Presolicitation
Defense Experimentation Using the Commercial Space Internet
Dept of Defense · Dept of the Air Force · Sol. FA8650-17-S-9300
Due in 431 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 Air Force Research Laboratory (Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio) runs a long-running research program called Defense Experimentation Using Commercial Space Internet (DEUCSI). It wants companies to propose experiments that connect military aircraft, vehicles, ships and ground sites to commercial satellite internet networks. It is a two-step process (a short white paper first, then a full proposal if invited), with a stated total program value of up to $500 million across many awards. The documents are older and newer versions of the announcement, so confirm the current rules and dates with the contracting officer.
Watch out for
- Dates do not line up. SAM.gov shows a 15 December 2027 deadline, but the documents I could read say white papers closed 15 August 2023 and the ARA ended 15 December 2023, and the latest amendments were not provided, so confirm what is still open before spending time.
from 1 February 2018 until 15 December 2023. White papers will be considered
- Export-controlled and restricted to certified U.S. contractors. You need a certified DD Form 2345 on file to take part, which a new small business may not have and which takes time to get.
Participation in DEUCSI is limited to 'Qualified U.S. Contractors,' as defined by
- Advanced technical research, not routine services. The work is experimentation with satellite terminals, antennas and secure data links on military aircraft, vehicles and ships, so it fits engineering and R&D firms with satellite communications experience, not general contractors.
- Newest amendments and calls not available to read. Several large files, including the newest amendments and Calls 003 and 004, were skipped, and parts of other files were cut, so current requirements, page limits and white paper format may be missing here.
- Accounting and compliance burdens. Cost-reimbursement awards need an adequate accounting system, and larger awards trigger extra clearances and clauses (for example a Labor Department pre-award clearance at $10 million or more).
reimbursement contracts require successful offerors to have an accounting system
- No promise of award or funding. The Air Force may award zero, one or many agreements and funding can change with little notice, so white paper and proposal effort may not pay off.
Read from the notice and 12 attachments. 12 not read in full.
- FA8650-17-S-9300-ARA-Open2Step-Initial.pdf
- FA8650-17-S-9300-ARA-Call001.pdf
- FA8650-17-S-9300-ARA-Call001-Amd1.pdf
- FA8650-17-S-9300-ARA-Call001-Amd2.pdf
- FA8650-17-S-9300-ARA-Call002.pdf
- FA8650-17-S-9300-ARA-Call002-Amd1.pdf
- FA8650-17-S-9300-ARA-Call 002-Amd2.pdf
- FA8650-17-S-9300-ARA-Initial.pdf
- FA8650-17-S-9300.pdf
- FA8650-17-S-9300-Amd1.pdf
- ARA_Open_Two-Step_Defense Experimentation Using Commercial Space Internet - Amend 01 14JAN2022.pdf
- ARA_Open_Two-Step_Defense Experimentation Using Commercial Space Internet - Amend 02 28NOV2022.pdf
- ARA_Open_Two-Step_Defense Experimentation Using Commercial Space Internet - Amend 03 14 Aug 2023.pdf: over the file limit for one brief
- ARA_Open_Two-Step_Defense Experimentation Using Commercial Space Internet - Amend 04 29 Feb 2024.pdf: over the file limit for one brief
- ARA_with_Calls_Defense Experimentation Using Commercial Space Internet- Amend 01 14JAN2022.pdf: over the file limit for one brief
- ARA_with_Calls_Defense Experimentation Using Commercial Space Internet- Amend 02 28 Nov 2022.pdf: over the file limit for one brief
- ARA_with_Calls_Defense Experimentation Using Commercial Space Internet - Amend 03 16OCT2023.pdf: over the file limit for one brief
- ARA_with_Calls_Defense Experimentation Using Commercial Space Internet - Amend 04 26FEB24.pdf: over the file limit for one brief
- ARA_with_Calls_Defense Experimentation Using Commercial Space Internet - Amend 05 06MAR24.pdf: over the file limit for one brief
- CALL 003 - Mult-band multi-orbit communications - Amend 01 16OCT2023.pdf: over the file limit for one brief
- ARA Atch 2_Security Program Questionnaire.pdf: over the file limit for one brief
- CALL 003 - Mult-Band Multi-Orbit Communications 14JAN2022.pdf: over the file limit for one brief
- CALL 004 - Multi-Band Directional SATCOM Antennas 9JAN2024.pdf: over the file limit for one brief
- ARA Atch 1_Standard Form 424 Research and Related SeniorKey Person Profile.pdf: over the file limit for one brief
Full brief
What they want
- Experiments that connect Air Force and other military platforms (aircraft, ground vehicles, ships) to commercial space internet satellite networks
- Measured performance data on data rate, latency, bit error rate and link margin for those connections
- Common user terminals (antennas, radios, modems) that can switch between more than one commercial satellite provider
- Information on network and data security approaches so the Government can judge how to protect data sent over commercial space internet
- Final and technical reports, test data, and in some calls hardware such as user terminals and interface documents
- Contract type
- Contracts (expected to be cost-reimbursement or firm-fixed-price) and/or Other Transaction agreements under 10 U.S.C. 2373, whichever the Air Force decides fits best
- Period of performance
- Varies by call and award. The oldest call shown (Call 001) estimated about 12 months of technical work plus 3 months for the final report. The open two-step announcement itself ran from 1 February 2018 to 15 December 2023 as of Amendment 02.
