SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PHASE III JUSTIFICATION & APPROVAL FOR USE OF OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION
1. Contracting Activity.
Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWC-AD) Lakehurst, NJ
2. Nature/Description of the Action Being Approved.
This is a justification to award a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase III Basic Ordering Agreement order to RDA, Inc. (RDA), Doylestown, PA.
RDA was awarded SBIR Phase I contract number N68335-98-C-0128 on 14 April 1998 resulting from Solicitation 98.1, Topic N98-035. Topic N98-035 was entitled "Signal Processing and System Concepts to Exploit Passive Signals in Airborne Active ASW Missions." RDA was subsequently awarded SBIR Phase II contract number N68335-99-C-0120 on 6 April 1999. RDA was awarded SBIR Phase III BOA N68335-14-G-0003 on 8 January 2014, and three orders to date have been placed against the BOA.
Topic N98-035 sought the development of using advanced processing and system concepts to enhance performance of future airborne Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) systems operating in high clutter environments.
Phase I sought to define innovative system concepts, signal processing, and display techniques to exploit passive signals in an Airborne active search mission. The concepts had to demonstrate value-added to the active search, as well as feasibility in implementation. The Phase I effort identified the signal types to be exploited, and how the techniques would work in a system context.
Phase II sought to develop a working prototype of the techniques defined under the Phase I SBIR effort. The prototype system demonstrated the system concepts using real data furnished by the Government, and had to be consistent with transition of the concepts to fleet systems.
Phase III sought to implement the systems concepts, and signal processing and display techniques in a fleet ASW platform configuration.
Planning Systems, Inc. and RDA were awarded SBIR Phase I contract numbers N68335-05-C-0039 and N68335-05-C-0040, respectively on 2 December 2004, resulting from Solicitation 04.3, Topic N04-247. Topic N04-247 was entitled "Littoral Environment Parameter Estimation from Bistatic and Multistatic Fleet Air Antisubmarine Warfare (ASW) Acoustic Reverberation." RDA was subsequently awarded SBIR Phase II contract number N68335-06-C-0205 on 9 May 2006.
Topic N04-247 sought the development of a modeling technique for estimating environmental characteristics with the use of littoral acoustic bistatic and multistatic reverberation data.
Phase I sought the development of the proposed environmental parameter estimation technique which would provide sufficient detail to evaluate the modeling approach and the computational requirements. Approaches used Navy standard models and databases and provided a framework concept of operations for their technique which allowed its impact on the Fleet air ASW platform mission to be understood.
Phase II sought the development, demonstration, and evaluation of a prototype processing system utilizing the environmental estimation algorithm developed in Phase I. The demonstration and evaluation of the environmental estimation prototype system used both monostatic and bistatic/multistatic reverberation data provided by NAVAIR.
Phase III sought to transition the prototype to operational Fleet air ASW platform(s) or to commercial/marine applications.
RDA and Signal Systems Corporation were awarded SBIR Phase I contract numbers N68335-06-C-0309 on 10 May 2006 and N68335-06-C-0310 on 9 May 2006 respectively, resulting from Solicitation 06.1, Topic N06-011. Topic N06-011 was entitled "Multi-Sensor Data Fusion for Littoral Undersea Warfare." RDA and Signal Systems Corporation were subsequently awarded SBIR Phase II contract numbers N68335-08-C-0005 on 2 January 2008 and N68335-08-C-0006 on 9 January 2009 respectively. RDA was awarded SBIR Phase III BOA N68335-14-G-0003 on 8 January 2014, and three orders to date have been placed against the BOA.
Topic N06-011 sought the development of new data fusion processing technology to improve subsurface target detection, classification, and localization performance for a system of multiple in situ passive and active underwater acoustic sensors operating in a littoral high-density acoustic battlespace.
Phase I sought to develop an operational concept and define candidate sensor fusion algorithms that would improve subsurface target detection, classification and localization performance on multiple passive and active sensors. It would provide a feasibility assessment of the operational benefit of the proposed concept and algorithms.
Phase II sought to design and development of a completely functioning prototype fusion system. The prototype system should be constructed to run on commodity computing hardware, in a networked environment.
Phase III sought to transition the multi-sensor fusion processing capability into the acoustic processing segment of a major platform combat system.
3. Description of Supplies/Services.
This Phase III effort derives from the Phase I and II efforts described in paragraph 2, and is for the continued research, development, acquisition, and engineering of Data Fusion, Parameter Estimation for Littoral Environment ASW, and Signal Exploitation in ASW mission technologies and implementations are critical to the success of the Navy's ASW program. Continued development, maintenance and training of products and technologies will enhance the use and transition to Airborne ASW programs and to traditional and non-traditional ASW platforms. Successful completion of these developments will contribute to the Navy's Integrated Warfare Systems capability, resulting in increased Fleet ASW capability.
