The US Air Force last week issued a broad agency announcement soliciting white papers for a program designed to draw quick, innovative solutions to various service needs — mostly from small businesses.
Among the service’s needs are technologies that could assist in the aerial refueling of unmanned aircraft.
The announcement, released on Sept. 28, calls for papers to be submitted no later than Nov. 27 for the Air Force’s Rapid Innovation Fund — which the Defense Department established at Congress’s direction through the fiscal year 2011 Defense Authorization Act. The fund, which totaled $50 million in FY-12, will be used to issue awards for the swift development of technology that addresses service-identified needs.
“The BAA describes Air Force implementation of RIF and complies with guidelines established by [the Office of the Secretary of Defense],” the document states. “It is primarily for the identification and further development of technologies with potential for rapid transition developed by small businesses, although it is not a total small business set-aside.”
David Walker, deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for science, technology and engineering, told Inside the Air Force in an Oct. 4 email that the fund is meant to provide an accessible mechanism for businesses to share their ideas and solutions with the Air Force. He said small businesses — operations with 500 or fewer employees — will be given preference during the evaluation process and that awards to larger companies are allowed only if the proposal is superior.
“Overall, the Rapid Innovation Fund presents an opportunity to transition innovative technology into Service programs,” Walker said. “The Rapid Innovation Fund provides a vehicle for businesses (especially small businesses) to easily submit their innovative technologies where they feel it will best meet military needs. The Air Force benefits by having the ability to evaluate proposed innovative technologies against critical needs and selecting the most compelling for contract award.”
In the BAA, the service lists several critical requirements — areas where it’s seeking improved capabilities or solutions to certain problems — as a guidance to those submitting white papers. Walker said the service was much more broad in its guidance in last year’s BAA, listing five general thrust areas: Rapid Fielding to Support Overseas Contingency Operations, Cyberspace Superiority and Mission Assurance, Improved System Sustainment, Power Generation and Energy for Platforms, and Joint Urgent Operation Needs statements with Air Force application. For the FY-12 RIF, however, the Air Force solicited needs directly from program executive offices (PEO).
“The Air Force is interested in technology that addresses all of the thrust areas listed in the BAA,” Walker said. “The thrust areas are not prioritized; instead, the Air Force will review the technology proposed under each thrust area and then prioritize across all areas according to the compelling nature of the technology and the small business guidance from [the Office of the Secretary of Defense].”
In the tanker category, the Air Force is looking for ways to enable safe aerial refueling of unmanned aerial systems using technologies focused either on the tanker or the receiver aircraft. Walker said the service does not do autonomous air refueling today.
“This technology offers the potential to greatly increase the persistence of our UAS capability while reducing sustainment costs,” Walker said.
Other needs listed in the BAA include B-1 component repairs, enhancing energy security and independence, developing advanced materials, improving manufacturing technology and the industrial base and advancing microelectronics.
Walker said the FY-11 RIF white paper request drew hundreds of responses from businesses across the country. Because the program was in its first year, he said, the process was slowed and awards weren’t issued until September of this year. In the end the Air Force issued 46 awards, all of them to small businesses
The service expects to select at least 16 awards using FY-12 RIF funds. Awards may be delivered through cost reimbursement or fixed-price contracts, cooperative agreements, technology investment agreements or other arrangements DOD deems appropriate. No individual award is expected to exceed $3 million, according to the BAA.
After evaluating the white papers it receives, the service will issue invitations for organizations to submit more detailed proposals in January of 2013. Contract awards are expected next summer with technical approaches to be completed with two years of the awards — that includes 21 months of technical effort and three months for submission of a technical report. Technology should be capable of fielding within 36 months of contract award, according to the BAA.
Walker said while the Air Force Research Laboratory S&T experts assist in evaluating white papers and proposals, RIF projects are managed by project managers at the PEO level.
Source: Inside Defense