Coordinating Austere Nodes through Virtualization and Analysis of Streams (CANVAS)

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

BAA ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE:  Initial announcement

BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT (BAA) TITLE:  Coordinating Austere Nodes through Virtualization and Analysis of Streams (CANVAS)         

BAA NUMBER: FA8750-24-S-7003

PART I – OVERVIEW INFORMATION

This announcement is for an Open, 2 Step BAA which is open and effective until 21 MAY 2029.  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 1600 hours Eastern Standard Time (EST) on 21 MAY 2029, the following submission dates are suggested to best align with projected funding:

FY25 by 15 Jun 2024 (Please note: For FY25, AFRL is seeking whitepapers for TA1 ONLY; further, see Figure 2 on page 7; for FY25, AFRL will only consider components in WHITE; TA2 and TA1 SHADED components will not be considered for FY25.

FY26 by 15 Jun 2025

FY27 by 15 Jun 2026

FY28 by 15 Jun 2027

FY29 by 15 Jun 2028

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:          This BAA is seeking innovative research to develop a capability to continuously orchestrate command and control (C2) processes in an Agile Combat Employment (ACE) operational environment through distributed workflow execution. We are particularly interested in approaches to orchestrate the execution of distributed workflows that adhere to maintaining flexibility, while adapting to a dynamic operational environment.  The Air Force plans to complicate the adversary’s targeting problem through the distribution of forces to increase survivability and maintain functionality. Successful distributed C2 operations will rely on distributed control and decentralized execution, with an assumption that specific conditional authorities will be delegated to lower tier nodes.  As the Air Force transitions from monolithic C2 nodes to many distributed nodes, it will require a capability to execute distributed C2 workflows across multiple locations while maintaining awareness of changing states to functions, resources, and mission objectives.  The Coordinating Austere Nodes through Virtualization and Analysis of Streams (CANVAS) program proposes to meet these demand signals by designing and developing a system prototype that assumes contested and degraded environments will be normal for executing distributed operations.

The CANVAS program proposes to develop a system for distributed task execution that includes a virtual C2 layer (TA1) to realize the concept of maintaining centralized command in distributed operations and a decentralized C2 framework (TA2) to support the execution of workflows across many physically dispersed C2 nodes.  Virtualizing the C2 layer will allow AF command nodes to conduct tradeoff analysis of business rule changes and conditions-based authorities, through simulating the execution of dynamic workflows under operationally relevant conditions, before pushing changes that align with commander’s intent into the decentralized C2 framework. Populating downstream changes from the command node that achieve intent of the system, will allow distributed teams to execute local workflows through trust, shared awareness, and understanding of commander’s intent.  Orchestrating these changes through intent-based networking concepts will achieve real-time tracking of the downstream effects within the workflows and graphs of the decentralized C2 framework.   The TA2 execution framework fills a critical operational gap within ACE by realizing the full utilization of capacity of operational and tactical C2 elements while increasing the resiliency of these same elements. TA2 will research and develop the ability to orchestrate operational processes, while optimizing for limited resources in a contested environment.

BAA ESTIMATED FUNDING:  Total funding for this BAA is approximately $24.9M.  Individual awards will not normally exceed 48 months with dollar amounts normally ranging from $200K to $3M.  There is also the potential to make awards up to any dollar value as long as the value does not exceed the available BAA ceiling amount.   

ANTICIPATED INDIVIDUAL AWARDS:  Multiple Awards are anticipated.  However, the Air Force reserves the right to award zero, one, or more Procurement Contracts, Other Transactions, or Assistance Instruments, 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, CFR  based grants and cooperative agreements or other transactions (OT) under

10 USC 4021, 10 USC 4022 ( previously 10 USC 4002, 2371, 10 USC 4003, 2371b) depending upon the nature of the work proposed. 10 USC 4023 also allows for FAR based contracts, OTs for research, OTs for Prototype, and assistance instruments.

In the event that an Other Transaction for Prototype agreement is awarded as a result of this competitive BAA, 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):

BAA PROGRAM MANAGER:                                                               

Ryan Hilliard

AFRL/RISB

525 Brooks Rd

Rome, NY 13441-4505                                                         

Telephone: (315) 330-2571                                                 

Email:  ryan.hilliard.3@us.af.mil

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:  Amber.Buckley@us.af.mil

Emails must reference the solicitation (BAA) 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.

