PROPOSAL PREPARATION
General Information
Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions:
Interested offerors must first submit Initial Proposals
(IPs). The purpose of an IP is to preclude unwarranted effort on the part of an offeror
whose proposed work is not of interest to NRL. IPs should not exceed 30 pages in length,
including a cost estimate. BREVITY IS DESIRABLE - IPs RANGING FROM A FEW PAGES TO 15 PAGES
ARE THE NORM. Cost estimates in IPs for stand-alone subsets of efforts are encouraged.
Offerors of those IPs found to be consistent with the intent of the BAA will be invited to
submit formal cost and technical proposals. An invitation does not assure an offeror of a
subsequent contract award. See the specific
research topic for any special preparation
or submission instructions.
Submit one original of each IP to the
technical point of contact identified
in the specific topic.
General Information for Formal Cost and Technical Proposals:
Because both the technical and cost aspects of an offeror's submission will be evaluated at the same time, it is desirable that one volume containing all information be submitted. In presenting the proposal material, prospective offerors are advised that quality of the information is significantly more important than the quantity. Therefore, offerors are requested to confine their submissions to essential matters, providing sufficient information to define their offer and establish an adequate basis for the Government to conduct its evaluation.
Pursuant to the requirements of FAR part 19.702(a)(1), if the total amount of the proposal exceeds $500,000, and there are subcontracting possibilities, offerors must submit a subcontracting plan. FAR part 52.219-9 defines a subcontracting plan and its requirements. Offerors shall incorporate the subcontracting plan as part of the offerors proposal submission. DFARS 226.7000 and DFARS 226.7007 discuss subcontracting incentives and goals with the Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Institutions. DFAR 219.708(b)(1)(A) and (B), discusses the appropriate use of DFAR Clauses 252.219-7003 and 252.219-7004 in solicitations and contracts related to small, small disadvantaged and women-owned small business subcontracting plans.
Offerors are cautioned that in solicitations where subcontracting opportunities exist, the Government will not execute a contract unless the Contracting Officer determines that the negotiated plan provides the maximum practicable opportunity for SBs, SDB, WOSB, HUBZone, and Veteran-owned Small Business concerns or HBCUs/MIs to participate in the performance of the contract. Offerors should note that DFARS 219.705-4 and 226.7000 have provided for a goal of 5% for SDB concerns and HBCUs/MIs. .
Where to Submit Proposals:
Proposals should be submitted to the technical point of contact identified in the specific topic. Proposals for grant awards may also be submitted through Grants.gov (see below).
Submission of proposals to technical point of contact
Submit one original to the technical point of contact identified in the specific topic.
The addresses for submission of Initial Proposals are:
For Washington, DC organizational codes (Area Code (202)):
| Naval Research Laboratory |
| 4555 Overlook Ave., SW, Attn: Code (Topic) |
| Washington, DC 20375-5320 |
For NRL at the Stennis Space Center, MS (Area Code (228)):
| Naval Research Laboratory |
| Code Attn: (Topic) |
| Stennis Space Center, MS 39529-5004 |
For NRL at Monterey, CA (Area Code (408)):
| Naval Research Laboratory |
| Code Attn: (Topic) |
| Monterey, CA 93943-5006 |
Content of Formal Research Proposals
The technical portion of the proposal must include a full discussion of the nature and scope of the research effort contemplated, including the method of approach and the expected results. A program milestone chart, which includes a detailed list of tasks and subtasks and the duration of same, must be provided. Offerors are to clearly identify a list of contract deliverables which are trackable to the milestone chart. These milestones should include the timeframes for preparation, delivery, review and approval for all draft and final reports, as appropriate. Offerors must include any information pertaining to prior significant and related work experience as well as description of available facilities and the resumes of all personnel who will be participating in the effort. Offerors must keep in mind that the technical portion of the proposal is usually incorporated by reference into any resultant contract; it serves as the basis for work to be accomplished. Therefore, the technical proposal must include a statement of work that describes the work to be accomplished and any deliverables; each task description should be written to facilitate evaluation and acceptance without the need for major rewrites prior to incorporation into the resultant contract.
