Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) Innovation Day #4: Army Strategic Rapid Acquisition (AStRA) Competition

I. Background The U.S. Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) would like to invite interested business entities to participate in the RCCTO Army Strategic Rapid Acquisition (AStRA) Innovation Day 4 (AStRA-ID4) being conducted between November 2021 and April 2022. AStRA-ID4 aims to engage with eligible large and small U.S. based companies and organizations and will provide a forum to collaborate with the Army, earn prize money, and provide potential funding opportunities to tackle Army technology gaps for Program Executive Officer (PEO) Command, Control and Communications-Tactical (PEO C3T) and PEO Combat Support and Combat Service Support (CS&CSS). RCCTO is conducting this AStRA-ID4 competition to quickly target, acquire, demonstrate, test, and ultimately field promising new technology. This acquisition is modeled after commercial investor “pitch” days and commercial solution openings, and it will be conducted using the Valid Eval tool. The competition will provide an opportunity for both traditional and nontraditional large and small business concerns as well as academic and nonprofit entities to submit their innovative technology solutions and prototypes that meet Army’s needs and objectives. The ID4 competition will employ Statement of Objectives (SOO) to identify the broad, basic, top-level objectives of the planned solution to the problem statement. The SOO will be used by businesses to develop a Contractor Statement of Work (CSOW), a milestone payments plan, schedule, and other documents supporting and defining the contractor’s proposed effort. If requested post-Phase 2, the submitted CSOW should detail and structure a sound technically viable program, that is innovative, affordable, designed to be executable, and satisfy (meet or exceed) Government objectives. ID4 will also provide Army experts with an opportunity to evaluate these disruptive, innovative approaches and technologies to address critical capabilities required by the U.S. Army, as described in the Problem Statements and SOO described below and attached (see Section III). RCCTO’s mission is to rapidly and efficiently research, develop, prototype, test, evaluate, procure, transition, and/or field critical enabling technologies and capabilities that address near-term and mid-term threats. RCCTO executes this mission consistent with the Army’s modernization priorities that maximize Soldiers’ capabilities to deploy, fight, and win on future battlefields. The U.S. Army faces an ever more lethal and disruptive battlefield requiring quick acquisition of innovative capabilities to prototype and deliver to the warfighter. AStRA-ID4 is an opportunity for eligible businesses to pitch their novel technology solutions and prototypes directly to the U.S. Army. II. Purpose: The purpose of AStRA-ID4 is for industry partners to deliver innovative approaches, products, and prototypes to compete for awards to accelerate military technology and fill critical technology and operational gaps for the U.S. Army. This acquisition will enable eligible organizations to respond with proposals that clearly articulate their concepts and prototype ideas and demonstrate how they will satisfy the U.S. Army’s technology and operational gaps as identified in the Problem Statements/SOOs below. One feature of AStRA-ID4 is to incentivize industry participation by paying selected business participants for some of their proposal preparation efforts and costs. RCCTO is focused on finding mature solutions that could provide combat prototype capability that can be in the hands of Warfighters within a one-to-three-year timeframe. The expected period of performance (POP) for prototypes and demonstrations that address the Problem Statements/SOOs is approximately 18 to 36 months. RCCTO currently has a total budget of up to $27M of Budget Activity (BA) 6.5 funding (i.e., targeting System Development and Demonstration) for this acquisition; therefore, proposed solutions must deliver an expected outcome of Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 7+ in order to advise capabilities to Warfighters and be able to transition to a Program of Record. Based on the $27M funding limitation, RCCTO expects to award a series of one (1) and up to nine (9) Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreements, but may award more, less, or none based on funding and mission requirements. This competition aims to drive business participation and promote innovation by awarding prize money for eligible companies or organizations to pitch their novel technology solutions and prototypes. This acquisition follows and complies with all applicable laws and DOD regulations. Any awards under the AStRA-ID4 program are considered “competitive” in accordance with (IAW) 10 USC 127. To encourage commercial solutions, the acquisition process and awards will also follow the guidance of Class Deviation 2018-O0016 under the auspices of Public Law (PL) 114-329, Section 879 of the 2017 NDAA. Prize monies are authorized and will be “merit-based” and paid IAW 10 USC 2374a (Prizes for Advanced Technology Achievements) and 10 U.S.C. § 2371b (Prototype Projects). The prize competition, executed under the authorities of 10 U.S.C. § 2374a, will consist of multiple steps, or phases, in the selection process, as follows: Phase 1: Eight-page