This announcement constitutes a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for the Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center (NEXWC) under FAR 6.102(d)(2) and FAR Part 35. A formal Request for Proposals (RFP), other solicitation, or additional information regarding this announcement will not be issued.

FAR Part 35 restricts the use of BAAs, such as this, to the acquisition of basic and applied research and that portion of advanced technology development not related to the development of a specific system or hardware procurement. Contracts made under BAAs are for scientific study and experimentation directed towards advancing the state of the art and increasing knowledge or understanding. This announcement is not for the acquisition of technical, engineering, or other types of support services.

The Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center, through the Living Marine Resources (LMR) program, is soliciting pre-proposals for efforts related to the need topic listed below. If invited, offerors will be asked to submit a full proposal.

NEED TOPIC N-0257-22: DEMONSTRATE AND VALIDATE THE ABILITY OF EXISTING SPARSE ACOUSTIC ARRAY TECHNOLOGY TO ADDRESS NAVY MARINE SPECIES MONITORING GOALS

The Office of Naval Research (ONR) Marine Mammals and Biology program previously developed passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) approaches using sparse acoustic arrays, in which sensors are distributed over a large area of interest, to detect and localize marine mammals. Recently, ONR invested in the further development of low-cost, easily deployed, acoustic arrays to detect and potentially track marine mammals in a study area. This investment led to multiple promising systems for cost effective monitoring data collection. The practical utility of these systems in collecting data for Navy marine species monitoring applications now needs to be demonstrated.

The LMR program is seeking pre-proposals to demonstrate the utility and benefits of sparse arrays, which are already developed and ready to collect marine species data in a Navy-relevant context, and to validate this technology against other existing technologies and methods. This includes demonstrating existing hardware, deployment and recovery logistics, optimal spatial configuration, as well as associated analysis approaches and algorithms. Where possible, hardware and spatial configuration should include the ability to detect low-frequency whales as well as high-frequency beaked whales. The capability of a sparse array to detect and localize marine mammals should be validated using existing approaches such as visual surveys to observe and count surface-dwelling species (e.g., using vessel, cliff, or aerial surveys) and/or using the Navy’s installed hydrophone ranges for deep diving species.

In the pre-proposal, include a task to conduct an initial demonstration of existing, low-cost, sparse array technology to effectively evaluate configuration and analysis approaches to detect and localize species of interest in or near a Navy range. See Appendix A for LMR priority species and geographic regions. This task should include a validation effort in comparison with other approaches such as visual surveys and/or use of existing Navy acoustic ranges. Though the array design and species of focus should dictate the number of sensors, the scale of the project is anticipated to be approximately 5-15 sensors. Ultimately this task should demonstrate and validate the ability of the technology and methods to detect and localize marine mammals in a cost-efficient manner.

In the pre-proposal, detail instrument sensor specifications including sampling rate, bandwidth, sensitivity, analogue to digital sampling specifications, methods of calibration and time synchronization, recording endurance, etc.; and detail descriptions and performance results for detection and localization approaches and algorithms. Include all costs associated with deployment and recovery of the devices, such as travel and vessel support. Costs for data analysis should also be included.

While there may be some development proposed to refine the existing technology and methods, LMR is not seeking proposals on developing new devices or untested technologies that have yet to be demonstrated on their ability to detect marine mammals. This demonstration and validation effort will help the Navy move towards the ultimate goal of marine mammal density estimation using acoustics, and to meet other relevant Navy Marine Species Monitoring Program’s Intermediate Scientific Objectives (ISO) (https://navymarinespeciesmonitoring.us/files/3615/1974/3535/Intermediate_Scientific_Objectives_02272018.pdf). A successful project demonstration will identify how the technology can be used to help the Navy Marine Species Monitoring Program address specific ISOs by using the proposed technology.  

NEED TOPIC N-0258-22: DEMONSTRATE EXISTING MARINE MAMMAL TAG TECHNOLOGIES

The Office of Naval Research (ONR) Marine Mammals and Biology program previously developed marine mammal tag technology to collect marine mammal movement, diving and acoustic data. Tags developed under ONR have gone through extensive testing and demonstration in various projects. However, tag technology is constantly evolving. New and modified configurations of developed tags need to be demonstrated to ensure their robustness for Navy marine species monitoring applications.

