SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- RTDE Missile and Space System applied research
- Notice Date
- 1/27/2009
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541712
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Navy, Naval Sea Systems Command, NSWC Dahlgren Division, N00178 NAVAL SURFACE WARFARE CENTER Dahlgren Division 17362 Dahlgren Road Suite 157 Dahlgren, VA
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- N0017809Q1902
- Response Due
- 3/26/2009
- Archive Date
- 3/26/2009
- Point of Contact
- CXS11-8,Voice: 540-653-7080,Fax: 540-653-7088
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- This synopsis is being posted to both the Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) page located at http://www.fbo.gov and the Navy Electronic Commerce on Line (NECO) site located at https://www.neco.navy.mil. While it is understood that FBO is the single point of entry for posting of synopsis and solicitations to the Internet, NECO is the alternative in case FBO is unavailable. Please feel free to use either site to access information posted by the Naval Sea Systems Command. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) will not issue paper copies of this announcement. The NSWCDD reserves the right to select for award all, some, or none of the proposals in response to this announcement. NSWCDD reserves the right to fund all, some, or none of the proposals received under this BAA. NSWCDD provides no funding for direct reimbursement of proposal development costs. Technical and cost proposals (or any other material) submitted in response to this BAA will not be returned. It is the policy of NSWCDD to treat all proposals as sensitive competitive information and not to disclose their contents. This announcement will remain open for 60 days from the date of publication or until replaced by a successor BAA. Proposals may be submitted at any time during this period. Please note: This is a REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ONLY, NOT A SOLICITATION. Department of Defense funding for this BAA will be provided in one of the following funding categories: RDT&E (Research Development Test and Evaluation), 6.1. Basic Research, 6.2, Applied Research or 6.3. Advanced Technology Development Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division is interested in receiving proposals/ white papers describing sensor concepts to affordably include a specialized seeker inside a guided 81mm mortar called Flight Controlled Mortar (FCMortar). The baseline FCMortar design uses GPS for guidance, a multi-option fuze, and has space available in the nose tip for CanyonFinder of approximately the size of an existing 81mm mortar fuze, with expansion allowed for apertures or lenses up to 1 inch in diameter. Technology developers should anticipate similar operating environments to existing 81mm mortar ammunition fired from the M252 mortar system. During, but not limited to, the terminal phase of flight, the Terminal Seeker shall provide inputs to the Guidance, Navigation, & Control (GNC) system to allow the control system to steer the mortar projectile to targets in-between buildings, to the street level. Proposals should identify system assumptions: initialization procedures, requirements, and timelines; and whether their technology is a Fire & Forget, Energy Designated, Sensor Fusion, or Other. Questions should be directed to Andre Lowman, Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, 17632 Dahlgren Road, Suite 157, Dahlgren, VA 22448-5110,(Code CXS11-8) or email to andre.lowman@navy.mil. Terminal Seeker Objectives are:A. Fire & Forget (F&F) sensor systems require no external designation, after launch, to complete the mission. F&F proposals should describe how the sensor would complete its mission with in-flight input from onboard systems, and the greater value provided versus other technologies. B. Energy Designated (ED) sensor systems may utilize external systems to illuminate the target/target area in order to facilitate the determination of the proper target location. ED Proposals should describe the designator technology, and the greater value provided versus other technologies. C. Sensor Fusion (SF) sensor systems are combinations of multiple sensor technologies, within the seeker, that work in concert to better meet mission requirements. Sensor Fusion systems can be F&F, ED, or both. SF proposals should describe how the combination is of greater value than a single sensor technology alone. D. Sensor proposals that are categorized as other should describe how their technology doesn't fall into the F&F, ED, or SF categories, and how its uniqueness is of greater value than the other categories. All sensors, regardless of type, should be small, light-weight, low power, and should describe any impact to the aerodynamics of the system as a whole. Each proposal should also outline the sensor's environmental limitations. Application and Submission Process for White PapersAll white papers submissions will be protected from unauthorized disclosure in accordance with FAR 15.207, applicable law, and Department of Defense and Department of Navy regulations. Offerors are expected to appropriately mark each page of their submission that contains proprietary information. All white papers received will be maintained for a period not to exceed three years and will be considered as candidate sources for research projects during that period. Offerors may replace, update, or withdraw white paper submissions at any time. All white papers submitted for topics will be considered. Submissions of white papers under this BAA are expected to be unclassified. However, confidential/classified proposals are permitted with prior / advanced approval from the technical point of contact. Offerors are expected to appropriately mark each page of their submission that contains proprietary information. The NSWCDD, Code CXS11-8 must be notified in writing 5 working days prior to submission of any classified proposals. Every classified proposal must be accompanied by an Unclassified Statement of Work (SOW). Alternatives to the format and content identified below may be appropriate depending on the scope and nature of the proposed effort. All white papers received that indicate interest in a particular research/technology area will be reviewed for potential projects in that area. Please identify the area in which your research and/or technology is to be considered. Awards may be made at any time. Not all proposals deemed selectable will be funded. The Government reserves the right to award on all, some, or none of the proposals received and to fund all or part of the efforts presented in a proposal. Multiple awards are possible. Offerors shall identify proposed contract type in their white paper submission. Proposal Evaluation White papers will be reviewed and formal technical and cost proposals may be required from sources whose approaches have been selected for further consideration. An invitation to submit a proposal does not assure subsequent contract award. Formal Cost and Technical Proposals may be required approximately four (4) weeks after notification that NSWCDD has decided to pursue the offeror's approach as identified in their white paper submission. Proposals will be evaluated using the following criteria: (A) Overall scientific, technical, or social-economic merits of the proposal; (B) Potential contributions of the effort to specific Marine Corp missions in target location and acquisition effectiveness and overall reduction in size and weight, as made clear in the proposal; (C) The offeror's capabilities, related experience, facilities, techniques, or unique combinations of these which are integral factors for achieving the proposal objectives; (D) The qualifications, capabilities!, and experience of the proposed principal investigator, team leader or key personnel who are critical in achieving the proposal objectives: (E) Innovativeness in identification of problems and approaches to solutions; and (F) Realism of the proposed cost and availability of funds. White papers should be written in MS Word format, photos and illustration should be in either.jpg or.pdf format. The white paper shall be emailed to andre.lowman@navy.mil. Hard copies submissions are neither required nor desired. White papers should be formatted as follows: A. Cover Page (one page) - identify offeror by name and address, include point of contact (Office of Sponsored Programs, etc.) with telephone number and email address, include date of submission, indicate that submission is in response to this BAA. B. Overview. The white paper submission must include an abstract encompassing technology being used, not to exceed ten type written pages. C. Costing (one page) - provide representative salary costs (hourly rates). In addition, identify and provide all applicable indirect (facility and administration) rates that would be charged on each project; provide name, address, and point of contact, including telephone number, of applicable government auditor and, Administrative Contracting Officer. D. Specific Research Area Information - provide specific capability information applicable to the research area to supplement information provided in the overview; identify/discuss specific human resources expertise, specific facilities or equipment relevant to the research area, offeror's prior participation in related research projects, and any other relevant information. DO NOT submit a specific research proposal unless requested. Please identify the topic area applicable to your white paper submission. SPECIFIC EVALUATION CRITERIA - The white paper proposals will be evaluated against the requirements given in the BAA. Specifically, the following evaluation factors will be considered: 1.Overall scientific and technical merits of the proposalThe degree of innovation: A. Seeker Package Size - The seeker shall be approximately the size of an 81mm mortar fuze, or smaller, with expansion allowed for apertures or lenses of up to 1 inch in diameter. B. Operating Environments - The seeker shall operate in environments similar to existing 81mm mortar ammunition fired from the M252 mortar system. C. Seeker Performance - Ability to provide inputs to the GNC system to allow the control system to steer the mortar projectile to targets in-between buildings, to the street level. D.Seeker Initialization - Proposal identifies initialization procedures, initialization requirements, and initialization timelines. E.Seeker Type Identification - Proposal should identify the seeker type: Fire & Forget (F&F), Energy Designated (ED), Sensor Fusion (SF), or other. Proposal should describe how it will complete its mission within the confines of its seeker type description, and how this is of greater value than the other seeker type descriptions. F.Seeker SWAP (Size, Weight, & Power) - The terminal seeker should be small, light-weight, and low power. (g) Aerodynamic Impacts - The proposal should describe any impacts to the aerodynamics of the system as a whole. (h) Environmental Impacts - The proposal should outline the sensor's environmental limitations. 2. The soundness of technical concept. 