Center for Maritime Innovation

The purpose for amendment no. 0001 is to respond to the follwing questions: Question No. 1: RFP Section D.2 Proposals are limited to 25 pages and must be received within forty-five (45) days of the publication of this RFP. Is the cover page and table of contents (or other non-technical elements, such as resumes) excluded from the 25-page limit? Response No. 1: The cover page and table of contents is included as part of the total 25 pages. Question No. 2: RFP Sections A, B how the applicant would conduct any research in-house as well as in collaboration with members and subrecipients (if applicable); how the applicant would announce, evaluate for selection, and fund research projects conforming to identified research areas; identify additional funding sources that could be procured to support the work of the Center; and, any other information the applicant deems necessary to justify the proposed Center. Does acting as the Secretariat preclude the Center Administrator to participate as a researcher as well? Response No. 2: If qualified, there is no reason why someone in-house could not participate in the research. Question No. 3: RFP Section D.6 "The limit to indirect (overhead) costs is 25% of the $500,000 being allocated to the formation of the Center and any project management-related costs." If we have a Government approved negotiated indirect cost rate letter, and our rate is above 25%, can we apply the full negotiated rate to the $500,000 referenced under "Funding Restrictions"? Response No. 3: If you have a negotiated indirect cost rate, you should be able to apply it. Question No. 4: Since we are rapidly approaching the proposal due of July 17, 2024, would DOT consider extending the proposal due date such as an additional week? Response No. 4: The proposal due date of July 17, 2024, will not be extended. Maritime Administration: United States Center for Maritime Innovation RFP No. 693JF24R000013 REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP): The Maritime Administration's (MARAD) Maritime Environmental and Technical Assistance (META) program is issuing this request for proposals (RFP) for establishing a United States Center for Maritime Innovation (Center) to support the study, research, development, assessment, and deployment of emerging marine technologies and practices related to emerging environmental challenges faced by the maritime transportation system. Funding provided for this RFP is $2,000,000. The Center must be established within six-months of award. Project(s) must be initiated within one-year of award. A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: Section 3543 of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (NDAA), codified at 46 U.S.C. - 50307(e), directs the Secretary of Transportation, through a competitive cooperative agreement, to establish a United States Center for Maritime Innovation to support the study, research, development, assessment, and deployment of emerging marine technologies and practices related to emerging environmental challenges faced by the maritime transportation system. The Center shall be a virtual center, based in the United States, run by an administrative organization that acts as a Secretariat to facilitate the work of the Center and its subsidiary workgroups and functions. In accordance with 49 U.S.C. - 50307(e)(4), the major functions of the Center and its workgroups shall include: - facilitating the development and use of clean energy and necessary infrastructure to support the deployment of clean energy on vessels of the United States; - monitoring and assessing, on an ongoing basis, the current state of knowledge regarding emerging marine technologies in the United States; - identifying any significant gaps in emerging marine technologies research specific to the United States maritime industry, and seek to fill those gaps; - conducting research, development, testing, and evaluation for equipment, technologies, and techniques related to marine environmental protection; - providing guidance on best available technologies; - conducting technical analyses; assisting with understanding complex regulatory requirements; and documenting best practices in the maritime industry, including training and informational webinars on solutions for the maritime industry; - and working with academic and private sector response training centers and Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education Centers of excellence to develop maritime strategies applicable to various segments of the United States maritime industry, including the inland, deep water, and coastal fleets. Part of the duties of the Secretariat will be, in coordination with the workgroups, to solicit for services to carry out high priority research projects or analyses. Per the 49 U.S.C. - 50307(e)(4), the applicant must meet the following objectives and timelines: - Within six months of award of the cooperative agreement establish virtual Center and form workgroups with subject matter experts including, but not limited to: o Vessel and port emissions reductions o Ship mediated aquatic nuisance species o Vessel-generated underwater noise o Emergent environmental marine issues identified by the Center - Within nine months of award: o Identify high priority areas of research o Develop scopes of work for various projects that address knowledge gaps o Provide cost estimates for potential projects o Issue solicitation to conduct the necessary research and demonstration projects - Within one year of award, commence research or project(s) B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION: MARAD anticipates making one (1) award totaling $2,000,000, with no more than $500,000 allocated to the formation of the Center and any project management-related costs. The balance of the funding will be used for development of projects to be administered by the Center. Selection of projects will be subject to review and approval by the Maritime Administration. Should additional funds become available in ensuing fiscal years, MARAD may elect to award those funds in support of the Center. MARAD will make the award for the selected recipient under this RFP through a cooperative agreement. Cooperative agreements allow for substantial Federal involvement in carrying out the agreed-upon award, including technical assistance, review of interim work products, and increased program oversight. The funding will be made available on a cost reimbursable basis. MARAD reserves the right to fund one or none of the proposals received under this RFP. MARAD provides no funding for reimbursement of proposal development costs. Technical and cost proposals (or any other material) submitted in response to this RFP will not be returned. It is the policy of MARAD to treat all proposals submitted under this RFP as sensitive competitive information and to disclose