ARMY

ARMY
SBIR 09.2 PROPOSAL SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
The US Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command (RDECOM) is
responsible for execution of the Army SBIR Program. Information on the
Army SBIR Program can be found at the following Web site:
https://www.armysbir.com/. Solicitation, topic, and general questions regarding the SBIR Program
should be addressed according to the DoD portion of this solicitation. For
technical questions about the topic during the pre-Solicitation period,
contact the Topic Authors listed for each topic in the Solicitation. To
obtain answers to technical questions during the formal Solicitation
period, visit http://www.dodsbir.net/sitis. For general inquiries or
problems with the electronic submission, contact the DoD Help Desk at 1-866-
724-7457 (8:00 am to 5:00 pm ET). Specific questions pertaining to the
Army SBIR Program should be submitted to: Chris Rinaldi
Program Manager, Army SBIR
army.sbir@us.army.mil
US Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command (RDECOM)
ATTN: AMSRD-SS-SBIR
6000 - 6th Street, Suite 100
Fort Belvoir, VA 22060-5608
(703) 806-2085
FAX: (703) 806-0675
The Army participates in three DoD SBIR Solicitations each year. Proposals
not conforming to the terms of this Solicitation will not be considered.
The Army reserves the right to limit awards under any topic, and only those
proposals of superior scientific and technical quality will be funded. Only
Government personnel will evaluate proposals.
SUBMISSION OF ARMY SBIR PROPOSALS The entire proposal (which includes Cover Sheets, Technical Proposal, Cost
Proposal, and Company Commercialization Report) must be submitted
electronically via the DoD SBIR/STTR Proposal Submission Site
(http://www.dodsbir.net/submission). When submitting the mandatory Cost
Proposal, the Army prefers that small businesses complete the Cost Proposal
form on the DoD Submission site, versus submitting within the body of the
uploaded proposal. The Army WILL NOT accept any proposals which are not
submitted via this site. Do not send a hardcopy of the proposal. Hand or
electronic signature on the proposal is also NOT required. If the proposal
is selected for award, the DoD Component program will contact you for
signatures. If you experience problems uploading a proposal, call the DoD
Help Desk 1-866-724-7457 (8:00 am to 5:00 pm ET). Selection and non-
selection letters will be sent electronically via e-mail. Army Phase I proposals have a 20-page limit (excluding the Cost Proposal
and the Company Commercialization Report). Pages in excess of the 20-page
limitation will not be considered in the evaluation of the proposal
(including attachments, appendices, or references, but excluding the Cost
Proposal and Company Commercialization Report). Any proposal involving the use of Bio Hazard Materials must identify in the
Technical Proposal whether the contractor has been certified by the
Government to perform Bio Level - I, II or III work. Companies should plan carefully for research involving animal or human
subjects, or requiring access to government resources of any kind. Animal
or human research must be based on formal protocols that are reviewed and
approved both locally and through the Army's committee process. Resources
such as equipment, reagents, samples, data, facilities, troops or recruits,
and so forth, must all be arranged carefully. The few months available for
a Phase I effort may preclude plans including these elements, unless
coordinated before a contract is awarded. If the offeror proposes to use a foreign national(s) [any person who is NOT
a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, or
a protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) - refer to
Section 2.15 at the front of this solicitation for definitions of "lawful
permanent resident" and "protected individual"] as key personnel, they must
be clearly identified. For foreign nationals, you must provide resumes,
country of origin and an explanation of the individual's involvement. No Class 1 Ozone Depleting Chemicals/Ozone Depleting Substances will be
allowed for use in this procurement without prior Government approval. Phase I Proposals must describe the "vision" or "end-state" of the research
and the most likely strategy or path for transition of the SBIR project
from research to an operational capability that satisfies one or more Army
operational or technical requirements in a new or existing system, larger
research program, or as a stand-alone product or service. PHASE I OPTION MUST BE INCLUDED AS PART OF PHASE I PROPOSAL The Army implemented the use of a Phase I Option that may be exercised to
fund interim Phase I activities while a Phase II contract is being
negotiated. Only Phase I efforts selected for Phase II awards through the
Army's competitive process will be eligible to exercise the Phase I Option.
