Description
The Missile Defense Agency's (MDA) Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (SB), in cooperation with the Office of the Advanced Systems (AS), announces an interest in receiving proposals from Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Institutions (HBCU/MI) for research in the following seven general areas: 1. Sensing, Imaging, Ranging, and Discrimination 2. Phenomenology Studies for Ballistic Missile Defense 3. Electronic and Photonic Materials and Devices, includes Wide Band Gap (WBG) Technology 4. Information Processing and Computing Technologies 5. Directed Energy and Non-Linear Optical Devices and Processes 6. Miniature Interceptor Technology, Propulsion, and Kill Enhancement 7. Power Generation and Conditioning, Thermal Management The objective of this pilot program is to promote the participation by and prepare HBCU/MIs for the mainstream research program of MDA/AS. This program does not replace the main MDA/AS research program that is available to all universities. The goal of this effort is to attract researchers at HBCU/MIs toward technical endeavors that will improve their competitiveness in winning regular support from the main MDA/AS research program. Selection for contract award will be based on a competitive evaluation using the following criteria: (1) Technical: (a) Anticipated benefits of the basic research or applied/exploratory research effort to the MDA mission, (b) The scientific/ technical quality of the basic research or applied/exploratory research proposal and its relevance to the topic description, with special emphasis on its innovation and originality, and with consideration for the potential of the successful completion leading to further support by the main MDA/AS research program, and (c) Qualifications of the Principal Investigator, other key staff and consultants, if any, and adequacy of available or obtainable instrumentation and facilities; (2) Management: Adequacy of management planning and controls; and (3) Cost: Cost will be evaluated as follows: The proposals will be evaluated against the government?s estimate of the cost of completing the contract using the technical and management approaches proposed. Total evaluated probable cost consists of the government?s estimate of the realistic cost of completing the offerors? proposals, to include the government?s assessment of program risk, and additional costs to the government such as government-furnished property, government-furnished information, transportation, and other cost related factors. Each proposal will be evaluated on the basis of all the above factors. The technical quality of the proposal is significantly more important than the management factor. The technical sub-factors are of equal importance. The cost factor is less important than the technical and management factors. The primary basis for proposal selection shall be technical and management merit, availability of funds, and program balance. Additional information: (1) This BAA constitutes the solicitation and no formal Request for Proposal (RFP) will be issued. This announcement will remain open through 1600 hours, December 19, 2002 and proposals may be submitted any time during this period. Proposals received will be considered for funds available in Fiscal Years 2002/2003. Offerors may submit separate proposals on any or all the specified areas of research. (2) Proposals will not be evaluated until the close of this announcement. Proposal evaluation is expected to take a minimum of forty days after the close of this announcement. (3) For planning purposes, Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) or Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF) level-of-effort or completion type contracts are anticipated or possible and are not expected to exceed $150,000 per year per contract; period of performance is anticipated to range from twelve months to twenty-four months. Contracts are expected to be awarded during the third or fourth quarter of Fiscal year 2003 by MDA?s Executing Agents. (4) The offeror shall submit a combined technical and management proposal limited to 20 pages (8-1/2 x 11 double spaced), including a one-page executive summary of the technical and management proposal. The technical and management proposal should include full discussion of the scope, nature, and objectives of the proposed research effort; rationale for the technical contribution to MDA goals; a separate Statement of Work (SOW) suitable for contractual incorporation (SOW excluded from page limitations); schedule of milestones; related research efforts performed in the past; resumes of key personnel (excluded from page limitations); a description of and statement of availability of facilities and instrumentation required for performance; a description of management planning and control systems; and identification of limited rights data or computer software, if any. (5) The offeror?s cost proposal has no page limit and shall be submitted as a separate document together with supporting detailed cost data, including any subcontractor data. Offerors shall include a summary of the cost proposal at the cost element level (i.e., total direct labor, overhead, general and administrative, etc.). Summary should include a funding profile by fiscal year. Proposal offers shall remain open for acceptance by the government for a period of 180 days. (6) Cost and technical proposals shall be submitted in five copies and shall be marked BAA Number 2002-01. (7) The contract document, upon award, will include details of the contract deliverables. (8) This effort is a total set-aside for HBCU/MIs and the following DoD FAR Supplement Clause is applicable: 252.226-7000, NOTICE OF HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY AND MINORITY INSTITUTION SET-ASIDE (APR 1994). (a) Definitions. Historically black colleges and universities, as used in this clause, mean institutions determined by the Secretary of Education to meet the requirements of 34 CFR 608.2. The term also means any nonprofit research institution that was an integral part of such a college or university before November 14, 1986. Minority institutions, as used in this clause, means institutions meeting the requirements of section 1046(3) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1135d-5(3)). The term also includes Hispanic-serving institutions as defined in section 316(b)(1) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)(1)). (b) General. (1) Offers are solicited only from historically black colleges or universities and minority institutions. (2) Any award resulting from this solicitation will be made only to an offeror that is a historically black college or university or a minority institution at the time of submission of its initial offer including price. (c) Agreements. The offeror will (1) Perform at least 50 percent of the cost of contract performance incurred for personnel with its own employees; and (2) Upon request by the Contracting Officer, provide evidence prior to award that the Secretary of Education has determined the offeror to be a historically black college or university or minority institution. (End of Clause). (9) The following Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) provision applies: 52.226-2 HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY AND MINORITY INSTITUTION REPRESENTATION (MAY 1997). (a) Definitions. As used in this provision Historically Black College or University means an institution determined by the Secretary of Education to meet the requirements of 34CFR 608.2. For the Department of Defense, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Coast Guard, the term also includes any nonprofit research institution that was an integral part of such a college or university before November 14, 1986. Minority Institution means an institution of higher education meeting the requirements of Section 1046(3) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1135d5(3)) which, for the purpose of this provision, includes a Hispanic-serving institution of higher education as defined in Section 316(b)(1) of the Act (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)(1)). (b) Representation. The offeror represents that it--[ ] is [ ] is not a Historically Black College or University; [ ] is [ ] is not a Minority Institution. (End of provision). (10) Proposals selected will be awarded by an appropriate contract to be signed by the offeror and a government Contracting Officer. Any negotiations that may be necessary will be conducted between the offeror and the government Contracting Officer. (11) Upon selection for award of a contract, the contractor will be required to complete government-furnished certifications and representations and to make certain legal commitments through acceptance of government contract clauses in the contract. Copies of the clauses will be made available prior to award. Proposals shall be submitted to the Missile Defense Agency, Attention: Ms. Cassandra Watkins, Missile Defense Agency, MDA/AS, FOB 2, Navy Annex, Room 3704A, 7100 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-7100. Telephone (703) 697-3579. SPONSORS: Missile Defense Agency (MDA), Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (MDA/SB), and the Office of the Advanced Systems (MDA/AS), Navy Annex, FOB 2, 7100 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-7100