Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO): Capability Accelerator

Overview

This Call is issued against the above referenced Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) solicitation in accordance with DoD Class Deviation 2022-O0007 “Defense Commercial Solutions Opening.”

NAICS Code and Associated Description: 541715, Research and Development in Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology), with a size standard of 1,250 employees.

Federal Agency Name and Contracting Officer Address:

AFLCMC/WNU Human Systems Division

Agile Combat Support Directorate

1981 Monohan Way

WPAFB OH 45433-7222

Commercial Solutions Opening Title: This is a combined synopsis/solicitation. Capability Accelerator

Commercial Solutions Opening Number: FA8606-23-S-0001

Commercial Solutions Opening Type: This posting is for a Two-Step Closed-Open CSO with Calls, this is the initial announcement combined with the 1st Call, see Attachment 1 - Solicitation Topics/Areas of Interest. This CSO will remain open for Calls and potential Open Periods for 36 months after posting, unless terminated sooner. Over the course of this CSO, there will be posted Open Periods and Closed Periods as stated in each amendment. During the Open Period White Papers may be submitted at any time for specific research area(s) of interest IAW the instructions in Attachment 2 - Step-1 White Paper Format. Immediately following the posted White Paper due date and time, a Closed Period will begin and continue until award of any resulting proposal(s) from the posted Call. Additional Calls may be issued to request White Papers for specific research area(s) of interest, each Call will contain specific requirements and pertinent information. White Papers submitted in response to a Call will be accepted as specific in the individual Call and evaluated in accordance with Attachment 6 - Evaluation Criteria and Selection Process. White Papers selected for further consideration will result in a request for proposal (RFP). Proposal due dates and times will be specified in each RFP. This listing will be updated no less than annually.

First Step: WHITE PAPER DUE DATE AND TIME: White Papers will be accepted until April 03 2023, 1700 EDT. White Papers may be submitted at any time during this Open Period. This Call will have a Closed Period immediately following the above specified date and time, which will continue until award of any resulting proposal(s). White Papers received during the Closed Period, will be considered late in accordance with 52.212-1(f).

Second Step: PROPOSAL DUE DATE AND TIME: To be provided in the Requests for Proposal sent to offerors that submit White Papers considered to be of further interest to the Air Force. Proposals received after specified date and time, will be considered late in accordance with 52.212-1(f).

Submission POC: White Papers must be submitted to the Contracting Points of Contact (POCs):

Contracting Officer

Name: Samantha McKee

Address: Human Systems Division

Agile Combat Support Directorate

1981 Monohan Way

WPAFB OH 45433-7222

Phone: 937-255-3974

Email: samantha.mckee.1@us.af.mil

Contract Specialist

Name: Sarah Boller

Address: Human Systems Division

Agile Combat Support Directorate

1981 Monohan Way

WPAFB OH 45433-7222

Phone: 937-204-3368

Email: sarah.boller@us.af.mil

Solicitation Request: AFLCMC/WNU is soliciting White Papers on the effort described below.

Type of Contract: The Air Force anticipates the award of a Firm-Fixed Price type contract in accordance with FAR Part 12. Offerors are encouraged to review FAR 52.212-4 and 52.212-5 for standard terms and conditions of a FAR Part 12 contract. In addition, the Air Force reserves the right to award an Other Transaction for Prototype Project in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 4022.

Estimated Program Cost: The total program value is $500,000 with multiple awards anticipated, with award values potentially ranging from $100,000 to $300,000.

Anticipated Number of Awards: The Air Force anticipates 2 awards per year for this announcement. However, the Air Force reserves the right to award one or more, or no, contracts for all, part, or none of the proposals received.

PURPOSE: This Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO), issued in accordance with DoD Class Deviation 2022-O0007 – Defense Commercial Solutions Opening Pilot Program, is a competitive solicitation focused on technologies to meet the mission of the Human Systems Division (HSD). The Government seeks to obtain innovative solutions or potential new capabilities to fulfill requirements, close capability gaps, or provide potential technological advancements in the capability areas listed below.

Innovative means:

1. Any technology, process, or method, including research and development that is new as of the date of submission of a proposal;
2. Any application of an existing technology, process, or method that is new as of the date of submission of a proposal; or
3. A new application or adaptation of an existing technology, process, or method as of the date of submission of a proposal.

