Precise Antennas Narrow-beam Transmitting Highly Energized Radiation (PANTHER)   2

***UPDATE - 19 October 21***

An interested Offeror submitted two questions which the Contracting Officer deemed necessary to answer to ensure all Offerors understand the solicitation requirements and initial proposal submissions meet all solicitation requirements. The Offeror questions and Government answers are directly below:

1. RFP, Section L-2, Proposal Content, Proposal Organization Table, Page 65.

The Proposal Organization Table provides a page limit of 30 pages for the Technical Proposal, 10 pages for the Management Plan, 10 pages for the Transition Plan, and 10 pages for the Staffing Plan. We have assumed that the overall page limit for Volume I is 60 pages, with 30 pages allocated to technical understanding of the SOW requirements and the remaining 30 pages allocated between the Management Plan, Transition Plan, and Staffing Plan.

• Could you please confirm if the total page limit for Volume I-Technical Proposal is 60 pages as described above, or 30 pages total to demonstrate technical understanding, and provide proposed management, transition, and staffing plans?

Government Answer: The total Volume I Technical Proposal shall be no more than 60 pages. 30 pages for the Technical Proposal, 10 pages EACH for Management Plan, Transition Plan and Staffing Plan. The table from the RFP on page 65 is correct.

2. RFP Section L-3(1), Subfactor 2: Personnel Qualifications, Page 70 and Attachment J-2 Page 1

Attachment J-2, Personnel Qualifications states: ""Key Personnel: All personnel in each category for which Key Personnel is indicated are deemed key personnel....Resumes MUST be submitted for all key personnel positions." Table 2 Required LCATs, Skill Mix and Labor Hours on Page 70 of the RFP reflects hours for multiple FTEs in each of the three labor categories identified as Key.

• Can the Government please clarify if one key resume per key labor category is the expectation for this proposal, or if resumes are required for all personnel proposed for the Senior Systems Engineer, Ground Test System Coordinator, and Senior Software Engineer positions, which would amount to more than 25 key resumes?

Government Answer: Yes, resumes for ALL key personnel are required under this solicitation this time, a change from the prior contracts solicitation. This is a customer driven requirement. Resumes are not required for non-key folks.

The bidders questions period has not been extended and the Government is not responding to any questions unless deemed necessary to answer to ensure complete initial proposal submissions.

***END UPDATE***

***UPDATE***

The required due date for propsals has been extended from 1500 on 8 OCT 21 to 1500 on 27 OCT 21. Offerors shall contact the POC outlined herein with any questions.

***END UPDATE***

Naval Research Lab has a requirement for research and development (R&D) in support of Precise Antennas Narrow-beam Transmitting Highly Energized Radiation (PANTHER). This solicitation is being issued as a small business set-aside. Proposals are due no later than 3:00PM EST, 8 October 2021.

This requirement continues the next phase of research and implementation of prototyped development in signal generation techniques across the radio frequency spectrum employing high levels of power. The Contractor shall refine and implement the techniques, hardware (HW), and software (SW) based upon the prototypes developed and evaluated in the previous contract. These signal generation techniques shall be employed for atmospheric research and spacecraft and/or aircraft calibration. The Contractor shall continue the research signal generation techniques across the frequency spectrum, with various signal parameters which shall include, but may not be limited to, pulse-widths, pulse repetition intervals, and EIRPs. These pulses shall be turned into radio frequency (energy that shall be transmitted in very narrow beams at extremely high power levels from large (greater than 55 foot) Navy owned, custom-designed apertures, to precisely target centimeter-sized components. There shall be no allowance for signal spillage either to another component on the targeted vehicle or to other vehicles in proximity to the target. The Contractor shall also research, design and develop, and modify associated software and hardware combinations needed to generate the most efficient signals for use with the Navy's space and airborne assets.

All of these requirement and additional requirements are detailed in the attached RFP and attachments. Offerors are hereby notified the opportunity to submit questions in response to this RFP are due to the Contract Specialist no later than 1 September 2021.