SP -- REQUEST FOR COMMENT FOR REGIONAL TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER CENTER RECOMPETITION This synopsis is for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a Request For Proposal. The purpose of the Request for Comment (RFC) is to afford industry an opportunity to comment on any perceived issues with regard to the impact of Performance Based Contracting, issuance of a single solicitation with choices for proposing, and to allow the Government to receive the benefit of industry comments. The Government's purpose in providing an opportunity for industry comment is to identify creative approaches and recommendations, and also to identify potential problem areas with proposed solutions in order to enhance the success of the NASA Regional Technology Transfer Center (RTTC) initiative. The Government believes industry feedback is important, and is receptive to any and all ideas from industry which would result in improving this Solicitation, e.g., eliminating constraining requirements, realizing cost savings, identifying omissions, or highlighting potential technical or contractual problem areas associated with this initiative. A pre-solicitation synopsis will be issued prior to release of the solicitation. A. Program Background In 1994 a national network of NASA RTTCs was created to support core functions which promote NASA commercialization opportunity outreach and U.S. industry support for NASA technology transfer. The NASA Commercial Technology Program seeks to continue the strategy of the national network of RTTCs with a renewed emphasis on national level support for the Agency's complete technology offerings. Accordingly, the RTTCs will work with potential users in U.S. industry and government to: 1. Facilitate and promote enhanced access to the wealth of NASA's technology and information; 2. Stimulate the widest possible use of NASA technology in the national interest; and, 3. Increase the dissemination and commercial application of technologies in the U. S. resulting from NASA programs. The RTTC network is national in scope, regional in execution, and coordinated with other RTTCs. The RTTC network will be expected to access and transfer technology, to the extent possible, from all NASA Centers. B. Purpose, Responsibilities, and Services: The purpose of this procurement is to establish a not-for-profit network of NASA Regional Technology Transfer Centers (RTTCs) in order to: 1. Promote, market and commercialize a full range of NASA-based technology products, services and activities i.e., technology licensing opportunities, technology assistance, joint technology development opportunities, Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) opportunities. 2. Interact with and support NASA staff in the above-mentioned activities. The NASA RTTCs should be viewed as NASA technology commercialization outlets seeking to match and transfer designated NASA technologies and commercialization opportunities to industry. 3. Establish a formal relationship with each of the States located within the NASA RTTC's region of responsibility in order to leverage available economic development resources. 4. Develop a relationship that provides synergy and mutually beneficial activities with other technology transfer agents in the region in order to leverage resources and avoid redundancy. Develop and maintain an in-depth analysis and understanding of industrial and technology needs within the respective regions which incorporates global economic factors. 5. Establish strong National level program coordination by developing an effective and efficient system for collaboration within the NASA RTTC network to fully represent the NASA technology portfolio and avoid redundancy. 6. Provide a full range of information/dissemination and technology transfer services. The NASA RTTCs shall develop working relationships with NASA Centers within and outside of their region of responsibility to access data, information sources and technical expertise, including, but not limited to, the following areas: a. Information Services. Information on Center technologies and capabilities, computerized data base searches, including retrospective and current awareness, of report literature from a wide variety of sources. b. Technology Needs Assessments. Identification of user client technological needs/problems; applications analyses involving technical assistance, engineering reports and/or evaluations. c. Commercialization Services. Technology and business analyses, venture capital sourcing information and technology brokering. d. Technology Marketing. Outreach and other promotional activities to generate a broad national awareness of, and access to, NASA technology transfer capabilities, services, and commercialization opportunities. 7. Utilize electronic mail, web site, multi-media and other computer-linking resources to enhance communication, coordination, and marketing opportunities with and between other RTTCs, technology transfer network participants, regional affiliates, industrial clients, and other users. 