Specific NAVAIR programs and ASW platforms include Multistatic Active Coherent (MAC), MAC Enhancements, Navy Underwater Active Multiple Ping, Cylindrical Directional Frequency Analysis and Recording, Volumetric Air Deployable Active Receiver, Next Generation MAC, Digital Vertical Line Array, Next Generation Airborne Passive System, Advanced Processing Build, Extended Life Sonobuoy (ELS), Automated ELS (AELS), on board the P-3C, P-8A and MH-60R.
Maintenance and Training products include Radio Frequency Interference Collection System, Low Cost Advanced Processor (LCAP) and LCAP-related systems and suites including hardware and software. Applications to be further developed include acoustic and non-acoustic ASW sensors and systems, telemetry and recording systems, signal and data processing, algorithm development, mathematical modeling, system and application prototyping, active and passive display enhancements, Information Assurance and Anti-Tampering and Cybersecurity concepts and techniques and analysis to predict the performance of the associated ASW systems. Products and applications may be further developed to the operational level with commensurate implementation, quality assurance, integration and test participation tasks. Under this Delivery Order these products will be maintained, refurbished, enhanced, and improved to assist the Navy in maintaining ASW superiority in the world's littoral and deep ocean areas
The deliverables of this project are training and briefing materials, technical and contractor's progress, status, and management reports, operations security plan and a computer software product. This effort will be N68335-14-G-0003, Delivery Order N68335-19-F-0001.
4. Statutory Authority Permitting Other Than Full and Open Competition.
10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(5), as implemented by FAR 6.302-5: Authorized or Required by Statute.
15 U.S.C. 638(r)(1) states:
"In the case of a small business concern that is awarded a funding agreement for Phase II of an SBIR or STTR program, a Federal agency may enter into a Phase III agreement with that business concern for additional work to be performed during or after the Phase II period."
Furthermore, 15 U.S.C. 638(r)(4) states:
"To the greatest extent practicable, Federal agencies and Federal prime contractors shall issue Phase III awards relating to technology, including sole source awards, to the SBIR and STTR award recipients that developed the technology."
5. Demonstration that Proposed Contractor's Unique Qualifications or Nature of Acquisition Requires Use of Authority Cited.
The nature of the acquisition requires the use of the authority cited. The SBIR/STTR Programs are structured in three phases. Phase I (project feasibility) determines the scientific, technical and commercial merit and feasibility of the ideas submitted. Phase II (project development to prototype) is the major research and development effort, funding the prototyping and demonstration of the most promising Phase I projects. Phase III (commercialization) is the ultimate goal of the SBIR/STTR Programs. Because the Phase III work derives from, extends, or completes efforts performed under Phase I and II, use of the authority cited is required.
6. Description of Efforts Made to Ensure Offerors Were Solicited From as Many Potential Sources as Practicable/Public Notification through Government Point of Entry (GPE).
The topic for this effort was included in the Department of Defense Program Competitive Solicitation issued under the SBIR Program. As described above, only RDA is being considered for Phase III award due to the nature of the acquisition. In accordance with FAR 5.202(a)(7), this proposed contract action does not require public notification to the GPE.
7. Determination of Fair and Reasonable Cost.
The Contracting Officer will determine prior to award that the negotiated price of the contract executed under this justification is fair and reasonable pursuant to FAR Subpart 15.4. This determination will be documented in a Business Clearance Memorandum, which will be included in the contract file.
8. Description of Market Research or Statement of the Reason Market Research was not Conducted.
FAR 10.001(a)(2) indicates that market research appropriate to the circumstances must be conducted. SBIR Phase III procurements are such that traditional market research to identify alternative sources is generally unnecessary. As described above, the Phase III work derives from, extends, or completes efforts performed under Phase I and Phase II.
9. Any Other Supporting Facts.
Not Applicable.
10. Listing of Interested Sources.
Not Applicable.
11. Actions Taken to Remove Barriers to Future Competition:
The Contracting Officer anticipates that competitors will enter the market once the product is commercialized. It is likely that future acquisitions will be competed using full and open competition and commercial item acquisition procedures. The Contracting Officer is not aware of any specific actions that would further remove barriers to competition.
12. Period of Performance.
Base: 24 months
Option(s): None
13. Total Estimated Dollar Value of the Acquisition Covered by this Justification, with Funding Specified by Year and Appropriation:
14. Actions Attempted to Make Immediate Acquisition Competitive and Cost/Benefit Analysis.
No actions were attempted to make the immediate acquisition competitive; no cost/benefit analysis was performed. As described above, only RDA is being considered for Phase III award due to the nature of the acquisition.