All items, technologies, and services acquired using a CSO will be treated as commercial items if they meet above definition of innovative. The Government encourages proposals that span a wide spectrum of possible technical and business solutions in response to the specific topics stated herein.

Awards resulting from this CSO will be made based on the evaluation results of a Two-Step proposal process. The Government reserves the right to fund all, some, one, or none of the proposals submitted; may elect to fund only part of a submitted proposal; and may incrementally fund any or all awards under this CSO. All awards are subject to the availability of funds.

Offerors should monitor betaSAM.gov for amendments, modifications, and potential Calls issued against this CSO.

Contracting Officer

Name: Samantha McKee

Address: Human Systems Division

Agile Combat Support Directorate

1981 Monohan Way

WPAFB OH 45433-7222

Phone: 937-255-3974

Email: samantha.mckee.1@us.af.mil

Contract Specialist

Name: Sarah Boller

Address: Human Systems Division

Agile Combat Support Directorate

1981 Monohan Way

WPAFB OH 45433-7222

Phone: 937-204-3368

Email: sarah.boller@us.af.mil

Program Manager

Name: Holly Shoaf

Address: Human Systems Division

Agile Combat Support Directorate

1981 Monohan Way

WPAFB OH 45433-7222

Phone: 937-965-9161

Email: holly.shoaf@us.af.mil

SUBMISSION INFORMATION:

Step 1: Submissions shall include White Papers prepared in accordance with the format in Attachment 2 - Step-1 White Paper Format. White Papers may be submitted at any time prior to the due date and time specified. Offerors are responsible for monitoring betaSam.gov for any amendments to this solicitation or for specific Calls issued that may have updated information. White Papers will be evaluated against criteria as described in Attachment 6 - Evaluation Criteria and Selection Process.

Step 2: The Government will invite select offerors to submit full proposals based on favorable evaluation results of White Papers. Proposals will be requested via a Request for Proposal letter by the Contracting Officer and will contain separate submission instructions and applicable due dates and timelines.

Unsuccessful offerors will be notified by the Government, either via email or letter, to inform them that the proposed effort is not of interest to the Government at this time.

Proposal Review, Evaluation and Selection Process: Each proposal will be evaluated by the Government and the proposal must stand on its own technical merit. Proposals will be evaluated in accordance with the following evaluation criteria:

1. Technical;
2. Importance to agency programs; and
3. Funds availability

All evaluation factors are of equal importance. See Attachment 6 - Evaluation Criteria and Selection Process for additional information regarding the evaluation process.

DEBRIEFINGS:

The Government will conduct written, post-award debriefings upon request only in accordance with 52.212-1(l) and will address the evaluation factors contained herein only. It will not include a comparison of submissions against a common statement of work (SOW) as the CSO provides no common statement of work that interested parties must respond to and instead represents opportunity for submission of a variety of innovative commercial items, technologies, and/or services that represent meaningful submissions of diverse scope and price.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

