Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO): Capability Accelerator - Amendment 1

This is the annual update for the below referenced Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) solicitation in accordance with DoD Class Deviation 2022-O0007 - Defense Commercial Solutions Opening. There are no Calls at this time. NAICS Code and Associated Description: 541715, Research and Development in Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology), with a size standard of 1,250 employees. Federal Agency Name and Contracting Officer Address: AFLCMC/WNU Human Systems Division Agile Combat Support Directorate 1981 Monohan Way WPAFB OH 45433-7222 Commercial Solutions Opening Title: This is a combined synopsis/solicitation. Capability Accelerator Commercial Solutions Opening Number: FA8606-23-S-0001 Amendment 1 Commercial Solutions Opening Type: This posting is for a Two-Step Closed-Open CSO with Calls, this is the annual update with no calls currently. This CSO will remain open for Calls and potential Open Periods for 24 months from this posting, unless terminated sooner. Over the course of this CSO, there will be posted Open Periods and Closed Periods as stated in each amendment. During the Open Period White Papers may be submitted at any time for specific research area(s) of interest IAW the instructions in Attachment 2 - Step-1 White Paper Format. Immediately following the posted White Paper due date and time, a Closed Period will begin and continue until award of any resulting proposal(s) from the posted Call. Additional Calls may be issued to request White Papers for specific research area(s) of interest, each Call will contain specific requirements and pertinent information. White Papers submitted in response to a Call will be accepted as specific in the individual Call and evaluated in accordance with Attachment 6 - Evaluation Criteria and Selection Process. White Papers selected for further consideration will result in a request for proposal (RFP). Proposal due dates and times will be specified in each RFP. This listing will be updated no less than annually. First Step: WHITE PAPER DUE DATE AND TIME: There are no Calls at this time, this is a Closed Period and no White Papers will be accepted. An updated due date and time will be posted with the next open Call in Attachment 1 Solicitations Topics/Areas of Interest. Second Step: PROPOSAL DUE DATE AND TIME: To be provided in the Requests for Proposal sent to offerors that submit White Papers considered to be of further interest to the Air Force. Proposals received after specified date and time, will be considered late in accordance with 52.212-1(f). Submission POC: White Papers must be submitted to the Contracting Points of Contact (POCs): Contracting Officer Name: Samantha McKee Address: Human Systems Division Agile Combat Support Directorate 1981 Monohan Way WPAFB OH 45433-7222 Email: samantha.mckee.1@us.af.mil Contract Specialist Name: Paul Stott Address: Human Systems Division Agile Combat Support Directorate 1981 Monohan Way WPAFB OH 45433-7222 Email: william.stott@us.af.mil Solicitation Request: AFLCMC/WNU is soliciting White Papers on the effort described below. Type of Contract: The Air Force anticipates the award of a Firm-Fixed Price type contract in accordance with FAR Part 12. Offerors are encouraged to review FAR 52.212-4 and 52.212-5 for standard terms and conditions of a FAR Part 12 contract. In addition, the Air Force reserves the right to award an Other Transaction for Prototype Project in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 4022. Estimated Program Cost: The total program value is $500,000 with multiple awards anticipated, with award values potentially ranging from $100,000 to $300,000. Anticipated Number of Awards: The Air Force anticipates 2 awards per year for this announcement. However, the Air Force reserves the right to award one or more, or no, contracts for all, part, or none of the proposals received. PURPOSE: This Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO), issued in accordance with DoD Class Deviation 2022-O0007 - Defense Commercial Solutions Opening Pilot Program, is a competitive solicitation focused on technologies to meet the mission of the Human Systems Division (HSD). The Government seeks to obtain innovative solutions or potential new capabilities to fulfill requirements, close capability gaps, or provide potential technological advancements in the capability areas listed below. Innovative means: 1. Any technology, process, or method, including research and development that is new as of the date of submission of a proposal; 2. Any application of an existing technology, process, or method that is new as of the date of submission of a proposal; or 3. A new application or adaptation of an existing technology, process, or method as of the date of submission of a proposal. All items, technologies, and services acquired using a CSO will be treated as commercial items if they meet above definition of innovative. The Government encourages proposals that span a wide spectrum of possible technical and business solutions in response to the specific topics stated herein. Awards resulting from this CSO will be made based on the evaluation results of a Two-Step proposal process. The Government reserves the right to fund all, some, one, or none of the proposals submitted; may elect to fund only part of a submitted proposal; and may incrementally fund any or all awards under this CSO. All awards