Responsive Spacelift Supporting Department of Defense Mobility Operations
Amendment 01
This RFI reopens the submittal time for white papers through 1 Jan 2019, first version of RFI was number USTC102018. Earlier respondents do not need to resubmit their white papers.
United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) is seeking non-federal partners ("Collaborators") in industry and/or academia to consider for entry into Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) as described in 15 USC 3710a with the government to produce collaborative studies illustrating potential future capabilities for USTRANSCOM. These studies will produce findings on technical and operational maturity, uses, economics, and risks/benefits of the use of spacelift capability in support of worldwide DoD materiel distribution needs.
This is not a solicitation for a procurement contract, nor should this announcement be construed as implying any future solicitation by USTRANSCOM or any other government agency in this area.
You should write your white paper for the purpose of demonstrating your experience, expertise, and success in developing and operating on-demand spacelift capabilities, including point-to-point delivery of materiel and placing objects into orbit. You should demonstrate your willingness to enter into a non-paid, limited-time research collaboration with USTRANSCOM. Full details of actual research under a CRADA will be defined in discussions, if your organization is chosen from respondents to this RFI, and do not have to be fully specified in your whitepaper.
Potential Research Topics:
•A. Current state-of-the-practice of spacelift as a method of distribution beyond traditional air, land and surface modes; risks and benefits observed to date; additional research and development needed as indicated by current risks.
•B. A projection of spacelift capabilities and opportunities that will emerge as commercially- and militarily-viable over the next 20 years.
•C. Affordability/cost estimates for spacelift in support of DoD mobility missions, today and over the next 20 years in terms of cost per launch, cost per kilogram, etc.
•D. Realistic time-to-closure of logistics requirements for likely scenarios, considering actual duration from demand signal to arrival of cargo to point of need; comparison to traditional modes.
•E. New DoD missions made feasible by on-demand, high-reliability spacelift capability.
•F. Basing/launch facility placement criteria, corresponding available destinations and payload recovery at destination.
•G. Feasibility/flexibility/limitations for various payloads (dimensions, mass, durability requirements).
•H. Resilience of spacelift considering physical, terrorist, and cyber threats, weather phenomena, electromagnetic countermeasures, etc.
•I. Pre-conditions which must be satisfied by the government for successful implementation of spacelift for DoD mobility missions
•J. Environmental impacts and mitigation methods for employment of spacelift.
•K. Business case and return on investment requirements for both government and commercial parties to enter into long-term spacelift surge capability agreements, similar to the existing Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) or Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement (VISA) programs.
•L. Other topics as determined by discussion.
USTRANSCOM will provide:
•1. Access to government subject matter experts.
•2. Access to DoD facilities, aircraft, and other assets for demonstration and development in realistic environments, as available considering competing operational requirements.
•3. Information on potential surge spacelift needs and potential business for industry.
•4. Other resources as discussed by the Parties to the Agreement.
Small businesses are encouraged to respond to this announcement. Potential Collaborators may team with other qualified non-federal parties.
Specific study outputs and any development and demonstration goals will be determined during discussions with Collaborators prior to CRADA signatures, and refined as necessary during the life of the CRADAs.
Multiple federal agencies may participate on behalf of or in partnership with USTRANSCOM, including but not limited to agencies of Air Force Space Command, other Federal Laboratories, and other agencies of the U.S. Government, as USTRANSCOM deems appropriate.
Supporting information, discussions, demonstrations, and information in the whitepaper should be UNCLASSIFIED.
If classified information exchange is proposed by the Collaborator, Collaborator personnel must be appropriately cleared at the outset discussions about and execution of the CRADA, at no cost to the government.
CRADAs are defined in 15 USC 3710a(d), in part, as "any agreement between one or more federal laboratories and one or more non-federal parties under which the Government, through its laboratories, provides personnel, services, facilities, equipment, intellectual property or other resources with or without reimbursement (but not funds to non-Federal parties) and the non-Federal parties provide funds, personnel, services, facilities, equipment, intellectual property, or other resources toward the conduct of specified research or development efforts which are consistent with the missions of the laboratory; except that such term does not include a procurement contract..." More info on USTRANSCOM's use of CRADAs and a model CRADA is found at https://www.ustranscom.mil/dbw/orta.cfm.
