59--BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT (BAA) FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FOR UNMANNED SYSTEMS AND ROBOTICS

The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC Crane) is conducting research and development directed toward unmanned systems and robotics in support of our nation's warfighters for the DoD Joint Robotic Program's National Unmanned Systems Experimentation Environment (NUSE2) project. NSWC Crane is seeking proposals for scientific study and experimentation directed toward advancing the state-of-the-art or increasing knowledge or understanding in these specific technological areas. Proposals may be based on fundamental research; concept formulation; assessment of system and subsystem requirements; development, analysis and evaluation of concepts, systems and subsystems; development of associated manufacturing techniques and processes; development of testing, distributed testing and experimentation environments; experimentation and testing data archiving; modeling and simula tion of unmanned or robotic components, subsystems and systems; simulation-based acquisition for unmanned systems; integrated data environments and product data managers for unmanned systems. The technical areas of interest are unmanned vehicles, robotics, associated payloads, peripherals, control systems and communications systems, with a specific interest in proposals that directly support the efforts of the NUSE2 program. This notice constitutes a combined synopsis/Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) as contemplated in FAR 6.102(d)(2). It is intended that this BAA be open for a period of three years from the date of publication. Proposals may be submitted by any non-governmental entity including commercial firms, institutions of higher education with degree-granting programs in science and/or engineering (universities), or by consortia led by such concerns. NSWC Crane encou rages participation by small business, small disadvantaged business, HUBZone small business, woman-owned small business, veteran-owned small business, and historically black colleges and universities and minority institutions. However, no part of this BAA is specifically reserved for HBCUs/MIs. The following guidelines apply to concept papers or proposals. Typically each proposal may be funded incrementally for periods up to five years subject to the availability of appropriations and funded between $10,000 to $10,000,000, with the size of each dependent upon the topic(s) (although NSWC Crane reserves the right to entertain larger proposals based on the availability of funds). More than one effort may be funded for an individual topic area, and deliverables should demonstrate the results of scientific study and experimentation. Proposals for non-innovative, marginal improvem ents are inappropriate under BAA authority and would not be considered for funding. In order to minimize the cost regarding proposal preparation, as a preliminary step, interested parties are strongly encouraged to submit an initial synopsis (commonly referred to as "white paper"). This white paper should not exceed 10 pages, with a technical description of the effort, a preliminary schedule, identification of risks, and a rough cost estimate. Offerors should submit the white papers electronically. A title, BAA number, offeror name, project duration, approximate cost, and a brief abstract with information explicitly pertinent to the proposed work must accompany the white paper. The Government reserves the right to request a full technical and cost proposal from any, all, part of, or none of the offerors submitting white papers. Offerors submitting the most promising white paper s will be encouraged to submit full technical and cost proposals on all or part of their white paper submission. However, any such encouragement does not guarantee funding or assure a subsequent award. Offerors may submit full technical and cost proposals even if they did not submit a white paper or their white paper was not identified as promising. The Government will acknowledge the receipt of white papers and full technical and cost proposals by e-mail. White papers (and proposals) will be evaluated using the following evaluation criteria: (1) Overall scientific, technical, and socio-economic merits of the proposed effort; (2) Potential relevance and contributions to the area of interest; (3) Degree to which new and creative solutions to technical issues important to the area of interest are proposed as well as the degree to which technical data and/or computer softwa re developed under the proposed effort are to be delivered with unrestricted (Government Purpose) rights; (4) The offeror's capabilities, related experience, facilities, techniques or unique combinations of these which are integral factors for achieving the proposal objectives; (5) The qualifications, capabilities and experience of the proposed Principal Investigator, team leader or other key personnel who are critical in achieving the proposal objectives; and (6) Realism and reasonableness of the proposed costs (subject to the availability of funds). These criteria are listed in descending order of importance, and the non-price factors, when taken together, are significantly more important than price. THE GOVERNMENT RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SELECT FOR FUNDING ANY, ALL, PART, OR NONE OF THE RESPONSES RECEIVED. Any responsible businesses may submit a proposal. White papers may be s ubmitted at any time prior to expiration of the BAA. Please send white papers and proposals via e-mail to contact@example.gov or regular mail to Commander, ATTN: Mr. J.D. Martin, Code 1164EF, Building 64, 300 Highway 361, Crane, IN 47522-5011. (Note: e-mail is preferred.) Please refer to BAA number N00164-04-R-6648 in all correspondence and communications.