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

A -- BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT (BAA) SET-ASIDE FOR DIRECTED ENERGY AND SPACE VEHICLES RESEARCH BY HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES/MINORITY INSTITUTIONS (HBCU/MIS) SOL BAA NUMBER 98-02 POC Debbie Chisenhall, Contract Specialist, 505/846-1326 This is part four of a multipart synopsis. 5. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. (a) Expected Award Date: Usually within 90 days of proposal receipt but subject to change depending on funding availability, etc. (b) Anticipated Type of Contract: Cost Reimbursement -- No Fee utilizing the "Short Form Research Contract." (c) FAR clause 52.216-7 will be utilized in lieu of Advance Payments. (d) Government-Furnished Property (GFP)/Contractor Acquired Property (CAP) are not generally contemplated for this effort. If your proposal incorporates requirements for materials, special test equipment, special tooling, and/or agency peculiar property, strong justification must be included which supports why it is in the government's best interest to provide each of these proposed property items. Also, each proposed property item must reflect the applicable type of property category among the four acceptable categories shown above and how it meets the FAR definition in FAR 45.101/45.301 for each category. Proposals should reflect the policy that contractors are required to furnish all property to perform government contracts since approval for facilities (neither CAP nor GFP) is not contemplated; i.e., contractors should not propose any property/equipment items which are not materials, special test equipment, special tooling, and/or agency peculiar property. (e) Individual contract awards are anticipated (but not limited) to reflect the approximate amounts shown for each requirement as specified in the area subparagraph of the "Requirements" section above. For example, a funding amount of $20-100K per year is expected to be available for the total AFRL/DE requirement. However, as noted above, AFRL's funding situation is not stable, and any award(s), if made, may be significantly below or above the anticipated funding. (f) Note 26 applies: "Based upon market research, the Government is not using the policies contained in Part 12, Acquisition of Commercial Items, in its solicitation (i.e., this BAA, number 98-02) for the describedsupplies or services. However, interested persons may identify to the contracting officer their interest and capability to satisfy the Government's requirement with a commercial item within 15 days of this notice." 6. PROPOSAL PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS: (a) In order that proposals are afforded proper handling, offerors must mark their proposals with the restrictive language stated in FAR 15.509(a) and (b); the absence of the markings shall indicate the contractor's agreement that any of the proposal contents may be disclosed by the government for any purpose. (b) As appropriate, proposal questions should be directed to one of the points of contact listed elsewhere herein. (c) A technical and cost proposal, preferably submitted in separate volumes, is required. (d) Proposals shall reference BAA number 98-02, shall identify the applicable AFRL-PRS Directorate(s), and shall identify the subject area of the proposal. (e) HBCU/MIs may submit more than one proposal. All HBCUs/MIs may submit proposals which shall beconsidered against the criteria set forth herein. (f) OFFERORS ARE ADVISED THAT ONLY CONTRACTING OFFICERS ARE LEGALLY AUTHORIZED TO CONTRACTUALLY BIND OR OTHERWISE COMMIT THE GOVERNMENT. (g) Cost Proposal: When the offeror is a non-profit organization and DFARS 215.804-3 is applicable, certified cost and price data is not required, but a cost proposal/price breakdown shall be submitted. The cost proposal shall provide sufficient detail for establishing cost reasonableness and realism. The contractor's format is acceptable to the extent sufficient detail and cross-references to supporting data are provided. In the unlikely event the waiver at DFARS 215.804-3 is NOT applicable (e.g., when the offer is not from a nonprofit organization on a cost reimbursement-no fee contract), the need for certified cost and pricing data in these situations will be determined by the Contracting Officer on a case-by-case basis. Also, certified cost or pricing data is required for subcontractors unless they are also eligible for the waiver at DFARS 215.804-3, unless there is an applicable exception under FAR 15.403-1, or unless it is not otherwise required in accordance with FAR 15.403-4. Offerors are strongly encouraged to send a draft cost proposal to the Buyer for an advance review of the cost information to be provided in the final proposal (if the funding office has indicated a preliminary potential interest in funding the effort). Otherwise, the Government reserves the right to later return the