CRADAs resulting from this announcement are forecast to be in effect for approximately a 2-year period, although duration can be tailored to suit the parties' needs before or even after work begins, by mutual agreement.
USTRANSCOM and other designated government agencies selected by USTRANSCOM will evaluate potential Collaborators' white papers (submittal instructions follow). Based on response to the RFI's requested response elements and Government interest and capacity to enter into such agreements, USTRANSCOM will choose one, multiple, or zero white papers as basis for additional discussion, and so notify the respondents.
Initial selection of white papers and subsequent discussions do not guarantee selection of any Collaborator by USTRANSCOM to actually enter into a CRADA.
After initial white paper selection, the government will conduct discussions separately with each selected Collaborator, seeking to reach mutual agreement on objectives, duration, intellectual property, and resources to be applied by the parties in the proposed CRADA-based experiments. The government may choose to visit pertinent facilities for a tour of Collaborator capabilities prior to final selections.
No funding is available from the government to cover white paper preparation or submittal costs, or to cover discussions, facility visits or any other Collaborator costs of preparation for or participation in a CRADA.
The Collaborator(s) and USTRANSCOM will draft and seek to finalize specific CRADA objectives and language collaboratively via discussions/mutual agreement after white paper selection.
Interested parties may respond with white papers not later than NLT 1 Jan 2019 (0000 midnight U.S. Central time) by unclassified e-mail to transcom.scott.tcj5j4.mbx.orta@mail.mil by submitting an UNCLASSIFIED written white paper in following format. Hardcopy submittal is not allowed.
Please use the following format:
- Microsoft Word or .pdf format of not more than 8 pages in length, on standard 8½ by 11-inch page, with 1-inch margins at top, bottom, left and right, in Times New Roman font of not less than 12-point size, with not more than 6 lines per inch
- Pages numbered sequentially in the bottom footer including company name and identification of proprietary information as appropriate on each page and section.
- Clearly marked/identified proprietary information, photos, or diagrams. Proprietary information or trade secrets do not have to be disclosed in this response, if the general technique or technology can be otherwise described.
- Include the following elements (within the 8-page limit):
-- Title (no separate title page needed).
-- Company name and U.S. state of incorporation, and incorporation of any parent entity. Companies with foreign ownership or parentage must identify the nation of incorporation of the non-U.S. entity.
-- Description of your approach to study of topics A. through L. above, or a subset of them; additional topics recommended for collaborative study.
Brief description of what information and capabilities your company is willing to provide to USTRANSCOM.
-- A description of the unique capabilities and services that distinguish your organization from others.
-- Mention of other government agencies with whom you are partnered or under contract to in spacelift capability development or operation.
-- Proposed outputs of the collaboration with USTRANSCOM, which may include studies, prototypes, field trials, and test/demonstration data.
-- Resources to be supplied by the Collaborator during the CRADA (examples: access to facilities, personnel expertise, information systems, proprietary techniques, hardware, software, materials, prototypes, etc.)
-- Resources requested from USTRANSCOM (examples: personnel skillsets, data, access to unique federal facilities including test/demo facilities, etc.; no DoD-provided funding is permitted under a CRADA)
-- Identify all proprietary information in your white paper with appropriate markings or citations (including proprietary information or trade secrets)
-- Include points of contact (name, point of contact, address, e-mail, and phone) for notification of selection/non-selection and follow-on discussions/visits (if chosen)
USTRANSCOM and other government entities participating in white paper review and actual collaborative work under CRADAs may include in-house support contractors and members of Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs). Non-disclosure agreements will be signed as required by the Parties to include these participants. The USTRANSCOM Office of Research and Technology Applications (ORTA) technical advisor (coordinator of USTRANSCOM Technology Transfer activities) is a member of the MITRE National Security Engineering Center, an FFRDC.
Proposals not selected for further discussion will be archived by the government and appropriately protected.
Primary Point of Contact: Mr. Mark Surina, MITRE Corporation, USTRANSCOM Office of Research and Technology Applications, USTRANSCOM TCJ5-FC (ORTA), 508 Scott Drive, Scott AFB IL 62225-5357, e-mail: transcom.scott.tcj5j4.mbx.orta@mail.mil. ;
Mark Surina, Manager, ORTA, Phone 6182201112, Email USTCCS-ORTA@ustranscom.mil
