Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Contract Management Directorate (CMD), 3701 N. Fairfax Dr., Arlington, VA 22203-1714

A -- ENVIRONMENTAL BIOAGENT DETECTION SOL BAA00-09 DUE 120999 POC Dr. Mildred Donlon, Fax 703-516-7360 WEB: click here to access information for this baa, http://www.darpa.mil/baa/. E-MAIL: e-mail contact for baa00-09, baa00-09@darpa.mil. BACKGROUND: The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is soliciting proposals for the development and demonstration of revolutionary detection systems for identifying a broad range of biological warfare agents in the environment, including those that may be encapsulated or bioengineered. Environmental detection is defined as identifying biological agents/pathogens from environmental samples which can have highly variable backgrounds. DARPA is primarily interested in developing new signatures for detecting and identifying biological agents including spores, vegetative bacteria, viruses, toxins, and bioregulating compounds. Examples of signatures would include peptides, aptamers and phage. These are being sought to serve as adjuncts and/or replacements for antibody identification of bioagents. Secondarily, DARPA is seeking revolutionary point-detection technologies that will allow for the rapid identification of suspect agents. The focus of the technologies should be directed at biological detection/identification for military use, in battlefield and airbase scenarios, as well as in urban environments. Technologies that may be used for counterterrorism are also of interest. All aspects of the program are for defensive purposes only. This BAA pertains only to the environmental bioagent detection portion of the DARPA Biological Warfare Defense (BWD) program and excludes other DARPA programs related to cell and tissue-based detectors, decontamination and external protection, consequence management, pathogen countermeasures, and advanced molecular-based diagnostics. OBJECTIVES AND DESCRIPTION: Our national defense against biological warfare agents requires rapid detection and identification of both known and unknown biological threat-agents. Fast detection and identification can provide adequate warning of a biological attack and can save many lives by enabling and adopting a protective posture, in the rapid evacuation of affected areas, and assisting in the timely, effective medical treatment to exposed personnel. This BAA seeks new signatures which can be inserted into platforms currently under development in order to significantly enhance platform capabilities, to increase sensitivity, specificity, and reliability, and minimize false alarms. DARPA also is seeking methodologies for signatures for rapidly distinguishing between live versus dead bioagents at low concentrations, including samples taken after decontamination procedures have been executed. In addition, proposals will be accepted for revolutionary point-detection technologies. Such detection devices can be small (hand-held) instruments for individual soldier use or automated, dispersed, remotely placed, and networked. The current identification technology is dependent on time-consuming amplification: for antibodies, the molecular binding event is amplified and for genomic DNA, the DNA molecules themselves are amplified prior to detection. The amplification step adds appreciably to the time and complexity required for the identification of a biological agent. Proposed improvements to detection technologies should be aimed at achieving high sensitivity and a low false alarm rate (both false positives and false negatives) with minimal sample pretreatment (including amplification) before detection. The proposer must be willing to team with the developers of detection platforms to insert the validated signatures if the proposing entity does not possess the capability to develop a platform. DARPA is seeking proposals for two (2) years of base funding with an option for an additional year of work (total of three (3) years). Limited funding will be provided during the first year for initial validation of the signature and its potential for exploitation on a detection platform. The proposed signature-technology combination must successfully perform in tests with live threat agents (to be conducted by an independent laboratory) by the middle of the second year in order to proceed further in the program. Multiple approaches will be permitted in the first phase of work but a preferred signature-technology combination must be selected prior to live agent testing. TECHNICAL AND PROGRAMMATIC REQUIREMENTS Awards totaling $6-8 million are expected to be made during the first half of the calendar year 2000. Multiple awards are anticipated. PROPOSAL: The objective of a successful proposal will be a feasibility demonstration of the signature technology proposed for development. Proposers must describe in detail the technical and scientific basis of the proposed detection and identification technology. All programs must culminate in a significant endpoint demonstration of proposed solutions to crucial problems within the period of support. Excluded for the purposes of this solicitation are proposals for paper studies and/or evaluations. Such proposals will be judged to be non-responsive. HOW TO PROPOSE: Proposers should obtain the information and forms provided in the Proposer Information Pamphlet (PIP) BAA00-09 via the World Wide Web URL: http://www.darpa.mil/baa/ (under the SPO Solicitations Web Page) or by sending requests (include your name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address) by e-mail: (baa00-09@darpa.mil), by fax: (703-522-3888, ATTN: BAA00-09/Donlon), or by mail: (Digital Systems International Corporation, ATTN: BAA00-09/Donlon, 4301 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, Virginia 22203-1627). The PIP provides further information including required formatting guidelines. The PIP will be sent via first-class mail to each requester. The PIP contains the required cover sheet and forms as well as detailed information on the required proposal format. One (1) original, seven (7) single-sided, hard copies of the proposal, and two (2) additional copies of the Executive Summary shall be submitted to DARPA/SPO, ATTN: BAA00-09/Donlon, 3701 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, Virginia 22203-1714, no later than 4:00 PM EST, December 9,1999. PROPOSAL FORMAT: Proposals shall consist of two volumes: Volume 1 