SOLICITATION NOTICE
A -- Broad Agency Announcement UNMANNED and AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS TESTING (UAST)
- Notice Date
- 5/14/2008
- Notice Type
- Modification/Amendment
- NAICS
- 541712
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Army, Army Contracting Agency, South Region, ACA, White Sands Missle Range, ACA, White Sands Missile Range, Directorate of Contracting, Bldg 143, 2nd Floor, Crozier Street, White Sands Missile Range, NM 88002-5201
- ZIP Code
- 88002-5201
- Solicitation Number
- BAA-UAST0002
- Response Due
- 6/2/2008
- Point of Contact
- Norma M. Martinez, 575 678-3481
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Third set of questions and answers. 1. I've completed a first draft of our TTE-1 Distributive Command and Control (C2) and Situational Awareness Portal white paper. However, I'm not sure about the actual whitepaper required content/format. The BAA clearly says only 15 pages. But in the BAA page 26 there is a section called Content of White Papers that calls out a separate Microsoft Project File. Also the page 26 discussions do not seem to match the White Paper Content Order or page counts given later. I've attempted to do Content of White Papers 1 in the Technical Approach and Content of White Papers 2 in The Technology Overview. Then a Gantt chart is required. A quad chart, a separate MS Project File a WBS and a ROM--how do these count in the page count? Then there is a section B. White Paper Content Order with conflicting instructions about the first ten pages or the first thirteen. To be safe I've done 10 pages for sections 1-6 then separate pages for the Gantt schedule, WBS, quad chart and ROM. That's 14 pages not counting the cover. I have a MS Project Gnatt File also to send with it but that's not a page. Can you clarify this for me? Response: The 15 page limit is for the narrative. Any and all Appendixes required do not count towards the 15 page limit. Please realize the attachments do not count. Also, please disregard any conflicting guidance that calls for the first 10 pages. Rather its the first 13 pages..... 2. Is there any specified number of phases and options suggested by the government? Is there any suggested duration of these phases and options? Response: Typically the White Paper should not go beyond three years. In addition, the White Paper should provide for a phased approach indicating on-going progress towards deliverables. As far as the options are concerned, it is up to the Offeror to determine when and where any options are needed. It is up to the Government to determine if those options are to be exercised. The duration (Period of Performance) on phases is set by the Offeror, but the Government will have periodic reviews to assess progress. 3. Do the section headings in my white paper need to be exactly the same as the bold-face headings above and also in the exact same order, or it is alright so long all the contents described above are included in the paper? Response: Of course the major issue is content. However, consistency does facilitate easier assessment. 4. Are we to submit one white paper per subsection under each of the four major topics or one white paper per major topic? Response: The goal is to focus on a major topic area even if it may relate to other subsection areas. This can be explained as shown in the TTA section on page 18 of the BAA for an example of S&T Needs in the third column. The first example describes a proposal that is emphasizing the major topic area of Modeling and Architecture (MA) development although it also has relevance to other subsections. These are indicated by the subsection references in the parentheses. 5. This concerns a statement on page 26, point 2, re delivery of software: The Contractor shall specify whether...computer software is intended to be delivered with limited or restricted rights that would preclude it from being disseminated to other Contractors or foreign countries or integrated at system level. As we will be proposing JACK and JACK Teams (our proprietary COTS software) as the basic framework for our approach, any future use and dissemination would involve s/w licensing (i.e. our software is not freeware). Please advice if this licensing requirement would preclude the use of our technology in research associated with this BAA. Or, for that matter, if a license requirement is considered as a 'negative' or 'minus' during assessment. Response: The use of limited or restricted rights is not considered as a 'negative' or 'minus' during assessment. 6. Is the quad chart included in the 15 page limit? Response: The quad chart is Appendix E and consequently a separate page over and above the 15 page limit. 7. Is the WBS included in the 15 page limit? Response: The WBS is Appendix G and consequently a separate page over and above the 15 page limit 8. On page 28 of the BAA, paragraph ii, the solicitation refers to the first 10 pages and then the first 13 pages. Which is correct? Should the WBS and quad chart be inserted in this section? Response: Ignore the 10 page instruction set. Only the first thirteen pages apply. 9. Where are the white paper submission instructions? Response: Page 27, Paragraph A. White Paper Instructions. 10. The UAST BAA says, The deployment must include consideration for final transition to a partner that will take the technology to operational maturity (TRL 7-9, see Appendix J). In order to line up potential transition partners it would be helpful to know what commitment (particularly financial) is expected of them in taking the technology to operational maturity. Response: The S&T program is designed to invest in scalable technology solutions that could have large ramifications and therefore would require commensurate investments assuming it was can be demonstrated and that the technology was both scalable and feasible. It would be determined over the course of the S&T process what the follow-on investment strategy would be. The investment dollars for FOC can be rather large depending on the overall value proposition. 11. Page 25 -- Part II: White Paper Preparation and Submission, Solicitation Process, Special Note: states: Separate white papers are requested for each topic area for potential technology development that the Offeror is interested in submitting. Even if the topic(s) is/are related, do not combine more than topic per white paper. Page 12 defines four main categories: Models and Architecture; Aspects and Protocols; Testbeds and Test Environments; and Analytics& hereafter... referenced as the four Technical Topic Areas (TTAs). Is the special note on page 25 referring to these four Technical Topic Areas, and does Appendix K indicate that any (or all) of the items MA-1 through MA-7 would be included in a single white paper on the topic UAST Modeling and Architecture (MA) ? 1. UAST Modeling and Architecture (MA) MA-1 Sensors and Intelligence Fusion Processing MA-2 Multi-Agent, Multi Sensor, MultiModal Decision Making MA-3 Modeling, Simulation, and Prototyping for Complex Adaptive Environments MA-4 Energy and Sustainment MA-5 Human Systems Integration and Human Machine Interface MA-6 Adaptive Architectural Frameworks MA-7 Collaborative Tools Response: Page 18 of the BAA provides three examples of the types of projects we are looking for. The intent was to limit the White Paper to one major topic area even though there might be a relationship to other areas. The subtopics in the Appendix are there primarily to restrict the scope of the major topic areas. The Government wants to avoid the impression that an Offeror has to submit proposals for each subtopic area, but rather to focus on the major topic area and then describe relationships to the subtopic areas. The number of White Papers submitted is a decision the Offeror needs to make.
- Web Link
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FedBizOpps Complete View
(https://www.fbo.gov/?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=ae5f373f74ce3c4cd9c5f3f64d412e9d&tab=core&_cview=1)
- Place of Performance
- Address: ACA, White Sands Missile Range Directorate of Contracting, Bldg 143, 2nd Floor, Crozier Street White Sands Missile Range NM
- Zip Code: 88002-5201
- Zip Code: 88002-5201
- Record
- SN01573078-W 20080516/080514220455-ae5f373f74ce3c4cd9c5f3f64d412e9d (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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