SOLICITATION NOTICE
A -- Forensic Analysis Software Tools for Exploitation and Reasoning (FASTER)
- Notice Date
- 11/9/2006
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 541710
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Air Force, Air Force Materiel Command, AFRL - Rome Research Site, AFRL/Information Directorate 26 Electronic Parkway, Rome, NY, 13441-4514, UNITED STATES
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- Reference-Number-BAA-07-04-IFKA
- Description
- CFDA Number: 12.800 DATES: It is recommended that white papers be received by the following dates to maximize the possibility of award: FY 07 should be submitted by 14 Dec 2006; FY 08 by 1 May 2007; and FY 09 by 1 May 2008. White papers will be accepted until 2:00 p.m. Eastern time on 31 Oct 2009, but it is less likely that funding will be available in each respective fiscal year after the dates cited. FORMAL PROPOSALS ARE NOT BEING REQUESTED AT THIS TIME. See Section IV of this announcement for further details. I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION: This BAA seeks research efforts that provide innovative technologies supporting the forensic analysis of Multiple Source Intelligence (Multi-INT) and persistent surveillance data, with a focus on information fusion and understanding. Objectives: The military requires an electronic evidence/intelligence investigative capability supporting the task of forensically examining Multi-INT data. The objective of this effort is to develop automated or semi-automated tools for an analyst to perform this task. The tools are focused toward discovering adversarial behavior within persistent surveillance data. The intent is to find and perhaps predict enemy behavior by understanding their adaptable Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs) and responding prior to implementation. The developed capabilities may be transitioned to various programs, for example, the AF Distributed Common Ground Station (DCGS-AF), the Aerospace Operations Center (AOC) Weapon System, National Intelligence Exploitation Capabilities (IEC) environment, as well as the Army and Navy DCGS systems (DCGS-A and DCGS-N). Scope: Under this BAA, the intelligence provided by Moving Target Indicator (MTI) is the primary, but not the sole focus. The scope includes forensic analysis, behavior and movement pattern analysis, and the development of predictive capabilities. This involves advancing the state-of-the-art in the area of information discovery, development, fusion, cueing, and delivery of Multi-INT derived intelligence. Current forensic analysis is a manual and time consuming process measured in days not hours. Beginning with a request for information (RFI), the analyst needs to assemble a composite vision of the situation associated with an event(s) and location. The tools and techniques used by analysts are constrained to a few intelligence sources which limit the forensics capacity. What is required is a set of Multi-INT forensic capabilities to automate this process across a variety of intelligence data sources. Traditional sources include HUMINT - Human Intelligence, GEOINT - Geospatial Intelligence, IMINT - Imagery Intelligence, MASINT - Measurement and Signature Intelligence, OSINT - Open Source Intelligence, and SIGINT - Signals Intelligence (COMINT - Communications Intelligence, ELINT - Electronic Intelligence, and Special Signals). These tools need to provide core detailed understanding of surface vehicle movement allowing not only efficient product/evidence development, but also electronic sharing of products to anticipate future events in a Multi-INT environment. The concept has been demonstrated during Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), in that the technical feasibility and military utility of forensic and reasoning capabilities to detect, backtrack, and provide multi-INT cueing, supports the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) providing not only situational awareness, but also strategic awareness. Funding Area Opportunities: This 3-year initiative will employ spiral development to include testing occurring in the AFRL Fusion Facility with prototype delivery at 9-month intervals. Offerors should focus on technologies that have a significant impact on forensic analysis and that provide near-term release of forensic software tools. Advances are desired in motion pattern analysis; behavioral pattern analysis, cueing, MTI changes detection/"normalcy" modeling, cross-cueing, resource allocation, advanced reasoning and prediction techniques. These tools will be leveraged to determine the intent of entities or groups of entities based on terrain, doctrine, and historical data. The combination of these technologies will provide a powerful tool set for operators to exploit Multi-INT data and will enable the creation of a more comprehensive forensic picture. The development of inferential reasoning and predictive techniques based on prior templating that will support cueing anticipated Improvised Explosive Device (IED)-related events is also desired. Examples include movement from caches, IED placement, convoy timing runs, triggering IEDs and escape to safe houses is also desired. Technology areas include: MTI/Multi-INT tracking, Multi-INT database mining, rapid archival and retrieval capability, cueing/cross-cueing, Moving Target Intelligence (MOVINT) products & formats, and