1. Deliverables/Schedule: To be determined based on proposals and awards.
2. Other Information:
   • See FAR Part 12 for contract clauses.
   • Program Security Classification: If a DD254 is applicable, offerors must verify their Cognizant Security Office information is current with the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, DCSA.
   • Export Control: Information involved in this effort may be subject to Export Control, International Traffic in Arms (ITAR) 22 CFR 120-131, or Export Administration Regulations (EAR) 15 CFR 710-774. If effort may be subject to export control, then a Certified DD Form 2345, Militarily Critical Technical Data Agreement, will be required to be submitted with proposal. (See DFARS 225.7901-4, DFARS 252.225-7048, Export-Controlled Item).
   • Government Furnished Property (GFP) Availability: GFP may be supplied as a part of a resulting contract, if applicable to the award GFP will be listed within each Area of Interest (AoI). In accordance with FAR 45.201(b), the contractor is responsible for all costs related to making the property available for use, such as payment of all transportation, installation, or rehabilitation costs.
   • Base Support/Network Access: Base support will be determined for each award for testing, validation, and demonstration.
3. Eligible Offeror: This is an unrestricted solicitation. Small businesses are encouraged to propose. Offerors are encouraged to complete the Annual Representations and Certification in the System for Award Management (SAM) as soon as possible.
4. Foreign Participation: Participation at the prime level is prohibited. Subcontracting arrangements will be handled in accordance with the International Traffic and Arms Regulation. In addition, foreign national participation will be limited to public domain information only.
   • Foreign disclosure reviews shall be performed before the release of information to the public on all acquisition requiring disclosure of classified or export-controlled unclassified, including sensitive unclassified information. For additional guidance on how to conduct these reviews, see AFMC PGI 5327.9001.
     1. This acquisition involves data that are subject to export control laws and regulations. Only Contractors who are registered and certified with the Defense Logistics Services Center (DLSC) and have a legitimate business purpose may participate in this solicitation. Contact the DLSC, 74 Washington Avenue N., Battle Creek, Michigan 40917-3084 (1-800-352-3572) for further information on the certification process. You must submit a copy of your approved DD Form 2345, Militarily Critical Technical Data Agreement with your proposal.
     2. The form, instructions, and FAQs may be found at the United States/Canada Joint Certification Program website, http://www.dla.mil/HQ/InformationOperations/Offers/Products/LogisticsApplications/JCP/DD2345Instructions.aspx. Approval of the DD Form 2345 will be verified if proposal is chosen for award.
5. There are no limits on the number of White Papers/proposals an offeror may submit.
6. You may be ineligible for award if all requirements of this solicitation are not met on the White Paper and proposal (when applicable) due date as identified above and in subsequent requests for proposals, when applicable.
7. Marking Proprietary Proposal Information: Information contained in unsuccessful proposals will remain the property of the Applicant. The Federal Government may, however, retain copies of all proposals. Public release of information in any proposal submitted will be subject to existing statutory and regulatory requirements. If proprietary information is provided by an Applicant in a proposal, which constitutes a trade secret, commercial or financial information, it will be treated in confidence, to the extent permitted by law, provided that the proposal is clearly marked by the Applicant as follows:
   • Proposal data the firm does not wish to make public, or to be used by the Government except for peer review, shall:
     1. Mark the first page of each proposal volume with the following legend: "This proposal includes data that shall not be disclosed outside the Government and shall not be duplicated, used, or disclosed-in whole or in part-for any purpose other than to evaluate this proposal. If, however, a contract is awarded to this offeror as a result of – or in connection with – the submission of this data, the Government shall have the right to duplicate, use, or disclose the data to the extent provided in the resulting contract. This restriction does not limit the Government's right to use information contained in this data if it is obtained from another source without restriction. The data subject to this restriction are contained in pages [insert numbers or other identification of sheets]"; and
     2. Mark each sheet of data it wishes to restrict with the following legend: “Use or disclosure of data contained on this page is subject to the restriction on the first page of this volume." DoD assumes no liability for unmarked data disclosure or use and may use or disclose such data for any purpose.

ATTACHMENT 1: SOLICITATION TOPICS/AREAS OF INTEREST

The AFLCMC/WNU Human Systems Division (HSD) is interested in innovative technologies and services related to the areas of mission or technical interest listed below. USAF has identified broken test equipment, and desires more cost effective and timely repairs of the test equipment. HSD is seeking capabilities related to the assessment, evaluation, prototyping, and repair of the testers. Submissions should identify innovative solutions that fill capability needs related to the development and repair of the USAF Aircrew Oxygen Testers. The items, technologies, or services can also directly improve the effectiveness or efficiency of operating and/or maintaining current HSD Aircrew Flight Equipment capabilities related to the topics listed below. The level of detail provided for each topic or the order in which they appear is not intended to convey any information regarding relative priority.

The Aircrew Oxygen Testers operate at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 9, and the identified solutions will be required to meet these TRL requirements.

AFLCMC/WNU Human Systems Division intends to fund successful efforts in Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) with periods of performance in the range of 4-6 months. Exceptions may be considered for individual projects based on technological maturity or operational need. Individual contracts are expected to be funded in the range of $100,000 to $300,000 over the full period of performance, yet these numbers should not be considered strict limits. Proposals aimed at the higher end of this funding range will only be accepted if they demonstrate the ability to deliver capable, innovative solutions that directly impact the Aircrew Oxygen Tester Repair mission and offer cost savings or improved efficiencies in current processes or procedures. The Government reserves the right to fund all, some, one or none of the proposals submitted; may elect to fund only part of a submitted proposal; and may incrementally fund any or all awards under this CSO. All awards are subject to the availability of funds.

