Encl-1 Research Opportunity Guidance

GENERAL INFORMATION

Cycle Types
During its lifespan, this BAA will issue In-Cycle and Out-of-Cycle Opportunity Notices via updates to this enclosure with a designation of one of the two processes below: In-cycle Process. The in-cycle process requires an offeror to adhere to two specific deadlines. The first deadline is for the white paper submission. The second deadline, identified in the request for proposal (RFP) or request for solution (RFS), is for the proposal submission. White papers are not accepted after the initial deadline. Out-of-cycle Process. A topic release within an out-of-cycle condition allows offerors to submit white papers per their discretion during the time the topics are active, and with no replacing announcement modification yet issued to cancel it. However, prior to submitting an out-of-cycle white paper, the offeror must contact the respective Test Technology Area’s (TTAs) Executing Agent (EA). to initially assess the technical concept, funding availability, and potential level of interest in the technology. This is performed through the submission of an abstract as discussed in para B below. Abstracts are not treated as a submission for source selection sensitive evaluation. It is considered as a pre-‘Step One’ effort to assist an offeror’s understanding of Government interest and likelihood of funding availability prior to preparing a white paper for evaluation. Offeror Initial Out-of-Cycle Communications Requirements To mitigate unproductive offeror efforts associated with preparing a white paper that may not support a topic’s needs, particularly for the “Other Test Technologies” topic as discussed in paragraph I.D below, an offeror shall initially communicate with the TTA EA via the Contracting Officer per below guidance. All content regarding this communication should be UNCLASSIFIED. Submissions should be sent via UNCLASSIFIED email [email protected]. The subject line of the email should read “(appropriate TTA Abbreviation) BAA#XXXXXXX - Out-of-Cycle Submission Interest”. Offerors must submit an abstract using the template per Attachment 13 – Abstract Template. Please keep in mind the Government will first focus on the value of the T&E benefit in relation to other current priority needs and the related likelihood for receiving requisite funding. Abstract submissions shall NOT include controlled unclassified information (CUI). Submission of company proprietary information is also discouraged. The Government will provide a response on the level of interest. Outcomes from an offeror’s submission of an Out-of-Cycle abstract may include: