Solicitation
One-Step Open BAA, US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Indo-Pacific Fundamental Research Collaboration Opportunities
Dept of Defense · Dept of the Air Force · Sol. FA520922S0001
Due in 323 days
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AI summary Beta
Some details weren't available to this summary, so it may miss requirements. Check the attachments on SAM.gov.
The U.S. Army's DEVCOM Indo-Pacific research office (with the Air Force contracting office at Yokota Air Base, Japan) is running an open call, called a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), for fundamental research ideas. Universities, nonprofits, foreign organizations and for-profit companies of any size can send full proposals at any time while the BAA is open (60 months from its first posting). The work is meant to take place only in the Indo-Pacific region, not in the continental United States.
Watch out for
- Work must be done in the Indo-Pacific, not in the U.S.. The BAA says it only supports research engagements in the Indo-Pacific region, so a U.S.-based small business would need a partner or presence there.
novel science and technologies ONLY in the Indo-Pacific region and DOES NOT support
- Fundamental research, not a typical service contract. Proposals are scored mainly on how innovative the science is and on researcher qualifications, which favors universities and research labs over general contractors.
Availability of qualified technical personnel to perform the proposed effort.
- Export control and possible Secret classification. Export-controlled data, OPSEC rules and a possible security classification can add compliance cost and may require clearances or approved facilities.
contract potentially security classification of Secret; OPSEC; and Export Control.
- Government wants broad data rights. The Government wants unlimited rights in technical data and software, and will weigh any restrictions you ask for against you, which matters if you plan to protect your own IP.
Noncommercial Technical Data: Unlimited Rights
- Strict page limits not visible in the provided text. Proposals can be rejected for missing format or page-limit rules, and the technical page limits are not in the text provided, so check the full BAA.
Proposal page limits are strictly enforced.
- Indirect costs capped at 10% unless you have a negotiated rate. Overhead above the de minimis rate needs a university policy or a negotiated Government rate agreement, which can squeeze small company budgets.
The U.S. Government only authorizes de minimis rate of 10% of MTDC as acceptable
- No guaranteed awards or funding. The Government can award nothing, and funding changes could affect any award, so proposal work may not pay off.
However, the Government reserves the right to award zero, one, or more awards for all, some or none of
Read from the notice and 10 attachments. 1 not read in full.
- 20220831 BAA ITC IPAC Atch 6 SOO.pdf
- 20230608 BAA ITC IPAC Atch 7 SOW.docx
- 20241205 BAA ITC IPAC.pdf
- 20220831 BAA ITC IPAC Atch 1 Model Contract.pdf
- 20230608 BAA ITC IPAC Atch 2 Sec K Reps _ Certs.pdf
- 20250520 BAA ITC IPAC Atch 4 Cost Template Guide_FY25.pdf
- 20220831 BAA ITC IPAC Atch 5 DD1423-1 Blank.pdf
- 20230417 BAA ITC IPAC Atch 8 Coversheet and Principal Investigator Information.pdf
- 20230417 BAA ITC IPAC Atch 9 Additional Key Personnel Information.pdf
- 20230301 BAA ITC IPAC Atch 4 Cost Template Guide.docx
- 20230608 BAA ITC IPAC Atch 3 Cost Proposal Template.xlsx: spreadsheet: not read yet
Full brief
What they want
- Fundamental (basic and applied) research proposals in areas such as materials, electronics and photonics, energy, cyber and computing, human-system teaming, and weapons and terminal effects
- Seed research projects with research institutions (1-5 years)
- Support for symposia, conferences and workshops that exchange ideas in areas of Army interest
- Foreign Technology Assessment support, working with an Army lab to develop and exchange prototype materials and technologies
- International Technology Challenges: short solution ideas to a posed problem, with prize money for promising ones
- Deliverables set per award: a project proposal, interim report, and final report (draft final, final, financial report, presentation)
- Contract type
- One-step open BAA. Awards are generally expected to be firm-fixed-price, but the Government may use whatever contract type fits the research
- Period of performance
- Each award is expected to run 6 to 60 months. Budget guide describes a base period plus up to four 12-month option periods. The BAA itself stays open for proposals for 60 months from first posting
- Place of performance
- Indo-Pacific region (notice lists Fussa-shi, Tokyo, Japan); the BAA says it does not support engagements in the continental United States
- Estimated value
- No award ceiling (removed by Amendment 0006). Individual awards will not be less than $5,000. Examples: seed projects $20-500K over 1-5 years; challenge prizes $10-60K. Total program funding not stated
- How they'll choose
- Peer or scientific review by Government employees. Proposals are rated Selectable or Not Selectable, then chosen based on the review, importance to agency programs and available funding. No other criteria are used
