Future Attribute Screening Technology (FAST) Demonstration Laboratory

Transcription

1 BROAD AGENCY ANNOUCEMENT (BAA) HSARPA BAA 07-03A Future Attribute Screening Technology (FAST) Demonstration Laboratory INTRODUCTION: This publication constitutes a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) as contemplated in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.102(d)(2). A formal Request for Proposals (RFP), solicitation, and/or additional information regarding this announcement will not be issued. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science & Technology (S&T) Directorate will not issue paper copies of this announcement. DHS S&T reserves the right to select for award, all some or none of the proposals in response to this announcement. DHS S&T reserves the right to fund all, some or none of the proposals received under this BAA. DHS S&T provides no funding for direct reimbursement of proposal development costs. Technical and cost proposals (or any other material) submitted in response to this BAA will not be returned. It is the policy of DHS S&T to treat all proposals as sensitive competitive information and to disclose their contents only for the purposes of evaluation. Awards may take the form of contracts or other transactions (OTs) agreements. In the event an Offeror or subcontractor is an FFRDC, Department of Energy National Laboratory, or other Federally funded entity, DHS S&T will work with the appropriate sponsoring agency to issue an interagency agreement pursuant to the Economy Act (31 U.S.C. 1531) or other appropriate authority. Depending on the nature of the Full Proposals received, DHS S&T will also consider awarding a grant or cooperative agreement. Therefore, the applicable laws and regulations governing the legal vehicle used for award Page 1 of 20

2 will depend on the legal vehicle chosen by DHS S&T. In this regard, Offerors should propose a preferred vehicle type for DHS S&T to consider for award. I. GENERAL INFORMATION 1. Agency Name - Department of Homeland Security Science & Technology Directorate Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency Washington, DC Research Opportunity Title - Future Attribute Screening Technology (FAST) Demonstration Laboratory 3. Program Name Homeland Innovative Prototypical Solutions (HIPS) 4. Research Opportunity Number - 5. Response Date - This announcement will remain open until 03/18/2007 or until replaced by a successor BAA. White Papers and Full Proposals may be submitted any time during this period. 6. Research Opportunity Description - Security screening to evaluate the risk of individuals entering transportation and other critical infrastructure, and attending Special Security Events requires efficient, rapid and accurate examination of a person, their belongings and credentials. Through this BAA, DHS S&T is seeking responses to develop a reconfigurable FAST Demonstration Laboratory facility to support human behavior screening research, development and demonstration in the field at a variety of locations. The FAST Demonstration Laboratory will be used to host screening experiments as well as tests and evaluations to characterize the utility of behavioral, physical, and sensor based components of human screening to enhance the performance of security staff that is responsible for discerning intent to cause damage or harm. Field research will be conducted in multiple venues including high volume transportation, border and special security events applications, as well as access control for critical infrastructures. This effort is intended to result in the delivery of an initial prototype system in 6 months and a final prototype of the FAST Demonstration Laboratory within one year of contract award. Page 2 of 20

3 In order to be recommended, the proposed FAST Demonstration Laboratory must have the following attributes and characteristics: Page 3 of 20 o Easy to transport, move and store using readily available and cost effective commercial transportation, labor, and storage facilities o Contain provision for movement of related equipment during transportation o Stable and safe when deployed in a variety of locations, taking into account regional environmental and weather conditions and variations o Compatible with federal health and safety laws, policies, codes and regulations o Provides a basic workroom, restroom and kitchen facility for researchers and staff o Self contained power and interfaces for connecting to a variety of standard sources o Provides for computer networking through industry standard communications interfaces, including secure wireless networking options o Readily and easily adaptable and configurable for a variety of screening experiments including internal arrangement of sensors, computers, and observation areas in proximity to screening areas including but no limited to facility approach, greeting areas, queues, reception areas, etc. o Enables subsystem standards for DHS research staff and partners to effectively prepare and test experimental apparatus in advance of installation within the mobile screening laboratory o Readily adaptable and scalable for a variety of screening venues and related human queue control techniques; including but not limited to triage and multiple stage screening o Provides a cooled and secure computing facility and accommodates the installation and networking of computer equipment at a wide variety of locations within the mobile screening facility o Provides for monitored security during experiments, at times when the mobile facility is not occupied, and during periods of storage In every aspect of this work, the program will provide for adequate protection of individual privacy while ensuring sufficient information is provided to screeners and security personnel to inform decision making. DHS S&T will achieve these goals through research and development to support the advancement of screening methodology, standards development, validated technical requirements, and documented performance for users, systems and subsystems that comprise the mobile screening laboratory. As will be defined further, the White Paper and Full Proposal should also: - Clearly define the risks and vulnerabilities of the recommended FAST Demonstration Laboratory System and address methods to mitigate those risks and vulnerabilities - Clearly identify options for configuration, reconfiguration, and secure storage of the mobile facility in a variety of environmental conditions and venues specifically addressing but not limited to the following areas:

