Solicitation
All-domain Radiant Optical Research and Applications (ARORA)
Dept of Defense · Dept of the Air Force · Sol. FA2377-26-R-B007
Due in 1663 days
Track this notice by email. We'll email you if it's amended or awarded, and a week and two days before responses are due.
AI summary Beta
Some details weren't available to this summary, so it may miss requirements. Check the attachments on SAM.gov.
The Air Force Research Laboratory (Sensors Directorate, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio) is running an open, two-step Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for research on photonic (light-based) technologies for defense uses. About $30 million is planned across the whole program over 5 years, with multiple awards of 27 months each. You first send a short white paper when a specific call is released, and only selected white papers are invited to send a full proposal.
Watch out for
- Two-step process: white paper first, proposal by invitation. You cannot send a full proposal unless your white paper is selected, so a missed call or a weak white paper shuts you out of that effort.
Selected White Papers will receive a request for full technical and cost proposal.
- Statement of Objectives is controlled and not included. The real technical requirements are in Attachment 1, which you must request from the contracting office and which was not available to read here.
Offerors must request Attachment 1
- CMMC Level 2 (Self) required before award. You need a current CMMC status and affirmation in SPRS for each system that handles contract information, which takes real compliance work for a small firm.
The CMMC level required by this solicitation is: CMMC Level 2 (Self)
- Due dates are set later by individual calls. No fixed white paper date is given, so you must watch for each call; the SAM.gov deadline field (2031) does not tell you when calls close.
- Government wants unlimited data rights. Proposing less than unlimited rights needs detailed assertions about private-expense development, and any restriction is weighed in the evaluation.
(1) Other Than Commercial Technical Data: Unlimited Rights but will accept
- Cost-reimbursement contract requirements. CPFF awards need an adequate accounting system, detailed cost breakdowns by labor category and rates, and subcontractor cost analyses, which is heavy paperwork for a new contractor.
is anticipated that awards under this BAA will generally be Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF).
- Security risk review of key personnel. Every senior and key person must disclose funding and affiliations, sign Privacy Act forms, and be re-reported annually; the Government can decline or terminate an award over a security risk.
Security risk review for these subject application/proposals will be developed for all proposed
- Export control and U.S. citizen access limits. Work may be ITAR or EAR controlled, and staff needing base or network access must be U.S. citizens, which limits who you can staff.
must be U.S. citizens. For the purpose of base and network access, possession of a permanent
- Funding is not guaranteed. The $30M is a program estimate, the Government may make zero awards, and funding can change with little notice.
This funding profile is an estimate only and not a contractual obligation for funding.
- Model contract carries a rated-order marking and a stale offer date. The model contract is marked as a DPAS rated order (DO-A7) and shows an offer date of 16 Feb 2026, which conflicts with the SAM.gov deadline; the model contract looks like a template.
This Contract is a Rated Order under the Defense Priorities and Allocations
Read from the notice and 11 attachments. 1 not read in full.
- FA2377-26-R-B007 ARORA BAA Solicitation.pdf
- Attachment 2 - SOO Supplemental Requirements.pdf
- Attachment 3 - Exhibit A - Contract Data Requirements List CDRLs.pdf
- Attachment 4 - Security Risk Review (SRR) AFRLI 61-113.pdf
- Attachment 5 - SRR_Appendix 1 - SF 424 - RR Key Person Expanded.pdf
- Attachment 6 - SRR_Appendix 2 - Security Program Questionnaire.docx
- Attachment 7 - SRR_Appendix 3 - RR Senior and Key Person Profile Worksheet.pdf
- Attachment 8 - SRR_Appendix 4 - AFRL Privacy Act for Covered Individuals Fillable.pdf
- Attachment 9 - AFRL Section K Representations and Certifications.docx
- Attachment 10 - Proposal Adequacy Checklist.pdf
- Attachment 11 - Model Contract.pdf
- Attachment 1 - Statement of Objectives (SOO).pdf: controlled: request access on SAM.gov
Full brief
What they want
- Research, design, build and test prototype photonic (light-based) technologies for Department of the Air Force uses
- Work areas named in the model contract: directed energy, infrared sensing, signal processing, electronic warfare, PNT (positioning, navigation and timing), and spectral agility
- Possible deliverables: reports and CDRL data items, software (source code, algorithms, modeling and simulation results), hardware (samples, devices, prototypes) and specially grown materials
- Follow security rules: OPSEC training, science and technology protection plan, and key-person security reviews
- The detailed technical objectives are in the Statement of Objectives (SOO), which must be requested from the contracting office
- Contract type
- Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) generally anticipated; the Air Force may award any appropriate contract type or a technology transfer mechanism
- Period of performance
- Overall effort: 60 months. Each individual award: 27 months
- Place of performance
- Wright Patterson AFB, OH per SAM.gov; the BAA says base support is not anticipated and the base-support installations are listed as TBD
- Estimated value
- Estimated program cost $30,000,000 for the whole BAA ($6M per year for FY26 through FY30), not per award
- Contract vehicle
- Broad Agency Announcement, two steps (white paper, then proposal); 'Other Competitive Procedure' under the RFO
- How they'll choose
- Peer or scientific review in two steps. Step 1 white papers are screened on four equally weighted criteria. Step 2 proposals are rated Selectable or Not Selectable; technical merit is first priority and cost/price is second. Selection also considers importance to agency programs and funding availability.