Technical White Paper; Phase 2: Oral Proposal/Technical Brief; and Phase 3: Final Reviews and Statement of Work (SOW) Refinement. In Phase 3, selected contractors will be requested to generate and submit a CSOW that addresses the SOO. This final step will consist of SOW refinement and negotiation of both cost/price and contractual terms and conditions/representations and certifications. Phase 1 will be conducted virtually via Valid Eval, which will be used to identify, score, and rate both large and small business concerns that meet the criteria for award of a prototype project. The highest rated submittals from the Phase 1 White Papers will be invited to participate in the Phase 2 Oral Proposal/Technical Brief. The Phase 2 Oral Proposal/Brief must be submitted via Valid Eval and may be conducted either in person (limited to 4 people that must follow DOD and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines) or may be presented remotely via the Valid Eval tool. Phase 2 briefs will be evaluated by a senior selection panel of RCCTO and Army/DOD personnel and the “best value” proposals, as determined by the senior panel members, will be selected as the potential awardees of the AStRA-ID4 competition, subject to final reviews/revisions of the CSOW and agreement on cost/price and all contractual terms and conditions. Contractors that are invited to Phase 2 and that conduct their briefing will be eligible to receive the $5,000 prize. After selections in Phase 2, selectees will be invited to submit a final submittal package consisting of the planned CSOW that addresses the Government’s SOO, a detailed cost & price proposal, data right assertions, a proposed milestone payment schedule, and any other submittals required by RCCTO Contracts. Post Phase 2 selectees’ CSOWs will be evaluated by a team of Army/DOD Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to ensure that the CSOW is adequate for Army needs, meet or exceeds the objectives in the SOO, and is executable and affordable. The CSOW will be refined into an Army compliant SOW, and it is expected that the SOW will be discussed with the contractor/performer and revised based on Army, SME, and contractor inputs. Those final submittals that are determined the best value and approved by Army senior leaders will be selected for award. III. Problem Statements and Statements of Objectives (SOO) ASTRA-ID4 aims to accelerate integration of technology prototypes for crucial Army capability gaps and specific problems into military platforms and will target mature programs/projects with exit TRL of 7+. Submissions will be open to technology solutions that can clearly articulate how the proposal/prototype addresses and solves one of the problem statements outlined below with a solution or solutions that satisfies the objectives outlined in the attached SOO: PEO C3T Problem Topics (1-4) Vehicle Transmission Compatibility with CMOSS. U.S. Army Soldiers need a Low Probability of Intercept (LPI) / Low Probability of Detection (LPD) networked communication capability between vehicles fitted with a C4ISR/EW Modular Open Suite of Standards (CMOSS) chassis in order to conduct real-time vehicle-to-vehicle secure tactical communication and data transfer while on the move (OTM). (See attached SOO #1 for additional information on this topic.) Prioritizing User Experience – An Integrated Tactical Network. U.S. Army Communication Officers (G6/S6) and Signal Support Specialists need a simplified and cohesive user interface that can access micro-services across the Network Operations (NetOps) tools used to manage the Army network in order to minimize the time, training and burden of using multiple NetOps tools independently. This will ultimately help NetOps better provide critical communications and information links to facilitate transfer of near-real-time tactical and strategic information for Command and Control. (See attached SOO #2 for additional information on this topic.) The Data Fabric Layer. Command Post Computing Environment (CPCE) users with a general knowledge of software development need to be able to easily ingest and integrate new data sources into the data fabric layer without the support of a developer to allow soldiers to take advantage of data that becomes available during operations. Therefore, all possible data types need to be mapped into a standard ontology on the data fabric layer to more effectively manipulate data to generate meaningful insights (such as analyses, data visualizations, a common operating picture, etc.). They also need to be able to normalize data being ingested into the data fabric layer and export it for manipulation by microservices to perform higher level analysis. (See attached SOO #3 for additional information on this topic.) Handheld Radio Batteries. U.S. Army Soldiers need an improved long-lasting handheld radio battery in order to reduce current carrying loads. Project Manager Tactical Radios (PM TR) needs a lighter standardized battery with longer life for handheld radios to reduce logistics and sustainment burdens. (See attached SOO #4 for additional information on this topic.) PEO CS & CSS Problem Topics (5-8) 5. Water Systems for Extreme Artic Conditions. Soldiers operating in extreme Arctic conditions (or any extreme environmental conditions) require life support systems that can efficiently and effectively store, distribute, and dispose of potable, grey, and black water to allow for proper and safe hydration and hygiene to remain mission ready. Arctic conditions pose significant challenges for water storage, distribution, and disposal, though, especially for hygiene systems (laundry, latrine, shower). (See attached SOO #5 for additional information on this topic.) 