will be the Technical Proposal and Volume 2 the Cost Proposal. The first page of each volume shall be a required cover sheet provided in the PIP. Volume 1: the Technical Proposal shall not exceed fifty-five (55) pages including the required cover sheet, all figures, references, tables, charts, and appendices. All pages shall be consecutively numbered. Pages shall be double-spaced with 1-inch margins and a font size no smaller than 12. The Technical Proposal shall include: (i) the required cover sheet, (ii) an Executive Summary (one to two page summary of the overall approach and vision of the proposal); (iii) a Table of Contents; (iv) a Technical Background Section (technical background for the reviewer and explanation of the issues addressed); (v) a one paragraph Abstract; (vi) a section detailing the technical approach; (vii) a program and demonstration plan including a statement of work and schedule and milestone chart; (viii) an outline of the organizational structure of the team and a management plan; (ix) a summary of relevant prior work; (x) a brief description of pertinent facilities and equipment; (xi) resumes of key individuals (resumes may be single-spaced); and (xii) a Cost Summary (example provided in the PIP). The technical effort should be organized for two (2) years of base funding with an option for an additional year of work (total of three (3) years). Volume 2: the Cost Proposal shall include: (i) the required cover sheet; (ii) a Cost Summary (example provided in the PIP); and, (iii) a Detailed Cost Breakdown. There is no page limit for the Cost Proposal. PROPOSAL EVALUATION: All proposals will be opened and processed for administrative and logistical purposes by Digital Systems International Corporation (DSIC), a support contractor. All contractor support personnel will have signed and have on-file with DARPA and DSIC the appropriate non-disclosure and conflict of interest certifications before handling proposals. Proposals will be evaluated by a peer review panel that may consist of both Government and non-government experts. Proposers who object to having their submissions reviewed and evaluated by non-government personnel must so state at the time of making their submissions, by stating "For Government Review Only" on the proposal front cover. Both Government and non-government personnel will have signed and have on-file with DARPA and DSIC the appropriate non-disclosure and conflict of interest certifications before reviewing proposals. All proposals will be treated with the strictest confidence. Evaluations of the proposals will be based on the following four criteria, in descending order of importance: (i) the potential to revolutionize the current state-of-the-art and the adequacy of the technical tasks proposed to reach a quality demonstration within the time-frame of the program; (ii) the scientific and technical merits of the proposed effort, including the feasibility of the approach and the relevance of the proposed goals to the DARPA program objective; (iii) the qualifications of the principal investigator and other key research personnel, their record of past performance, and the adequacy of current and planned equipment and facilities to accomplish the research objectives; and (iv) cost realism. Note: Cost realism will only be significant in proposals that have significantly under- or over-estimated the cost to complete their effort. When the proposal evaluation is completed, the proposers will be notified of selectability or non-selectability of their proposal. Selectable proposals will be considered for funding; non-selectable proposals will be destroyed. One (1) copy of non-selectable proposals may be retained for file purposes. Not all proposals deemed selectable may be funded. Decisions to fund selectable proposals will be based on funds availability, scientific and technical merit, contribution to program goals, and overall program balance. Proposals receiving a letter of selection may be considered for funding for a period of up to one year. Awards made under this BAA are subject to the provisions of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 9.5,Organizational and Consultant Conflicts of Interest. All proposers and proposed subcontractors must state in writing, at the time of proposal submission, whether they are supporting any DARPA technical office(s) through an active contract or subcontract. All affirmations must state which office(s) the proposer supports and identify the prime contract number. All facts relevant to the existence or potential existence of organizational conflicts of interest, as that term is defined in FAR 9.501, must be disclosed. This disclosure shall include a description of the action the proposer has taken, or proposes to take, to avoid, neutralize, or mitigate such conflict. Technical questions regarding this BAA must be submitted in writing via e-mail to baa00-09@darpa.mil, fax to 703-516-7360, ATTN: BAA00-09/Donlon, or mail to DARPA/SPO, ATTN: BAA00-09/Donlon, 3701 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, Virginia 22203-1714. BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT: This Commerce Business Daily (CBD) notice, in conjunction with the BAA00-09 PIP, constitutes a BAA as contemplated by FAR 6.102(d)(2). No additional information is available nor will a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) or other solicitation regarding this announcement be issued. Requests for same will be disregarded. The Government reserves the right to select for award all, some, parts, part, or none of the proposals received in response to this announcement. Proposals identified for funding may result in a procurement contract, grant, cooperative agreement, or other transaction depending upon the nature of the work proposed, the required degree of interaction between parties, and other factors. The proposer must submit a separate list of all technical data or computer software that will be furnished to the Government with other than unlimited rights (see DFARS Part 227). No portion of the BAA will be set aside for Historically Black College or University (HBCU) and Minority Institution (MI) participation due to the impracticality of reserving a discrete or severable area of researchfor exclusive competition among those entities. HBCUs and MIs are encouraged to apply and/or team with other proposers. Posted 10/29/99 (W-SN396368). (0302)

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