4 o Stability, safety and conformance with federal safety standards o Size and mobility o Ability to accommodate human traffic for screening o Reconfiguration features to support a variety of experiments o Power systems and interfaces o Provision for computer installation and networking o Provision for observation areas - Clearly address for each component and applicable interfaces for the recommended system their current level of development; for example: o Which components and any applicable interfaces are currently productized and/or fielded and how they are proven to be safe, effective, maintainable and durable o Which components or interfaces are conceptual and their anticipated time to deployment in the recommended configuration - A rough order of magnitude estimate of costs and overall schedule to develop each component and integrate into an overall system. - The experience of the offeror in efforts similar to this DHS S&T is receptive to individual or team offers. 7. Government Representatives - Science and Technology: Stephen Dennis Technical Director FAST Program Innovation Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate HSARPA Washington, DC Business: Margaret L. Margo Graves Team Lead/Contracting Officer Department of Homeland Security Science & Technology Acquisitions Washington, DC Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Title - Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency Page 4 of 20

5 10. Additional Background Information N/A II. AWARD INFORMATION Anticipated Award Information is as follows: Total Amount of Funding Available: $1.4M (subject to official fiscal appropriation) Anticipated Number of Awards: DHS S&T expects to make one or more awards. Anticipated Award Types: Anticipated to be in the form of a Cost Reimbursement type contract. However the Government reserves the right to award grants, Cooperative Agreements (CAs), Other Transactions (OTs) Agreements, or interagency agreements to appropriate parties should the situation warrant. Previous Year(s) Average Individual Award Amounts: N/A Anticipated Period of Performance for Award: 12 months. Proposals that build on current or previous work are encouraged. If Offerors are extending work performed under other projects, it must clearly identify the point of departure and what existing work will be brought forward and what new effort will be performed under this BAA. III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION This BAA is open to ALL responsible sources. Offerors may include single entities or teams from private sector organizations, Government laboratories, airport authorities, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), including Department of Energy National Laboratories and Centers, and academic institutions. Federally Funded Research & Development Centers (FFRDCs), including Department of Energy National Laboratories and Centers, are eligible to respond to this BAA, individually or as a team member of an eligible principal Offeror, as so long as they are permitted under a sponsoring agreement between the Government and the specific FFRDC. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), Minority Institutions (MI), Small Business concerns, Small Disadvantaged Business concerns, Women-Owned Small Business concerns, Veteran-Owned Small Business concerns, Service-Disabled Veteran- Owned Small Business concerns, and HUBZone Small Business concerns are encouraged to submit proposals and to join others as team members in submitting proposals. However, no portion of this BAA will be set-aside pursuant to FAR Part Independent organizations and teams are encouraged to submit proposals. However, Offerors must be willing to cooperate and exchange software, data and other information in an integrated program with other contractors, as well as with system integrators, selected by DHS S&T. Page 5 of 20