6. Water Monitoring . U.S. Army water treatment, storage and distribution system operators need a continuous and automated way to monitor the quality of their water in order to know the system is working correctly and when interventions are necessary. In addition, the U.S. Army health and preventive medicine personnel need a way to review historical water quality data from a particular system in order to confirm the water is potable. (See attached SOO #6 for additional information on this topic.) 7. Power Electronics for Military Environment. Soldiers operating equipment powered by generators or tactical microgrids need smaller and more ruggedized power electronics that will enable the bidirectional flow of power between the AC power source and an energy storage system to enable a more resilient power infrastructure to conduct combat operations. (See attached SOO #7 for additional information on this topic.) 8. Novel Engines as an Auxiliary Power Source. Soldiers need novel engines to reduce the size and weight of JP8 burning generators to serve as an Auxiliary Power Unit (APU), a vehicle range extender, and to power ancillary equipment to improve mobility and lethality in combat operations. (See attached SOO #8 for additional information on this topic.) IV. Program Submission Process: Eligible entities are invited to register early in the Valid Eval tool at the below link any time prior to the Phase 1 due date. Entities are invited to submit their Phase 1: Eight-page Technical White Paper, by 5:00 PM EST Thursday, 06 January 2022, addressing one of the Problem Statements detailed above in Section III and aligned with the correlating SOO attached. Registrations or submittals received after this deadline will not be considered. Eligible organizations may submit one (1) or more submissions per Problem Statement/SOO, but they must be separate submissions. Participants will be evaluated by a panel of subject matter experts (SMEs) and the Phase 1, White Papers that are highly rated will be invited to participate in the Phase 2, Oral Proposal/Technical Brief, and be invited to brief their proposals and concepts either remotely or in-person at Ft Bragg/Fayetteville, NC (Iron Mike Conference Ctr). Phase 2 is the opportunity to present proposed technology solutions to the senior RCCTO/Army selection panel during the pitch event tentatively planned for on or around 28 Feb to 4 March 2022. The proposals and briefs will be considered by the senior selection panel using the tradeoff continuum process to identify the best value solutions for the Army. Those Phase 2 briefers that are deemed the best value solutions, as further clarified below, will be down selected and invited to submit their CSOW that addresses and aligns with a SOO. They will also be requested to submit a cost/price proposal, a milestone payment schedule, data rights assertions, and any other clarifying information. During this period the contractor generated CSOW will be evaluated by a group of Army SMEs and stakeholders that will refine the CSOW into an Army compliant SOW that may be placed on contract if the parties come to a meeting of the minds. It is expected that discussions and revisions will occur between Army SMEs and the contractor/performer to finalize the SOW. Awards will be made by RCCTO’s Contracting Center and will be based on the Phase 1 and 2 selections, the technical merits of the SOW, the establishment a fair and reasonable cost/price as well as mutual agreement of all contractual terms and conditions, including data rights. Details on the submission requirements along with prize and award structures are listed below in this announcement. All AStRA-ID4 submissions are treated as company proprietary information, and the content will be disclosed to U.S. Government (USG) employees, military, or designated support contractors only for the purpose of evaluation and program support. The process of this competition will consist of the following three (3) Phases described in greater detail below: Phase 1 (Eight-page Technical White Paper): To be considered for possible award and prize monies, participants are required to submit an eight-page technical white paper detailing their innovative idea/concept and how it solves the problem statement/SOO. The white paper must follow the template entitled “ASTRA-ID4 Tech White Paper Template” and focus on describing details of the proposed prototype or demonstration, including how it is innovative/unique and how it could substantially increase the scientific state of the art, technical merits, integration strategy, and potential impacts and benefits to the Warfighter. A complete submission will consist of an eight-page technical paper that describes the technical description and merits of the innovation. The paper must also include a rough order of magnitude (ROM) price with a draft milestone payment schedule; the proposed schedule and POP; list of discrete tasks; data item deliverables (CDRLs); how the solution’s deliverables, including hardware (HW) and software (SW), will integrate with Army systems, programs, or assets; test and evaluation (T&E) plans; any planned deliverables; and the TRL