THUNDERSTORM Technology Demonstration and Experimentation 22-4: Data Discovery Innovation and Visualization Event (DDIVE) Note: Amendment #1 Updates the following Updates Event date to from Feb 2022 to Spring 2022 Updates Section E: Basis for Selection Updates Appendix #1 All updates are annotated in the PDF attachment SYNOPSIS: Technology Demonstration and Experimentation Collaboration A. INTRODUCTION The purpose of this request for information (RFI) is to solicit technologies from private industry, government research and development (R&D) organizations, and academia for inclusion in a future capability demonstration and experimentation event focused on Data Discovery Innovation and Visualization. The Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (USD (R&E)), Rapid Reaction Technology Office (RRTO) / Capability Prototypes (CP) in partnership with U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) and the Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-S) are sponsoring this effort. The intent is to accelerate the delivery of innovative capabilities and technologies by demonstrating and experimenting with the capability in an operationally relevant environment. The results of this effort will be used to inform decision makers of emerging and available technology solutions that enhance or improve operational capabilities. Interested parties are welcome to submit their applications to participate in the demonstration and experimentation events. Technology demonstrations will take place at the unclassified level; as such, proposals must be submitted at the unclassified level. For technologies that have features or applications at higher classification levels, please respond with an unclassified proposal. If this technology is chosen for the Thunderstorm demonstration, arrangements can then be made for subsequent discussions at the appropriate level. This RFI is for Thunderstorm 22-4, with demonstration and experimentation of Data Discovery Innovation and Visualization Event (DDIVE) technologies, planned for Spring 2022. The application deadline is 5:00 PM EST on 29 November 2021. This RFI is NOT a solicitation for procurement or other acquisition proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this RFI or to otherwise pay for the information solicited. B. BACKGROUND Thunderstorm provides an opportunity for technology developers and data providers to demonstrate and experiment with new and evolving technological capabilities in an operationally relevant environment, as well as to obtain insight into federal technology gaps and emerging needs. The demonstration and experimentation environment enables a collaborative working relationship between government organizations, academia, and industry. This promotes the identification of emerging needs and technology discoveries to the Department of Defense (DoD) and interagency partners. Thunderstorm provides a realistic demonstration environment for technology developers to interact with operational personnel. Technologies brought to the event should be at a technology readiness level (TRL) of 4 or greater (http://www.acqnotes.com/acqnote/tasks/technology-readiness-level) although lower TRL capability will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The Thunderstorm technology demonstration and experimentation event involves individual or multiple technologies and is conducted with interagency partners. The technology developer provides the capability for demonstration and experimentation and personnel for installation and integration into the overall event. The technology developer operates the system during the event and uninstalls the system upon completion. The Thunderstorm staff plans, coordinates, and assists with the associated logistics of the technology demonstration and experimentation, and provides limited assistance for the installation and integration efforts. The Thunderstorm staff will not assist with engineering changes to the demonstrated technology or system. Industry, academia, and other government organizations are invited to submit demonstration and experimentation applications addressing innovative technologies, potentially leading to follow-on government/industry collaboration and further development of emerging capabilities or fielding of mature capabilities. C. DESCRIPTION The Thunderstorm 22-4 technology demonstration and experimentation DDIVE will focus on identifying and demonstrating new and emerging Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) reconnaissance tools capable of gathering and correlating viable information on a topic(s) of interest. Pursuant to the provisions of Executive Order 12333, as amended, no information will be collected on US persons. Under the direction of the SOUTHCOM, JIATF-S and RRTO/CP, the Applied Research Laboratory at Pennsylvania State University (ARL/PSU) will lead the demonstration and experimentation DDIVE, with support from Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) along with other DoD and government partners. The event will support both developmental (TRL 4-6) and mature technologies (TRL 7-9) and is planned to be conducted in Spring 2022. The objective of this demonstration and experimentation event will be to identify new and emerging OSINT data sets and technologies that enable rapid capability enhancement and inform DoD/IC with emerging software tools supporting advanced open source search, correlation, and identification of select topics of interest, such as people, organizations, locations, etc. and their relationship to each other. Capabilities that collects data from open sources with various formats, structures, levels of verification, etc. and identify OSINT that is trusted and verified leading to time-critical insights for tipping and cueing, as well as indications and warnings for further action by the analysist. Respondents should submit technology demonstration and experimentation applications. Capabilities of interest include: New and Emerging OSINT Datasets Advanced software applications for OSINT and Open Systems Analysis Topic search Correlation of multiple topics Identification of relationships Social Network Analysis Large Scale Graph Analytics Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) algorithms Advanced analytics After a review of the vendor applications, the government may invite candidates to brief their capability to support the selection process and/or invite candidates to demonstrate and experiment with their capability during the Thunderstorm 22-4 demonstration and experimentation event, with the intent to accelerate the delivery of innovative capabilities. In addition, vendors may be selected for follow-on events at facility specific locations in support of future research and development programs or acquisition activities. Industry participation in the demonstration and experimentation activities does not suggest or imply that the government will endorse, procure, or purchase equipment. D. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS Submit demonstration applications to the Thunderstorm demonstration and experimentation program electronically. Please use the application provided in Appendix I or email
