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.