The LMR Program is seeking pre-proposals to demonstrate that changes to existing tags (e.g., tag re-development or modification to address an identified technological issue) are robust and ready for use. While the primary purpose of this need is to demonstrate the ability of the tags to effectively function as designed, pre-proposals can include incremental modifications to existing tags to incorporate new capabilities. However, LMR is not seeking pre-proposals for new tags or incorporating unproven technologies within existing tags.  See Appendix A for LMR priority species and geographic regions for proposed demonstrations.

NEED TOPIC N-0259-22: IMPROVE THE ABILITY TO IDENTIFY CALLING INDIVIDUAL FROM ACOUSTIC TAGS

The Office of Naval Research (ONR) Marine Mammals and Biology program has previously developed marine mammal tag technology to collect marine mammal movement, diving and acoustic data. Acoustic data from these tags have been useful for detecting sounds received, as well as the sounds produced by the tagged animal or surrounding animals of conspecifics. Data specifically from the tagged animals are useful for evaluating baseline behaviors, response and calling or cue rates that may be used in other applications such as estimating detectability or passive acoustic based-density estimation methods. Previous approaches have demonstrated the ability of using other sensors on the tags, such as the accelerometer, to link recorded calls to the tagged individual. However, there has not been focused effort on further developing approaches to associate detected calls to the tagged individual.

Using existing tag technology, the LMR program is seeking pre-proposals on further developing approaches that use the existing tag sensors to identify which calls detected are associated with the tagged individual. Include separate tasks that would 1) investigate and develop approaches, 2) demonstrate and validate the effectiveness of the proposed approach and 3) develop tools and training materials to enable tag users to easily apply the approach. See Appendix A for LMR priority species and geographic regions for proposed demonstrations.

SUPPORTING INFORMATION:

For more information on what is required in a proposal, how to submit a proposal, and how proposals are evaluated, refer to Appendix A (Proposal Submission and Evaluation Guide). Offerors need to understand and adhere to the requirements outlined in Appendix B (Data Rights and Handling Procedures) and the geospatial data requirements in Appendix C (Geospatial Data Requirements). Modifications to the data rights and handling procedures agreement or geospatial data requirements should be discussed with the LMR program staff prior to proposal submission. Offerors will also need to comply with the LMR Ocean Observing Systems (OOS) Notification Procedures (Appendix D).  Offerors should note, however, that locations labelled in red in Appendix D as incompatible with acoustic OOS actually overlap with some of the LMR priority geographic regions outlined in Appendix A. Strict adherence to passive acoustic monitoring site selection, passive acoustic device deployment notification and data custody guidance will be required. Site selection should be discussed with the LMR program staff prior to submission of the proposal package. DoD is still finalizing their plan to meet the goals and requirements of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) memorandum titled Increasing Access to the Results of Federally Funded Scientific Research issued 2013 February 22. All projects funded by LMR would be subject to DoD policy once it is finalized.

Proposed efforts involving interaction with and contact with marine mammals or endangered species may require research permits including but not limited to a Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) Research Permit, Endangered Species Act (ESA) scientific research permit, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), and/or Department of Defense Animal Care and Use authorization. It is the expectation that all offerors will complete any necessary regulatory compliance permitting/consultations, necessary to conduct the research. If the offeror currently possesses a permit or other documentation, it should be mentioned in the pre-proposal and submitted as part of the full proposal. If your project involves developing or demonstrating a technology, an agreement with NAVFAC EXWC will need to be established to describe the ownership/use of the technology. Contract award may be delayed if appropriate regulatory documentation and agreements are not in place.