[email protected] to request an application template or if you have any questions. The application submitted under this RFI shall be limited to four pages. The first page must provide an executive summary; three additional pages are allowed for pertinent information. Applications shall be clearly marked with the RFI identifier: RRTO-CP-22-4-RFI. The application shall be formatted to print as typewritten on single-sided paper with one-inch margins on all sides and 1.5-spaced text. 12-point font or larger with normal (uncondensed) spacing. All applications shall be submitted in the Portable Document Format (PDF) file format. All applications must be submitted via email to
[email protected] and include the following information: Subject: Thunderstorm 22-4 Application Company name/business division/address Capability name Primary POC: name, email & phone number You will receive an email within two business days verifying your application was received. Each application must address only one technology solution; multiple applications addressing multiple systems may be submitted. Thunderstorm will provide venues, supporting infrastructure and personnel for assessment (operational and technical), based on availability of resources. Costs specific to running the technology developer’s equipment, as well as the technology developer’s travel costs will be at the technology developer’s expense. Invited technology developers must be prepared to be self-sufficient during the execution of their demonstration and not dependent on venue resources. If you have questions regarding the submittal, please contact:
[email protected]. DO NOT SUBMIT CLASSIFIED INFORMATION in the application. Thunderstorm 22-4 will be held at the unclassified level. Capability applications may be or contain Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and may be subject to International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) restrictions. However, it is incumbent on the demonstrators to ensure that these restrictions are outlined in their application. This will provide the basis for detailed planning discussions with the organizing team to analyze whether the established guidelines can be accommodated during the event. If there are any special conditions to demonstrating this technology under the declared export restrictions, these must be described in the RFI response. DO NOT SUBMIT ACQUISITION PROPOSALS. Submit demonstration applications and white papers only. Thunderstorm technology demonstration and experimentation applications must be submitted no later than 5:00 PM EST on 29 November 2021 . No contracts will be awarded based solely on this announcement. Submission of an application does not guarantee an invitation to participate in the demonstration and experimentation event. E. BASIS FOR SELECTION TO PARTICIPATE Submissions will be reviewed by the SOUTHCOM/JIATF-S/RRTO CP team and appropriate supporting government organizations and support contractors. The SOUTHCOM/JIATF-S/RRTO CP team will determine whether a submission will be accepted for invitation at the demonstration. Selection of respondents to participate shall be based on the extent to which the technology represents a particular class or level of capability that can be provided to interested commands or interagency partners. Other considerations include: Relevance to event focus area Relevance to DoD and partner national security organizations Completeness of application and supporting information Technical maturity Relevance of or adaptability to DoD or interagency partner operations/missions Relevance to current operational needs F. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Technology developers shall assure that all proprietary information, documentation and equipment are appropriately and clearly marked. Be advised that lessons learned from these demonstrations may be broadly disseminated through official channels within the Federal government and partner government agencies associated with the Thunderstorm program. If selected for participation, technology developers may be requested to provide additional information that will be used in preparation for the event. G. USE OF INFORMATION The purpose of this notice is to gain information for potential future use and/or collaboration for development of technology capabilities. All proprietary information contained in the response shall be clearly marked. Any proprietary information contained in response to this request will be properly protected from any unauthorized disclosure. The government will not use proprietary information submitted from any one firm to establish future capability requirements. H. SPECIAL NOTICE University affiliated research centers (UARCs), federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs), and/or contractor consultant/advisors to the government will review and provide support during evaluation of submittals. When appropriate, non-government advisors may be used to objectively review a particular functional area and provide comments and recommendations to the government. All advisors shall comply with procurement integrity laws and shall sign non-disclosure and rules of conduct/conflict of interest statements. The government shall take into consideration requirements for avoiding conflicts of interest and ensure advisors comply with safeguarding proprietary data. Submission in response to this RFI constitutes approval to release the submittal to government support contractors. I. FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (FAR) 52.215-3 Per FAR 52.215-3 Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes (Oct 1997): 1. The government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this RFI notice or to otherwise pay for the information. 2. Although "proposal" and "technology developer" are used in this RFI, your responses will be treated as information only. It shall not be used as a proposal. 3. In accordance with FAR Clause 52.209(c), the purpose of this RFI is to solicit technology demonstration candidates from R&D organizations, private industry and academia for inclusion in future Thunderstorm technology demonstration and experimentation events. Note: Appendices are in PDF attachment