Update points of contact information for the Missile Defense Agency Science and Technology Advanced Research (MSTAR) BAA

This announcement is to update phone numbers for the MDA points of contact regarding this BAA. All other information remains unchanged: Technical point of contact, Richard Schwarz, MDA/DVR; new phone number is (256) 450-4366 Contract Specialist, Keenan Sease, new phone number is (256) 450-4334 Contracting Officer, Janice Olson, new phone number is (256) 450-4330 Introduction: This announcement constitutes the annual posting of BAA, HQ0147-10-MSTAR-BAA. The next submission date for submittal of white papers submitted under topics areas 1 through 8 as outlined in this BAA is established as 01 September 2011. Posted Information: The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) develops and fields the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) to protect the United States (US), as well as US allies and friends from ballistic missile attack. The MDA Ballistic Missile Defense layered approach includes sensors, interceptors, directed energy systems, battle management, and command and control elements that will engage threat missiles in all phases of flight, from boost and early intercept phases through midcourse into terminal phase. MDA efforts focus on making the BMDS more robust against increasing threats, and improving BMDS capabilities to handle a broad range of unknown missiles, warheads, trajectories, and adversaries. MDA must have the ability to detect, track, identify and kill the ballistic missile. MDA instituted the Missile Defense Agency Science and Technology Advanced Research (MSTAR) program to fund relevant advanced research at qualified, accredited domestic colleges, universities or institutions of higher learning and to support training of future scientists and engineers in the field of missile defense. This BAA is a recurring, competitive solicitation and contract vehicle to identify and acquire emerging technologies, innovative concepts, and advanced algorithms to improve the BMDS capability and fill technology gaps. This Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) is issued under the provisions of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.102(d) (2), which provides for the competitive selection of research proposals. Contract(s) based on responses to this BAA are considered to be the result of full and open competition and in full compliance with the provisions of PL 98-369, "The Competition in Contracting Act of 1984." Any contracts awarded from this BAA must comply with the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR). Only domestic accredited colleges, universities or institutions of higher learning registered by the U.S. Department of Education may submit proposals under this BAA. Organizations selected for a contract must be a qualified education institution at time of award. If the proposal is based on a subcontract or teaming arrangement, the college, university or educational institution submitting the proposal is required to perform 50 percent or more of the effort. For planning purposes, we award only Firm-Fixed Price or Cost level of effort contracts. Although subject to official fiscal appropriation and availability, we anticipate each MSTAR contract's funding at between $600,000 and $800,000 for a period of two or three years. Funding ceilings are $300,000 a year during the two year base period of performance with a potential option for a third year of performance funded at a maximum of $200,000. Inclusion of options in any contract is at the discretion of the Government. The Government is also not obligated to exercise any option period included in an awarded contract. MDA requires that lead Principal Investigators of institutions submitting a proposal under this program hold US citizenship. MDA desires that participating students conducting research for or sponsored under this program award, hold US citizenship. In addition, the Government reserves the right to request special justification for considering any student who is a non-US citizen, but who holds a valid green card, for participation in research for or sponsored through this program award. Students without valid green cards are ineligible for consideration and participation altogether. If MDA decides to pursue a concept, the appropriate level of funding will be identified, and a MDA contracting officer will send a written request for a final proposal. Funding of research within MDA areas of interest will be determined by funding constraints and priorities set during the budget cycle. Therefore, those contemplating submission of a proposal are encouraged to contact the MDA technical point of contact, Richard Schwarz, MDA/DVI; 256-955-1835; email [email protected] to determine the likelihood of funding prior to committing resources to preparing a proposal in response to this BAA. In order to facilitate meaningful information exchanges that could contain unclassified technical data disclosing military critical technology with military or space application that is under the control or in the possession of the U,S. Department of Defense (DoD). Please submit via email an approved DD Form 2345, Military Critical Technical Data Agreement to the technical point of contact. (Reference http://www.dlis.dla.mil/jcp/ for information regarding this program and form.) Coordination with the technical point of contact prior to proposal submission allows earliest determination of interest and the potential for funding; avoiding contractor and Government time spent on efforts that may have little chance of being supported. Any awards are anticipated to occur in late fiscal year (FY) 2011 into FY 2012. Research Topics MDA/DV is interested in technology research for each missile defense phase encompassing the entire engagement sequence to include surveillance, acquisition and tracking, discrimination, communications, engagement