at the beginning and conclusion of the effort (exit TRL should target 7+). The cover page, as outlined in the template, is limited to one (1) page, which will not count against the 8-page count, and must include Company name and address, and CAGE Code (if available); the Technical and Business Points of Contact (POC) to include: Telephone Numbers and Email Addresses; your headquarters location; size of company, both revenues and # of employees; indicate whether your Company is a nontraditional defense contractor (*see definition in Section XI); if the Company’s proposed approach has been proposed to or previously funded by any federal agency, to include SBIR/STTR, please identify each specific agency and all applicable contract/agreement numbers; and a brief abstract (1,500 character limit). Additionally, ensure the submittal identifies the specific problem statement area and adequately describes the proposed contributions, approach, and how it will satisfy the SOO. The paper should include the contribution to the requirement and provide a high-level project overview describing how this contribution addresses the problem statement as well as each of the factors identified in the attached “Evaluation Factors Defined” document, and it must be in the format as outlined in the attached “Tech White Paper Template.” Note: Page one (1), Basic Information and Abstract, will not count against the 8-page limit for the technical discussion, and both the “Evaluation Factors Defined” and “Tech White Paper Template” can also be found on the Valid Eval portal. Phase 1 White Paper submissions must be submitted NLT 5:00 PM/17:00 EST on Thursday, 06 January 2022, via the RCCTO-Valid Eval submission portal, at the link below: https://usg.valideval.com/teams/astra_id4/signup All Phase 1 submissions shall be clearly marked “Company Name – AStRA-ID4-2022-White Paper.” Only UNCLASSIFIED submittals will be accepted, and no Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) is to be included. Any submittals with classified or CUI information will be rejected as noncompliant. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted. The evaluation process for Phase 1 will be conducted using RCCTOs team of technical SME reviewers, including contractor support personnel. Each eight-page technical white paper will be evaluated based on the technical merit, relevance, and ROM cost as it relates to the problem statement/SOO and the evaluation factors stated herein and attached rather than against other submittals. Submittals in response to this solicitation will be evaluated using the attached evaluation factor guide and as outlined below: How it aligns and proposes to solve/address the problem statement/SOO. The overall scientific and/or technical merits of the proposal (minimum 3 pages), to include feasibility and uniqueness. Integration: How the solution, to include both hardware and software, will integrate with existing Army systems, programs, and assets. TRL. Current TRL of the technology and/or product and what is required in testing by the Government for the proposed technology or product to be incorporated into a defense system or military program. The U.S. Army seeks a TRL goal of 7 - 9 for exit and plans to fund selected winners with BA 6.5. (In circumstances of exceptional technical merit, proposals with a lower TRL rating may be considered for award at a later date.). Test & evaluation (T&E) plans for laboratory, field, and operations tests and demonstrations. Base technology, prototype objectives, deliverables, activities, artifacts, demonstrations. A list of any Government Furnished Equipment (GFE), Government Furnished Information (GFI). Or Government Furnished Facilities (GFF) that are required by the contractor to perform, demonstrate, or test the proposed solution. Schedule: The degree to which the proposed POP schedule is achievable within 36 months or earlier from award. Tasks & Milestones: Clearly articulated tasks and milestones are developed that are concrete and measurable. A milestone payment schedule should be submitted as the Army plans to pay contractors based on achievement/satisfaction of key milestones. Deliverables: Identify and list all planned HW, SW, prototypes, demonstration units, test units, etc. that will be used and delivered in the proposed solution. Data Item Descriptions (DIDs): A comprehensive list of planned DIDs as further defined in the attached Contract Data Reequipments List (CDRLs). Note: the attached list of CDRLs and those in the template SOW are the most common DIDs, but contractors/performers are expected to identify any other relevant DIDs required to document their proposed solution. ROM Cost: Whether the proposed ROM is realistic and affordable for the proposed technical approach to the extent appropriate. The price is ONLY a ROM for general awareness and for gauging the magnitude of the solution submitted. It is not a request for a formal nor detailed cost proposal. All cost/price proposal volumes will be sent separately, upon request, to RCCTOs Contracting Center post Phase 2. The Government will endeavor to complete the eight-page technical paper evaluations within 20 calendar days of the closing of the submittal period and will provide notification to the contractors/performers. Phase 2 (Oral Proposal/Technical Brief): Upon evaluation of the Phase 1 technical white paper, the Government plans to invite the highest rated/ranked companies/organizations