3. The offeror's awareness of the state of the art and understanding of the scope of the problem and the technical effort needed to address it. A.Potential naval relevance and contributions of the effort to the agency's specific mission. B.Offeror's capabilities, related experience, and past performance, including qualifications, capabilities and experience of the proposed principal investigator and personnel. (1) The quality of technical personnel proposed. (2) The Offeror's experience in relevant efforts with similar resources. (3) The ability to manage the proposed effort. 4.The amount and realism of the proposed costs. WHITE PAPER EVALUATION PLAN DEFINITIONS STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES/DEFICIENCIES - The consistent identification of proposal strengths, weaknesses, and deficiencies is very important in the documentation of the evaluation results. A. A proposal strength is an aspect of the proposal, which meets or exceeds a desired or mandatory requirement of the BAA. B. A proposal weakness is defined as an unattractive, although not unacceptable, aspect of the proposal. It is a flaw in the proposal that increases the risk of less than successful performance. A significant weakness is a flaw that appreciably increases the risk of unsuccessful performance. C. A proposal deficiency is defined as an aspect of the proposal, which is an unacceptable response to the specific factor or sub-factor. A deficiency indicates unacceptability of an aspect of the proposal, which requires revision before award can be made to that offeror. The presence of several significant weaknesses in the proposal will be considered as a deficiency. The presence of several deficiencies in major evaluation factors/sub-factors may warrant exclusion of the proposal from the competitive range. RISK ASSESSMENT - A risk assessment will be made for each separately evaluated factor and sub-factor. This Risk Assessment will include a description of the risk areas made apparent in the offeror's proposal. It will also include the assessment of the impact those risks will have upon the overall program. Both risk and the offeror's plans for risk mitigation, if provided, will be evaluated. A Degree of Risk (high, moderate or low) will be assigned for each evaluated factor/sub-factor as well as the overall proposal in accordance with the following: HIGH RISK Likely to cause significant serious disruption of schedule, increase in cost, or degradation of performance even with special contractor emphasis and close Government monitoring. Significant doubt exists, based on the offeror's performance record, and/or the information contained in the proposal that the offeror can perform the proposed task. Detailed justification that explains why the Evaluation Committee took this position must be provided. MODERATE RISK Could potentially cause some disruption of schedule, increase in cost, or degradation of performance without close contractor oversight. Although some doubt exists as to the offeror's ability to perform the task, special contractor emphasis and close Government monitoring should be able to overcome difficulties. There is risk associated with the proposal but the offeror has recognized the risk and has proposed specific actions to mitigate the risk. The contractor's proposed risk mitigation methods are acceptable to the evaluators. LOW RISK Has little potential to cause disruption of schedule, increase in cost, or degradation of performance. Normal contractor effort and normal Government monitoring should be able to overcome any difficulties. Little doubt exists that the offeror can perform the proposed task. G.4 TECHNICAL MATURITY - Offerors will evaluate the technical maturity of the proposed control unit technology on a numerical scale from 1 (very low) to 10 (very high). Notional benchmarks for assessing technical maturity are as follows: 1 - Basic principles observed and reported.2 - Technology concept and/or application formulated.3- Analytical and experimental critical functions and/or characteristic proof of concept.4 - Component and/or breadboard validation in laboratory environment.5 - Component and/or breadboard validation in relevant environment.6 - System/subsystem model or prototype demonstration in a relevant environment.7 - System prototype demonstration in an operational environment.8 - Actual system completed and 'flight qualified' through test and demonstration.9 - Actual system 'flight proven' through successful mission operations.10 - COTS solution ready for production. Questions regarding this announcement may be submitted to NSWCDD (Code CXS11-8), 17632 Dahlgren Road, Suite 157, Dahlgren, VA 22448-5110, or email to andre.lowman@navy.mil. This announcement will remain open and white papers will be accepted through 17 March 2009. Awards may be made at any time after this notification is published, but only those offerors who have submitted white papers will be considered. Early submissions are encouraged. This notice constitutes a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Scientific and Engineering Research for Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, and, as such, solicits the participation of all offerors capable of satisfying the Government's needs. This BAA should not be construed as a commitment or authorization to incur costs in anticipation of a resultant contract; the Government is not bound to make any awards under this announcement.
- Web Link
-
FedBizOpps Complete View
(https://www.fbo.gov/?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=777f603f3e74adb693a769c971c284e0&tab=core&_cview=1)
- Record
- SN01739271-W 20090129/090127220836-777f603f3e74adb693a769c971c284e0 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
| FSG Index | This Issue's Index | Today's FBO Daily Index Page |