6 Organizational Conflict of Interest issues will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis; as outlined below. Offerors who have existing contract(s) to provide scientific, engineering, technical and/or administrative support directly to DHS S&T will receive particular scrutiny. Organizational Conflict of Interest (a) Determination. The Government has determined that this effort may result in an actual or potential conflict of interest, or may provide one or more Offerors with the potential to attain an unfair competitive advantage. (b) If any such conflict of interest is found to exist, the Contracting Officer may (1) disqualify the Offeror, or (2) determine that it is otherwise in the best interest of the United States to contract with the Offeror and include the appropriate provisions to mitigate or avoid such conflict in the contract awarded. After discussion with the Offeror, the Contracting Officer may determine that the actual conflict cannot be avoided, neutralized, mitigated, or otherwise resolved to the satisfaction of the Government, and the Offeror may be found ineligible for award. (c) Disclosure: The Offeror must represent, as part of its proposal and to the best of its knowledge that: (1) It is not aware of any facts which create any actual or potential organizational conflicts of interest relating to the award of this contract; or (2) It has included information in its proposal, providing all current information bearing on the existence of any actual or potential organizational conflicts of interest, and has included the mitigation plan in accordance with paragraph (d) of this provision. (d) Mitigation/Waiver. If an Offeror with a potential or actual conflict of interest or unfair competitive advantage believes it can be mitigated, neutralized, or avoided, the Offeror shall submit a mitigation plan to the Contracting Officer for review. Award of a contract where an actual or potential conflict of interest exists shall not occur before Government approval of the mitigation plan. (e) Other Relevant Information: In addition to the mitigation plan, the Contracting Officer may require further relevant information from the Offeror. The Contracting Officer will use all information submitted by the Offeror, and any other relevant information known to DHS, to determine whether an award to the Offeror may take place, and whether the mitigation plan adequately neutralizes or mitigates the conflict. (f) Corporation Change. The successful Offeror shall inform the Contracting Officer within thirty (30) calendar days of the effective date of any corporate mergers, acquisitions, and/or divestures that may affect this provision. (g) Flow-down. The contractor shall insert the substance of this clause in each first tier subcontract that exceeds the simplified acquisition threshold. Page 6 of 20

7 IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION 1. Application and Submission Process - White Papers are strongly encouraged, but not required, prior to submitting a Full Proposal DHS S&T s initial evaluation of the White Papers should give Offerors some indication of whether a Full Proposal would likely result in an award. Initial DHS S&T evaluations of the White Papers will be issued via notification. Detailed technical and cost proposals will be subsequently encouraged from those Offerors whose proposed technologies have been identified through the above-referenced as being of "particular value" to DHS S&T. However, any such encouragement does not assure a subsequent award. Any Offeror may submit a Full Proposal even if its White Paper was not identified as being of "particular value." Due to the large number of white papers typically submitted, DHS S&T will not offer debriefings to Offerors whose proposals were not identified as being of particular value. Full Proposals - The due date for receipt of Full Proposals is midnight (Local Eastern Time) on 03/18/2007. It is anticipated that final selections will be made by 03/22/2007. Proposals WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED after the published due dates. As soon as the final proposal evaluation process is completed, the Offeror will be notified via of its selection or non-selection for an award. Proposals exceeding the page limit may not be evaluated. 2. Content and Format of White Papers/Full Proposals - The Proposals submitted under this BAA are expected to be unclassified. However, confidential/classified proposals are permitted. The Proposal submissions will be protected from unauthorized disclosure in accordance with FAR , applicable law, and DHS regulations. Offerors are expected to appropriately mark each page of their submission that contains proprietary information. White Paper Format Paper Size 8.5 x 11 inch paper. 11 x 17 pages may be used but shall count as two pages. Margins 1 inch Spacing single or double-spaced Printing may be on one side of the paper only. Font Times New Roman, 12 point Number of Pages No more than ten (10) single-sided pages (excluding cover page, resumes, cost, schedule, and socio-economic commitment) White Papers exceeding the page limit may not be evaluated. Files are not to exceed five (5) megabytes in size. Page 7 of 20

8 Full Proposal Format Volume 1 - Technical and Volume 2 - Cost Proposal Paper Size 8.5 x 11 inch paper Margins 1 inch Spacing single or double-spaced Printing may be on one side of the paper only Font Times New Roman, 12 point Number of Pages Volume 1 is limited to no more than 40 single-sided pages. Volume 2 has no page limitations. Limitations within sections of the Technical Proposal are indicated in the individual descriptions shown below. The cover page, table of contents, and resumes are excluded from the page limitations. Full Proposals exceeding the page limit may not be evaluated. Files are not to exceed five (5) megabytes in size. White Paper Content Cover Page The Cover Page shall be labeled PROPOSAL WHITE PAPER, and shall include the BAA number, proposed title, Offeror s administrative and technical points of contact, with telephone numbers, facsimile numbers, and addresses, and shall be signed by an authorized officer. Executive Summary An overview of the White Paper. Technical Concept A description of the technical concept, including anticipated risks and approaches to mitigate the risks. Describe the basic scientific or technical concepts that will be used in each component or subsystem comprising your proposed solution to the problem described above. What is unique about your solution and what advantages might it afford compared to alternate approaches other workers in this field have taken? What has been the extent of your or your team s past experience in working with or developing the technologies comprising your system? What particular scientific, technical and/or engineering issues need to be addressed and resolved to demonstrate feasibility, including Privacy Act and other privacy law considerations? Operational Concept - A description of the operational concept to use the technical concept to accomplish program objectives. Explain how the performance of your proposed solution can be expected to meet and be measured against each of the specific technical attributes and/or performance enhancements. What are the key scientific, technical, or engineering challenges and the timing for each that must be met in order to successfully complete this project? Describe all required material and information, which must be provided by the Government to support the proposed work. Operational Utility Assessment Plan A plan for demonstrating and evaluating the operational effectiveness of the Offeror s products in exercises, including evaluation metrics. Briefly explain your concept of how you will develop and demonstrate a system or system component. Point out the critical path technologies or key technical challenges you will face when building this system or component and your plans for meeting these challenges. Explain how you will demonstrate the system or Page 8 of 20

9 component performance relative to the performance or enhancement goals described in the proposal. Deliverables A list of any deliverables (including data deliverables) for the effort; with due date(s) (the number of calendar days after the effective date of award). Management Plan Include a proposed organization chart, single page resumes of the principal investigators and other personnel the Offeror considers key, and descriptions of partnering arrangements. Costs A one-page summary of anticipated costs segregated by tasks. Schedule A one or two page schedule of activities culminating in an operational prototype. Activities the Offeror anticipates to be conducted by the government will be clearly so annotated. Small Business Considerations If the prime Offeror is a large business, a commitment of the Offeror to the use of small business concerns. Full Proposal Content Volume 1: Technical Proposal Volume 1 of the Full Proposal shall include the following sections. Cover Page: This should include the words Technical Proposal and the following: 1) BAA number; 2) Title of Proposal; 3) Identity of prime Offeror and complete list of subcontractors, if applicable; 4) Technical contact (name, address, phone/fax, electronic mail address); 5) Administrative/business contact (name, address, phone/fax, electronic mail address); and, 6) Duration of effort (separately identify the basic effort and any options) Official Transmittal Letter This is an official transmittal letter with authorizing official signature. For an electronic submission, the letter can be scanned into the electronic proposal. The letter of transmittal shall state whether this proposal has been submitted to another government agency, other than DHS S&T, and if so, which one and when? Table of Contents: Executive Summary: Summarize the Proposal and the expected benefits of the solution. Page 9 of 20

10 Concept of Operation for DHS S&T: A summary of the way in which the proposal s product(s) would support the first responder community in an operational context. Include quantitative specifications for how the products will improve operational performance. Statement of Work: A Statement of Work (SOW) and a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) clearly detailing the scope and objectives of the effort, the technical approach, and the performance goals. It is anticipated that the proposed SOW and WBS will be incorporated as an attachment to the resultant award instrument. To this end, such proposals must include a severable selfstanding SOW and WBS without any proprietary restrictions, which can be attached to the contract or agreement award. The WBS must include a detailed listing of the technical tasks/subtasks in hierarchical fashion for the tasks required to accomplish the effort. The WBS format must be complete to at least WBS level 3. Each task in the SOW shall describe the work to be carried out, end result of the task, the time allocated, the organization performing the task, the predecessor tasks, the performance goals of the task, and the resources (labor, material and services) required. The resources shall be costed to provide a baseline budgeted cost for the task. The SOW shall be at a level sufficient to define the nature of the work to be carried out, measure progress, and understand the relationship of the tasks to one another. Project Schedule and Milestones: A summary of the schedule of events and milestones. Assertion of Data Rights: Include here a summary of any assertions to any technical data or computer software that will be developed or delivered under any resultant award. This includes any assertions to pre-existing results, prototypes, or systems supporting and/or necessary for the use of the research, results, and/or prototype. Any rights asserted in other parts of the proposal that would impact the rights in this section must be cross-referenced. If less than unlimited rights in any Data delivered under the resultant award are asserted, the Offeror must explain how these rights in the Data will affect its ability to deliver research data, subsystems and toolkits for integration as set forth below. Additionally, Offerors must explain how the program goals are achievable in light of these proprietary and/or restrictive limitations. If there are no claims of proprietary rights in pre-existing data, this section shall consist of a statement to that effect. Page 10 of 20 Proposals submitted in response to this solicitation shall identify all technical data or computer software that the Offeror asserts will be furnished to the Government with restrictions on access, use, modification, reproduction, release, performance, display, or disclosure. Offeror's pre-award identification shall be submitted as an attachment to its offer and shall contain the following information:

11 (1) Statement of Assertion. Include the following statement: The Offeror asserts for itself, or the persons identified below, that the Government's rights to access, use, modify, reproduce, release, perform, display, or disclose only the following technical data or computer software should be restricted: (2) Identification of the technical data or computer software to be furnished with restrictions. For technical data (other than computer software documentation) pertaining to items, components, or processes developed at private expense, identify both the deliverable technical data and each such item, component, or process as specifically as possible (e.g., by referencing specific sections of the proposal or specific technology or components). For computer software or computer software documentation, identify the software or documentation by specific name or module or item number. (3) Detailed description of the asserted restrictions. For each of the technical data or computer software identified above in paragraph (2), identify the following information: (i) Asserted rights. Identify the asserted rights for the technical data or computer software. (ii) Copies of negotiated, commercial, and other nonstandard licenses. Offeror shall attach to its offer for each listed item copies of all proposed negotiated license(s), Offeror's standard commercial license(s), and any other asserted restrictions other than government purpose rights; limited rights; restricted rights; rights under prior government contracts, including SBIR data rights for which the protection period has not expired; or government s minimum rights. (iii) Specific basis for assertion. Identify the specific basis for the assertion. For example: (A) Development at private expense, either exclusively or partially. For technical data, development refers to development of the item, component, or process to which the data pertains. For computer software, development refers to the development of the software. Indicate whether development was accomplished exclusively or partially at private expense. (B) Rights under a prior government contract, including SBIR data rights for which the protection period has not expired. Page 11 of 20 provided to the public. (C) (D) Standard commercial license customarily Negotiated license rights.

12 (iv) Entity asserting restrictions. Identify the corporation, partnership, individual, or other person, as appropriate, asserting the restrictions. Previously delivered technical data or computer software. The Offeror shall identify the technical data or computer software that are identical or substantially similar to technical data or computer software that the Offeror has produced for, delivered to, or is obligated to deliver to the Government under any contract or subcontract. The Offeror need not identify commercial technical data or computer software delivered subject to a standard commercial license. Estimated Cost of Development. The estimated cost of development for that technical data or computer software to be delivered with less than Unlimited Rights. Supplemental information. When requested by the Contracting Officer, the Offeror shall provide sufficient information to enable the Contracting Officer to evaluate the Offeror s assertions. Sufficient information should include, but is not limited to, the following: produced; (1) The contract number under which the data or software were (2) The contract number under which, and the name and address of the organization to whom, the data or software were most recently delivered or will be delivered; and (3) Identification of the expiration date for any limitations on the Government s rights to access, use, modify, reproduce, release, perform, display, or disclose the data or software, when applicable. Ineligibility for award. An Offeror's failure to submit or complete the identifications and assertions required by this provision with its offer may render the offer ineligible for award. This section shall be severable, i.e., it will begin on a new page and the following section shall begin on a new page. It is anticipated that the proposed Assertion of Data Rights will be incorporated as an attachment to the resultant award instrument. To this end, such proposals must include a severable selfstanding Assertion of Data Rights without any proprietary restrictions, which can be attached to the contract or agreement award. Deliverables: A detailed list and description of all deliverables and data deliverables the Offeror proposes to provide the government, the schedule for delivery and acceptance criteria. Page 12 of 20

