A--REMOTE ACOUSTIC MONITORING IN THE NORTHWESTERN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS

This announcement constitutes a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for the Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center (NEXWC) under FAR 6.102(d)(2) and 35.106. A formal Request for Proposals (RFP), other solicitation, or additional information regarding this announcement will not be issued. FAR Part 35 restricts the use of BAAs, such as this, to the acquisition of basic and applied research and that portion of advanced technology development not related to the development of a specific system or hardware procurement. Contracts made under BAAs are for scientific study and experimentation directed towards advancing the state of the art and increasing knowledge or understanding. This announcement is not for the acquisition of technical, engineering, or other types of support services. NEXWC is soliciting pre-proposals for efforts related to the need topic listed below. If invited, offerors will be asked to submit a full proposal. REMOTE ACOUSTIC MONITORING IN THE NORTHWESTERN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS RESEARCH NEED Humpback whales are known to occur throughout the main Hawaiian Islands and certain parts of the Papah?naumoku?kea Marine National Monument (PMNM) in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. However, their presence in most parts of the PMNM is still poorly documented and understood. Remoteness and adverse winter ocean conditions make studying whales in this part of the archipelago challenging using conventional vessel-based survey methods. Autonomous gliders offer an opportunity to overcome traditional limitations by surveying areas of interest acoustically for the occurrence of song produced by male humpback whales during the winter breeding season. The Navy seeks proposals that employ glider technology coupled with acoustic monitoring capabilities to survey areas of interest in the PMNM. Proposals should offer the technology and logistical resources necessary to conduct acoustic glider surveys in the areas of interest and deliver the resulting acoustic data to the Navy. The Offeror may include a separate optional task to post-process and report on the data. BACKGROUND: OFFICE OF NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARIES and NAVY SOUND MONITORING NOAA and the U.S. Navy are working to better understand underwater sound within the National Marine Sanctuary System. For the next few years, these agencies will work with numerous scientific partners to study sound within seven national marine sanctuaries and one marine national monument, which includes waters off Hawaii and the east and west coasts. Standardized measurements will assess sounds produced by marine animals, physical processes (e.g., wind and waves), and human activities. Collectively, this information will help NOAA and the Navy measure sound levels and baseline acoustic conditions in sanctuaries. This work is a continuation of ongoing Navy and NOAA monitoring and research, including efforts by NOAAs Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. REQUIREMENTS AND ASSUMPTIONS For the pre-proposal, develop your technical approach and cost estimate to empirically survey defined areas of interest in the PMNM for the occurrence of humpback whales. Additional opportunistic interests from recording effort include other cetacean vocalizations and underwater noise from vessels. Proposed approach should address the following requirements and assumptions: 1. Data collection should be assumed to occur in the Papah?naumoku?kea Marine National Monument (PMNM) in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The survey must take place between December 2019 and April 2020. The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) will coordinate with the Offeror regarding logistic and permitting needs. Assume several planning calls will occur before the field effort. 2. Three areas of interest (Areas 1, 2, and 3) have been defined (Appendix A; Figure 1 and Table 1). For each area of interest, data collection should be focused within the 100-fathom depth profile around each feature of interest (Appendix A; Table 2) as well as along the points of transit between the features. If all three areas of interest cannot be surveyed due to platform/sensor limitations, please specify. A comprehensive survey of all three areas of interest is not mandatory if not feasible. Area 1 is considered to be highest priority, with Areas 2 and 3 considered second and third priority, respectively. 