- Offers due
- Notice response deadline: 2027-08-30 4:00 PM Japan time (+09:00). The BAA says proposals are accepted at any time before it expires, 60 months after initial publication
- How to submit
- Email to the Contracting point of contact at 374 CONS/PKS (Yokota Air Base), or the DoD SAFE site for files over 20 MB (email the contracting contact first to request a drop-off)
- Page limits
- Cost/business proposals have no page limit. Technical proposal page limits are 'strictly enforced' but the limits are not in the text provided
What they'll judge offers on
- Technical (first order of priority): unique and innovative approach; understanding of the scope and soundness of the approach, including technical risks and mitigation
- Relevance: understanding of U.S. Army missions and how the research is relevant
- Qualifications: qualified technical personnel, related experience, facilities or techniques
- Cost realism and reasonableness
What to include when you submit
- Include the Attachment 8 project coversheet and principal investigator information, and Attachment 9 for other key personnel
- Send a cost proposal with budget narrative using the Attachment 4 guide; use the current fiscal-year Presidential exchange rates for yen, Singapore dollars and won (FY25 version posted by Amendment 0007) and document any non-USD costs
- Complete Section K representations and certifications (Attachment 2) and the data rights assertion list if you will deliver technical data or software
- Include a Certified DD Form 2345 if the effort is export controlled
- Include a project funding profile by Government fiscal year and break out the unit acquisition cost of any deliverable items
- Send any Forward Pricing Rate Agreement or Recommendation, and state any exceptions to BAA requirements in the cost proposal
- Preliminary technical questions can go to the Technical POC mailbox; after submission, questions go to the Contracting POC only
You must have
- Registered in SAM.gov with a Unique Entity ID when you submit, and kept active through award, performance and final payment
An Offeror/Contractor is required to obtain the Unique Entity
- Open to all kinds of organizations, including large and small for-profit businesses. There is no small business set-aside
foreign public entities, and for-profit organizations (i.e., large and small businesses)
- Be able to carry out the research in the Indo-Pacific region rather than in the continental United States
novel science and technologies ONLY in the Indo-Pacific region and DOES NOT support
- Export control paperwork: a Certified DD Form 2345 is needed with the proposal if the work is export controlled
If effort is subject to export control, offerors must submit a Certified DD Form 2345,
- Be ready for security requirements, including a possible Secret classification and operations security (OPSEC) rules
contract potentially security classification of Secret; OPSEC; and Export Control.
- Cost-type awards require an accounting system the Government considers adequate for tracking costs
have an accounting system considered adequate for tracking costs applicable to the contract.
Not in the notice text
- Technical proposal page limits and format (the middle of the BAA text was left out of what was provided)
- Total funding available under the BAA and how many awards are expected
- Exact closing date: the notice shows 2027-08-30 but the BAA says 60 months from initial publication, and the first posting date is not clear from the text
- The Attachment 3 cost proposal spreadsheet was not read
- Part of the model contract clauses and parts of the BAA proposal instructions were cut off
- Specific research topics and CDRL data items: these are 'to be determined per award'
- Whether a small business without Indo-Pacific operations can compete in practice
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Key facts
- Response due
- Aug 30, 2027, 7:00 AM UTC
- Posted
- May 19, 2025
- Notice type
- Solicitation
- Solicitation
- FA520922S0001
- Agency
- Dept of Defense · Dept of the Air Force
- Office
- FA5209 374 Cons PK
- NAICS
- 541715
- Product/service code
- AJ11
- Business type
- Engineering, architecture & research
- Place of performance
- Fussa-Shi, Tokyo, 1970001
- Contracting contact
- Andrew Yiandrew.yi@us.af.mil315-225-4753
- Versions
- 8 (amended since first posted)
What similar contracts paid
107 contracts at this agency for the same NAICS and product/service codes 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$192KMiddle half: $125K to $322K
Typical per year$118KValue divided by years of performance
Before you respond
Full notice text from SAM.gov
The purpose of this BAA is to solicit fundamental (basic and applied) research collaboration of full proposals, as defined in National Security Decision Directive (NSDD) 189, National Policy on Transfer of Scientific, Technical and Engineering Information, 21 September 1985. On 20 May 2025, Amendment 0007 was issued to update Attachment 4: Cost Template Guide with current FY 25 Presidential Exchange Rates. On 5 Dec 2024, Amendment 0006 was issued to remove the Award Ceiling.
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