The Phase I Option, which must be included as part of the Phase I
proposal, covers activities over a period of up to four months and should
describe appropriate initial Phase II activities that may lead to the
successful demonstration of a product or technology. The Phase I Option
must be included within the 20-page limit for the Phase I proposal.
A firm-fixed-price or cost-plus-fixed-fee Phase I Cost Proposal ($120,000
maximum) must be submitted in detail online. Proposers that participate in
this Solicitation must complete the Phase I Cost Proposal not to exceed the
maximum dollar amount of $70,000 and a Phase I Option Cost Proposal (if
applicable) not to exceed the maximum dollar amount of $50,000. Phase I
and Phase I Option costs must be shown separately but may be presented side-
by-side on a single Cost Proposal. The Cost Proposal DOES NOT count toward
the 20-page Phase I proposal limitation. Phase I Key Dates 09.2 Solicitation Pre-release April 20 - May 17, 2009
09.2 Solicitation Opens May 18 - June 16, 2009
09.2 Solicitation Closes June 17, 2009; 6:00 a.m. ET
Phase I Evaluations June - August 2009
Phase I Selections August 2009
Phase I Awards October 2009* *Subject to the Congressional Budget process PHASE II PROPOSAL SUBMISSION Note! Phase II Proposal Submission is by Army Invitation only. For Phase II, no separate solicitation will be issued and no unsolicited
proposals will be accepted. Only those firms that were awarded Phase I
contracts, and are successfully executing their Phase I efforts, will be
invited to submit a Phase II proposal. Invitations to submit Phase II
proposals will be released at or before the end of the Phase I period of
performance. The decision to invite a Phase II proposal will be made based
upon the success of the Phase I contract to meet the technical goals of the
topic, as well as the overall merit based upon the criteria in section
4.3. DoD is not obligated to make any awards under Phase I, II, or III.
DoD is not responsible for any money expended by the proposer before award
of any contract. For specifics regarding the evaluation and award of
Phase I or II contracts, please read the front section of this solicitation
very carefully. Every Phase II proposal will be reviewed for overall merit
based upon the criteria in section 4.3 of this solicitation, repeated
below: a. The soundness, technical merit, and innovation of the proposed
approach and its incremental progress toward topic or subtopic
solution.
b. The qualifications of the proposed principal/key investigators,
supporting staff, and consultants. Qualifications include not only
the ability to perform the research and development but also the
ability to commercialize the results.
c. The potential for commercial (defense and private sector)
application and the benefits expected to accrue from this
commercialization. The Army exercises discretion on whether a Phase I
award recipient is invited to propose for Phase II. Invitations are
issued no earlier than completion of the fourth month of the Phase I
contract award, with the Phase II proposals generally due one month
later. In accordance with SBA policy, the Army reserves the right to
negotiate mutually acceptable Phase II proposal submission dates with
individual Phase I awardees, accomplish proposal reviews
expeditiously, and proceed with Phase II awards. Invited small businesses are required to develop and submit a technology
transition and commercialization plan describing feasible approaches for
transitioning and/or commercializing the developed technology in their
Phase II proposal. Army Phase II cost proposals must contain a budget for
the entire 24 month Phase II period not to exceed the maximum dollar amount
of $730,000. During contract negotiation, the contracting officer may
require a cost proposal for a base year and an option year. These costs
must be submitted using the Cost Proposal format (accessible electronically
on the DoD submission site), and may be presented side-by-side on a single
Cost Proposal Sheet. The total proposed amount should be indicated on the
Proposal Cover Sheet as the Proposed Cost. Phase II projects will be
evaluated after the base year prior to extending funding for the option
year.