The offeror should prepare its cost proposal in a clear, concise manner that accurately reflects its financial plan for accomplishing the proposed technical effort. A breakdown of cost data is required under this BAA. If "cost or pricing data" are required to be submitted in accordance with FAR 15.403-4, "Requiring Cost or Pricing Data," the offeror shall provide the information identified in FAR 15.408, "Solicitation Provisions and Contract Clauses/Price Proposals When Cost or Pricing Data Are Required," as well as the information required in this section. When cost of money is being proposed, the offeror shall submit a DD Form 1861.
The breakdown of "cost or pricing data" or "other than cost or pricing data" shall include all cost expected to be incurred under the contract. IT IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT THAT ADEQUATE DATA ON SUBCONTRACTORS BE PROVIDED; RATES ARE PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT. THE ABSENCE OF ADEQUATE DATA ON SUBCONTRACTORS IS A FREQUENT SOURCE OF AVOIDABLE DELAY IN CONTRACT AWARD. THE CONTRACTOR MAY ENCOURAGE SUBMISSION BY THE SUBCONTRACTOR DIRECT TO THE GOVERNMENT TECHNICAL POINT OF CONTACT IF THE SUBCONTRACTOR IS RELUCTANT TO SUBMIT DATA TO THE PRIME.
Prime contractors are responsible for insuring that each proposed subcontract is supported by cost or pricing data when it is both in excess of $500,000, and not covered by an exception or waiver in accordance with FAR 15.403-1. Particular attention is directed to the importance of furnishing complete detailed information and supporting data as indicated in FAR 15.408, Table 15-2.
All details, broken down by cost element, are to be prepared for each major task long with supporting rationale. All cost details shall be broken down to coincide with the offeror's accounting periods as related to the specific period of performance as indicated in the proposed milestone chart. The level of detail should be commensurate with the cost proposed for proposals not involving "cost or pricing data." A sample format for a summary cost proposal is provided below.
Sample Summary Cost Proposal Format
Cost Element |
Base |
Rate |
Total Cost |
Reference |
| Labor | ||||
| John Doe or | 5000 Hours | $30.00 | $150,000 | |
| Sr. Engr | 5000 Hours | $24.00 | $120,000 | |
| Total Direct Labor | 10000 Hours | $270,000 | Exhibit A | |
| Overhead | 50.00% | $135,000 | Exhibit B | |
| Other Direct Cost | ||||
| Subcontract | $50,000 | Exhibit C | ||
| Computer | $25,000 | Exhibit D | ||
| Travel | $10,000 | Exhibit E | ||
| Consultant | $ 30,000 | Exhibit F | ||
| Subtotal | $520,000 | |||
| G&A Expense | 10.00% | $ 52,000 | Exhibit G | |
| Total Estimated Cost | $572,000 | |||
| Fixed Fee | 5.0% | $ 27,000 | ||
| Cost of Money | $ 6,000 | Exhibit H | ||
| Cost Plus Fixed Fee | $605,000 |
Funding Profile
The Government anticipates that any contract resulting from this BAA will be funded on an incremental basis as provided by FAR 52.232-22, "Limitation of Funds."
Electronic Submission Formal Cost Proposal
Prospective offerors are encouraged to submit their cost proposals on electronic media using Microsoft Excel 2000 or compatible. Each spreadsheet shall contain all formula or equations used to compute individual line items, as appropriate, as well as total cost, (i.e., sell price). Spreadsheets for the basic program effort as well as any proposed options must also be submitted. Total dollar spreadsheeting without a breakout of the individual elements of expense and associated calculation formula is not acceptable.
Submission of electronic cost data does not relieve the offeror from the responsibility for submission of an original signed hard copy of the cost proposal along with all supporting rationale. Offerors must prepare a cross-reference identifying the data on disk to that contained in the hard copy and include it as part of both the hard copy submission and the diskette. It must contain the following data:
Disk Name: The disk name under which the file is stored
File Name: The file name of the data file
Hard Copy
Reference: Include volume and page number
Description: A brief description of the data (e.g., labor rates, bill of material, etc.)
Contract Type
The Government contemplates award of cost, cost-plus-fixed-fee, or cost sharing types of contracts under this BAA. Proposals based on a type of contract other than that contemplated will be considered, but offerors are advised that the Government is under no obligation to accept same. When appropriate, grants may be used to support selected proposals from educational and nonprofit research organizations. Cooperative Research Agreements may be awarded for cooperative research efforts.