3. Proposals must include specifications of the glider platform (speed, endurance, communication, navigation, tracking, etc.) and sensor (sampling rate, bandwidth, recording duration, etc.) to be used. The sensor must be able to collect and archive acoustic data in a minimum frequency band between 100 Hz and 5 kHz. The survey must include a minimum of 30-days acoustic data recording duration within the areas of interest. Acoustic data recordings during the survey must be made at no less than 50% duty cycle and use lossless (if any) compression. The acoustic data must be of sufficient quality to reliably document humpback whale singing. The glider must transit no faster than 5 knots (while recording) to allow sufficient opportunity to detect target sources of sound and minimize noise. Recording of other baleen whales, other cetaceans, vessels, and the natural soundscape are also of opportunistic interest within constraints of a system optimized for humpback-focused performance. 4. Data collection should include measurements to calculate the sound velocity profile (e.g. temperature, salinity, depth) but should minimize sound intrusions from additional oceanographic data collection instruments. 5. Proposals must include an estimate of all costs associated with the work including labor, travel, equipment, shipping, vessel support (if applicable), an any other identified costs. In addition, details regarding the proposed plan for the deployment and recovery of the glider is requested. Deployment and recovery of a glider that requires vessel support (attended glider) within PMNM will be considered, but may make the proposal cost prohibitive due to the remote nature of the areas of interest. Gliders that can be deployed and recovered close to the main Hawaiian Islands and transit unattended out to PMNM may provide a more cost effective solution. 6. Proposals should include at least one example of a successful past passive acoustic data collection effort using the proposed technologies by the Offeror. The proposal should not include technology development work, but should instead be focused on demonstration of existing proven technologies. 7. Proposals can include an optional task (separately priced) to analyze the acoustic data for the presence of humpback whale song. The analysis should report the spatial and temporal occurrence of humpback whale song along the survey with a measure of song density (e.g. chorusing levels in dB RMS, song units/minute, or a similar measure). DATA REPORTING The primary deliverable for this effort will be the acoustic and auxiliary data obtained from the glider survey and all associated metadata. These must be assessed for integrity and quality and be delivered to the Navy and ONMS in standard file formats (e.g. .wav, .xlsx, .txt, etc.). Post-processing of the data will not be required under this award, but a report summarizing the survey design, data collection methodology and the outcomes will be required as a deliverable. Data analysis and reporting detailing the occurrence of humpback whale song presence along the survey track is welcomed as an optional task. PMNM REQUIREMENTS For unattended gliders: -The glider operator must have previous experience and be equipped to satisfy all coast guard safety requirements and PMNM permitting requirements. -The glider operator will ensure the hull of any vessel and glider has been inspected by a PMNM approved inspector no more than 14 calendar days prior to departure and biofouling alien species professionally removed. For attended gliders: -The vessel and glider operator must have previous experience and be equipped to satisfy all coast guard safety requirements and PMNM permitting requirements. -The vessel operator must abide by all PMNM regulations and policies, including vessel discharge regulations. -The vessel and glider operator must be familiar with best practices for operating in the PMNM and will follow all permit requirements including briefings and reporting efforts. -The vessel and glider operator will ensure the hull of any vessel and glider has been inspected by a PMNM approved inspector no more than 14 calendar days prior to departure, biofouling alien species professionally removed and be certified rat-free no more than 48 hours prior to departure. -PMNM regulations 50 CFR Part 404.5 require the use of a NOAA Office of Law Enforcement (OLE) type-approved Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) for all activities authorized in the Monument. The Offeror will ensure the vessel is equipped with a working, OLE type-approved VMS prior to departure. SUPPORTING INFORMATION: For more information on what is required in a proposal, how to submit a proposal, and how proposals are evaluated, refer to Appendix A. Offerors will be required to adhere to the data rights and handling procedures agreement (Appendix B) and the geospatial data requirements (Appendix C). Modifications to the data rights and handling procedures agreement or geospatial data requirements should be discussed with NEXWC staff prior to proposal submission. Offerors will also need to comply with the Navy Ocean Observing Systems (OOS) Notification Procedures (Appendix D). Strict adherence to passive acoustic monitoring site selection, passive acoustic device deployment notification and data custody guidance will be required. DoD is still finalizing their plan to meet the goals and requirements of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) memorandum