planning, threat engagement, and kill assessment. The following technology research topic areas pertain to the BMDS in all phases of the missile defense threat scenario: (1) Radar Systems (2) Lasers and Electro-Optical Systems (3) Integrated InfraRed Sensor Systems (4) Computer Science, Signal and Data Processing (5) Mathematics, Probability, and Decision Theory (6) Physics, Chemistry, and Materials (7) Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (8) Battle Management/Command and Control (9) Educational Engineering and Science Student Outreach (EESSO): Proposals for this area must address development, implementation and execution of programs and activities in support of the MDA's EESSO program. EESSO's purpose is to expose K-12 students to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields (curricula, programs and activities) in order to increase the number of United States (U.S.) citizens choosing science, math and/or engineering as a career path. This is the only area that we will entertain accepting proposals for other than Advanced Technology Research under this MSTAR BAA. If you are interested in this opportunity, please respond to MDA with the following: (1) A summary concept proposal (no more than ten pages) which succinctly illustrates the proposed technical approach, as well as its rationale and objectives, methodology, expected results, and potential contribution to the MDA program using the attached Proposal Instructions paragraph (4) (a), (b), (c). (2) Proposal Rough Order of Cost Magnitude (ROCM), using the attached Cost Proposal Instructions paragraph (5). (3) A suggested program plan, statement of work and schedule using the attached Proposal Instructions paragraph (4) (f), (e). (4) A description of the offeror's capabilities, relevant experience, and facilities using the attached Proposal Instructions paragraph (4) (g), (d), (h). (5) A signed copy of the attached Representations and Certifications. Proposal Instruction paragraph (8). Evaluations may take up to six months from receipt of proposals to complete. If selected for award MDA will request a detailed cost proposal as requested in the attached proposal instructions. DO NOT SUBMIT THE FULL COST PROPOSAL UNTIL YOU RECEIVE A REQUEST FROM THE CONTRACTING OFFICER FOR THIS INFORMATION. The Government may use selected Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC), support contractors, 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. Additionally non-government employees must disclose all applicable corporate organizational conflicts of interest as well as any personal financial conflict. Submission of proposals under this BAA constitutes the offerors acknowledgment and consent to the use of contractors during the evaluation process. The evaluation team will evaluate and make recommendations for award, based on a peer or scientific review process in accordance with FAR 35.016(d) and (e). The primary basis for selecting proposals will utilize the below listed evaluation factors by applying the delineated criteria as follows: EVALUATION FACTORS AND CRITERIA MDA will evaluate responses based upon the following five technical factors (weighted equally) and a cost evaluation: (1) Scientific and technical excellence of the research and its relevance to MDA goals with special emphasis on innovation, originality, and uniqueness; (2) The offeror's capabilities, relevant experience, and facilities; techniques, or unique combinations of these are integral factors for achieving the proposal objectives; (3) Qualifications, capabilities, and experience of the proposed principal investigator, team leader, and/or key personnel that are critical in achieving the proposal objectives; (4) Ability of the proposed effort to make progress toward demonstrating the feasibility of the concept in accordance with MDA programmatic needs; (5) Adequacy of management planning and controls; demonstrated ability to deliver results from research projects, on schedule, on or under cost; and Cost 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, the duplication of previously awarded contracts submitted by the offeror, similar technology efforts pursued elsewhere and other cost related factors. The following criteria will be applied to each factor for evaluation of each offeror's proposal: (1) The scientific excellence and innovative quality of the proposed technology or application; (2) The offerors' capabilities, relevant experience, and facilities; and (3) The relevance of the technology or application to the MDA program, to include maturity and level of risk; (4) Demonstrated ability or clear plan to deliver results from research projects on schedule and under cost. No further evaluation criteria will be used. The government intends to evaluate and recommend awards based upon its evaluation of proposals without discussions; however, the government reserves the right to hold discussions and solicit final technical proposal revisions if deemed necessary. The Government reserves the right to select for award any, all, part, or none of the proposals received in response to this announcement. Offerors are reminded that this BAA is for the acquisition of advanced technology for scientific study and experimentation directed toward advancing the state-of-the-art or increasing knowledge or understanding rather than focusing on a specific system or hardware solution. Proposals related to the development of a specific system will be returned as non-responsive. This BAA covers the fiscal year 2010 and 2011 timeframe. The next response date for proposals submitted is not later than 1 September 2011. Issuance of this BAA does not obligate the Government to pay any proposal preparation costs (to include those proposals selected for award). Points of Contact Contract Specialist, Keenan Sease, Phone (256) 313-9879, Email [email protected] Contracting Officer, Janice Olson, Phone (256) 313-9497, Email [email protected].