A -- SPO Office-wide BAA

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES AND DESCRIPTION The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency/Special Projects Office (DARPA/SPO) researches, develops, demonstrates and transitions technologies focused on addressing present and emerging national challenges. SPO investments range from the development of enabling technologies to the demonstration of large prototype systems. SPO is developing technologies to counter the emerging threat of underground facilities, used for purposes ranging from command-and-control, to weapons storage and staging, to the manufacture of weapons of mass destruction. SPO is also developing significantly more cost-effective ways to counter proliferated, inexpensive cruise missiles, UAV's and other platforms used for weapon delivery, jamming, and surveillance. SPO is investing in novel space sensing approaches and extremely large space structures to enable tactical sensing from space. Finally, investments are being made in technologies to provide full-scale comprehensive collective protection systems against the threat of chemical and biological attack. In all of these areas, SPO efforts encompass the full range of activities required to develop complete prototype systems, from hardware development and characterization to algorithms, exploitation techniques, and full-scale system experimentation. To support this range of efforts, SPO is also home to DARPA's expertise in the areas of advanced sensor systems and guidance and navigation technologies. SPO is soliciting innovative concepts for research efforts in several advanced technologies. Proposed efforts may address the development of prototype components, or systems; studies and modeling of existing or proposed systems; and data collections that will overcome deficiencies in existing data. Areas of interest include systems and component technologies to address a variety of chem/bio threats, including threats to buildings, to mass transportation nodes, to urban environments, and from mail/packages; the development of robust and complete detection systems for defense against chemical and biological warfare (CBW) agents; the development of both the scientific foundation and the technologies to enable U.S. dominance over the proliferating threat posed by the use of adversarial underground structures; concepts for space-based tactical sensing including optical, infrared, radio-wave, microwave, and millimeter-wave sensors, both active and passive; novel materials and technologies to enable space operations; very large, low-cost, lightweight, and low-power-density phased arrays; ultra-wideband phased arrays; significant military capability improvement in the area of guidance and navigation; and other advanced concepts in sensors and signal processing. Attachment 1 provides additional information and POCs for these areas of interest. This information is provided to focus interest on innovative concepts that contribute to ongoing SPO investments, but is not meant to preclude white papers on other research efforts. PROGRAM SCOPE Principal funding of this BAA and the anticipated award of contracts will start in FY 02 and may occur at any time through the closing date as funds are available. White papers and proposals determined to not be of interest under this BAA will not be considered if resubmitted unless significant changes in the approach or new technical information becomes available. Individual awards will not normally exceed 36 months with typically no more than $1M per year. Total funding for this BAA is approximately $25M over the time period it remains open. Awards of efforts as a result of this BAA will be in the form of contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, or other transactions depending upon the nature of the work proposed. GENERAL INFORMATION SPO is accepting white papers in response to this BAA. The purpose of the white paper is to preclude unwarranted effort on the part of an offerer whose proposed work is not of interest under this BAA. A SPO Program Manager and/or technical agent most closely related to the submitted topic will review white papers and provide a written response by e-mail to the offerer within 30 days. Those offerers whose white papers are found to be of interest and consistent with the intent of this BAA will be encouraged to submit a technical and cost proposal. Such encouragement does not assure that the submitting organization will receive a subsequent award. Those offerers whose white papers are not found to be of interest to the cognizant Program Manager and/or technical agent will be provided feedback regarding why their proposal is not of interest. This does not preclude the offerer from still submitting a full proposal. A minimum of 45 days will be afforded potential offeroes for submission of full proposals in response to the BAA. All awards will be subject to availability of government funds. Awards will be made to those offerers whose proposals are considered most advantageous to the government. The government reserves the right to select for award any, all, part or none of the proposals received in response to this announcement. No portion of the BAA will be set aside for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) or minority institutions (MI) participation due to the impracticality of reserving discrete severable areas of research for exclusive competition among the entries. DARPA/SPO will accept classified responses to this BAA when the classification is mandated by classification guidance provided by an Original Classification Authority of the U.S. Government. The point of contact for classified responses is Mr. Frank Purdy, DARPA/SPO, and he can be reached at 703-248-1522. Those offerers submitting white papers are required to submit five (5) copies of a three (3) to four (4) page white paper with a cover letter indicating whether the offerer is a large, small, woman-owned, small business, Historically Black College or University, or Minority Institution. The white paper should follow the same general format as described for Volume I under PROPOSAL FORMAT but include only Section I and II A and D. Section I: Administrative, including Cost Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) Section II: Summary of Proposal Innovative claims for the proposed research D. Technical rationale, technical approach and constructive plan Each cost proposal shall contain a section addressing the following: Awards made under this initiative are subject to the provisions of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 9.5, Organizational Conflict of Interest. All offerers and proposed subcontractors must affirmatively state whether they are supporting any DARPA technical office(s) through an active contract or subcontract. All affirmations must state which office(s) the offerer supports and identify the prime contract number. Affirmations shall be furnished at the time of proposal submission. All facts relevant to the existence or potential existence of organizational conflicts of interest, as that term is defined in FAR 9.501, must be disclosed. This disclosure shall include a description of the action the Contractor has taken, or proposes to take, to avoid, neutralize or mitigate such conflict. If the offerer believes that no such conflict exists, then it shall so state in this section. Only those offerers whose proposal is expected to result in contract award will be required to submit a completed and signed copy of "Representations, Certifications, and other Statements by Offerers or Respondents". This document is not required for the submission of a proposal unless specifically requested. Offerers are notified that this document is frequently updated and any offerer selected for award may be requested to submit an updated "Representations, Certifications, and Other Statements by Offerers or Respondents." White Paper format and complete instructions for proposal preparation can be found at Attachment 2. EVALUATION CRITERIA Proposals submitted may 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: a) Overall Scientific and Technical Merit b) Potential Contribution and Relevance to DARPA Mission c) Plans and Capability to Accomplish Technology Transition d) Offerer's Capabilities and Related Experience e) Cost Realism The criteria used to evaluate proposals will also be used to determine whether white papers submitted are consistent with the intent of this BAA and of interest to the Government. Only (a) and (b) above will apply to white papers. SUBMISSION INFORMATION The administrative addresses for this BAA are: Fax: (703) 516-7360 (Addressed to: DARPA/SPO, BAA 02-10), Electronic Mail: BAA02-10@darpa.mil Mail: DARPA/SPO, ATTN: BAA 02-10 3701 North Fairfax Drive Arlington, VA 22203-1714 This announcement and Attachments 1 and 2 may be retrieved via the WWW at URL http://www.darpa.mil/ in the solicitations area. Offerers are requested to provide their Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) number with their submission as well as a fax number and an e-mail address. The cost of preparing proposals in response to this announcement is not considered an allowable direct charge to any resulting contract or any other contract. Offerers are warned that only Contracting Officers are legally authorized to commit the Government. The end date is extended one month and is now April 15, 2003.