ROME LABORATORY, 26 ELECTRONIC PKY, GRIFFISS AFB NY 13441-4514

A -- EXPERT SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING PROGRAM POC JIM WASIELEWSKI, LABORATORY PROGRAM MANAGER, 315-330-3730; JOETTA BERNHARD, CONTRACTING OFFICER, 315-330-2308. EXPERT SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING PROGRAM SOL BAA-96-02-PKPX. The Electromagnetics and Reliability Directorate of Rome Laboratory is soliciting research proposals under ''Expert Science & Engineering Program'' Broad Agency Announcement BAA-96-02-PKPX. Areas of interest include innovative approaches in the area of C3I. Four major areas of interest include: (1) Signal processing, (2) Antennas and propagation, (3) Information processing, and (4) Devices and Materials. These major areas may include technology disciplines such as, antennas, conformal arrays, propagation, scattering, signal processing, adaptive processing for radar and communications, speech processing, image processing, information processing, software engineering, distributed processing/data bases, artificial intelligence, devices and materials, optical components/fiber optics, photonics and monolithic microwave integrated circuits. Principal funding for proposals selected from this announcement will begin in FY96. Each award is limited to approximately $200,000 in value with a duration of not more than eighteen (18) months. Total funding for the BAA s $9.9M. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION. DO NOT SUBMIT A FORMAL PROPOSAL AT THIS TIME. Offerors are required to submit three (3) copies of a two (2) to three (3) page white paper on their proposed research topic to Mr. James E. Wasielewski, Rome Laboratory/ERT, 525 Brooks Road, Rome NY 13441-4505, Reference BAA-96-02-PKPX, and one (1) copy to Janis Norelli, Rome Laboratory/BC, 26 Electronic Parkway, Rome NY 13441-4514, Reference BAA 96-02-PKPX. The white paper should be formatted as follows: Section A: Title, period of performance, cost of effort, and name of company, Section B: Task Objective, and Section C: Technical Summary . Multiple white papers may be submitted in different areas of technology. The purpose of this white paper is to preclude unwarranted effort of the part of an offeror whose proposed work is not of interest under this BAA. Those white papers found to be consistent with the intent of the BAA and of interest to the Government may be invited to submit a proposal. Complete instructions for proposal prepaation and submission will be forwarded with any proposal invitation. Such invitation does not assure that the submitting organization will be awarded a subsequent contract. Proposals submitted will be evaluated as they are received. Individual proposal evaluations will be based on acceptability or non-acceptability without regard to other proposals submitted under the announcement. Evaluation of proposals will be performed using the following criteria: (1) The overall scientific and/or technical merits of the proposal, (2) The innovativeness of the proposed approach and/or techniques, and (3) The reasonableness and realism of proposed costs and fees, if any. In addition, the Government may consider other factors, such as past and present performance on recent Government contacts and the capacity and capability to perform the requirements of the effort. No further evaluation criteria will be used in selecting proposals. The criteria used to evaluate the proposals will also be used to determine whether the white papers submitted are consistent with the intent of this BAA and of interest to the Government. Options are discouraged and unpriced options will not be considered for award. Respondees are requested to provide their Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Number and reference number RL-BAA-96-02-PKPX with their submissions. Foreign or foreign-owned offerors are advised that their participation is subject to foreign disclosure review procedures. Foreign and foreign-owned offerors should immediately contact the contracting focal point, for information if they contemplate responding. The cost of preparing proposals in response to this announcement is not an allowable direct charge to any resulting contract, but may be an allowable expense to the normal bid and proposal indirect costs as specified in FAR 31.205-18. Ten percent (10%) of this BAA will be reserved for Historically Black Colleges, Universities and Minority Institutions. In the event sufficient acceptable proposals are not received to fulfill the reserved portion, that portion may be awarded to other acceptable proposals. An Ombudsman exists for this acquisition. The purpose of the Ombudsman is to receive and resolve significant concerns from interested parties--potential offerors, offerors, and industry representatives--when they prefer not to use established channels of communication during the proposal development phase. The mbudsman will communicate significant issues, disagreements, and/or recommendations to the appropriate Government organization or individual. The role of the Ombudsman is not to diminish the authority of the contracting officer or program manager, but to communicate contractor concerns, issues, disagreements, and recommendations to the appropriate Government personnel. The Ombudsman for this acquisition is Vincent Palmiero, Chief, Policy & Management Division, at (315)330-7746. When requested, the Ombudsman will maintain strict confidentiality as to the source of the concern. The Ombudsman will not participate in either the evaluation of the proposals or the source selection decision for this acquisition. All responsible organizations may submit a white paper, which shall be considered. This announcement is open and effective until 30 Sep 96. Proposers are warned that only contracting officers are legally authorized to commit the Government. For more information contact Mr. James Wasielewski, Project Manager, at (315)330-3730. To receive a copy of the Rome Laboratory PRDA & BAA: A Guide for Industry, March 1994, write to Lucille Argenzia, Rome Laboratory/PKR, 26 Electronic Parkway, Rome NY 13441-4514. (0264)

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