SEE ATTACHMENT FOR FULL ANNOUNCEMENT DETAILS.

                                           Amendment 1 to BAA FA8750-24-S-7003

The purpose of this amendment is to update the FY24 white paper due date and add language to Part I-Overview Information regarding a Questions and Answers (Q&A) document. The synopsis is updated as follows:

Part I Overview Information and Section IV.1, white paper dates are updated as follows:

FY25 by 28 Jun 2024 (Please note: For FY25, AFRL is seeking whitepapers for TA1 ONLY; further, see Figure 2 on page 7; for FY25, AFRL will only consider components in WHITE; TA2 and TA1 SHADED components will not be considered for FY25.

FY26 by 15 Jun 2025

FY27 by 15 Jun 2026

FY28 by 15 Jun 2027

FY29 by 15 Jun 2028

Part I Overview Information is updated to add:

In lieu of an Industry Day, the Government will accept questions regarding the synopsis via email to TPOC Ryan Hilliard (ryan.hilliard.3@us.af.mil) until 12:00 PM EST on 10 JUN 2024. The Government will then amend the synopsis with a Q&A document. After its initial posting, the Q&A document will not be updated. Any future changes to the BAA will be done via amendment to the synopsis.

No other changes are made.

SEE ATTACHMENT FOR FULL AMENDMENT DETAILS.

                                   Amendment No. 2 to BAA FA8750-24-S-7003

The purpose of this amendment is to:

1. In Section VI.7, NOTICE, update the provisions as follows:

NOTICE:  The following provisions* apply:

1. FAR 52.204-7, System for Award Management
2. FAR 52.204-16, Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting
3. FAR 52.204-22, Alternative Line Item Proposal
4. FAR 52.204-29, Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act Orders-Representation and Disclosures
5. FAR 52.211-14, Notice of Priority Rating for National Defense, Emergency Preparedness, and Energy Program Use
6. FAR 52.232-2, Service of Protest
7. DFARS 252.203-7005, Representation Relating to Compensation of Former DoD Officials
8. DFARS 252.204-7008, Compliance with Safeguarding Covered Defense Information Controls
9. DFARS 252.204-7019, Notice of NISTSP 800-171 DoD Assessment Requirements
10. DFARS 252.204-7024, Notice on the Use of the Supplier Performance Risk System
11. DFARS 252.215-7009, Proposal Adequacy Checklist
12. DFARS 252.215-7013, Supplies and Services Provided by Nontraditional Defense Contractors
13. DFARS 252.225-7055, Representation Regarding Business Operations with the Maduro Regime
14. DFARS 252.225-7057, Preaward Disclosure of Employment of Individuals Who Work in the People’s Republic of China
15. DFARS 252.225-7059, Prohibition on Certain Procurements from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region-Representation
16. DFARS 252.225-7973, Prohibition on the Procurement of Foreign-Made Unmanned Aircraft Systems-Representation (DEVIATION 2020-O0015) (MAY 2020)
17. DFARS 252.227-7028, Technical Data or Computer Software Previously Delivered to the Government
18. DFARS 252.239-7017, Notice of Supply Chain Risk
19. DFARS 252.239-7098, Prohibition on Contracting to Maintain or Establish a Computer Network Unless Such Network is Designed to Block Access to Certain Websites-Representation (Deviation 2021-O0003) (APR 2021)

* Please note that the current versions or deviations of the related clauses will be included in any resulting contract. Additional provisions may be included in any resultant contract, dependent upon each individual effort.

No other changes are made.

                                           Amendment 3 to BAA FA8750-24-S-7003

The purpose of this amendment is to remove the language in Part I-Overview Information regarding a Questions and Answers (Q&A) document. The Government will no longer be amending the synopsis to add a Q&A document.

No other changes are made.

SEE ATTACHMENT FOR FULL AMENDMENT DETAILS.

                                Amendment No. 4 to BAA FA8750-24-S-7003

The purpose of this amendment is to:

1. Section III, Paragraph 5, updates S&T Protection language;
2. Section V, paragraph 2.e, updates the language regarding the S&T review;

SEE ATTACHMENT FOR FULL AMENDMENT DETAILS.