- Offers due
- White papers are due on the individual calls released under this BAA; dates will be communicated then. Step 2 proposal dates come in the Request for Proposals sent to selected offerors. SAM.gov lists a response deadline of 2031-04-30 4:30 PM Eastern.
- Page limits
- Cost/business proposal: no page limit. White paper and technical proposal page limits are not visible in the text provided.
What they'll judge offers on
- Step 1 White Paper (equal importance): (1) technical approach consistent with the technologies listed in the BAA, (2) research aligned to Technical Area Lead priorities in the SOO, (3) cost is reasonable for the work, (4) new, asymmetric solutions or advances in the state of the art
- Step 2 Technical (first priority, these criteria equal): (1) unique and innovative approach, (2) understanding of the scope of the technical effort, (3) soundness of approach including major technical risks, mitigation, related experience and qualifications of technical personnel, (4) potential to transition deliverables to future Government needs, including any proposed restrictions on technical data or software
- Step 2 Cost/Price (second priority, a substantial factor): includes realism of the proposed cost
What to include when you submit
- Request Attachment 1 (the Statement of Objectives) from the contracting POC before writing
- Step 1: submit a white paper when a call is released; Step 2 only if invited
- With the proposal: Research and Related Senior/Key Person Profile Worksheet, Security Program Questionnaire, and a signed Privacy Act Statement consent form for each covered individual
- Completed Section K Representations and Certifications (Attachment 9), signed as a PDF
- Proposal Adequacy Checklist (Attachment 10)
- Data rights assertions list with specific detail on any data or software delivered with less than unlimited rights
- Cost breakdown by contractor fiscal year with labor hours, rates, subcontractor analyses and a funding profile by government fiscal year
- Certified DD Form 2345 if the effort may be export controlled
- Subcontracting plan only if the effort exceeds $900,000 and you are not a small business
You must have
- Unrestricted (no set-aside); small businesses are encouraged to propose. The size standard for NAICS 541715 is 1,000 employees.
This is an unrestricted solicitation. Small businesses are encouraged to propose.
- Current CMMC Level 2 (Self) status, with affirmation, posted in SPRS (via PIEE) at the time of award and for the duration of the contract
The CMMC level required by this solicitation is: CMMC Level 2 (Self)
- An accounting system adequate for tracking costs, because awards are expected to be cost-reimbursement
reimbursement contracts require successful offerors to have an accounting system
- Active SAM.gov registration with current annual representations and certifications, plus the Section K supplement
The Offeror has completed the annual representations and certifications electronically via the SAM website
- Security risk review of all proposed Senior/Key personnel (key person profiles, security questionnaire, Privacy Act consent forms)
Security risk review for these subject application/proposals will be developed for all proposed
- Staff who need base or government network access must be U.S. citizens unless the Contracting Officer grants a written waiver
must be U.S. citizens. For the purpose of base and network access, possession of a permanent
- Export-control compliance (ITAR/EAR); a certified DD Form 2345 is required with the proposal if the effort may be export controlled
subject to export control, then a Certified DD Form 2345, Militarily Critical
Not in the notice text
- The technical scope and Technical Area Lead priorities (in the controlled Statement of Objectives, Attachment 1)
- White paper format, page limits and how to submit them (the middle of the BAA text, including sections 4.3 to 5.3, was left out of what was provided)
- Dates of the individual calls and the Step 2 proposal due dates
- Technical proposal page limits and volume structure
- Key positions and minimum qualifications (listed as TBD)
- Details of the CDRL data items (the CDRL forms are blank in the text provided)
- Installations and support for any base support (TBD)
- Section M evaluation factors in the model contract (blank)
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Key facts
- Response due
- Apr 30, 2031, 8:30 PM UTC
- Posted
- May 1, 2026
- Notice type
- Solicitation
- Solicitation
- FA2377-26-R-B007
- Agency
- Dept of Defense · Dept of the Air Force
- Office
- FA2377 USAF AFMC Afrl PZL Afrl Ryks
- Set-aside
- No Set aside used
- NAICS
- 541715
- Product/service code
- AC12
- Business type
- Engineering, architecture & research
- Place of performance
- Wright Patterson AFB, OH
- Contracting contact
- Lauren Lozanlauren.lozan@us.af.mil
What similar contracts paid
1,057 contracts at this agency under the same NAICS code, in the same state, had activity in the last 5 years, according to USAspending.gov. Small businesses won 25% of the dollars in this market over the last 3 fiscal years.
Typical contract$6MMiddle half: $2.4M to $12.5M
Typical per year$1.1MValue divided by years of performance
Possible incumbent's contract endsAug 2031A similar contract in this state, ending near when this one starts
Before you respond
Full notice text from SAM.gov
ARORA develops photonic technologies cooperatively between DoW, commercial, defense industrial base, and other organizations to design, fabricate, and test prototype photonic technologies demonstrating advanced capabilities that provide technical offset for DoW applications. ARORA facilitates streamlined, rapid execution of photonic research and modernization of existing systems required to maintain technical superiority while maintaining cost control.
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