Restrictive Markings on Proposals
If information contained in the proposal is in the public domain or cannot be protected under law as a trade secret (e.g., a patent application), the Navy will not accept liability for failure to safeguard against open disclosure. If a responder wishes to restrict the proposal, the responder should mark the title page with the following legend:
"This proposal includes data that shall not be disclosed outside the Government and shall not be duplicated, used or disclosed in whole or in part for any purpose other than to evaluate the proposal, provided that if a contract is awarded to this BAA responder as a result of or in connection with the submission of this data, the Government shall have the right to duplicate, use or disclose the data to the extent provided in the contract. This restriction does not limit the Government's right to use information contained in the data if it is obtained from another source without restriction. The data subject to this restriction is contained on pages ___."
The pages to which the above restriction applies shall be marked with the following legend:
"Use or disclosure of data contained on this sheet is subject to the restriction on the title page of this proposal."
The offeror whose proposal contains no limited rights data is required to so state in order that misunderstandings may be avoided.
Offerors are required to supply the Contractor Information Number (CIN) (FAR 4.602(d)) applicable to the proposed program. If the offeror does not have a CIN, it should contact either the cognizant administrative contracting officer or the local Dun and Bradstreet Branch Information Services office for assistance.
Prospective offerors should not delay submission of their offers pending receipt of their codes. Offerors should indicate in their proposal submission that they are in the process of obtaining this information.
Central Contractor Registration
Offerors are required to register in the DOD Central Contractor Registration database prior to award of any contract (DFAR 252.204-7004). Offerors may obtain information on registration and annual confirmation requirements by calling 1-888-227- 2423 or via the Internet at http://www.ccr.gov
Additional Information
Any requests by offerors for Government furnished property must be clearly identified in the proposal. The Government, however, is under no obligation to comply with such requests. Therefore, offerors should make provision for alternate technical approaches in the event the Government is unwilling to provide the property requested. Unless specifically identified under the BAA description, all work to be performed under any resultant contract will be unclassified and will not involve access to classified information.
Reports and Program Reviews
As a minimum, all contractors will be required to submit monthly financial and technical status reports and a final technical report. Depending on the duration of the program, offerors may be required to prepare semiannual and/or annual interim reports. The Government negotiator will work out an appropriate Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL) with each successful contractor unless a CDRL is not appropriate.
Depending on the nature of the research program and the duration of same, the Government may require that the contractor attend program reviews at NRL or within CONUS. In addition to these formal program reviews, informal reviews may be scheduled as deemed necessary by cognizant technical personnel. Requirements for program reviews will be determined when proposals are selected for award.
A monthly expenditure plan and disbursement rate report are required and may be included in the financial report. The disbursement report must include the forecast of billings to the Government and the total cumulative amounts billed through the report month.
Exhibits supporting the summary proposal may be in contractor format. However, the information must be clear, concise and suitable for evaluation. For example, proposals which include raw materials or purchased parts essential to performance must include a list or bill of material containing for each significant item at least an item description, part number if known, quantity, unit price, extended price, tentative source (if known), and basis (i.e., identification as a purchase order, verbal quote, written quote, whether or not competitive, catalog price, engineering estimate, etc.).
Submission of Proposals through Grants.gov .
Registration Requirements for Grants.gov:
There are several one-time actions you must complete in order to submit an application through Grants.gov (e.g., obtain a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number, register with the Central Contract Registry (CCR), register with the credential provider, and register with Grants.gov). See www.grants.gov/GetStarted to begin this process. Use the Grants.gov Organization Registration Checklist at www.grants.gov/assets/OrganizationRegCheck.doc to guide you through the process. Designating an E-Business Point of Contact (EBiz POC) and obtaining a special password called an MPIN are important steps in the CCR registration process. Applicants, who are not registered with CCR and Grants.gov, should allow at least 21 days to complete these requirements. It is suggested that the process be started as soon as possible. Questions: Questions relating to the registration process, system requirements, how an application form works, or the submittal process must be directed to Grants.gov at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov.
Application forms and instructions are available at Grants.gov. To access these materials, go to http://www.grants.gov, select "Apply for Grants", and then select "Download Application Package". Enter the CFDA for the respective agency to which you are directing the application; the Naval Research Laboratory uses 12.300. The funding opportunity number is NRL-BAA-07-01. In order to download the application package, you will need to install PureEdge Viewer. This small, free program will allow you to access, complete, and submit applications electronically and securely. For a free version of the software, visit the following web site: www.grants.gov/DownloadViewer.