Topics for each capability area are detailed below.

TOPIC 1: Joint Combined Aircrew Systems Tester (JCAST) repairs-001

Background Information:

AFLCMC/WNU Human Systems Division (HSD) seeks to identify cost-effective and practical repair routes for the JCAST.

Systems Requirements:

OBJECTIVE 1: Assess JCAST physical assets and identify failure mechanisms. Evaluate physical JCAST assets, and identify specific failure modes or mechanisms, replaceable components, outline product function, write repair instructions, and develop written repair procedures.

OBJECTIVE 2: Evaluate feasibility of repairs to JCAST

• Based on the findings of task 1, evaluate the complexity and feasibility of repairing identified failure mechanisms.
• Propose repairs to JCAST and identify supporting information including but not limited to repair methods, parts lists and components, and tools and expertise necessary to accomplish the JCAST repairs.
• Assess and/or rank the complexity of the repairs, and the skill level of the personnel required to implement the repairs.

OBJECTIVE 3: Support Objectives 1 and 2 with Engineering, Prototyping, and Production Capabilities

• Procure and/or fabricate components (as necessary) to facilitate and/or accomplish repairs of JCAST physical assets.
• Identify and procure as needed, other consumables or support equipment necessary to accomplish repairs on some number of JCAST.

OBJECTIVE 4: Document findings and repair procedures

• Document failure modes and findings from Objective 1.
• Document comprehensive parts list including information regarding commercial sources and part numbers.
• Document written repair procedures with sufficient detail to enable organic government repairs.
• Provide relevant photo/video to support training of government personnel.
• Provide draft documentation to support the publication of USAF Technical Orders.

OBJECTIVE 5: Repair JCAST

• If feasible repairs are identified and can be implemented, perform repair procedures on JCAST assets.
• Total number of repairs could be as many as 25 testers.
  • Testers will be provided as Government Furnished Property (GFP) as a part of the resulting contract. In accordance with FAR 45.201(b), the contractor is responsible for all costs related to making the property available for use, such as payment of all transportation, installation, or rehabilitation costs.

TOPIC 2: System Combined Oxygen Tester (SCOT) repairs-002

Background Information:

AFLCMC/WNU Human Systems Division (HSD) seeks to identify cost-effective and practical repair routes for the SCOT.

Systems Requirements:

OBJECTIVE 1: Assess SCOT physical assets and identify failure mechanisms. Evaluate physical SCOT assets, and identify specific failure modes or mechanisms, replaceable components, outline product function, write operation instructions/user manuals, and develop written repair procedures.

OBJECTIVE 2: Evaluate feasibility of repairs to SCOT

• Based on the findings of task 1, evaluate the complexity and feasibility of repairing identified failure mechanisms.
• Propose repairs to SCOT and identify supporting information including but not limited to repair methods, parts lists and components, and tools and expertise necessary to accomplish the SCOT repairs.
• Assess and/or rank the complexity of the repairs, and the skill level of the personnel required to implement the repairs.

OBJECTIVE 3: Support Objectives 1 and 2 with Engineering, Prototyping, and Production Capabilities

• Procure and/or fabricate components (as necessary) to facilitate and/or accomplish repairs of SCOT physical assets.
• Identify and procure as needed, other consumables or support equipment necessary to accomplish repairs on some number of SCOT physical assets.

OBJECTIVE 4: Document findings and repair procedures

• Document failure modes and findings from Objective 1.
• Document comprehensive parts list including information regarding commercial sources and part numbers.
• Document written repair procedures with sufficient detail to enable organic government repairs.
• Provide relevant photo/video to support training of government personnel.
• Provide draft documentation to support the publication of USAF Technical Orders.

OBJECTIVE 5: Repair SCOT

• If feasible repairs are identified and can be implemented, perform repair procedures on SCOT physical assets.
• Total number of repairs could be as many as 25 testers.
  • Testers will be provided as Government Furnished Property (GFP) as a part of the resulting contract. In accordance with FAR 45.201(b), the contractor is responsible for all costs related to making the property available for use, such as payment of all transportation, installation, or rehabilitation costs.