The mission of the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is to develop an integrated Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) to defend the US, its deployed forces, allies, and friends from ballistic missile attack. As part of that effort, MDA will develop and test new technologies to provide early capability, modify and improve on existing technologies (commercial and dual-use) for insertion into BMDS Elements, and improve the effectiveness of deployed capabilities to counter new threats. To investigate these technologies and technology insertion opportunities, MDA has established a Deputy for Engineering, Producibility and Manufacturing (DEP) whose mission is to identify technology insertion candidates and open/modular systems applications that enhance producibility, quality and/or reliability, lower cost and/or reduce risk for all BMDS elements. The MDA/DEP seeks new and innovative concepts for individual projects improving the producibility, quality and reliability of: (1) Anti-Tamper/Software Protection; (2) Radar Systems – Antennas, Transmit/Receive Modules, Signal Processing, Optical Signal Processing, Thermal Management, RF Seekers; (3) Electro-Optical Systems - Passive IR and Optical Systems, Ladar, Focal Plane Arrays, High Energy Lasers, Beam Control; (4) Propulsion – Booster, Divert and Attitude Control Systems (DACS) (5) Materials Processing – Composite Structures, Thermal Management Materials, IR Windows; (6) Electronics - Wide Band Gap Materials and Devices, Radiation Hardened/Tolerant Electronics, Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), Data Links; (7) Power Systems – Batteries, Fuel Cells, Photovoltaic Arrays; (8) Software – application of COTS products to signal processing, middleware, operating systems, simulations and networking; and (9) Manufacturing Processes (supply chain management, obsolescence, and tin-whiskers). This solicitation is open to all US and International Business, Universities, and Government organizations. If you are interested in this opportunity, please respond to MDA with the following: (1) a summary white paper (not to exceed five pages) which succinctly illustrates the proposed technical approach, as well as its rationale and objectives, methodology, expected results, and potential contribution to the MDA/DEP program; (2) a Rough Order of Cost Magnitude (ROCM); (3) a suggested period of performance, and (4) a description of the offerors capabilities, relevant experience, and facilities. Offerors that have been certified as a Small Business Concern should indicate that status on their submittal. Responses shall be submitted in electronic format (MS Word for Windows, 2004 or earlier version, or a clearly readable .pdf file, Adobe 7.0 or earler) to the point of contact listed below. White paper submissions should be marked appropriately if they contain proprietary or trade secret information. In addition, please advise the Government of any limitations on the Government’s rights in technical data, which might be provided in connection with the effort described in the white paper. The MDA will evaluate responses based upon the following criteria (weighed equally): (1) the relevance of the technology or application to the MDA/DEP program, to include maturity and level of risk; (2) the ability to develop and demonstrate near-term applications; (3) the offer’s capabilities, relevant experience, and facilities; and (4) estimated cost effectiveness (the ROCM). Offerors are reminded that this BAA is for the acquisition of basic and applied research and that part of development not related to the development of a specific system or hardware procurement (FAR 35.016). Furthermore, evaluations will be in accordance with DFARS 252.225-7018. This BAA will remain open until December 31, 2009. Evaluations may take up to six months from receipt of White Paper to complete. The Government may use selected support contractor and other non-governmental personnel to assist in the evaluation and administrative handling of proposals submitted in response to this announcement. These persons are bound by appropriate non-disclosure agreements to protect proprietary and source selection information. Submission of white papers to this BAA constitutes the offerors acknowledgement and consent to the use of contractors during the evaluation process. Only Government personnel will make a determination on proposals. In some circumstances, non-government, technical personnel from support contractors will provide advisory and assistance services to MDA, providing technical analysis of white papers and proposals submitted to MDA. Support Contractor organizations: Millennium Engineering and Integration (MEI), Advanced Product Transitions (APT), SPARTA, and Dynamics Research Corp. (DRC). Individual support contractors from these organizations will be authorized access to only those portions of the proposal data and discussions that are necessary to enable them to perform their respective duties. These organizations are expressly prohibited from scoring or ranking of proposals or recommending the selection of a source. In accomplishing their duties related to the source selection process, the aforementioned organizations may require access to proprietary information contained in the offerors' proposals. Pursuant to FAR 9.505-4, the MDA contracts with these support contractors include a clause which essentially requires them to (1) protect the offerors’ information from unauthorized use or disclosure for as long as it remains proprietary and (2) refrain from using the information for any purpose other than that for which it was furnished. In addition, MDA requires the employees of those support contractors that provide technical analysis to the DEP program to execute non-disclosure agreements. The MDA PMO will conduct an inventory of all proposals received, in each individual topic area, to ensure no conflict of interest issues exist prior to execution of any advisory and assistance services. If we find that any contractor listed above submits a proposal under an MDA/DEP BAA, we will verify whether the proposal raises any potential conflicts of interest. MDA anticipates that proposals submitted under a topic area unrelated to the pertinent MDA field activity to which the contractor provides technical support may be allowed if the contracting officer determines that there is no organizational conflict of interest or that any real or apparent conflict of interest is adequately mitigated or avoided. MDA does not have a specified amount of funding available for BAA awards; however, if MDA does decides to pursue a concept, the appropriate level of funding will be identified, and a final proposal will be requested by a MDA Contracting Officer in writing. MDA may award contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, or other transactions as a result of this BAA. Any awards are anticipated to occur in FY 2008 through FY 2010. Issuance of this BAA does not obligate the Government to pay any proposal preparation costs (to include those proposals selected for award) or to award any contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, or other transactions. The Government reserves the right to select all, some, or none of the proposals submitted, or to select only part of an effort described in a proposal for award. The point of contact for concept submittals and questions is Mily H. Le, Contract Specialist, at (703) 882-6301 or email at
[email protected]