Phillips Laboratory, Directorate of Contracting, 2251 Maxwell Avenue SE, Kirtland AFB, NM 87117-5773

A -- LASER ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT SOL PRDA 97-02 POC Kim M. Reeder, 505-846-0077; Stephen G. Post, 505-846-2964 Phillips Laboratory/PKLA; Lasers and Imaging Contracting Division; 2251 Maxwell Ave SE, Kirtland AFB, NM 87117-5773. LASER ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT. SOL PRDA 97-02 PROGRAM RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ANNOUNCEMENT (PRDA) FOR LASER ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT: SOL PRDA 97-02. Contractual POC: Kim M Reeder, Contracting Officer, PL/PKLA (505/846-0077). Technical POC: Stephen G. Post, Project Officer, PL/LIDD (505/846-2964). A -- The Phillips Laboratory (PL) is interested in exploratory research and development, analysis, design, fabrication, and field support of solid-state lasers and optical and nonlinear optical devices and systems. Proposals with new or unique ideas which enhance the state-of-the-art and scientific knowledge for scientific and engineering problems are solicited. ALL POTENTIAL OFFERORS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT, DUE TO UNANTICIPATED BUDGET FLUCTUATIONS, FUNDING MAY CHANGE WITH LITTLE OR NO NOTICE. Proposals are desired for new and innovative concepts associated with a broad range of laser and optical technology problems, including (though not limited to) high efficiency lasers, tunable laser gain media, nonlinear optical subsystems for wavelength versatility and tunability, high power nonlinear optical materials and coatings, optically-pumped semiconductor lasers, diode pump arrays, high power lasers, fiber lasers, fiber coupling, electro-optics, control and data acquisition electronics, laser system design, optical system design, space qualifiable laser and optical technology, systems engineering analysis, and program analysis and review. The primary intent is to develop advanced laser and laser-related optical hardware which has direct application to Air Force and DoD technical requirements; an adjunct of this is to provide laser and optical systems engineering review, evaluation, and analysis, as well as field support of the hardware development efforts. Proposals are due 30 days after publication of this announcement. Proposals received after this date may be evaluated dependent upon funds availability. Funding is estimated at $2,500,000 per year extended over a five year period (one year basic contract period of performance with four one-year options). It is the government's intent to have one or more contractor(s) that perform the research and development effort and one or more contractor(s) that evaluate and support technology development programs. Conflict of Interest provisions may apply; therefore, the appropriate exclusion or nondisclosure agreements may be required. The effort will consist of a contract management task and technical taskings. The contract management task, which should only include the minimum effort required for overall contract management, will be issued at contract award. As the government defines each new technical task, the task will be competed between awarded contracts. Each technical task should include its own technical/program management. It is possible that, even though a contractor has been awarded a contract, no tasks other than the contract management task will ever be awarded to the contractor. The evaluation criteria used to determine who is assigned each task will vary depending on the task's nature; these criteria will be made available to the contractors before each task proposal is written. B -- PROPOSAL PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS: 1) Management/technical proposal: The management/technical proposal shall include an executive summary, program description, statement of capabilities, facilities, equipment, resumes/time-commitments for all key personnel, and current facility/personnel clearance level. The proposals for each sample task (management and technical) shall include a program plan, technology transition plan, and milestone chart, specifically addressing the task's effort. The management/technical proposal shall address the contract management effort required and the sample technical tasks (not included in this announcement). Offerors are encouraged to respond to all sample technical tasks where they believe they have capabilities (up to a maximum of five tasks). A package containing seven sample tasks must be requested in writing from PL/PKLA. Fax requests to 505/846-1546 or e-mail reederk@plk.af.mil. The management/technical proposal should include Statements of Work (SOW) for the contract management task and each sample technical task, detailing what will be accomplished under the proposed effort. The SOWs should be suitable for contract incorporation. All offerors are reminded that these tasks are samples and may or may not be issued under a contract award. Contractors are advised that those proposing to task seven will not be allowed to respond to the other six tasks, as this task will require evaluation of technology development programs of other contractors. 2) Cost Proposal: The cost proposal price breakdown shall be prepared in accordance with FAR 15.804-6 and shall be in a format which includes supporting schedules and person-hour breakdown per task (management and technical tasks). 3) Deliverable Items: Data Deliverables shall be proposed that will adequately provide the government with sufficient information to ascertain the effectiveness of the offeror's operations. 4) Other requirements: (a) Public Law 98-94 may be applicable to this program. Offerors must submit a DD Form 2345, Militarily Critical Technical Data Agreement, to the Commander, Defense Logistics Service Center, Attn: DLSC-FBA, Federal Center, Battle Creek MI 49117-2084 (800)352-3572, for certification. The offeror is required to submit a copy of the approved DD Form 2345, including the required certification acceptance, to the contracting officer with each proposal. Failure to submit this certification may result in non-consideration for award if it is determined to apply to the proposed effort. Offerors shall certify in their proposal that they will comply with all provisions of this law. (b) International Trade in Arms Restrictions (ITAR) may apply. Offerors must have appropriate ITAR clearances, if applicable. Foreign owned firms are advised they will not be allowed to participate as the prime contractor with the exception of firms from countries that have international agreements with the USAF in the laser technology area. 5) General Information: (a) Offerors should apply the