13 Page 13 of 20 This section shall be severable, i.e., it will begin on a new page and the following section shall begin on a new page. It is anticipated that the proposed detailed list and description of all deliverables will be incorporated as an attachment to the resultant award instrument. To this end, such proposals must include a severable self-standing detailed list and description of all deliverables without any proprietary restrictions, which can be attached to the contract or agreement award. Operational Utility: A detailed plan for assessing the operational utility of the key products of this effort during an operational exercise, including proposed metrics. Qualifications: A discussion of the Offeror s previous accomplishments and work in this, or closely related, areas, and the qualifications of the investigators. Key personnel resumes shall be attached to the proposal and will not count toward the page limitations. Management Approach: A discussion of the overall approach to the management of this effort, including brief discussions of the total organization, use of personnel, project/function/subcontractor relationships, government research interfaces, and planning, scheduling and control practice. Identify which personnel and subcontractors (if any) will be involved. Include a description of the facilities that are required for the proposed effort with a description of any Government Furnished Equipment/Hardware/Software/Information required, by version and/or configuration. Small Business Considerations If the prime Offeror is a large business, a commitment of the Offeror to the use of small business concerns. VOLUME 2: Cost Proposal The Cost Proposal shall consist of a cover page and two parts, Part 1 and Part 2. Part 1 will provide a detailed cost breakdown of all costs by cost category by calendar/fiscal year and Part 2 will Cost breakdown by task/sub-task using the same task numbers in the Statement of Work. Options must be separately priced. Cover Page: The use of the SF 1411 is optional. The words Cost Proposal should appear on the cover page in addition to the following information: BAA number; Title of Proposal; Identity of prime Offeror and complete list of subcontractors, if applicable; Technical contact (name, address, phone/fax, electronic mail address) Administrative/business contact (name, address, phone/fax, electronic mail

14 address) and; Duration of effort (separately price out the basic effort and any options) Part 1: Detailed breakdown of all costs by cost category by calendar/fiscal year: Direct Labor Individual labor category or person, with associated labor hours and unburdened direct labor rates; Indirect Costs Fringe Benefits, Overhead, G&A, COM, etc. (Must show base amount and rate) Travel Number of trips, destinations, durations, etc. Subcontract A cost proposal as detailed as the Offeror s cost proposal will be required to be submitted by the subcontractor. The subcontractor s cost proposal can be provided in a sealed envelope with the Offeror s cost proposal or will be requested from the subcontractor at a later date; Consultant Provide consultant agreement or other document which verifies the proposed loaded daily/hourly rate; Materials should be specifically itemized with costs or estimated costs. Where possible, indicate purchasing method (competition, engineering estimate, market survey, etc.) Other Directs Costs, particularly any proposed items of equipment or facilities. Equipment and facilities generally must be furnished by the contractor/recipient. Justifications must be provided when Government funding for such items is sought Fee/Profit including fee percentage. Part 2 : Cost breakdown by task/sub-task using the same task numbers in the Statement of Work. 3. Significant Dates and Times - This announcement will remain open until 03/18/2007 or until replaced by a successor BAA. Proposals may be submitted any time during this period. Anticipated Schedule of Events * EVALUATION PERIOD 1 Event Date (MM/DD/YEAR) Time (Local Eastern Time) White Paper Website Registration 02/05/2007 MIDNIGHT deadline White Paper Due Date 02/16/2007 MIDNIGHT Notification of Initial DHS S&T On or Before 02/23/2007 N/A Evaluations of White Paper Proposal Website Registration deadline 02/26/2007 MIDNIGHT Full Proposal Due Date 03/18/2007 MIDNIGHT Notification of Selection for Award 03/22/2007 N/A Page 14 of 20

15 Contract Award 05/05/2007 N/A Kickoff Meeting 05/08/2007 TBD * These dates are estimates as of the date of this announcement. DHS S&T plans to review all White Papers under the initial submission according to the schedule described in the above table using the evaluation criteria described in Section V. After the White Paper review, S&T will notify Offerors, electronically, either encouraging or discouraging submission of Full Proposals based upon this review. DHS S&T plans to review all Full Proposals according to the schedule described in the above table. Full Proposals will be evaluated by a review panel using the evaluation criteria described in Section V. Following this review, Offerors will be notified whether or not their proposal has been selected for initiation of negotiations for award. 4. BAA Information Copies of this BAA may be downloaded from the FedBizOpps web site or from 5. Submitting a Response to this BAA White Papers and Full Proposals will be submitted electronically using the HSARPA BAA Web Site at To aid in the management of this solicitation, bidders are required to register in advance to submit White Papers and Full Proposals. Offerors will not be permitted to electronically submit White Papers or Full Proposals unless registered. Offerors must register by the deadlines listed in the above table. A separate registration is required for each White Paper and Full Proposal. Submissions will not be accepted from organizations that have not registered. Any organization that wishes to participate in this solicitation must register at To begin the process, go to and select BAA07-03A from the list on the left side of the screen then select the appropriate topic area. Upon proper selection, buttons for registration and submission will appear. Select the appropriate registration button and fill in the requisite fields then submit your registration for White Paper or Full Proposal submission. Once the registration process is complete registrants should receive a control identification number via . This control number is needed to begin the White Paper or Full Proposal submission process. To submit your White Paper or Full Proposal select the appropriate submission button, fill out the requisite fields, upload your files and then submit. Users will receive confirmation of their submission via . You may revise your White Paper or Full Proposal submission until the deadline. While the submission of a White Paper is not a requirement to submitting a Full Proposal, potential Offerors are STRONGLY urged to avail themselves of the White Paper process. Page 15 of 20