activity detection/identification. Aspects of the research may include Kalman smoothing, finite sliding window averaging, Hough Transforms, Bayesian Nets, and fuzzy logic & predictive analysis (behavioral & motion patterns). Predictive analysis, for example, involves finding terrorists prior to IED deployment and explosion by understanding their adaptable TTPs, and responding prior to implementation. In addition, MOVINT technologies are of interest supporting the development of road usage statistics, route planning and interdiction, route deviation detection, mobility metrics, facility characterization (hours of operation, population, related locations/entities), and Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) planning are of interest. II. AWARD INFORMATION: Total funding for this BAA is approximately $4.0M. The anticipated funding to be obligated under this BAA is broken out by fiscal year as follows: FY 07 - $750K; FY 08 - $1.5M; and FY09 - $1.75M. Individual awards will not normally exceed 36 months with dollar amounts ranging from $100,000 to $1,500,000 per year. There is also the potential to make awards up to any dollar value. Awards of efforts as a result of this announcement will be in the form of contracts. III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION: 1. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS: All potential applicants are eligible. Foreign or foreign-owned offerors are advised that their participation is subject to foreign disclosure review procedures. Foreign or foreign-owned offerors should immediately contact the contracting office focal point, Lori L. Smith, Contracting Officer, telephone (315) 330-1955 or e-mail Lori.Smith@rl.af.mil for information if they contemplate responding. The e-mail must reference the title and BAA 07-04-IFKA. 2. COST SHARING OR MATCHING: Cost sharing is not a requirement. IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION: 1. APPLICATION PACKAGE: THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION. WE ARE SOLICITING WHITE PAPERS ONLY. DO NOT SUBMIT A FORMAL PROPOSAL AT THIS TIME. Those white papers found to be consistent with the intent of this BAA may be invited to submit a technical and cost proposal, see Section VI of this announcement for further details. For additional information, a copy of the AFRL/Rome Research Sites "Broad Agency Announcement (BAA): A Guide for Industry," Aug 2005, may be accessed at: http://www.if.afrl.af.mil/div/IFK/bp-guide.doc. 2. CONTENT AND FORM OF SUBMISSION: Offerors are required to submit 3 copies of a 3 to 5 page white paper summarizing their proposed approach/solution. The purpose of the white paper is to preclude unwarranted effort on the part of an offeror whose proposed work is not of interest to the Government. The white paper will be formatted as follows: Section A: Title, Period of Performance, Estimated Cost of Task, Name/Address of Company, Technical and Contracting Points of Contact (phone, fax and email)(this section is NOT included in the page count); Section B: Task Objective; and Section C: Technical Summary and Proposed Deliverables. Multiple white papers within the purview of this announcement may be submitted by each offeror. If the offeror wishes to restrict its white papers/proposals, they must be marked with the restrictive language stated in FAR 15.609(a) and (b). All white papers/proposals shall be double spaced with a font no smaller than 12 pitch. In addition, respondents are requested to provide their Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) number, a fax number, and an e-mail address with their submission. All responses to this announcement must be addressed to the technical POC, as discussed in paragraph five of this section. 3. SUBMISSION DATES AND TIMES: It is recommended that white papers be received by the following dates to maximize the possibility of award: FY 07 should be submitted by 14 Dec 2006; FY 08 by 1 May 2007; and FY 09 by 1 May 2008. White papers will be accepted until 2:00 p.m. Eastern time on 31 Oct 2009, but it is less likely that funding will be available in each respective fiscal year after the dates cited. 4. FUNDING RESTRICTIONS: The cost of preparing white papers/proposals in response to this announcement is not considered an allowable direct charge to any resulting contract or any other contract, but may be an allowable expense to the normal bid and proposal indirect cost specified in FAR 31.205-18. 5. OTHER SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS: DO NOT send white papers to the Contracting Officer. All responses to this announcement must be addressed to ATTN: Brian O'Hern, Air Force Research Laboratory/IFEA, 525 Brooks Rd, Rome NY, 13441-4505. Respondents are required to provide their Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number with their submittal and reference BAA 07-04-IFKA. V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION: 1. CRITERIA: The following criteria will be used to determine whether white papers and proposals submitted are consistent with the intent of this BAA and of interest to the Government. Criteria (1) through (3) are of equal importance, criteria (4) is of lesser importance than (1) through (3): (1) Overall Scientific and Technical Merit -- Including the innovation of the proposed technology, the technical approach, and the operational relevance of the problem solution to address current and future Air Force net-centric requirements, (2) Related Experience - The extent to which the offeror demonstrates intellect, technical expertise, and domain knowledge, (3) Openness of Solution - The extent to which open architecture standards and technologies are leveraged, and (4) Reasonableness and realism of proposed costs and fees (if any). Also, consideration will be given the capacity and capability to achieve the objectives of this BAA. No further evaluation criteria will be used in selecting white papers/proposals. Individual white paper/proposal evaluations will be evaluated against the evaluation criteria without regard to other white papers and proposals submitted under this BAA. White papers and proposals submitted will be evaluated as they are received. 2. REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS: Only Government employees will evaluate the white papers/proposals for selection. The Air Force Research Laboratory's Information Directorate has contracted for various business and staff support services, some of which require contractors to obtain administrative access to proprietary information submitted by other contractors. Administrative access is defined as "handling or having physical control over information for the sole purpose of accomplishing the administrative functions specified in the administrative support contract, which do not require the review, reading, or comprehension of the content of the information on the part of non-technical professionals assigned to accomplish the specified administrative tasks." These contractors have signed general non-disclosure agreements and organizational conflict of interest statements. The required administrative access will be granted to non-technical professionals. Examples of the administrative tasks performed include: a. Assembling and organizing information for R&D case files; b. Accessing library files for use by government personnel; and c. Handling and administration of proposals, contracts, contract funding and queries. Any objection to administrative access must be in writing to the Contracting Officer and shall include a detailed statement of the basis for the objection. VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION: 1. AWARD NOTICES: Those white papers found to be consistent with the intent of this BAA may be invited to submit a technical and cost proposal. Notification by email or letter will be sent by the technical POC. Such invitation does not assure that the submitting organization will be awarded a contract. Those white papers not selected to submit a proposal will be notified in the same manner. Prospective offerors are advised that only Contracting Officers are legally authorized to commit the Government. All offerors submitting white papers will be contacted by the technical POC, referenced in Section VII of this announcement. Offerors can email the technical POC for status of their white paper/proposal no earlier than 45 days after proposal submission. 2. ADMINISTRATIVE AND NATIONAL POLICY REQUIREMENTS: Depending on the work to be performed, the offeror may require a top secret and/or secret facility clearance and safeguarding capability; therefore, personnel identified for assignment to a classified effort must be cleared for access to top secret information at the time of award. In addition, the offeror may be required to have, or have access to, a certified and Government-approved facility to support work under this BAA. Data subject to export control constraints may be involved and only firms holding certification under the US/Canada Joint Certification Program (JCP) (www.dlis.dla.mil/jcp) are allowed access to such data. 3. REPORTING: Once a proposal has been selected for award, offerors will be required to submit their reporting requirement through one of our web-based, reporting systems known as JIFFY or TFIMS. Prior to award, the offeror will be notified which reporting system they are to use, and will be given complete instructions regarding its use. VII. AGENCY CONTACTS: Questions of a technical nature shall be directed to the cognizant technical point of contact, as specified below (Email submissions preferred): Brian O'Hern Telephone: (315) 330-3995 Email: Brian.Ohern@rl.af.mil Questions of a contractual/business nature shall be directed to the cognizant contracting officer, as specified below: Lori Smith Telephone (315) 330-1955 Email: Lori.Smith@rl.af.mil The email must reference the solicitation (BAA) number and title of the acquisition. In accordance with AFFARS 5315.90, an Ombudsman has been appointed to hear and facilitate the resolution of concerns from offerors, potential offerors, and others for this acquisition announcement. Before consulting with an ombudsman, interested parties must first address their concerns, issues, disagreements, and/or recommendations to the contracting officer for resolution. AFFARS Clause 5352.201-9101 Ombudsman (Aug 2005) will be incorporated into all contracts awarded under this BAA. The AFRL Ombudsman is as follows: Amy Smith AFRL/PK Building 15, Room 225 1864 Fourth Street Wright-Patterson AFB OH 45433-7132 (937) 255-3079 All responsible organizations may submit a white paper which shall be considered.
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- SN01179051-W 20061111/061109220528 (fbodaily.com)
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