CHEERS MAA Open Period 1 - All Technical Areas, 10 U.S.C. 4001 Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)
ID: FA238424S2334Type: Solicitation
Overview

Buyer

DEPT OF DEFENSEDEPT OF THE AIR FORCEFA2384 USAF AIR FORCE MATERIEL COMMAND AFRL PZL AFRL RAKHWRIGHT PATTERSON AFB, OH, 45433-7541, USA

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715)

PSC

NATIONAL DEFENSE R&D SERVICES; DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE - MILITARY; BASIC RESEARCH (AC11)
Timeline
    Description

    The Department of Defense (DoD) and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) have issued a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) under the CHEERS MAA program, seeking innovative solutions from the defense industry. This opportunity, titled "CHEERS MAA Open Period 1," focuses on enhancing human effectiveness and spans multiple technical areas.
    The primary objective is to procure advanced technologies and solutions to improve human performance, primarily through contracts, grants, or agreements. The DoD aims to leverage the latest advancements in data analytics, artificial intelligence, and human-machine interfaces to gain a strategic edge.
    This BAA follows a two-step solicitation process. In Step 1, offerors are invited to submit unlimited white papers outlining their unique approaches. These white papers will be evaluated based on their technical merit and potential impact. Successful offerors will then be invited to submit full proposals in Step 2.
    It is important to note that this opportunity has a strong focus on security and compliance. Contractors will be required to adhere to stringent security protocols when dealing with sensitive defense information, ensuring the protection of "Confidential," "Secret," and "Top Secret" materials. This includes compliance with the National Industrial Security Program and prompt reporting of any incidents. Additionally, contractors must implement robust measures to prevent unauthorized disclosures, extending these requirements to their subcontractors.
    Financial management is another key aspect, with detailed clauses governing payment terms, audits, and interest penalties. Contractors will be expected to provide unique identification and valuation for items above a certain cost, aiding inventory and asset management.
    To ensure a streamlined process, the BAA refers to several provisions and clauses outlined in the related notice, CHEERS Industry Guide, which elaborates on the representations and certifications required for eligibility.
    Interested parties should submit their white papers by the deadline on September 30, 2027, and should direct any inquiries to Amber Taylor or Ashlee Green via email.
    This substantial opportunity demonstrates the Air Force's commitment to advancing human effectiveness and marks an important procurement initiative for cutting-edge technologies. With a robust evaluation process and significant financial backing, it presents an enticing prospect for defense contractors.

    Point(s) of Contact
    Files
    Title
    Posted
    Page 1 of the provided government file is centered around establishing compliance and security protocols for the protection of sensitive defense information. The main objective is to ensure that contractors adhere to stringent security requirements when accessing classified information, with a focus on safeguarding "Confidential," "Secret," and "Top Secret" materials. This involves adhering to the National Industrial Security Program and any revisions, with equitable adjustments made if security requirements change during the contract period. Contractors are also expected to implement measures to prevent unauthorized disclosure, ensuring that subcontractors also conform to these security protocols. Page 1 introduces several clauses related to this, such as compliance with safeguarding measures, incident reporting, and restrictions on unauthorized disclosures, incorporating them into the terms of the contract. Pages 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 primarily introduce an extensive list of clauses that the contractors must adhere to, covering a wide range of topics. These include clauses related to ethics, such as prohibiting illegal or improper activities, requiring contractor code of conduct, and ensuring compliance with labor laws. There are also clauses focusing on financial aspects, like payment terms, audit requirements, and cost sharing. Additionally, clauses address supply-related matters, including those pertaining to contract changes, terminations, inspections, and deliveries. On Page 7, a notable clause introduced is 252.211-7003, which mandates contractors to provide unique identification and valuation for specific items to facilitate better inventory and asset management. This clause specifies the items requiring unique identification, the format of the identifiers, and the data to be submitted along with the deliveries. Pages 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 contain several clauses dictating the financial and administrative aspects of the contract, including payment procedures, discount terms, and interest penalties for late payments. These clauses are aimed at establishing clear financial guidelines and ensuring timely and accurate payments. Page 15 introduces Alternate A of the annual representations and certifications clause, which allows contractors with an active System for Award Management (SAM) registration to use their existing representations and certifications, provided they are updated within the last 12 months. This streamlines the contracting process by eliminating the need for redundant paperwork. Page 16 contains a clause that emphasizes the importance of item serialization and unique identification, especially for items with a unit acquisition cost above $5000. Contractors are required to mark these items with machine-readable unique identifiers, ensuring they are globally unique and unambiguous. This clause also specifies the acceptable formats for these identifiers and the associated data requirements. Overall, this file primarily focuses on procurement procedures, security requirements, and financial management, with the aim of ensuring a transparent and efficient contracting process for the protection of sensitive defense information. The emphasis on unique item identification suggests an intent to closely track and manage the acquired items, likely for inventory control and asset tracking purposes.
    The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and the United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine seek innovative solutions through a multi-step solicitation process. This initial announcement issues a call for white papers across multiple technical areas related to human effectiveness. Offerors can submit unlimited white papers with unique approaches. The focus is on researching and developing technologies to enhance human performance. The key objectives are to procure cutting-edge solutions in the form of contracts, grants, or agreements. These may include but are not limited to data, software, and hardware deliveries. The government seeks partners to develop technologies in areas like data analytics, AI, and human-machine interfaces. White papers, limited to five pages, are due by 30 September 2027, with requests for proposals sent to eligible offerors afterward. The overall period of performance is yet to be determined. Evaluation criteria will consider technical merit, cost-effectiveness, and other factors. This two-step process allows the AFRL to review and select the most promising approaches before requesting full proposals. The available budget for these contracts is substantial, emphasizing the government's commitment to advancing human effectiveness.
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