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

A -- INNOVATIVE TACTICAL TECHNOLOGY SOL BAA 00-16 DUE 122900 POC Dr. Richard Wlezien, DARPA/TTO, FAX (703) 696-8401 WEB: http://www.darpa.mil/, http://www.darpa.mil/. E-MAIL: BAA00-16@darpa.mil, BAA00-16@darpa.mil. This BAA constitutes the entire solicitation for this effort. No additional information is available, nor will a formal request-for-proposal or other solicitation regarding this Notice be issued. Requests for same will be disregarded. PROGRAM OBJECTIVES AND DESCRIPTION: DARPA's Tactical Technology Office (TTO) is soliciting proposals for advanced research and design of system and sub-system level technology for integration into the tactical environment that provide revolutionary improvements to the efficiency and effectiveness of the military, relative to current modes of operation. The goal of the program is the identification of areas for potential improved performance, and the design of systems/sub-systems to validate performance gains. The program focuses on the development of complete systems or subsystems, rather than enabling technologies. It is not a requirement of the program that proposed systems/sub-systems be composed entirely of newly developed components, but designs must show, in detail,the integration of new technology into existing components and/or legacy systems. AREAS OF INTEREST: DARPA-TTO has four primary focuses: aeronautic systems, space systems, land systems, and embedded processors and control systems. Its specific areas of interest include (but are not limited to) the following: improved deployability; reduced logistics burden; force projection and rapid ingress; improved weapons, precision guided munitions and improved propulsion/launch concepts; passive and active protection systems; compact, high density power supplies and pulse forming networks; multiple redundancy communication systems; expanded flight regimes; biologically-inspired flight; subsonic through hypersonic flow control by plasmas or other means; advanced rotorcraft; unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) architectures and designs, including lethal naval missions; flight control, aerodynamics and propulsion concepts; short take-off and vertical landing manned, unmanned, and micro air vehicles; on-orbit replenishment and component upgrade; modular spacecraft design and efficient utilization of space; new spacecraft missions; network-centric distributed command and control and fire control systems; sensor array data fusion; extended-life compact, mobile power sources; embedded processing and control; modeling and simulation for evaluating new technologies at force level; high energy density propellants and explosives; imaging through clouds and battlefield obscurants; technologies to deny situational awareness; logistic-support delivery systems. PROGRAM SCOPE: Up to $1.5M may be available in FY 2000 for initial efforts. Multiple awards are anticipated during FY 2000. The amount of funds, if any, for efforts beyond FY 2000 has not been decided. Successful efforts during the initial funding period will increase the likelihood that TTO will make funds available after FY 2000. For Government programmatic flexibility, all offerors should segment their cost proposals as follows: an initial 12-month effort followed by one or moreoptional efforts. The total effort including options should not exceed four years. PROPOSALS and WHITE PAPERS: Any responsible offeror that considers itself capable of satisfying the needs identified in this BAA may submit a proposal. Such offerors may include foreign firms to the degree that they are eligible to receive awards that result from this solicitation. Such offerors may also include foreign personnel as part as their proposed resources to the degree that these personnel are eligible to perform research and development required by awards that may result from this solicitation. Teaming and cost-sharing are encouraged. Further, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Institutions (MIs) are encouraged to submit proposals and join others in submitting proposals; however, no portion of this BAA will be set aside for HBCU and MI participation because of the impracticality of reserving discrete or severable areas of research in advanced tactical technology. This BAA will remain open through 29 December 2000 for the purposes of receiving and evaluating proposals, selecting performers, and awarding procurement instruments. However, TTO will conduct an initial round of proposal receipt, evaluation and selection, and award. In order to be considered for an award during this first round, proposals must be received by TTO at the address identified below on or before 1600 local time, Friday, 28 April 2000. Proposals received after the closing date of this BAA will not be reviewed or evaluated. The submission of white papers, while encouraged, is optional. TTO will endeavor to respond to each white paper within thirty (30) days after its receipt with a recommendation whether or not to submit a proposal. Regardless of TTO recommendations that may result from its review of white papers, an offeror may submit a proposal and that proposal will be reviewed and evaluated. For the initial round of source selection, white papers should be submitted to TTO at the address identified below not later than 1600 local time, Friday, 3 March 2000. White papers should contain neither proprietary nor classified information or data. Information or data contained in a proposal, deemed proprietary by the offeror, should be clearly marked. Offerors that intend to include classified information or data as part of their proposals shall, in advance of providing their proposals to TTO, contact the POC for this BAA (Dr. Richard Wlezien) for guidance. As soon as the proposal evaluation is completed, offerors will be notified that 1) the proposal has been selected, and the program will be funded, or 2) the proposal has been selected, pending availability of funds, or 3) the proposal has not been selected. Proposals that are selected, pending the availability of funds, will be considered eligible for award within one (1) year after the closing of this BAA. Unless otherwise advised by the offeror at the time of submission, non-selected proposals will be destroyed; however, one copy of non-selected proposals may be retained for file purposes. The form and format for white papers and proposals follows. White papers and proposals that do not satisfy these form and format requirements may be rejected without further review or evaluation. White Papers: White papers shall describe the problem(s) that will be solved, any existing evidence that the proposed solution(s) will be successful, and the relative impact of such a solution(s), should it/they prove successful. White papers shall contain the following parts: the Cover Sheet of Volume I of the offeror's proposal (see below); four (4) page summary, maximum, of Sections I, II, and III of the offeror's proposal (see below); one (1) page summary, maximum, of Volume II of the offeror's proposal (see below). The Cover Sheet shall be clearly marked "WHITE PAPER." All pages shall be printed on 8-1/2 by 11 inch paper; type not smaller than 12 point. The page limitations for white papers include all figures, tables, and charts. No formal transmittal letter is required. Offerors shall submit an original and two (2) copies of each white paper. Proposals: Proposals shall consist of two volumes; Volume I -- Technical and Management, and Volume II -- Cost. Volume I shall consist of three sections. Volume II shall consist of three parts. All pages shall be printed on 8-1/2 by 11 inch paper; type not smaller than 12 point. The page limitation for proposals includes all figures, tables, and charts. The maximum total length of Sections I and II of Volume I is forty (40) pages. There is no page limitation applicable to Volume II. An offeror shall submit an original and five (5) copies of proposals, and each proposal shall be transmitted by an official who is authorized to commit the offeror. Volume I -- Technical and Management. Cover Sheet: The Cover Sheet shall identify: BAA number; technical area; lead organization submitting the proposal; type of business (large, small, educational institution, other not-for-profit/non-profit, etc.); offeror's number (if any); other team members (if applicable) and their types of business; proposal title; technical points of contact; and, administrative points of contact. Section I -- Summary of Proposal: This section shall provide an overview of the proposed work, as well as introduce associated technical and management issues. In a manner of the offeror's choosing, this Section should provide a succinct description of the uniqueness and benefits of the proposed approach, relative to the current state-of-art and alternate approaches, followed by: A. Innovative claims for the proposed research. (Include in this section all proprietary claims to results, prototypes, intellectual property, or systems supporting and/or necessary for the use of the research, results, and/or prototype. If there are no proprietary claims, this should be stated.) B. Deliverables associated with the proposed research, and any plans and capabilities to accomplish technology transition and commercialization. C. Schedule and milestones for the proposed research, including summary estimates of cost for each task in each year of the effort, total cost and company cost share(s). D. Technical rationale, technical approach, and constructive plans for accomplishment of technical goals. E. General discussion of other research in this area. F. A clearly defined organization chart for the program team which includes, as applicable, the programmatic relationship of team members; the unique capabilities of team members; the task responsibilities of team members; the teaming strategy among the team members; the key personnel along with the amount of effort to be expended by each person during each year. Section II -- Detailed Proposal Information: This section shall provide the detailed discussion of the proposed work necessary to enable an in-depth review of specific technical and managerial issues. Specific attention must be given to addressing both the risks and payoffs of the proposed research that make it desirable for DARPA to pursue. In a manner of the offeror's choosing, this Section should provide: A. Statement of Work (SOW) written in plain English, that describes the scope of the effort, the specific tasks to be performed and their schedules. B. Description of the results, products, transferable technology, and expected technology transfer path(s) (enhancing Section I.B). C. Detailed technical rationale (enhancing Sections I-D and I-E). D. Comparison with other ongoing research indicating advantages and disadvantages of the proposed effort. E. Discussion of offeror's previous accomplishments/work in this or closely related research areas. F. Description of the facilities that would be used for the proposed effort. G. Detail support, including formal teaming agreements that are required to execute the offeror's proposal (enhancing Section I-F). Section III -- Additional Information: In a manner of the offeror's choosing, this Section may provide a brief bibliography of relevant technical papers and research notes (published and unpublished) which document the technical ideas upon which the proposal is based. Herein