to Phase 2, which is an Oral Proposal/Technical Brief. In Phase 2, companies are invited to pitch and further discuss their proposed concept/technology/solution either in person (following CDC and DOD Covid-19 guidelines) or remotely, both methods require submitting briefs via the Valid Eval tool. They will be eligible to be awarded the $5,000 prize money, but only when they complete their oral proposal/technical pitch. The Phase 2: Oral Proposal/Technical Brief is scheduled for the week of 28 Feb 2022, and regardless of in-person or virtual presentation, all submittals must be sent using the Valid Eval virtual platform (firm dates/times will be scheduled with participants). To begin Phase 2, each company will receive a packet of questions submitted during Phase 1 by the judges. These questions must be answered in a Q&A form made available via Valid Eval prior to providing, either in person or remotely, the Oral Proposal/Technical Brief. This Q&A form will be used for further consideration by the RCCTO/Army senior SME selection panel for final selections. Each participant, either in-person or remotely, will conduct a live, closed-door presentation of their proposed project/idea/prototype to the RCCTO/Army senior SME selection panel. Technical Briefs will be limited to twenty (20) minutes in length (firm) followed by a twenty (20) minute Question and Answer (Q&A) session with the panel of evaluators and SMEs. Special attention should be paid in the presentation to any questions received by judges from Phase 1 to provide further detail and clarification for the panel. The 40-minute timeline will be strictly enforced. If Phase 2 is conducted in-person, the presenters are limited to four (4) people and must adhere to CDC and DOD Covid-19 guidelines that are in place on the date of the briefing. During the briefing, companies/organizations should detail/address: Technical parameters and details of the proposed effort and how it addresses both the problem statement and SOO, and how it meets or exceeds stated objectives in the SOO. The planned task list and work required to accomplish the objectives of the proposed effort. Estimated costs/schedule: provide a more refined and detailed cost/ price and notional schedule for how this concept could be tested within the U.S. Army. Exit TRL expected at the conclusion of the contract/agreement POP (Desired is TRL 7+). Milestones: Clearly articulated milestones are developed that are concrete and measurable. A milestone payment schedule should be outlined as the Army plans to pay contractors based on achievement/satisfaction of key milestones. Data Item Descriptions (DIDs): A comprehensive list of planned DIDs as further defined in the attached Contract Data Requirements List (CDRLs). Note: the attached list of CDRLs and those in the template SOW are the most common DIDs, but contractors/performers are expected to identify any other relevant DIDs required to document their proposed solution. A list of any Government Furnished Equipment (GFE), Government Furnished Information (GFI). Or Government Furnished Facilities (GFF) that are required by the contractor to perform, demonstrate, or test the proposed solution. Data Rights Assertions: identify any intellectual property or licenses involved in the effort and associated restrictions on the Government’s use of that intellectual property or license terms. Phase 2 Questions & Answers. RCCTO/Army judges and evaluators may have questions from Phase 1 papers that will be forwarded to those contractors invited to Phase 2 and answered prior to their briefing in a form provided via Valid Eval. Time may be taken by the companies to develop on information provided in their answers if necessary. The main focus of this time will be toward technical questions and clarifications to help support RCCTO/Army senior SME selection panel’s final decisions. Individual briefs shall be evaluated against the criteria sheet and not against other briefs. The Government will aim to complete evaluation of pitches within 5-10 calendar days of the pitch. If their proposed concept/technology/solution is not selected, they will be notified. Phase 2 briefs shall be evaluated by the RCCTO senior selection panel, and they will consider the following factors: Scientific/Technical Merits of the solution that adequately addresses the Governments’ needs and problem statement/SOO and is feasible. The capability of the task list or work proposed to conduct the project/prototype and meet or exceed the stated SOO objectives. Exit TRL. Evaluation of company viability and viability of business solution. Company’s approach is unique/novel, underutilized and/or innovative to government application. T&E planning and execution. The estimated cost/price. The notional schedule and milestones. The integration of the proposed solution into Army systems, programs, or assets. GFE, GFI, GFF requirements CDRLs/DIDs The potential impact of data rights assertions. Phase 2 submissions shall be clearly marked “Company Name – ASTRA-ID4-AStRA 2022 – Tech Brief” and contain no classified material nor CUI . Note: RCCTO reserves the right to revisit Phase 1 technical white papers which were initially evaluated as generally acceptable, but not the highest rated or initially selected for Phase 2, and potentially move them into Phase 2 at a later date, but no later than 12 months following submission Prize Winners/Selections: Upon completion of Phase 2 