16 6. Further Assistance Needed for this BAA The applicable electronic address for all correspondence for this BAA is: 7. Proprietary Protection All data uploaded to HSARPA BAA Web Site is protected from public view or download. All submissions will be considered proprietary/source selection sensitive and protected accordingly. Documents may only be reviewed by the registrant, authorized Government representatives, and assigned evaluators. V. EVALUATION INFORMATION 1. Evaluation Criteria The following evaluation criteria apply to both the White Papers and the Full Proposals. The evaluation of White Papers and Full Proposals will be accomplished through an independent technical review of each; using the following criteria which is listed in descending order of importance. The subcriteria listed under a particular criterion are of equal importance to each other. A. Overall scientific and technical merits of the proposal 1. The degree of innovation 2. The soundness of technical concept 3. The Offeror s awareness of the state-of-the-art and understanding of the scope of the problem and the technical effort needed to address it 4. Intellectual Property Rights offered B. Offeror s capabilities, related experience, and past performance, including the qualifications, capabilities and experience of the proposed principal investigator and personnel. 1. The quality of technical personnel proposed; 2. The Offeror s experience in relevant efforts with similar resources 3. The ability to manage the proposed effort C. Cost, including cost realism and reasonableness analyses. Each price/cost response will be reviewed for price/cost realism, reasonableness, and overall best value to the government. Members of the Evaluation Team may presume that the technical approach provided by the Offeror serves as a rationale for the labor mix and labor hours used. The final evaluation will be based on an assessment of the overall best value to the government based on these criteria. Awards will be made based on proposal evaluation, funds availability, and other programmatic considerations, including awards to lesser rated proposals where orthogonal or alternate technologies are deemed to be more technically advantageous. Page 16 of 20

17 For proposed awards to be made as contracts to large businesses, the small business consideration section of each proposal will be evaluated based on the extent of the Offeror s commitment in providing meaningful subcontracting opportunities for small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses, woman-owned small businesses, HUBZone small businesses, veteran-owned small businesses, service disabled veteran-owned small businesses, historically black colleges and universities, and minority institutions. Industry-Academia Partnering HSARPA highly encourages partnering among industry and academia with a view toward speeding the incorporation of new science and technology into fielded systems. Proposals that utilize industry-academic partnering which enhances the development of novel S&T advances will be given favorable consideration. Industry-Government Partnering HSARPA highly encourages partnering among industry and Government with a view toward speeding the incorporation of new science and technology into fielded systems. Proposals that utilize industry-government partnering which enhances the development of novel DHS S&T advances will be given favorable consideration. 2. Evaluation Panel - The evaluation of White Papers and Oral Presentations, if applicable, and Full Proposals will be performed by an Evaluation Team of government technical experts drawn from DHS S&T. The Government may use selected support contractor personnel to assist in the evaluation and administrative functions of any ensuing White Papers, presentations, and proposals from this announcement. These support contractors will be bound by appropriate non-disclosure agreements to protect proprietary and source-selection information and will not be permitted to release any source-selection information to third parties, including others in their organization. VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION 1. Administrative Requirements The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this announcement is with a small business size standard of 500 employees. CCR - Successful Offerors not already registered in the Central Contractor Registry (CCR) will be required to register in CCR prior to award of any grant, contract, cooperative agreement, or other transaction agreement. Information regarding CCR registration is available at Certifications In accordance with FAR , prospective Offerors for contracts, and other transaction agreements involving prototypes (Section 845), shall complete Page 17 of 20