the offeror may include such papers; however, DARPA-TTO is under no obligation to review and evaluate these papers. This Section should also include all affirmations relative to TTO's Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) requirements (see below). Volume II -- Cost. An offeror's cost proposal shall consist of three parts: Part A -- Cover Sheet. The Cover Sheet shall include: name and address of offeror (include zip code); name, title, and telephone number of offeror's business point of contact; recommended award instrument; place(s) and period(s) of performance; total proposed cost, separated by basic award and option(s) (if any); name, address, and telephone number of the offeror's cognizant Defense Contract Management Command (DCMC) administration office (if known); and, name, address, and telephone number of the offeror's cognizant Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) audit office (if known). Part B -- Detailed Cost Breakdown. To include: (1) total program cost broken down by major cost items (direct labor, subcontracts, materials, other direct costs, overhead charges, etc.) and further broken down by year (Government fiscal year, as applicable); (2) major program task costs by year; (3) an itemization of major subcontracts and equipment purchases; (4) a summary of projected funding requirements by month; (5) a description of cost estimating methods; and (5) the source, nature, and amount of any industry cost-sharing. Where the effort consists of multiple portions that could reasonably be partitioned for purposes of funding, these should be identified as options with separate cost estimates for each. Part C -- Supporting Cost and Pricing Information. This part shall include supporting cost and pricing information in sufficient detail to substantiate the summary cost estimates in Part B above. Costs for subcontracts having 20% or more of the value of the work must be substantiated to the same level of detail as the costs of the offeror. EVALUATION CRITERIA: Evaluation of white papers and proposals will be accomplished through a technical review using the following criteria, listed in descending order of importance: 1) Overall scientific and technical merit including degree of innovation, understanding of the technical and operational issues, and experimental approach. 2) Potential contribution and relevance to TTO mission by meeting the goals of the BAA. 3) Offeror's capabilities and related experience of all team members covering qualifications and achievements of personnel and adequacy of facilities and equipment. 4) Project and technology transfer plans. The plans to carry out the work and the plans to accomplish technology transition to use by the military services. 5) Cost realism. AWARDS: Awards under this BAA will be made to responsible offerors on the basis of the evaluation criteria above, program balance, and BEST VALUE to the Government. Awards will be subject to the availability of funds. Award instruments may take the form of a procurement contract, grant, cooperative agreement, technology investment agreement, or other-transaction-for-prototype, depending upon the nature of the work proposed, the required degree of interaction between parties, and other factors. If warranted, portions of resulting awards may be segregated into pre-priced options. The Government reserves the right to 1) select for award all, some, or none of the proposals received, and 2) incrementally-fund any award instrument. ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST: Awards made under this BAA are subject to the provisions of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 9.5, Organizational Conflict of Interest. All offerors and proposed subcontractors must affirmatively state whether they are supporting any DARPA technical office(s) through an active contract or subcontract. All affirmations must state which office(s) the offeror supports and identify the prime contract number. Affirmations shall be furnished at the time of proposal submission, and 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 offeror has taken, or proposes to take, to avoid, neutralize or mitigate such conflict. If the offeror believes that no such conflict exists, then the offeror shall so state in the affirmation. NON-GOVERNMENT PERSONNEL: All proprietary material should be clearly marked and will be held in strict confidence. Restrictive notices notwithstanding, proposals may be handled, for administrative purposes only, by Booz-Allen & Hamilton, Inc., of Arlington, VA, a support contractor, which is bound by appropriate non-disclosure requirements. Input on technical aspects of the proposals may be solicited by DARPA from non-Government consultants and experts who are bound by appropriate non-disclosure requirements. Non-Government technical consultants will not have access to proposals that are labeled by the offerors as "GOVERNMENT ONLY." Selections under this BAA will be madeonly by Government evaluators. ADMINISTRATION. All administrative correspondence and questions regarding this solicitation should be directed to one of the administrative addresses below; e-mail or fax is preferred. DARPA TTO intends to use electronic mail and fax for correspondence regarding this BAA. However, white papers and proposals must be submitted on paper. The administrative addresses for this BAA are: Fax: DARPA, TTO, ATTN: BAA00-16, 703-696-8401; E-Mail: BAA00-16@darpa.mil; Mail: DARPA, TTO, ATTN: BAA00-16, 3701 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1714. This BAA may be retrieved via the WWW at URL http://www.darpa.mil/ in the "solicitations" area. Posted 02/11/00 (W-SN424510). (0042)

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