technical briefings, each participant that conducted a brief will be eligible for the $5,000 prize upon receipt of a valid invoice (see instructions below). The proposals, briefs, concepts that are deemed the best value at the conclusion of the Phase 2 briefings will be placed in one of three categories: “IN,” “OUT,” or “BUBBLE,” as defined below: Those Phase 2 participants rated as “IN” will be eligible for award based on availability of funds, the refinement and mutual agreement of the SOW, the ability of the Contracting Officer to establish a fair and reasonable cost/price, and a meeting of the minds on all contractual terms and conditions, including data rights. Those Phase 2 participants rated as “OUT” will be excluded from the competition and will not be considered for award or further discussions. Those rated “OUT” are still eligible for the $5,000 prize money based on submittal of a valid invoice. Those Phase 2 participants rated as “BUBBLE” will have been deemed to have merit, but the Army will have questions on their proposal and ability to execute. The Army will forward questions to BUBBLE candidates and contractors will submit answers back to the Army for further consideration. After evaluations of the answers to the Army’s questions, the BUBBLE candidates will be reevaluated and rated as either “IN” or “OUT,” as defined above. BUBBLE candidates are eligible for the $5,000 prize money based on submittal of a valid invoice. Phase 3 Final Submittals- Final Reviews & SOW Refinement Those contractors selected at the conclusion of Phase 2 briefs will be invited to submit a more detailed proposal submission that will include a CSOW that addresses one of the problem statements/SOO, a milestone payment schedule, data rights assertions, and a cost/price proposal. This submittal package must be sent to [email protected] and [email protected]. The contractor generated CSOW from Phase 2 may be modified by Army representatives and any changes to the final Army compliant SOW will be discussed and shared with the contractor. The Army plans to collaborate with the contractor on the content of the CSOW in order to refine and finalize the SOW. The mutually agreed final Army SOW will form the basis of the scope, work, tasks, and deliverables that may be placed under agreement/OTA. RCCTO personnel, including contractor support, shall negotiate final cost/price, schedules, data rights, milestone payment plans, and other appropriate terms and conditions governing the effort/project. Basis for Award: Upon a favorable final qualitative and quantitative evaluation of all phases and all submissions, including technical, cost and pricing data, and data rights, the Government may choose to make an award or multiple awards. Awards may be made to the entities whose proposal is determined to provide the overall “best value” and technical competency to the Government based on the stated criteria/preferences and availability of funds. This may not necessarily be the proposals offering the lowest cost/price or receiving the highest evaluated rating. Awards will be made using prototype OTA agreements. The Agreements Officer will negotiate directly with the company on the terms and conditions of the award document, including payments, and will execute the agreement/OTA on behalf of the Government. Selections at any phase of the competition does not guarantee that a company will receive an award and the Government reserves the right, at any point prior to award, to cancel the RFP. Please be advised, only an Agreements Officer has the authority to enter into, or modify, a binding agreement on behalf of the Government. Instructions for the Submission of the Invoice for the $5,000 Prize Money As stated above, only those entities that conduct a briefing during the Phase 2 Oral Proposal/Brief will be eligible for the $5,000 prize. Upon completion of the Phase 2 brief, entities/contractors may submit their $5,000 invoice via email to: RCCTO ACE ATTN: Mr. Derek Erdley/Email: [email protected] Building 6010 Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21005 Invoices must include the following information: Payee Name and Address; Voucher#; Payee’s Account Number; POC name & phone; DoDAAC; Vendor CAGE; and any additional clarifying information. Identify payment request as “RCCTO ASTRA-ID4 (FY 22) Prize Competition.” Contract Completion & Follow-on Production: An agreement/OTA is complete upon the written determination of the appropriate approving official for the matter in question that efforts conducted under the OTA: (1) met the key technical goals of a project; (2) satisfied success metrics incorporated into the award document; or (3) accomplished a particularly favorable or unexpected result that justifies the transition to production. Furthermore, successful completion can occur prior to the conclusion of a project to allow the government to transition any aspect of the project determined to provide utility into production while other aspects of the project have yet to be completed. Any agreement/OTA shall contain a provision that sets forth the conditions under which that agreement must be successfully completed. Upon successful completion of the project under the OTA, the Government and company may negotiate a follow-on production contract or Production OTA agreement, without the need for further competition. Any prototype or technical solution successfully proven through this acquisition process