are subject to the availability of funds. Offerors should monitor betaSAM.gov for amendments, modifications, and potential Calls issued against this CSO. Contracting Officer Name: Samantha McKee Address: Human Systems Division Agile Combat Support Directorate 1981 Monohan Way WPAFB OH 45433-7222 Email: samantha.mckee.1@us.af.mil Contract Specialist Name: Paul Stott Address: Human Systems Division Agile Combat Support Directorate 1981 Monohan Way WPAFB OH 45433-7222 Email: william.stott@us.af.mil Program Manager Name: Captain Kyle Eller Address: Human Systems Division Agile Combat Support Directorate 1981 Monohan Way WPAFB OH 45433-7222 Email: kyle.eller.1@us.af.mil SUBMISSION INFORMATION: Step 1: Submissions shall include White Papers prepared in accordance with the format in Attachment 2 - Step-1 White Paper Format. White Papers may be submitted at any time prior to the due date and time specified. Offerors are responsible for monitoring betaSam.gov for any amendments to this solicitation or for specific Calls issued that may have updated information. White Papers will be evaluated against criteria as described in Attachment 6 - Evaluation Criteria and Selection Process. Step 2: The Government will invite select offerors to submit full proposals based on favorable evaluation results of White Papers. Proposals will be requested via a Request for Proposal letter by the Contracting Officer and will contain separate submission instructions and applicable due dates and timelines. Unsuccessful offerors will be notified by the Government, either via email or letter, to inform them that the proposed effort is not of interest to the Government at this time. Proposal Review, Evaluation and Selection Process: Each proposal will be evaluated by the Government and the proposal must stand on its own technical merit. Proposals will be evaluated in accordance with the following evaluation criteria: 1. Technical; 2. Importance to agency programs; and 3. Funds availability All evaluation factors are of equal importance. See Attachment 6 - Evaluation Criteria and Selection Process for additional information regarding the evaluation process. DEBRIEFINGS: The Government will conduct written, post-award debriefings upon request only in accordance with 52.212-1(l) and will address the evaluation factors contained herein only. It will not include a comparison of submissions against a common statement of work (SOW) as the CSO provides no common statement of work that interested parties must respond to and instead represents opportunity for submission of a variety of innovative commercial items, technologies, and/or services that represent meaningful submissions of diverse scope and price. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: 1. Deliverables/Schedule: To be determined based on proposals and awards. 2. Other Information: See FAR Part 12 for contract clauses. Program Security Classification: If a DD254 is applicable, offerors must verify their Cognizant Security Office information is current with the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, DCSA. Export Control: Information involved in this effort may be subject to Export Control, International Traffic in Arms (ITAR) 22 CFR 120-131, or Export Administration Regulations (EAR) 15 CFR 710-774. If effort may be subject to export control, then a Certified DD Form 2345, Militarily Critical Technical Data Agreement, will be required to be submitted with proposal. (See DFARS 225.7901-4, DFARS 252.225-7048, Export-Controlled Item). Government Furnished Property (GFP) Availability: GFP may be supplied as a part of a resulting contract, if applicable to the award GFP will be listed within each Area of Interest (AoI). In accordance with FAR 45.201(b), the contractor is responsible for all costs related to making the property available for use, such as payment of all transportation, installation, or rehabilitation costs. Base Support/Network Access: Base support will be determined for each award for testing, validation, and demonstration. 3. Eligible Offeror: This is an unrestricted solicitation. Small businesses are encouraged to propose. Offerors are encouraged to complete the Annual Representations and Certification in the System for Award Management (SAM) as soon as possible. 4. Foreign Participation: Participation at the prime level is prohibited. Subcontracting arrangements will be handled in accordance with the International Traffic and Arms Regulation. In addition, foreign national participation will be limited to public domain information only. Foreign disclosure reviews shall be performed before the release of information to the public on all acquisition requiring disclosure of classified or export-controlled unclassified, including sensitive unclassified information. For additional guidance on how to conduct these reviews, see AFMC PGI 5327.9001. This acquisition involves data that are subject to export control laws and regulations. Only Contractors who are registered and certified with the Defense Logistics Services Center (DLSC) and have a legitimate business purpose may participate in this solicitation. Contact the DLSC, 74 Washington Avenue N., Battle Creek, Michigan 40917-3084 (1-800-352-3572) for further information on the certification process. You must submit a copy of your approved DD Form 2345, Militarily Critical Technical Data Agreement with your proposal. The form, instructions, and FAQs may be found at the United States/Canada Joint Certification Program website, http://www.dla.mil/HQ/InformationOperations/Offers/Products/LogisticsApplications/JCP/DD2345Instructions.aspx. Approval of the DD Form 2345 will be verified if proposal is chosen for award. 5. There are no limits on the number of White Papers/proposals an offeror may submit. 6. You may be ineligible for award if all requirements of this solicitation are not met on the White Paper and proposal (when applicable) due date as identified above and in subsequent requests for proposals, when applicable. 7. Marking Proprietary Proposal Information: Information contained in unsuccessful proposals will remain the property of the Applicant. The Federal Government may, however, retain copies of all proposals. Public release of information in any proposal submitted will be subject to existing statutory and regulatory requirements. If proprietary information is provided by an Applicant in a proposal, which constitutes a trade secret, commercial or financial information, it will be treated in confidence, to the extent permitted by law, provided that the proposal is clearly marked by the Applicant as follows: Proposal data the firm does not wish to make public, or to be used by the Government except for peer review, shall: Mark the first page of each proposal volume with the following legend: "This proposal includes data that shall not be disclosed outside the Government and shall not be duplicated, used, or disclosed-in whole or in part-for any purpose other than to evaluate this proposal. If, however, a contract is awarded to this offeror as a result of - or in connection with - the submission of this data, the Government shall have the right to duplicate, use, or disclose the data to the extent provided in the resulting contract. This restriction does not limit the Government's right to use information contained in this data if it is obtained from another source without restriction. The data subject to this restriction are contained in pages [insert numbers or other identification of sheets]"; and Mark each sheet of data it wishes to restrict with the following legend: - Use or disclosure of data contained on this page is subject to the restriction on the first page of this volume." DoD assumes no liability for unmarked data disclosure or use and may use or disclose such data for any purpose. Attachments: Solicitation Topics/Areas of Interest Step-1 White Paper Format Step-2 Technical Proposal Format Step-2 Price Proposal Format Step-2 Contractor Statement of Work (SOW) Format Evaluation Criteria and Selection Process ATTACHMENT 1: SOLICITATION TOPICS/AREAS OF INTEREST No topic areas at this time, this section will be amended when new areas of interest arise. ATTACHMENT 2: STEP-1 WHITE PAPER FORMAT The White Paper should include a discussion of the nature and scope of the effort and the offeror's proposed technical approach. The Government will review the White Papers in accordance with the evaluation criteria set forth in this announcement. The White Paper shall be limited to 5 pages, prepared and submitted in Word format. Font shall be standard 12-pt business font Times New Roman. Character spacing must be - normal, not condensed in any manner. Pages shall be double-spaced (standard spacing), pages shall be double-sided (each side counts as one page), 8.5 by 11 inches, with at least one-inch margins on both sides, top and bottom. All text, including text in tables and charts, must adhere to all font size and line spacing requirements listed herein. Illustrations, flowcharts, drawings, and diagrams are part of the page count, therefore if adding such items, be mindful of the page limitation. All pages shall be numbered starting with the cover page being page 1 and the last page being page 5. Any pages submitted in excess of the page limit will not be considered or evaluated. The White Paper will be formatted as follows: Top of Page 1, include the following: CSO Number and Topic Number Title of Program Name of Company, Business Size Company Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code Dunn & Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number Contracting POC and Technical POC with telephone numbers and email addresses Also include: Period of Performance and Task Objectives Technical Summary and Proposed Deliverables Technical Portion: The technical portion of the White Paper shall include a discussion of the nature and scope of the research and the offeror's proposed technical approach/solution. It should also include any proposed deliverables, resumes, descriptions of facilities and equipment. Statement of Work is not required at this point. Rough Order of magnitude (ROM), detailed price information is not required, but provide a time-phased bottom line figure. ATTACHMENT 3: STEP-2 TECHNICAL PROPOSAL FORMAT The Technical Proposal portion of the Step 2 submission shall not exceed 8 pages, excluding cover page and table of contents. Any pages submitted in excess of the page limit will not be considered or evaluated. Suggested page limitations for individual sections are listed below; however, these are guidelines not strict limitations. I. ABSTRACT. [1 page suggested.] II. SCOPE. This proposal is submitted in response to the Capability Accelerator Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO). [Cite the Project Title. 1 page suggested.] a. Objective. [A clear and concise description of the objective of the proposed project.] b. Background. [Provide the necessary technical and scientific background to support the scientific and technical merits of the proposed project.] c. Programmatic. This effort will support the Capability Accelerator initiative [topic number] aimed at developing [capability area or topic title] technologies or methodologies. [Describe the Offeror's management plan for the proposed project; list supporting and collaborating organizations and subcontractors; clearly identify roles and responsibilities of each organization and subcontractor supporting the project]. d. Relevance. [Describe the relevance of the proposed project in terms of Capability Accelerator mission, end-user needs and the technology maturity of the proposed project.] III. CREDENTIALS. [Describe the Offeror's qualifications to perform the proposed work. Summarize the relevant credentials of the primary performing center and supporting academic and industrial partners. Describe specific examples of similar work performed, and equipment and/or facilities available to perform the proposed work. List summary qualifications of the Key Personnel. Focus on information directly relevant to the proposed work. 3 pages suggested.] a. Summary of Credentials. b. Summary of Qualifications for Key Personnel. c. Summary of Facilities to Perform the Proposed Work. IV. WORK TO BE PERFORMED. [Provide details of the work to be performed by task and subtask. 1 page suggested.] a. General. [Provide an overview.] b. Detailed Tasks. [Describe the details of all tasks needed to perform the proposed work. Clearly distinguish base period tasks and option tasks as appropriate.] i. BASE PERIOD (YEAR 1) 1. Task 1: Task Title 1 [Describe what will be accomplished, how the task will be performed, the resources allocated to the task (personnel, hours, materials, etc.), appropriate metrics to measure progress, and deliverables from the task. Describe applicable subtasks. Ensure task description clearly identifies why the task is necessary to accomplish project objectives. Do not include pricing details here.] 2. Task 2: Task Title 2 3. Task N: Task Title N [Define as many tasks as necessary to achieve the stated objective(s).] V. PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE. [Depict the tasks and sub-tasks and the duration of performance of each in a Gantt chart or other suitable chart. Briefly describe the proposed period of performance. 1 page suggested] VI. REFERENCES. [List any relevant documents used to develop the technical approach. 1 page suggested]. ATTACHMENT 4: STEP-2 PRICE PROPOSAL FORMAT The price proposal must include pricing information sufficiently detailed for meaningful evaluation of the proposal. Since the CSO will result in a FAR Part 12 commercial contract or Other Transaction for Prototype Project in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 4022, detailed costs will not be required. For pricing purposes, Offerors should assume a contract start date of approximately ninety (90) days after submission of the proposal. Due to the anticipated award type, the requirements of the Truth in Negotiations Act (TINA) are not applicable. However, if the Contracting Officer determines additional information is necessary to support a determination of a fair and reasonable price, other than certified cost and pricing data may be requested. The responsibility for providing adequate supporting data and attachments lies solely with the offeror. In addition, the offeror must also bear the burden of proof in establishing reasonableness of proposed prices; therefore, it is in the offeror's best interest to submit a fully supportable and well-prepared price proposal. The offeror shall prepare the Price Proposal (with the exception of the narrative information described below) using Microsoft Excel format. Include the Topic Number and the Project Title on all pages. a. Format. Price proposals shall be formatted as follows. (1) Paper Size - 8.5 X 11-inch paper (2) Margins 1-inch (3) Spacing - single (4) Font - Times New Roman, 12 Point (5) Electronic Software: Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe Acrobat b. Additional Information: The following information should be contained in a cover sheet attached to the price proposal: (1) Full company name and address (2) CSO number submitting proposal against (3) Point of contact, name, title, and phone and fax number (4) CAGE code (5) DUNS number (6) In addition to the Aircrew Oxygen Testers, will you require the use of any Government property in the performance of this work? If yes, identify. NOTE: If an offeror takes exceptions to the requirements called out in the announcement, the exceptions should be clearly stated in the price proposal. ATTACHMENT 5: STEP-2 CONTRACTOR STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW) FORMAT A SOW must be included with the full proposal as part of the Step 2 submission. The SOW should not exceed 5 pages in length and must be a separate and distinct document suitable for incorporation into the procurement instrument. Do not include proprietary data or markings in the SOW. Pages should be numbered and the initial page should have a date (document date) shown under the title. The proposed SOW must accurately describe the work to be performed. The proposed SOW must also contain a summary description of the technical methodology as well as the task description, but not in so much detail as to make the SOW inflexible. The SOW template should include the following sections and specifically respond to the Statement of Objectives (SOO) the Government provided with the Request for Proposal (RFP): 1. OBJECTIVE. This section is intended to give a brief overview of the project and should describe why the work is being pursued and what the Offeror intends to accomplish. 2. SCOPE. This section includes a statement of what the SOW covers. This should describe the capability area (CSO topic) to be investigated, goals, and milestones for the effort. 3. BACKGROUND. The Offeror must identify appropriate documents that are applicable to the effort to be performed. This section includes any information, explanations, or constraints that are necessary to understand the project tasks and requirements. This section should describe the effort's relationship to previous and ongoing efforts. 4. TASKS AND TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS. This section contains the detailed description of tasks that are necessary to perform the proposed work. These tasks will represent the work to be performed in any potential contract award, and, thus, shall be considered contractually binding. This section should be developed in an orderly progression and presented in sufficient detail to establish the feasibility of accomplishing the overall program goals. This section should clearly distinguish base period tasks from option tasks. The sequence of performance must be presented by fiscal year and task order, as in Section IV of the Technical Proposal. The SOW must contain every task to be accomplished. Note that the Government reserves the right to modify and negotiate the language in the SOW prior to any potential contract award. 4.1. Task descriptions must be definite, realistic, and clearly stated. Use the phrase - the contractor shall whenever the work statement expresses a provision that is binding. Use - should or - may whenever it is necessary to express a declaration of purpose. Use - will in cases where no Offeror requirement is involved (e.g., power will be supplied by the Government. Use active voice in describing work to be performed. 4.2. Do not use acronyms or abbreviations without first defining them. Place abbreviations and acronyms in parentheses following the first usage of the spelled- out phrase. 4.3. If presentations and meetings are identified in the Offeror's schedule, the Offeror must include the following statement in the SOW: - Conduct presentations and meetings at times and places specified in the contract schedule. 4.4. The desired project structure consists of base period tasks, focused on demonstrating the feasibility of the technology, and option tasks, which cover design, fabrication, testing, and evaluation of the final product. Execution of option tasks will be dependent upon and determined by the contractor's performance during and the results produced from the base period tasks. ATTACHMENT 6: EVALUATION CRITERIA AND SELECTION PROCESS The Government will review each White Paper and select the offeror(s) that have the greatest potential to meet the needs of the Capability Accelerator requirements based on the topic areas stated in Attachment 1 of the solicitation. The Government will evaluate White Papers in accordance with the following evaluation factors to determine if the effort is of further interest to the Government. The Government will then determine if proposals will be requested. Proposals will be evaluated using the following: Evaluation factors: Technical - will assess how innovative the solution is (as defined in this announcement) and the feasibility of the solution solving the subjects challenges. Importance to agency program - will assess the solution's potential to enhance the mission effectiveness of the unit. Funds availability - any award shall be subject to the availability of funds. Price - shall be considered to the extent appropriate, but at a minimum, to determine that the price is fair and reasonable. Price Reasonableness Determination: The Contracting Officer will use market research as the primary method to determine that the price is fair and reasonable. The Government may elect to use external market research in the evaluation of the proposal. The Air Force must determine the price fair and reasonable prior to award using the procedures at DFARS 212.209. In some circumstances, the Contracting Officer may request information from the offeror regarding recent purchase prices paid by the Government and/or commercial customers for the same or similar commercial items. Relative Importance: All Factors are of equal importance. Method of Evaluation: Scientific, technological, or other subject-matter experts. White Papers will be evaluated based on the merit of the proposed concept in addressing the topic areas stated in Attachment 1 and not against other White Papers. Proposals will be categorized as Recommended, Selectable, or Nonselectable as follows: Recommended: Proposals are recommended for acceptance if sufficient funding is available, and normally are displaced only by other Recommended proposals. Selectable: Proposals are recommended for acceptance if sufficient funding is available, but at a lower priority than Recommended proposals. A Selectable proposal may require additional development. To ensure a diversity of approaches, a Selectable proposal may be prioritized over a Recommended proposal if the Selectable proposal presents a unique approach unlike any of the Recommended proposals. Not Selectable: Even if funds were available, the proposal should not be funded.