18 the Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA) at Offerors should make mention of its ORCA completion in its proposal, and provide its Certification Validity period. Successful Offerors will be provided additional information with regards to certification for grants, cooperative agreements, or other transaction agreements (other than for prototypes) proposals. Subcontracting Plans - Successful contract proposals that exceed $550,000, submitted by all but small business concerns, will be required to submit a Small Business Subcontracting Plan in accordance with FAR , prior to award. 2. Reporting - The following deliverables, primarily in contractor format, are anticipated as necessary. However, specific deliverables should be proposed by each Offeror and finalized with the contracting agent: Technical and Financial Progress Reports Presentation Material Other Documents or Reports Report of Demonstration of Proof-of-Concept Final Report VII. OTHER INFORMATION 1. Government Property, Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) and Facilities Each Offeror must provide a very specific description of any equipment/hardware that it needs to acquire to perform the work. This description should indicate whether or not each particular piece of equipment/hardware will be included as part of a deliverable item under the resulting award. Also, this description should identify the component, nomenclature, and configuration of the equipment/hardware that it proposes to purchase for this effort. It is the Government s desire to have the contractors purchase the equipment/hardware for deliverable items under their contract. The purchase on a direct reimbursement basis of special test equipment or other equipment that is not included in a deliverable item will be evaluated for allowability on a case-by-case basis. Maximum use of Government integration, test, and experiment facilities is encouraged in each of the Offeror s proposals. Government research facilities and operational DHS S&T units may be available and should be considered as potential government furnished equipment/facilities. These facilities and resources are of high value and some are in constant demand by multiple programs. It is unlikely that all facilities would be used for First Net. The use of these facilities and resources will be negotiated as the program unfolds. Offerors should explain which of these facilities they recommend and why. Page 18 of 20

19 2. Security Classification In order to facilitate intra-program collaboration and technology transfer, the Government will attempt to enable technology developers to work at the unclassified level to the maximum extent possible. Integrators and Experiment Planners will likely be required to work at the secret level. If developers use unclassified data in their deliveries and demonstrations regarding a potential classified project, they should use methods and conventions consistent with those used in classified environments. Such conventions will permit the various subsystems and the final system to be more adaptable in accommodating classified data in the transition system. 3. Project Meetings & Reviews Program status reviews may also be held to provide a forum for reviews of the latest results from experiments and any other incremental progress towards the major demonstrations. These meetings will be held at various sites throughout the country. For costing purposes, Offerors should assume that 40% of these meetings will be at or near DHS S&T facilities in the Washington, DC metropolitan area and 60% at other contractor or government facilities. Interim meetings are likely, but these will be accomplished via video telephone conferences, telephone conferences, or via web-based collaboration tools. 4. Objections Any objections to the terms of this solicitation or to the conduct of receipt, evaluation, or award of agreements must be presented in writing within 10 calendar days of (1) the release of this solicitation or (2) the date the objector knows or should have known the basis for its objection. Objections should be provided in letter format, clearly stating that it is an objection to this solicitation or to the conduct of the evaluation or award of an agreement and providing a clear, detailed, and factual statement of the basis for objection. Failure to comply with these directions is a basis for summary dismissal of the objection. Mail objections to: U. S. Department of Homeland Security ATTN: Office of Procurement Operations Margaret L. Graves Team Lead/Contracting Officer Science & Technology Acquisitions 7 th & D Streets, Room Murray Lane, SW Bldg. 410 Washington, DC Page 19 of 20

20 5. Information for White Paper and Full Proposal Respondents This BAA is for planning purposes only and shall not be construed as an obligation on the part of the Government to acquire any products or services. No entitlement to payment of direct or indirect costs or charges by the government will arise as a result of submission of responses to this BAA and the government s use of such information. Respondents to this BAA may be requested to provide additional information based on their submittals. Unnecessarily elaborate responses containing extensive marketing materials are not desired. 6. SAFETY Act Congress enacted the Support Anti-terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies Act of 2002 (the SAFETY Act ) as part of the Homeland Security Act of The SAFETY Act provides limitations on the potential liability of those firms that develop and provide qualified anti-terrorism technologies. DHS s Science and Technology Directorate, acting through its Office of SAFETY Act Implementation, encourages the development and deployment of anti-terrorism technologies by making available the SAFETY Act s system of risk management and liability management. Offerors submitting proposals in response to this BAA are encouraged to submit SAFETY Act applications on their existing technologies and are invited to contact the Office of SAFETY Act Implementation (OSAI) for more information at or helpdesk@safetyact.gov or visit OSAI s website at Page 20 of 20