NAICS CODE:  541715

FEDERAL AGENCY NAME: Department of the Air Force, Air Force Materiel Command, AFRL - Rome Research Site, AFRL/Information Directorate, 26 Electronic Parkway, Rome, NY, 13441-4514

ARA ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE:  Initial announcement

ADVANCED RESEARCH ANNOUNCEMENT (ARA) TITLE:  Advancing Systems of Systems Technologies for Rapid Adoption (ASTRA)                                                                                             

ARA NUMBER: FA8750-23-S-7007

PART I – OVERVIEW INFORMATION

This announcement is for an Open, 2 Step ARA which is open and effective until 24 JUL 2028.  Only white papers will be accepted as initial submissions; formal proposals will be accepted by invitation only. While white papers will be considered if received prior to 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST) on 24 JUL 2028, the following submission dates are suggested to best align with projected funding:

FY24 by 27 OCT 2023

FY25 by 16 SEP 2024

FY26 by 15 SEP 2025

FY27 by 15 SEP 2026

FY28 by 15 SEP 2027

Offerors should monitor the Contract Opportunities on the SAM website at https://SAM.gov in the event this announcement is amended.

CONCISE SUMMARY OF TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENT:   Seeking innovative research to mature, prototype, demonstrate, and evaluate algorithms, methodologies, techniques, and capabilities to enable the rapid integration of Systems of Systems (SoS) and the auto generation of tests of the System-of-systems Technology Integration Tool Chain for Heterogeneous Electronic Systems (STITCHES) subsystem specifications and properties.

This ARA is a follow on to the ”tools necessary to provide global interoperability without global consensus with integration of DoD systems of both hardware and software using a Systems of Systems approach” focus area of BAA FA8750-19-S-7001 entitled “Timely, Secure & Mission Responsive Aerial Warfighting Network Capabilities”

ARA ESTIMATED FUNDING:  Total funding for this ARA is approximately $200M.  Individual awards will not normally exceed 60 months with dollar amounts normally ranging from $1M to $25M.  There is also the potential to make awards up to $49.9M.

ANTICIPATED INDIVIDUAL AWARDS:  Multiple Awards are anticipated.  However, the Air Force reserves the right to award zero, one, or more Procurement Contracts or Other Transactions, for all, some, or none of the solicited effort based on the offeror’s ability to perform desired work and funding fluctuations. There is no limit on the number of OTs that may be awarded to an individual offeror.

TYPE OF INSTRUMENTS THAT MAY BE AWARDED:

FAR based procurement contracts or other transactions (OT) under 10 USC 4021, 10 USC 4022 and 10 USC 4023( previously 10 USC 4002, 2371, 10 USC 4003, 2371b and 4004, 2373)

In the event that an Other Transaction for Prototype agreement is awarded as a result of this competitive ARA, and the prototype project is successfully completed, there is the potential for a prototype project to transition to award of a follow-on production contract or transaction. The Other Transaction for Prototype agreement itself will also contain a similar notice of a potential follow-on production contract or agreement.

AGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION:  All white paper submissions and any questions of a technical nature shall be directed to the cognizant Technical Point of Contact (TPOC) as specified below (unless otherwise specified in the technical area):

ARA PROGRAM MANAGER:                                                                 

Gerard Wohlrab

AFRL/RITGA      

525 Brooks Rd

Rome, NY 13441-4505

Telephone: (315) 330-4663

Email:   [email protected]         

Questions of a contractual/business nature shall be directed to the cognizant contracting officer, as specified below (email requests are preferred):

    Amber Buckley

    Telephone (315) 330-3605

    Email:  [email protected]

Emails must reference the solicitation ARA number and title of the acquisition.

Pre-Proposal Communication between Prospective Offerors and Government Representatives:  Dialogue between prospective offerors and Government representatives is encouraged.  Technical and contracting questions can be resolved in writing or through open discussions. Discussions with any of the points of contact shall not constitute a commitment by the Government to subsequently fund or award any proposed effort. Only Contracting Officers are legally authorized to commit the Government.

Offerors are cautioned that evaluation ratings may be lowered and/or proposal rejected if proposal preparation (Proposal format, content, etc.) and/or submittal instructions are not followed.

PLEASE SEE SAM SYNOPSIS ATTACHMENT WITH ADDITIONAL DETAILS.