titled Increasing Access to the Results of Federally Funded Scientific Research issued 2013 February 22. All projects funded by Navy would be subject to DoD policy once it is finalized. It is the expectation that all offerors will complete any necessary regulatory compliance permitting/consultations, necessary to conduct the research. If the offeror currently possesses a permit or other documentation, it should be mentioned in the preproposal and submitted as part of the full proposal. If your project involves developing or demonstrating a technology, an agreement with NAVFAC EXWC will need to be established to describe the ownership/use of the technology. Contracts will not be awarded without appropriate regulatory documentation and all agreements in place. SUBMISSION PROCESS: The pre-proposal submittal process is an email-based submission. Pre-proposals should be submitted via email to contact@example.gov. There is no specific format required for the pre-proposal, however, the pre-proposal should be consolidated into one single file (pdf format). The main text of the pre-proposal (excluding CVs) should not exceed 5 pages in length. All pre-proposal submissions must be received before the deadline. SUBMISSION DEADLINE: To be considered, pre-proposals must be received no later than 11:59 pm, Pacific Daylight Time on 30 April 2019. Offerors will receive a confirmation email message within one business day acknowledging successful submission. It is the responsibility of the offeror to confirm receipt of the submission. If invited to submit a full proposal, these will be due 30 days after notification. EVALUATION PROCESS: Following an evaluation and selection process, successful pre-proposal offerors will receive an email inviting submission of a full proposal. Unsuccessful pre-proposal offerors will receive an email with a brief description of the reasons for pre-proposal rejection. Awards to non-government entities (academic institutions, not-for-profit organizations, industry) will be in the form of contracts. The nominal duration of this work is expected to be no more than 12 months and is expected to begin in August 2019. Applicants are strongly encouraged to use realism of cost for the proposed effort as their metric, as this will be a critical element in the review process. Otherwise, meritorious pre-proposals and full proposals will be rejected if cost does not accurately reflect the proposed scope of work. EVALUATION CRITERIA: The pre-proposals and full proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria, of approximately equal weight. 1. NEED TOPIC: For the pre-proposal phase, the offeror should clearly state how the proposed research meets the objectives of the need topic. 2. TECHNICAL APPROACH: The scientific/technical merits of the proposed research effort, as well as evidence that the science/technology is mature enough for applied research funding, and the performance criteria to measure success of the research effort. 3. OFFEROR’s, PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR’S AND KEY MEMBER’S RELATED EXPERIENCE: For the pre-proposal phase, the offeror should clearly provide evidence showing experience related to the solution being proposed. The organization’s capabilities related to experience, techniques, or a unique combination of these that are integral factors in achieving the contractors proposed objectives. This equates to past performance, and will be assessed based on both relevance and confidence. In addition, the offeror should provide a table with the name, highest degree earned, organization/affiliation, location, and years of experience for the Principal Investigator and key personnel who are critical in achieving the objectives of the proposal. One-page CVs for the Principal Investigator and key personnel are also required. 4. COST/PRICE: The cost relative to the proposed scientific/technical approach. For the pre-proposal phase, provide a summary table of overall project costs estimated to execute the project to completion broken out by calendar year (January-December). Assume that the project effort will begin in August 2019 due to the time it takes to get a contract in place. Therefore, effort in 2019 will occur from August through December. Assume that the entire project will last no longer than 12 months and will be completed no later than July 2020. Therefore, effort in 2020 will occur from January through July. 5. PROJECT BENEFITS: Expected benefits of the proposed work, key issues the proposed solution addresses, potential application of the results, and advantages over current approaches. 6. PRODUCT IMPLEMENTATION: Describe the intended product(s) and all associated deliverables, the requirements for implementing the proposed products of this effort, and the potential technical risks that may pose a challenge to successful implementation. NOTES: 1. An eligible pre-proposal or full proposal does not guarantee a contract. Multiple contracts may result. 