can be transitioned to production. Awards will include language providing for the potential award of a follow-on production contract or agreement as authorized under 10 U.S.C. 2371b(f). Agreements/OTAs will explicitly identify follow-on production agreements/OTAs as a potential outcome of a successful program effort. V. Non-Government Advisors: Non-Government advisors shall also be used in the evaluation of all phases of the acquisition program. In these cases, companies will be notified of the name and corporate affiliation of these advisors in the request from the Government to provide a pitch. Companies will be afforded the opportunity to enter into specific non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with the corporate entity prior to submission of any proposals. Government policy is to treat all submissions as source selection information, and to disclose their contents only for the purpose of evaluation. Restrictive notices notwithstanding, during the evaluation process, submissions may be handled by support contractors for administrative purposes and/or to assist with technical evaluations. All DoD support contractors performing this role are expressly prohibited from performing DoD-sponsored technical research and are bound by appropriate NDAs. The following non-Government, non-voting advisors may be used in the evaluation of submittals and will have signed NDAs with the Government. The MITRE Corporation Serco N.A.-WBB (Whitney Bradley & Brown, Inc.) Modern Technologies Solutions, Inc. (MTSI) Radiance Technologies, Inc. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Lincoln Laboratory (MIT LL) Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) Begin Morning Nautical Twilight (BMNT) VI. Eligibility Requirements: Only U.S.-based companies or organizations are considered eligible to participate in this effort. Submissions from entities or organizations that do not have a primary place of business in the U.S. will not be considered for the prize competition. Each eligible entity: Shall be incorporated in, and maintain, a primary place of business in the U.S. May not be a U.S. Federal government entity or employ a U.S. Federal employee acting within the scope of their employment. Required to register in System for Award Management (SAM) and have or obtain an active CAGE code, DUNS number, and not be on the exclusion lists (debarred or suspended). Instructions on how to obtain a CAGE code can be found on the RCCTO AStRA registration page. VII. Program Submission Summary The process of this competition will consist of the following three (3) Phases: Phase 1 – All eligible entities are invited to submit an Eight-page Technical White Paper. Phase 2 – Contractors/performers invited to Phase 2 will provide an Oral Proposal/Technical Brief via Valid Eval and support a Q&A session, either in-person or virtually. Phase 2 companies will receive a $5,000 prize upon completion of their oral proposal/technical brief. All submittals will be evaluated, scored, ranked, and those deemed the best value will be considered for award. Phase 3 - Phase 2 selectees will receive an invitation to submit a detailed CSOW that addresses the factors outlined in one of the problem statements/SOOs, a milestone payment schedule as well as data rights assertions, and a cost & pricing volume that outlines the labor, material, indirect, subcontracts, and profit/fee for the efforts with any options priced. Awards will be processed based upon a final evaluation of all submittals, agreement to all terms and conditions, including the final Army SOW, and subject to the availability of funds. The ASTRA-ID4 acquisition is voluntary and open to all entities that meet the eligibility requirements. The Valid Eval registration information and submittals be received by 5:00 PM EST on 06 January 2022 . Registrations can be done early, but submittals after the deadline will not be considered. Participate by selecting the RCCTO AStRA tile at: https://usg.valideval.com/teams/astra_id4/signup The Eight-page Technical White Papers will be evaluated and ranked using attached evaluation factor guidelines with the following scoring weights: SOO Alignment – 20% Scientific/Technical Merit – 20% Army Systems Integration – 15% Technology Readiness Level – 15% T&E Planning – 10% Schedule, Tasks, Milestones, CDRLs – 10% Cost/Price ROM – 10% Ultimate selections by the RCCTO panel will be on the best value trade off continuum. Each evaluation criterion other than cost/price, by itself, is more important than cost or price. Each evaluation criteria other than cost or price, when combined, are significantly more important than cost or price. VIII. Proposed Schedule (Subject to Adjustments) Date Activity 30 November 2021 Phase 1: Technical White Paper submission period open. Valid Eval open for registration. 06 January 2022 Phase 1: Technical White Paper submission period closed. Due Date for White Papers. 07-21 January 2022 Phase 1 Technical White Paper evaluation period. Winners notified and invited to submit oral presentation/technical brief and answers to questions as Phase 2. 28 Feb -4 March 2022 Phase 2: Oral Proposal /Technical Brief (Ft Bragg, NC). RCCTO senior selection panel convenes. Best solutions are down selected by senior selection panel. Organizations that conduct Phase 2 briefs are eligible for $5,000 prize. 