proposal to the offeror for any needed additional information. In the past, this draft review approach has saved considerable time and re-work effort between receipt of the proposal and contract award. (h) PRIOR TO COMMITTING ANY RESOURCES TO PROPOSAL PREPARATION, EACH POTENTIAL OFFEROR IS STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO CONTACT THE APPLICABLE TECHNICAL POINT OF CONTACT TO VERIFY INTEREST AND CURRENT AVAILABILITY OF ANY FUNDING FOR THE EFFORT TO BE PROPOSED. Notwithstanding any part of this announcement, discussions with any of the points of contact or other government personnel shall not constitute a commitment by the government to subsequently fund or award any proposed effort. (i) Proposed periods of performance should reflect the funding constraints identified for the applicable area(s) unless the applicable technical point of contact agrees that the funding situation for the effort to be proposed would allow for a different approach. (j) Technical proposal: The technical proposal shall include a discussion of the nature and scope of the research and the technical approach. The technical proposal shall include a Statement of Work(SOW) detailing the technical tasks to be accomplished under the proposed effort; items identified in Note number 25 in the CBD; and any information relevant/in support of the evaluation factors discussed below in this announcement. Statement of Work guidance is available in MIL-HDBK 245C dated 10 Sep 91; this handbook is available as shown in FAR clause 52.211-2. (k) Each proposal shall reflect the potential for commercial (government and/or private sector) application and the benefits expected to accrue from this commercialization. (l) The contractor's proposal (or any part thereof) may be incorporated into the resultant contract by reference. (m) Page Limitations: The technical proposal, including all information/indexes/foldouts/photographs/appendices/ attachments, shall be limited to 50 pages (double-spaced). Pages in excess of this limitation will not be considered by the government unless the offeror requests an exception in writing to the Buyer and receives written approval for the exception by the Contracting Officer prior to proposal receipt. Strong rationale must be included in the written request. Cost proposals have no limitation; however, offerors are requested to keep cost proposals to a goal of 15 pages (single-spaced) maximum. A page is defined as 8 1/2 inches by 11 inches. The font size should not be less than 12 pitch. Technical proposals must include (all within the 50-page limit) the following: cover page, summary page (which includes identification of principal investigator(s) and institutional affiliation), proposal text, references, statement of work, resumes of key personnel, the work breakdown structure, schedule, deliverables, and current and pending Government contracts and proposals. References in the vitae are to be limited to no more than ten (10) pages that are related to the research proposal. The past performance description is to be limited to no more than ten (10) pages. The cost proposals and past performance information are not included in the 50-page limit. Unnecessarily elaborate brochures or presentations beyond that sufficient to present a complete and effective proposal are not desired. (n) Each proposal shall contain all of the requirements of DFARS 235.015-71(d). (o) The original and four copies of each proposal shall be sent to Det 8, AFRL/PKV, ATTN: Debbie Chisenhall, 2251 Maxwell Ave SE, Kirtland AFB NM 87117-5773. Do not send proposals to any other address or it may not be considered for award and receipt may not be acknowledged. (p) The original proposal must be clearly marked in a manner to distinguish it from the copies. (q) Although proposals may be submitted at any time while this announcement is open (i.e., for one year or until a new/replacement announcement is published), proposals should be submitted as early as possible to ensure the maximum opportunity for funding availability. (r) Any proposals must be received no later than the period during which this announcement is open. THIS BAA ANNOUNCEMENT IS OPEN AND EFFECTIVE UNTIL RESCINDED OR EXTENDED BY A REVISED ANNOUNCEMENT, OTHERWISE IT WILL BE VALID UNTIL ONE YEAR FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IN THE CBD. (s) Preparation Cost: This announcement is an expression of interest only and does not commit the Government to pay for any proposal preparation costs. The cost of preparing proposals in response to this BAA is not considered an allowable direct charge to any resulting government contract or to any othergovernment contract. It is, however, an allowable expense to the normal bid and proposal indirect cost as specified in FAR 31.205-18. (t) Proposers wishing to receive confirmation of proposal receipt should include a self-addressed stamped envelope or may call Debbie Chisenhall at (505) 846-1326. (u) In accordance with FAR 35.016(a), offerors are reminded that BAA awards can only be made "for the acquisition of basic and applied research and that part of development not related to the development of a specific system or hardware procurement ... to fulfill ... requirements for scientific study and experimentation directed toward advancing the state-of-the-art or increasing knowledge or understanding rather than focusing on a specific system or hardware solution." (v) 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 the work is not otherwise available from the private sector. 7. BASIS FOR AWARD: Proposals for efforts which comply with the use of a BAA as defined in FAR 35.016 and comply with other requirements identified in this announcement will be competitively evaluated in accordance with AFMC FAR Supplement 5335.016-90(d)(2). Specifically, any proposals received will be evaluated and classified into one of the following three categories: (a) Category 1 -- Well-conceived, scientifically and technically sound proposals pertinent to program goals and objectives (including funding availability), and offered by a responsible contractor with the competent scientific and technical staff and supporting sources 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. All Category 1 proposals may not be funded. (b) Category II -- Scientifically or technically sound proposals 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. (c) Category III -- Proposals that are not technically sound or do not meet agency needs. This includes proposals for research in an area for which there are not sufficient funds to support the proposed effort and/or proposals for research which is similar to work currently underway or previously completed. Proposals in Category III are recommended for rejection for the particular announcement under consideration. Technical considerations are more important than cost. The technical proposals will be evaluated using the following factors in descending order of importance: (a) The potential contributions of the effort to the applicable AFRL mission of the aforesaid technology areas. (b) The overall scientific and/or technical merits of the proposal, with emphasis on its innovation and ability to address the applicable technical area. (c) The offeror's capabilities; related experience; qualifications, capabilities, and experiences of the proposed personnel; facilities, techniques, or unique combinations of these, which are integral factors for achieving the proposal objectives. (d) The offeror's record of past and present performance. (e) The reasonableness and realism of proposed schedules. No additional non-cost evaluation criteria (e.g., technical criteria) will be used in source selection. The technical and cost information will be evaluated at the same time. The following cost evaluation shall be considered to the extent appropriate: The reasonableness and realism of proposed costs and the availability of funds. All proposals received from the date of this announcement through 31 May 98 will be evaluated as a group. Thereafter, proposals will be evaluated on a monthly basis. Once each proposal is evaluated and categorized, it may be necessary to hold the award/no award decision for Category I and/or Category II proposals until funding becomes available. The Air Force reserves the right to select for award any, all, part, or none of the proposals received. 8. MISCELLANEOUS: This CBD notice itself constitutes the BAA as contemplated in FAR 6.102(d)(2). An Ombudsman has been appointed to hear concerns from offerors or potential offerors during the proposal development phase of this acquisition. The Ombudsman does not diminish the authority of the program director or Contracting Officer but communicates contractor concerns, issues, disagreements, and recommendations to the appropriate Government personnel. When requested, the Ombudsman shall maintain strict confidentiality as to the source of the concern. The Ombudsman does not participate in the evaluation of proposals or in the source selection process. Interested parties are invited to call Mr. Eugene C. DeWall at (505) 846-4979 (however, unless confidentiality is an issue, the Buyer should normally be contacted first). Contractual issues and cost proposal format/questions in reference to this BAA shall be directed to: Det 8, AFRL/PKV, 2251 Maxwell Ave SE,ATTN: Debbie Chisenhall (Buyer), Kirtland AFB NM 87117-5773, (505) 846-1326. Technical issues can be addressed by the POCs shown in each technical area. As a means of allowing contractors and other interested parties to access and download this announcement into their existing computer systems, it will be posted at http://prs.plk.af.mil/PK/RFP_LST.HTM. The Point of Contact for this site is Mr. John Webb at (505) 846-4457. See Notes 5,7,25, and 26. (This concludes synopsis for BAA NUMBER 98-02 .) (0099)

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