SUBMISSION PROCESS:

The pre-proposal submittal process is an email-based submission.  Pre-proposals should be submitted via email to [email protected]. There is no specific format required for the pre-proposal, however, the pre-proposal should be consolidated into one single file (PDF) and should not exceed five pages in length (CVs are not included in the page limit). All pre-proposal submissions must be received before the deadline.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE:

To be considered for funding in FY 2022, pre-proposals must be received no later than 11:59 pm, Pacific Standard Time on 02 December 2021. Offerors will receive a confirmation email message acknowledging successful submission within 1 business day. It is the responsibility of the offeror to confirm receipt of the submission. If invited to submit a full proposal, these will be due 30 days after notification.

EVALUATION PROCESS:

Following an approximately 3-month evaluation and selection process, successful pre-proposal offerors will receive an email inviting submission of a full proposal. Unsuccessful pre-proposal offerors will receive an email, but will not receive a detailed description of the reasons for pre-proposal rejection, due to the anticipated volume of submissions. Awards to non-government entities (academic institutions, not-for-profit organizations, industry) will be in the form of contracts. A nominal award amount has not been provided because the scope of the need topics varies considerably. However, proposals less than $300K/year are more likely to be funded given the available budget of the LMR program in FY 2023. Proposals costing over $300K per year will still be considered, but we would expect a strong justification for the increased cost. The nominal duration of a project is expected to be 1-3 years, with a maximum of 5 years. Applicants are strongly encouraged to use realism of cost for the proposed effort as their metric, as this will be a critical element in the review process. Cost realism means that estimated costs are based on a coherent logic and are corroborated by authoritative or factual data. Otherwise, meritorious pre-proposals and full proposals will be rejected if cost does not accurately reflect the proposed scope of work.

EVALUATION CRITERIA:

The pre-proposals and full proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria, of approximately equal weight.

1. TECHNICAL APPROACH: The scientific/technical merits and objectives in terms of meeting the stated need topic, as well as evidence that the science/technology is mature enough for applied research funding, and the performance criteria to measure success of the research effort.
2. OFFEROR’S EXPERIENCE: For the pre-proposal phase, the offeror should clearly provide evidence or examples showing the offeror’s (academic institution, organization, firm, etc.) experience related to the solution being proposed. The offeror’s capabilities related to experience, techniques, or a unique combination of these that are integral factors in achieving the offeror's proposed objectives. This equates to past performance, and will be assessed based on both relevance and confidence. If invited to submit a full proposal, NAVFAC also requires the offeror to provide their EMR, DART, and TRC ratings. Safety is an integral and important aspect in all NAVFAC work. If the offeror does not have an EMR/DART/TRC rating, they should state this and provide a narrative rationale. See NFAS 15.304.
3. PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR’S AND KEY MEMBER’S RELATED EXPERIENCE: For the pre-proposal phase, the offeror should provide a summary table with the names, highest degree, organization/affiliations, location, and years of experience for each Principal Investigator (PI) and key team member. Principle Investigators and key personnel should be identified in the pre-proposal as such. Provide a one-page CV for each Principal Investigator (PI) and key team member.  
4. COST/PRICE: The cost relative to the proposed scientific/technical approach. For the pre-proposal phase this information may be limited to a total cost estimate by calendar year (Jan 1 – December 31). Assume for Year 1 of your project that effort will begin in September 2022 due to availability of funds and the time it takes to get a contract in place (Year 1 = 1 Sep – 31 Dec 2022). In addition to any other relevant travel required for the project, please include a trip for the PI to attend the In-Progress Review (IPR) meeting each year (Fall) in Ventura, CA to present on the progress of the project. The IPR meeting is 3 full days and offerors are required to attend for the duration of the meeting. In addition to the PI, if there is a co-PI with significant contributions to the project, you can include travel for the co-PI to attend as well. However, due to space limitations for the meeting, you are only allowed a maximum of 2 people to attend the IPR from your entire project team (including all subcontractors). NOTE: If you have an existing LMR project and costs to attend the IPR are already covered, please do not include these costs again. If invited to submit a full proposal, additional guidance on cost/price information will be provided.
5. PROJECT BENEFITS: Expected benefits of the proposed project, key issues the proposed solution addresses, potential application of the results of the project, and advantages over current approaches.
6. PRODUCT IMPLEMENTATION: Describe the intended product(s) and all associated deliverables, the requirements for implementing the proposed products of this effort, and the potential technical risks that may pose a challenge to successful implementation.

