA: Upon completion of negotiations and agreement on contract price, a Certificate of Current cost or Pricing Data pursuant to FAR 15.804-4 shall be submitted by the offeror if required by FAR 15.804-2. In addition, any offeror who is required to submit and certify cost or pricing data shall submit or procure the submission of accurate, current and complete cost or pricing data from his prospective subcontractors in accordance with the requirements of FAR 15.806. RESTRICTIVE MARKING ON PROPOSALS: Notwithstanding Army policy, if information contained in the proposal is in the public domain or cannot be protected under law as trade secret (e.g., a patent application), the Army will not accept liability for failure to safeguard against open disclosure. If a responder wishes to restrict the proposal, the responder offeror should mark the title page with the following legend: This data shall not be disclosed outside the Government and shall not be duplicated, used or disclosed in whole or in part for any purpose other than to evaluate the proposal; provided that if a contract is awarded to this BAA responder as a result of or in connection with the submission of this data, the Government shall have the right to duplicate, use or disclose the data to the extent provided in the contract. This restriction does not limit the Government's right to use information contained in data if, it is obtained from another source without restriction. The data subject to this restriction is contained on page __ __ __ __". REPRESENTATIONS: Offerors are to complete the following required representations and certifications, and submit them as part of the proposal: FAR Clauses 52.204-3 Taxpayer Identification (Mar 94); 52.204-6 Contractor Established Code (Dec 96); 52.209-5 Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Proposed Debarment, and Other Responsibility Matters (Mar 96); 52.215-6 Type of Business organization (Jul 87); 52.215-11 Authorized Negotiators (Apr 84); 52.215-20 Place of Performance (Apr 84); 52.219-1 Small Business Concern Representation (Jan 97); and 52.219-8 Utilization of Small, Small Disadvantaged & Women Small Business Concerns. Short Form Research Contract Forms DD 2222 (Oct 95), 222-1(May 86) and 2222-2 (Oct 95) -- Offerors eligible to utilize these forms are to submit all information necessary to process an award pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth in Subpart 235 of the Defense FAR Supplement. The representations and certifications will be provided under separate cover NLT 20 December 1997 on the CECOM WWW. Other additional certifications shall be required at time of award. CONTRACT CLAUSES: NOTE: These clauses are new and mandatory and will be provided under separate cover. CECOM Clause 52.7055 Mandatory Use of Government to Government E:Mail and CECOM Clause 52.6110 Mandatory Use of Contractor to Government E:Mail. REFERENCES: The following publications listed as references may be ordered from the organizations cited below: (1) DARPA Hyperspectral Mine Detection Program (Contract No. N66001-95-C-8648) POC is Dave Fields, DARPA, 3701 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1714 (703)696-2376 or E:Mail at dfields@darpa.mil. POC for the distribution of the report "Hyperspectal Mine Detection, Verification of Mine Detection Phenomena", is Kurt Montavon at (703)704-1381 or email kmontavo@nvl.army.mil (2) US Army Waterways Experiment Station, "Standoff Minefield Detection System Advanced Technology Transition Demonstration (STAMIDS ATTD); Thermal Signature Measurements of Mines," Technical Report EL-92-2. POC Ken Hall, USAE Waterways Experiment Station, Environmental Laboratory, 3909 Halls Ferry Road, Vicksburg, MS, 39180-6199; (601)634-3627 or E:Mail at hallk@ex1.wes.army.mil.

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