their contents only for the purposes of evaluation. This announcement is an expression of interest only and does not commit MARAD to make any award. The total amount of funding will be up to $2,000,000. C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION: 1. Eligible Applicants. The following entities are designated as - eligible entities under 46 U.S.C. - 50307(d) and are eligible to apply: (1) Private entities, including nonprofit organizations; (2) State, regional, or local governments or entities, including special districts; (3) Indian Tribes (as defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. - 5304)) or a consortium of Indian Tribes; (4) Institutions of higher education as defined under section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. - 1002); or (5) A partnership or collaboration of entities described in paragraphs (1) through (4) above. Further, applicant must be based in and operate the Center from within the United States. MARAD is seeking to provide full funding through a cooperative agreement for the proposal that provides a sufficient, verifiable and detailed description on how to establish and maintain a virtual Center. 2. MARAD will fund 100% of the total cost of the project up to $2,000,000, and on a reimbursable basis. Proposals must include a detailed cost breakdown that shows how Federal funds will be used for the project. 3. Systems for Award Management (SAM) Requirements. MARAD will not make an award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and SAM requirements and if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time MARAD is ready to make an award, MARAD may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive an award and use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant. Please see Section D.3 for information on SAM requirements. MARAD will not make an award to any applicant with an exclusion in SAM. D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION 1. Address to Request Application Package. This RFP contains all the information needed to submit a proposal and be considered for award. No specific application form or other materials need to be obtained from MARAD. 2. Content and Form of Application. Proposals are limited to 25 pages and must be received within forty-five (45) days of the publication of this RFP. Proposals must provide sufficient, verifiable, and detailed information that describes: - The extent to which the applicant comprehensively details a process for establishing and maintaining the Center; how the applicant will involve public and private sector stakeholders and components of the marine transportation system with development of the Center and its workgroups; identifies components/elements of the Center; describes how research will be conducted; if submitting a joint proposal, provides details on how tasks and oversight responsibilities will be distributed; demonstrates experience and/or solid approach to successfully selecting, managing, and overseeing subawards and contracts consistent with 2 CFR part 200; addresses potential challenges and provides a path forward for sustainability of the Center. - The qualifications of the proposed Key Personnel and how closely they align with the work contemplated under this RFP. - The extent to which an applicant demonstrates strong past performance in leading and facilitating the execution of collaborative maritime environmental research (at the regional, national, and/or international level) with projects that conducted essential research in priority subjects that resulted in outcomes that informed and advanced the maritime sector. Also considered is the level of experience applicant has in the development of educational materials or workforce development initiatives and outreach. - The degree to which the applicant's proposed activities are multidisciplinary in scope, and how such an emphasis improves or expands the quality of the research. - The extent to which the applicant's management approach and procedures are stated, and how it will implement planning activities and produce results in an effective, timely, and cost-efficient manner. - The extent of the applicant's demonstrated involvement within the area of maritime transportation research as evidenced by activities such as publications, committee work, participation in professional transportation organizations and conferences (e.g., presentations, steering committees, session chairs, etc.), awards, and other indicators of leadership excellence. Additional information: To be considered for selection, the proposal must include a detailed Center plan. This detailed plan shall provide, at a minimum, background on the challenges the Center aims to address; the expected users and beneficiaries of the Center; the specific components and elements of the Center; the suggested basic and applied research and its potential impacts; how the applicant would conduct any research in-house as well as in collaboration with members and subrecipients (if applicable); how the applicant would announce, evaluate for selection, and fund research projects conforming to identified research areas; identify additional funding sources that could be procured to support the work of the Center; and, any other information the applicant deems necessary to justify the proposed Center. The applicant must also include how it plans to administer Center research funds through subawards, including a plan for providing the following information to MARAD: identifying the subrecipient (particularly if the applicant has information on specific potential subrecipients); the role of the subrecipient; and how the applicant plans to monitor the subrecipient. Applicants must describe how they will involve the public and private sector, components of the marine transportation system, and the engagement of any existing or planned stakeholders, and/or other entity expected to provide technical input as research is being conducted. The applicant must provide a brief description of administrative capacity to set up the systems and procedures for the Center's functioning, develop and maintain information portals, provide public feedback mechanisms, establish transparency protocols, and respond to public inquiries. The applicant must provide budgets for establishing and maintaining the Center. Submit the information per the categories in Tables 1 and 2 below. Table 1. - Budget Information for Establishing the Center Cost Categories Estimated Dollar Amount Personnel (Salaries and benefits) Travel (Meetings to collaborate with and provide presentations to stakeholders) Equipment and Supplies (Technology and software) Indirect Cost (Overhead) Total Cost Table 2. - Budget Information for Maintaining the Center Cost Categories Estimated Dollar Amount Personnel (Salaries and benefits) Equipment and Supplies (Technology and software) Indirect