Contracting Office Address

Other Defense Agencies, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Contracts Management Office, 3701 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA, 22203-1714, UNITED STATES

Description

BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT (BAA) 07-25,
Cognitive Technology Threat Warning Systems (CT2WS);
CLOSING DATE: One year from the date of publication in www.fbo.gov and/or www.grants.gov;
PROPOSALS FOR FIRST SELECTIONS DUE: 3:00PM ET, June 21, 2007. POCs: Dr. Doug Kirkpatrick, DARPA/STO, Phone: (571) 218-4580; Dr. Amy Kruse, DARPA/DSO, Phone: (571) 218-4338;
Email: BAA07-25@darpa.mil;
URL: http://www.darpa.mil/dso/solicitations/solicit.htm; Submission Website: http://www.sainc.com/dsobaa/;
Teaming Website: http://www.sainc.com/CT2WSTeaming/

PROGRAM OBJECTIVE AND DESCRIPTION
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) Defense Sciences Office (DSO) is soliciting proposals under this BAA for CT2WS. The objective of the CT2WS program is to drive a breakthrough in soldier-portable visual threat warning devices. Recent developments and discoveries in the disparate technology areas of flat-field, wide-angle optics, large pixel-count digital imagers, cognitive visual processing algorithms, neurally-based target detection signatures and ultra-low power analog-digital hybrid signal processing electronics have led DARPA to believe that focused technology development, system design, and system integration efforts may produce revolutionary capabilities for the warfighter. The final objective of the DARPA CT2WS program is the development of prototype soldier-portable digital imaging threat queuing systems capable of effective detection ranges of 1-10 km against dismounts and vehicles while simultaneously surveying a 120-degree or greater field of view (FOV). The system is envisioned to queue the operator to potential threats in the FOV; target identification is presumed to be a subsequent action taken by the user/operator and is not a required function of the CT2WS system. DARPA is not aware of any single company or institution capable of spanning the requisite technical breadth and anticipates that a highly interdisciplinary team will be required to perform the effort and deliver several prototype soldier-portable units. A teaming website, http://www.sainc.com/CT2WSTeaming/, will facilitate the formation of teams with the necessary expertise.

DARPA requests proposals for the full scope of development (e.g., an end-to-end system designed by a team of multidisciplinary research organizations, plus an integrator for coordination and implementation support). Proposals addressing only individual component-level technologies may be considered noncompliant to this BAA.

This BAA shall remain open for one (1) year from the date of publication on www.fbo.gov and/or www.grants.gov. Although the Government may select proposals for award at any time during this period, it is anticipated that the majority of funding for this program will be committed during the initial selections from proposals that are submitted by 3:00PM ET, June 21, 2007. Proposers may submit a full proposal at any time up to the BAA closing date. In order to be considered during the initial round of funding, full proposals must be submitted to DARPA, 3701 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1714 (Attn.: BAA07-25) or to the online submission site, http://www.sainc.com/dsobaa/, on or before 3:00PM ET, June 21, 2007. (NOTE: University-led grant submissions may be made via the Grants.gov web site, http://www.grants.gov by using the "apply for Grants" functions. Dual submissions are not required.)

The Government encourages responses to this BAA by non-traditional Defense contractors, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, small businesses, small disadvantaged business concerns, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Minority Institutions (MIs), large businesses and Government laboratories. Teaming arrangements between and among these groups are encouraged. However, no portion of this BAA will be set aside for organizations of a specific business classification due to the impracticality of preserving discrete or severable areas of research in the technologies sought. Government/National laboratory proposals may be subject to applicable direct competition limitations, though certain Federally Funded Research and Development Centers are excepted per PL 103-337 § 217 and PL 105-261 § 3136. Any responsible and otherwise qualified offeror is encouraged to respond.

Proposers may include foreign personnel as part of their proposed resources as long as these personnel qualify technically, export control laws are complied with, the proposed effort is unclassified, and such foreign personnel sign any and all appropriate non-disclosure agreements prior to participating in the research effort.

This BAA affords proposers the choice of submitting proposals for the award of a Grant, Cooperative Agreement, Procurement Contract, Technology Investment Agreement, Other Transaction for Prototype Agreement, or other such appropriate award instrument. The Government reserves the right to negotiate the type of award instrument determined appropriate under the circumstances.

The Government intends to issue awards based on the optimum combination of proposals that offer the best overall value to the Government. The Government reserves the right to award without discussion. The Government reserves the right to select for award all, some, or none of the proposals received in response to this BAA. The Government also reserves the right to select for award some portion(s) of the proposals received; in that event, the Government may select for negotiation all, or portions, of a given proposal. The Government may incrementally fund any award issued under this BAA.

EVALUATION CRITERIA
The criteria to be used to evaluate and select proposals for this project are in descending order of importance: (a) Technical Approach; (b) Management Approach; (c) Relevant Experience; (d) Potential Contribution and Relevance to the DARPA Mission; and (e) Cost and Schedule Reasonableness and Realism. Each proposal will be evaluated on the merit and relevance of the specific proposal as it relates to the program rather than against other proposals for research in the same general area, since no common work statement exists.

SECURITY
The Government anticipates proposals submitted under this BAA will be UNCLASSIFIED.

ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE
Additional information regarding program objectives, anticipated schedule, technical milestone criteria, required and suggested deliverables, and proposal preparation and submittal is provided in the PIP associated with this BAA. Proposers choosing to respond to this BAA must obtain the PIP associated with this BAA. These documents can be accessed at www.fbo.gov and/or www.grants.gov. This BAA and PIP together constitute the full BAA for this project.

NOTE: All questions should be sent to BAA07-25@darpa.mil.

Point of Contact

Douglas Kirkpatrick, Program Manager, STO, Phone 703-696-4762, Fax 703-516-8788, Email Douglas.Kirkpatrick@darpa.mil - Amy Kruse, Program Manager, DSO, Phone 571-218-4338, Fax 703-248-1908, Email Amy.Kruse@darpa.mil