07 March 2022 (week of) ASTRA-ID4 selectees notified and invited to submit a CSOW that addresses a SOO and problem statement. Other contractual/proposal documents and a detailed cost/price spreadsheet are forwarded to RCCTO Contracts. March 2022 (month of) SOW refinement and negotiations of cost/price and other terms and conditions. Late March/April 2022 Final evaluations of submittals and awards of OTA prototype agreements (subject to change and availability of funds); contract kick-off. IX. Disclaimers Registered participants shall be required to assume any and all risks and waive claims against the Federal Government and its related projects, except in the case of willful misconduct, for any injury, death, damage, or loss of property, revenue, or profits, whether direct, indirect, or consequential, arising from their participation in this competition, whether the injury, death, damage, or loss arises through negligence or otherwise. Participants shall be required to obtain liability insurance or demonstrate financial responsibility, in amounts determined by the Army, for claims by— Third parties for death, bodily injury, or property damage, or loss resulting from an activity carried out in connection with participation in this prize competition, with the Federal Government named as an additional insured under the registered participant’s insurance policy and registered participants agreeing to indemnify the Federal Government against third party claims for damages arising from or related to prize competition activities; and Federal Government for damage or loss to Government property resulting from such an activity. X. Intellectual Property The Army is a strong proponent of deliberate intellectual property (IP) rights and management by the private sector and the Department of Defense. For the ASTRA-ID4 Acquisition: Nothing in this competition shall diminish the Government’s rights in patents, technical data, technical information, computer software, computer databases, and computer software documentation that the Government had prior to this effort, or is entitled to, under any other Government Agreement or contract, or is otherwise entitled to under law; and The Federal Government may negotiate a license for the use of IP developed by a registered participant in the prize competition. Furthermore, the Government understands that information provided in response to this solicitation is presented in confidence and may contain trade secret or commercial or financial information, and it agrees to protect such information from unauthorized disclosure to the maximum extent permitted or required by Law, to include: a. 18 USC 1905 (Trade Secrets Act); b. 18 USC 1831 et seq. (Economic Espionage Act); c. 5 USC 552(b)(4) (Freedom of Information Act); d. Executive Order 12600 (Pre-disclosure Notification Procedures for Confidential Commercial Information); and e. Any other statute, regulation, or requirement applicable to Government employees. XI. Notes & Definitions The Government will not reimburse participants for any costs associated with preparing or submitting a response to this prize competition. Participation in the RCCTO ASTRA-ID4 competition is voluntary. This notice/competition and/or the information presented herein will not obligate the Government in any manner. *Non-traditional defense contractor is defined in 10 U.S.C. § 2302(9) as an entity that is not currently performing and has not performed, for at least the one-year period preceding the solicitation of sources by the Department of Defense for the procurement or transaction, any contract or subcontract for the Department of Defense that is subject to full coverage under the cost accounting standards prescribed pursuant to section 1502 of title 41 and the regulations implementing such section. ** Prototype projects are defined as submissions that may improve Army platforms, Army weapons systems, or Army support systems. A prototype project can generally be described as a preliminary pilot, test, evaluation, demonstration, or agile development activity used to evaluate the technical or manufacturing feasibility or military utility of a particular technology, process, concept, end item, effect, or other discrete feature. Prototype projects may include systems, subsystems, components, materials, methodology, technology, or processes. By way of illustration, a prototype project may involve: a proof of concept; a pilot; a novel application of commercial technologies for defense purposes; a creation, design, development, demonstration of technical or operational utility; or combinations of the foregoing, related to a prototype. Feedback, in the form of scores and ratings, shall be provided to all participants at the end of Phase 1 of the competition. The purpose of providing feedback is to help the participants understand their strengths and weaknesses of their proposed ideas for the technology within the Army. The Government will not respond to questions or inquiries regarding the provided feedback and will not provide feedback that reveal the nature of competing submissions. Attachments: Statement of Objectives (SOO)/Problem Statements (SOOs 1-8). Contractor Statement of Work (CSOW) Template (the CSOW is the key document to be generated by contractors to outline their “how” solution to the SOO) with a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) rider/attachment to the CSOW. CDRLs – List of the expected DID/CDRLs; however, contractors may add additional DID/CDRLs as they generate their SOW, post-Phase 2.