Cost (Overhead) Total Cost For this RFP, indirect costs are costs needed to operate a business as a whole. They are costs used by multiple activities, which cannot be assigned to one specific project. Indirect cost is sometimes called overhead, facilities and administrative (F&A) costs, or shared expenses. The following shall be documented in the proposal: - Costs are in compliance with 2 CFR Part 200. - All equipment, training, and travel components are clearly linked to the project objective(s) and are necessary to adequately compensate, equip, train, and enable personnel to conduct the activities included in the project plan. 3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) Each applicant is required to: (a) be registered and current in SAM before submitting its proposal; (b) provide a valid unique entity identifier in its applicant; and (c) continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or a proposal or plan under consideration by a Federal awarding agency. MARAD will not make an award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and SAM requirements and if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time MARAD is ready to make an award, MARAD may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive an award and use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant. 4. Submission Dates and Times. The deadline for proposal submission is 12:00 PM EST on the closing date listed for this RFP on sam.gov. Please submit proposals in PDF format attached to an email. Send proposals to Christian Onwudiegwu at Christian.Onwudiegwu@dot.gov. Do not send paper copies, or other media of the proposal via post office or delivery service. Proposals received by MARAD after the deadline will not be considered for award. An email will be deemed - received by MARAD on the date and time the email was - sent to the email address in Section D.7, below, as determined by MARAD's servers. 5. Intergovernmental Review. This funding opportunity is not subject to Executive Order 12372, - Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs. 6. Funding Restrictions. The limit to indirect (overhead) costs is 25% of the $500,000 being allocated to the formation of the Center and any project management-related costs. If the applicant entity already has negotiated indirect cost rates for financial assistance per 2 CFR 200.414(c)(1), please provide appropriate documentation to justify the rate. Further, if the entity does not have current negotiated rates then they can elect to charge a de minimis rates of 10% of the modified total direct costs which may be used indefinitely and which the entity is not required to provide any documentation to justify.1 Applicants are advised to review 2 C.F.R. Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards as supplemented by 2 C.F.R. Part 1201 for cost principles used to determine allowable costs of work performed under Federal awards. 7. Other Submission Requirements. Proposals must be submitted by the deadline set forth in Section D.4 above by electronic mail to Christian Onwudiegwu at Christian.Onwudiegwu@dot.gov. Please include the Funding Opportunity Number and Title in the Subject Line. E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION 1. Criteria The proposals will be evaluated against the following criteria: 1. Comprehensiveness of details of the process for establishing and maintaining the Center. 2. The qualifications of the proposed key personnel. 3. Demonstrated expertise in domestic and international maritime transportation environmental issues, as well as facilitating research, and policy within the national and international arenas. 4. The degree to which the proposed activities are multidisciplinary in scope. 1 See 2 CFR 200.414(f) 5. Detailed description of implementation planning activities to stand up the Center and a strategy to produce results in an effective, timely, and cost-efficient manner. 6. Description of costs in alignment with Tables 1 and 2. Further, applicants must provide justification (and assumptions, if applicable) for the costs, and all equipment, training, and travel components are clearly linked to the project objective(s) and are necessary to adequately compensate, equip, train, and enable personnel to conduct the activities included in the proposal. 2. Review and Selection Process. MARAD has set-up an internal review team to evaluate all proposals that are submitted under this announcement. All eligible proposals will be evaluated within 3 weeks after the closing date. If the review team has any questions on an individual proposal, it will notify the applicant for clarification. F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION 1. Federal Award Notices. The successful applicant will be notified by MARAD's Office of Acquisition via telephone; however, the telephone call is not the actual award or the authorization to begin performance. All awards will be made by a cooperative agreement signed by MARAD's Agreement/Grants Officer. After an award, has been made a MARAD representative from the Office of Environment and Innovation will notify the awardee to set-up a kick-off meeting for the project. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified via email. 2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements. Applicants are advised to review 2. C.F.R. Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Costs Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards as supplemented by 2 C.F.R. Part 1201, for applicable administrative and national policy requirements. For a copy of the general terms and conditions of the Federal award made under this RFP, please contact Christian Onwudiegwu at Christian.Onwudiegwu@dot.gov. Federal awards made under RFP may include additional terms that are specific to the project, including without limitation awardee information, project description, funding details and appropriate data rights clauses. 3. Reporting. Applicants are advised to review 2 C.F.R. Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Costs Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, as supplemented by 2 C.F.R. Part 1201, for applicable reporting requirements. Federal awards made under this RFP may include additional reporting requirements that are appropriate for the specific project to be funded by MARAD. G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACT For any questions relating to the technical or programmatic aspects of this RFP, please contact Carolyn E. Junemann, Environmental Protection Specialist, at carolyn.junemann@dot.gov. For any questions about the administration of this funding opportunity and any awards, please contact Christian Onwudiegwu at Christian.Onwudiegwu@dot.gov H. OTHER INFORMATION Applicants must identify all proprietary information in its submission. MARAD is not obligated to make any Federal award as a result of this RFP