NOTES:

1. An eligible pre-proposal or full proposal does not guarantee a contract. Multiple contracts may result.
    
2. An offeror is required to register with the system for award management (SAM). No contract award will be made to any offeror that is not registered. Registration may take up to three weeks. SAM may be accessed at https://www.sam.gov. Registration is not required for proposal submission, but must be completed prior to initiation of award negotiation. To avoid delays in the award process, applicants are encouraged to initiate SAM registration early in the submission and review process. Non-government awardees will also need to provide a DUNS (Dunn & Bradstreet) number (http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.doc) and CAGE (Commercial and Government Entity) code (http://govwin.com/knowledge/ccr-registration) before an award can be made.
    
3. The preceding data should be sufficient for completing a pre-proposal.
    
4. There are no solicitation documents applying to this BAA. Request for a solicitation package will not be acknowledged. Those interested in participating in the BAA must follow the instructions to submit a pre-proposal.
    
5. There is no commitment by the Navy either to make any contract awards or to be responsible for any money expended by the contractor before a contract award.
    
6. For need topics that may be applicable to other Federal Government activities, NEXWC will be sharing qualified pre-proposals to seek demonstration sites and/or funding. Some Federal Government activities may employ civilian contractors to determine the applicability of an offered technology to specific projects. Technical and cost pre-proposals and full proposals submitted under this BAA will be protected from unauthorized disclosure in accordance with FAR 3.104-4 and 15.207. The cognizant Program Manager and other scientific experts will perform the evaluation of technical proposals. Restrictive notices notwithstanding, one or more support contractors may be utilized as subject-matter-expert technical consultants in accordance with FAR 37.204. However, pre-proposal and full proposal selection and award decisions are solely the responsibility of Government personnel. Each support contractor’s employee having access to technical and cost pre-proposals and full proposals submitted in response to this BAA will be required to sign a non-disclosure statement prior to receipt of any pre-proposal or full proposal submissions. An offeror may require the non-government personnel to execute a supplemental non-disclosure agreement by including a copy of their institutional NDA with their proposal. However, note that a failure to come to an agreement may impact the ability to make an award. Please review FAR 37.204 and NFAS 15.303(d)(4). Eligibility notification will be sent to all offerors who have submitted a pre-proposal, after the Review Committee reviews all pre-proposals submitted by the solicitation cut-off date.
    
7. For questions regarding this BAA, contact NAVFAC EXWC via this email address: [email protected]. Correspondents are advised not to include Personally Identifiable Information (PII), business proprietary, or competition-sensitive information via email. Offerors will receive an automated email message acknowledging successful submission. If the offeror does not receive a notification of pre-proposal receipt, the offeror should call or e-mail NEXWC by using the phone number or e-mail address provided in this section.
    
8. Historically Black Colleges/Universities and Minority Institutions (HBCU/MI) will be recognized according to DFARS 226.3. All responsible sources from academia and industry may submit proposals. No portion of this BAA will be set aside for HBCU and MI participation, due to the impracticality of reserving discrete or severable items of this research for exclusive competition among the entities. Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) including Department of Energy National Laboratories, are not eligible to receive awards under this BAA. However, teaming arrangements between FFRDCs and eligible principal bidders are allowed so long as they are permitted under the sponsoring agreement between the Government and the specific FFRDC. DFARS 235.017-1 allows DOD FFRDCs which function primarily as research laboratories to apply. Naval laboratories and Warfare Centers as well as other DOD and civilian agency laboratories are not eligible to receive awards under this BAA and should not directly submit proposals in response to this BAA. If any such organization is interested in one or more of these program areas, they should contact the NEXWC program office to discuss its interest. As with the FFRDCs, these organizations may team with other responsible sources from industry and academia that are submitting proposals under the BAA. University Affiliated Research Centers (UARC) are eligible to submit proposals under this BAA unless precluded from doing so by their DOD UARC contract or an organizational conflict of interest.
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9. Do not call the Contracting Office for verification. The pre-proposal is not received by the Contracting Office.