restrictive notice prescribed in FAR 52.215-12, Restriction on Disclosure and Use of Data, to trade secrets or privileged commercial and financial information contained in their proposals. (b) Technical and cost proposals submitted in separate volumes are required and must be valid for a period of not less than 160 days from submission. Proposals must reference the above PRDA number, include a unique proposal identification number, identify the proposal subject area, and the technical point of contract. The management/technical proposal shall be limited to 40 pages for the information listed above, including the contract management task effort. Additionally, the offeror is allowed 12 pages for each sample technical task proposal. The page format shall be 12 point or larger type, single spaced, one inch margins, single sided, 8.5 by 11 inch pages. The page limitation for the management/technical proposal includes all information (i.e., indices, photographs, foldouts, appendices, attachments, resumes, etc.). Pages in excess of this limitation will not be considered by the government. The cost proposal has no page limitation; however, offerors are encouraged to keep cost proposals to a goal of 20 pages. Unnecessarily elaborate brochures or presentations beyond that sufficient to present a complete and effective proposal are not desired. Proposals shall be submitted in an original and four copies with the original being clearly marked as to distinguish it from the copies. Proposals shall be submitted to Phillips Laboratory (PL/PKLA, Attn: Ms Kim M Reeder, 2251 Maxwell Ave SE, Kirtland AFB NM 87117-5773). This announcement is an expression of interest only and does not commit the government to pay for proposal preparation cost. The cost of preparing proposals in response to this PRDA is not considered an allowable direct change to any resulting contract or to any other contract. However, it may be an allowable expense to the normal bid and proposal indirect cost as specified in Far 31.205-18. (d) If a subcontract(s) with a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) is proposed, offerors are reminded of the limitations in their use (see FAR 35.017) and must provide documentation in the proposal that work is not otherwise available from the private sector. (e) Each proposal shall reflect the potential for commercial application and the benefits expected to accrue from this commercialization. Discussions with any of the points of contact shall not constitute a commitment by the government to subsequently fund or award any proposed effort. Only Contracting Officers are legally authorized to commit the government. C -- BASIS FOR AWARD: The selection of a proposal for award will be based upon an evaluation of an offeror's response (both technical and cost) to determine the overall merit of the proposal addressing all of the requirements in this announcement and the availability of funds. The management/technical proposal will be evaluated using the following factors in descending order of importance: (1) demonstrated scientific and/or technical merit; (2) feasibility; (3) the offeror's capabilities, related experience, facilities, techniques, or unique combinations of these which are integral factors for achieving proposal objectives; (4) qualifications, capabilities, and experience of key personnel; (5) the offerors record of present and past performance; (6) and the potential contributions of the effort to the project's mission and the extent to which the research effort will contribute to balancing the overall mission program. Cost proposals will be evaluated for reasonableness and realism. Technical considerations are more important than cost. Proposals will be classified into one of the following three categories: (1) Category I -- Well conceived scientifically and technically sound proposals pertinent to program goals and objectives and offered by a responsible contractor with the competent scientific and technical staff and supporting resources needed to ensure satisfactory program results. Proposals in Category I are recommended for acceptance and normally will be displaced only by other Category I proposals. (2) Category II -- Scientifically or technically sound proposal that may require further development and can be recommended for acceptance but are at a lower priority than Category I. Proposals in this category are not always funded. (3) Category III -- Proposals are recommended for rejection for the particular announcement under consideration. D -- This is an unrestricted competition. This program is anticipated to be unclassified. For the purposes of this PRDA, the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code is 8731, 1000 employees. This CBD announcement in and of itself constitutes the PRDA as contemplated in FAR 6.102(d)(2). Pending availability of funds, one or moreawards are expected to be made within 90 days after the due date. An Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract is expected to be awarded. The minimum order will be 1% of the basic contract award and 1% of each option(if exercised). Offerors are advised that a copy of the final report submitted under any resultant contract is made available to industry, subject to national disclosure policy and regulations. This PRDA will be posted on the PL Contracting Bulletin Board, the Science and Technology Acquisition Referral System (STARS). STARS is provided by the PL Kirtland AFB NM as a service to industry and other interested parties. STARS is a means of disseminating key solicitation documents to allow contractors and other interest parties to access and download these documents into their existing computer systems. The STARS Bulletin Board is available on the Internet at http//www.plk.af.mil. An Ombudsman has been appointed to hear concerns from offerors or potential offerors during the proposal development phase of this acquisition. The purpose of the Ombudsman is to receive and communicate serious concerns from potential offerors when an offeror prefers not to use established channels to request concerns during the proposal development phase of the acquisition. Potential offerors should use established channels to request information, pose questions and voice concerns before contacting the Ombudsman. For serious concerns only, potential offerors are invited to contact the Phillips Laboratory Ombudsman, Colonel James Ledbetter, USAF, Director of Operations, at 505/846-4964 (or at PL; 3550 Aberdeen Drive SE; Kirtland AFB, NM 87117-5776). The alternate PL Ombudsman is Mr. Bruce Grunsten in the Directorate of Contracting, PL/PKM, at 505/846-8273. (0156)

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