- Place of performance
- Not stated for the announcement as a whole; the contracting office is at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
- Estimated value
- Total program value of $500,000,000 with multiple awards ranging from $50,000 to $50,000,000 (Amendment 02 of the open two-step announcement; the original said $250,000,000)
- Contract vehicle
- Open Two-Step Advanced Research Announcement (ARA) FA8650-17-S-9300, with a separate ARA with Calls under the same program
- How they'll choose
- Peer or scientific review, not a lowest-price contest. Step 1 white papers are screened on four equal criteria. Step 2 proposals are rated Selectable or Not Selectable, with technical merit first and cost/price second.
- Offers due
- SAM.gov response deadline is 15 December 2027, 5:00 PM Eastern. The documents I could read say white papers were accepted until 15 August 2023 at 5:00 PM Wright-Patterson local time and the ARA was open until 15 December 2023, so the dates may have been extended by later amendments.
- How to submit
- White papers by email to the Contracting Officer, Doug McCreary, AFRL/PZLDB (douglas.mccreary.1@us.af.mil). Classified material must not be emailed; contact the points of contact for delivery instructions.
- Page limits
- Not found in the parts I could read. Older Call 001 limited the technical proposal to 20 pages and Call 002 to 25 pages; cost proposals have no page limit.
What they'll judge offers on
- Step 1 white paper (equal importance): soundness of the technical approach including understanding of the commercial space internet market; relevance and impact on the ARA goals; understanding of the scope of the technical effort; affordability (rough order of magnitude cost estimate)
- Step 2 proposal, Technical (first priority, four equally important parts): soundness of approach, risk and personnel experience; relevance and impact; understanding of scope; potential to transition results to future Government needs
- Step 2 proposal, Cost/Price (second priority): realism of the proposed cost
What to include when you submit
- Two steps: send a white paper first; only offerors whose white papers fit the Air Force's needs get a request for a full proposal
- Step 2 requires a certified DD Form 2345 (Militarily Critical Technical Data Agreement) with the proposal
- Offerors other than small businesses must include a subcontracting plan
- Cost/business proposal must contain all information the announcement lists, and any exceptions to the announcement must be stated in the cost proposal
- Offerors with forward pricing rate agreements or recommendations should submit them
- If a DD254 (security classification form) applies, offerors must confirm their cognizant security office information is current with the Defense Security Service
- Amendment 02 lists two attachments: an SF 424 Research and Related Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) form and a Security Program Questionnaire
- Page limits are strictly enforced and proposals must be in the format specified
- Late submissions are not considered except at the contracting officer's discretion, even if delayed by base security
You must have
- Participation is limited to Qualified U.S. Contractors, shown by a certified DD Form 2345 (Joint Certification Program).
Participation in DEUCSI is limited to 'Qualified U.S. Contractors,' as defined by
- A certified DD Form 2345 must be submitted with the Step 2 proposal because the work is export controlled (ITAR or EAR).
Due to this effort being subject to export control, offerors must
- Active SAM.gov registration is required before invoicing and through final payment on any award.
Offerors shall be registered in the SAM database prior to submitting an
- For cost-reimbursement contracts, an accounting system adequate for tracking costs.
reimbursement contracts require successful offerors to have an accounting system
- No set-aside applies (open to all sizes). The small business size standard listed is 1,000 employees. Foreign participation was barred in the older Call 002 text.
Foreign participation is not authorized.
Not in the notice text
- White paper and proposal page limits and format for the current version, which sit in a part of the announcement that was not included
- Which amendments are current: Amendments 03 and 04 of the open two-step announcement and Amendments 03 to 05 of the ARA with Calls were not provided
- Whether the 15 December 2027 SAM.gov deadline reflects an extension of the white paper window past 15 August 2023
- Details of Calls 003 and 004 (multi-band, multi-orbit communications and multi-band directional SATCOM antennas), which were not provided
- Contents of the Security Program Questionnaire and the SF 424 Key Person Profile attachments
- Where the work will be performed, and the period of performance for newer awards
- Whether any Government-furnished aircraft, ground sites or equipment are available under the current version
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Key facts
- Response due
- Dec 15, 2027, 10:00 PM UTC
- Posted
- Mar 6, 2024
- Notice type
- Presolicitation
- Solicitation
- FA8650-17-S-9300
- Agency
- Dept of Defense · Dept of the Air Force
- Office
- FA8650 USAF AFMC Afrl PZL Afrl/PZL
- NAICS
- 541715
- Product/service code
- AC33
- Business type
- Engineering, architecture & research
- Contracting contact
- Doug McCrearydouglas.mccreary.1@us.af.mil
- Versions
- 16 (amended since first posted)
What similar contracts paid
87 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$3.1MMiddle half: $1.6M to $12.7M
Typical per year$1.3MValue divided by years of performance
Before you respond
Full notice text from SAM.gov
AMENDMENT - 6 MARCH 2024 The purpose of this amendment is to provide administrative updates/clarifications under the ARA with Calls. As a result, "ARA_with_Calls_Defense Experimentation Using Commercial Space Internet - Amend 05 06MAR24" is hereby incorporated as an attachment to this notice. The update included the removal of the following because hard copy submissions are not required. "A CD with the Microsoft WORD version of your Technical/Management Proposal and the SOW must be submitted with the hard copies of the proposal and must match the hard copy."
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