2. An offeror is required to register with the system for award management (SAM). No contract award will be made to any offeror that is not registered. Registration may take up to three weeks. SAM may be accessed at https://www.sam.gov. Registration is not required for proposal submission, but must be completed prior to initiation of award negotiation. To avoid delays in the award process, applicants are encouraged to initiate SAM registration early in the submission and review process. Non-government awardees will also need to provide a DUNS (Dunn and Bradstreet) number (http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.doc) and CAGE (Commercial and Government Entity) code (http://govwin.com/knowledge/ccr-registration) before an award can be made. 3. The preceding data should be sufficient for completing a pre-proposal. 4. There are no solicitation documents applying to this BAA. Request for a solicitation package will not be acknowledged. Those interested in participating in the BAA must follow the instructions to submit a pre-proposal. 5. There is no commitment by the Navy either to make any contract awards or to be responsible for any money expended by the contractor before a contract award. 6. As no funding for contracts has been reserved in advance, NEXWC will be sharing qualified pre-proposals with other Federal Government activities to seek demonstration sites and/or funding. Some Federal Government activities may employ civilian contractors to determine the applicability of an offered technology to specific projects. Technical and cost pre-proposals and full proposals submitted under this BAA will be protected from unauthorized disclosure in accordance with FAR 3.104-4 and 15.207. The cognizant Program Manager and other scientific experts will perform the evaluation of technical proposals. Restrictive notices notwithstanding, one or more support contractors may be utilized as subject-matter-expert technical consultants in accordance with FAR 37.204. However, pre-proposal and full proposal selection and award decisions are solely the responsibility of Government personnel. Each support contractor’s employee having access to technical and cost pre-proposals and full proposals submitted in response to this BAA will be required to sign a non-disclosure statement prior to receipt of any pre-proposal or full proposal submissions. An offeror may require the non-government personnel to execute a supplemental non-disclosure agreement by including a copy of their institutional NDA with their proposal. However, note that a failure to come to an agreement may impact the ability to make an award. Please review FAR 37.204 and NFAS 15.303(d)(4). Eligibility notification will be sent to all contractors who have submitted a pre-proposal, after the Review Committee reviewed all pre-proposals submitted by the solicitation cut-off date. 7. For questions regarding this BAA, contact NAVFAC EXWC at +1 (555) 000-0000 or +1 (555) 000-0000 or via this email address: contact@example.gov. Correspondents are advised not to include Personally Identifiable Information (PII), business proprietary, or competition-sensitive information via email. Offerors will receive an email message acknowledging successful submission. If the contractor does not receive a notification of pre-proposal receipt, the contractor should call or e-mail NEXWC by using the phone number or e-mail address provided in this section. 8. Historically Black Colleges/Universities and Minority Institutions (HBCU/MI) will be recognized according to DFARS 226.3. All responsible sources from academia and industry may submit proposals. No portion of this BAA will be set aside for HBCU and MI participation, due to the impracticality of reserving discrete or severable items of this research for exclusive competition among the entities. Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) including Department of Energy National Laboratories, are not eligible to receive awards under this BAA. However, teaming arrangements between FFRDCs and eligible principal bidders are allowed so long as they are permitted under the sponsoring agreement between the Government and the specific FFRDC. DFARS 235.017-1 allows DOD FFRDCs which function primarily as research laboratories to apply. Naval laboratories and Warfare Centers as well as other DOD and civilian agency laboratories are not eligible to receive awards under this BAA and should not directly submit proposals in response to this BAA. If any such organization is interested in one or more of these program areas, they should contact the NEXWC program office to discuss its interest. As with the FFRDCs, these organizations may team with other responsible sources from industry and academia that are submitting proposals under the BAA. University Affiliated Research Centers (UARC) are eligible to submit proposals under this BAA unless precluded from doing so by their DOD UARC contract or an organizational conflict of interest. 9. Do not call the Contracting Office for verification. The pre-proposal is not received by the Contracting Office.