8. Provide deliverables to NASA on a quarterly basis which include lead follow-up, tracking and reporting of outcomes and metrics from RTTC activities. Productivity metrics will include measures of success against Field Center technology portfolio items. Metrics shall include, but are not limited to, those listed as follows: a. Number of agreements facilitated or in progress, b. Number of viable licensing applicants, and number of resulting licenses, c. Number of outreach events, d. Number of productive leads for transfer or commercialization of NASA technology within and outside the respective region, e. Number of success stories, and, f. Number of Technology Opportunity Sheets (technology summary sheets) developed and disseminated. C. Technical Capabilities and Operations: 1. Information/Database Searching 2. Engineering/Scientific Capabilities 3. Electronic Communications & Coordination 4. Networking & Marketing 5. Information/Document Delivery D. NASA Information and Other Resources: Each RTTC will have access to scientific and technical reports and the NASA Scientific and Technical Information database and other NASA resources to use in developing marketing plans and client delivery methods. Resources will include: 1. Access to NASA personnel. 2. NASA Field Center Technology Portfolio. 3. NASATechTracS database (http://ntas.techtracs.org/). 4. NTAS TechFinder (http://ntas.techtracs.org/). 5. The NASA commercial technology web site (http://www.nctn.hq.nasa.gov). 6. Each Center's commercial technology web site (http://www.nctn.hq.nasa.gov). 7. STI databases (http://www.nasa.gov/techinfo.html). E. Marketing and Network Representations 1. Client assessment/market analyses. 2. Outreach and network representation. 3. Conferences, exhibits and media activities. 4. Use of public information materials. F. Period of Performance for this Contract The period of performance for this contract will be for a 2-year base period with three 1-year option periods. Currently, the Government is acquiring these services on Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee, Level-of Effort (LOE) contracts. Under the successor contracts,the LOE approach will be replaced with performance based requirements and will be restricted to the acquisition of "outcomes or outputs" where the period of performance and scope will be limited to work and products that can be well defined and priced. In no event will open-ended requirements be issued which lack discrete objectives or deliverables. G. Schedule For planing purposes, the six requests for proposal for this RTTC recompetition will be issued in mid-April, 1999, by six NASA Centers. The proposals will be due to the NASA Centers in mid-July, 1999, with announcement of awards by approximately the end of September, 1999. Solicitations will be synopsized prior to release. H. Selections Selections will be made in a manner most advantageous to the Government and significant emphasis will be afforded to past performance in providing similar services as an evaluation criterion in determining award. There will be six essentially identical Solicitations (one for each RTTC region) with contract award of sixseparate but interdependent contracts. I. Request for Comment Comments, whether supportive or critical, are earnestly solicited regarding every aspect of this proposed initiative, including organizational conflicts of interest. Use of comments received from industry to complete final statements of work and resulting solicitation documents, will be at the discretion of NASA. Contractors are encouraged to be innovative in their comments related to the draft Statement of Work, metrics, as well as possible contract types and management. The Government will not critique a potential offeror's comments, and this RFC should not be used by offerors to market their products/services. The Government does not intend to pay for the information solicited and will not recognize any costs associated with submission of this RFC. Proprietary information is not being solicited. Information considered proprietary, if any, should be identified as such. Questions and comments on this synopsis or on the draft Statement of Work andsupporting information listed on the Internet must be submitted either in writing or by E-mail to Mr. Michael Battaglia (at the below addresses). All questions and NASA responses will be posted (when received) on the web site indicated in item 3 below. Questions and comments should be provided to NASA no latter than December 15, 1998. 1. Address for mailing questions/comments: Mr. Michael Battaglia, NASA Headquarters, Code RW, 300 E Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20546. 2. Address for E-mailing questions/comments: mbattagl@hq.nasa.gov 3. Internet address for additional information, including draft Statement of Work, RTTC region definition map, NASA Center web pages, etc., is: http://www.nctn.hq.nasa.gov WEB: Click here for the latest information about this notice, http://nais.nasa.gov/EPS/HQ/date.html#SN-00001. E-MAIL: Michael Battaglia, mbattagl@hq.nasa.gov. Posted 11/10/98 (D-SN270392).

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