Broad Agency Announcement - Innovator In Residence Program

Questions & Answers / Clarifications

This document provides responses to vendor questions regarding the Innovator in Residence program, clarifying requirements and submission processes.

• Eligibility: Current federal employees are ineligible. The program is open to U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Both current and post-graduate students are eligible.
• Commitment: The role can be a full-time commitment or concurrent with other commitments, provided the scope of work is feasible.
• Subcontracting: Applicants may subcontract for services, but the contract is with an individual, not a company. Subcontractors do not need to be U.S. based, but the Library will evaluate proposed subcontractors.
• Submission: Concept papers should be submitted via email to LocBAA@loc.gov, including the BAA number and "BAA Innovator in Residence" in the subject line. Specific font size, page size, and visual mock-up requirements are detailed in Section 3.2 of the BAA.
• Compensation: Applicants propose their own hourly rates, which will be evaluated for reasonableness. The $90,000 award is inclusive of all costs, including subcontracted labor, supplies, and travel.
• Webinars: Both webinars contained the same content, and transcripts/slides will be made available on the Innovator in Residence page by 03/27/2026.

This Q&A document clarifies several aspects of the solicitation, including eligibility, submission requirements, and the nature of the commitment, which may influence how potential bidders prepare their applications.

Other / Unclassified

This document is a concept paper or proposal for a project titled "Anywhere Adventures," developed by Vivian Li in collaboration with the Library of Congress. It outlines a plan to create a website that offers guided activities and missions for users to learn stories from the Library of Congress's digital collections, focusing on specific geographical areas and offering alternative at-home activities. The project aims to make these collections more accessible and engaging, particularly for a younger audience.

This document is relevant to potential bidders as it describes a project concept that may lead to future solicitations for website development, content creation, or related services. It details the project's goals, intended audience, user experience approach, and the developer's capabilities and proposed schedule/budget. Understanding this concept paper can help vendors assess their interest and capabilities if a related opportunity is posted.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) from the Library of Congress seeks participants for its Innovator in Residence Program. The program aims to invite creative individuals with diverse perspectives to enable transformational experiences connecting the Library's digital collections with the American public. The selected Resident will conduct research with Library collections, create a unique digital work, host a public program, and serve as an ambassador for the Library. The goal is to promote insight, inspiration, discovery, and creative remixing/reuse of Library items.

• Create a unique digital work using Library collections, hosted on the LC Labs website.

• Digital methods and media (web applications, visualizations, AR, multimedia) are required; web-browser experience is preferred.

• Must consider accessibility and sustainability (hosting, maintainability, portability).

• The work must be designed for a specific audience/community, with preference for non-traditional audiences.

• Deliverables include the unique digital work, blog posts, press releases, public engagement materials, periodic reports, and demonstrations.

• Contract type: Firm-Fixed-Price.

• Period of Performance: Minimum of 12 months, beginning September 2026, with a potential for a second year.

• Estimated Value: Up to $90,000 per year for up to two years.

• The Library will contract with individuals only, not organizations or teams.

• Sub-contracting for supplemental labor and expertise is allowed.

• Two-step process:

  1. Concept Paper: Brief (3-page limit), submitted by April 10, 2026.
  2. Full Proposal: Invited applicants submit detailed proposals.

• Key Deadlines:

  • Informational Webinars: March 9 & 16, 2026
  • Questions Due: March 20, 2026
  • Answers Posted: March 25, 2026
  • Concept Paper Due: April 10, 2026
  • Full Proposal Due: Estimated May 2026 (invitation only)
  • Award Announcement: Estimated August 2026
  • Contract Begins: Estimated September 2026

• Evaluation: Based on technical approach, capabilities, experience, past performance, and price. Non-price factors are more important than price.

• Limited to individuals who are citizens or permanent residents of the United States.

• Government employees are not eligible.

• Applicants must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov).

• This is a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), not a FAR Part 15 Procurement.

• The Library reserves the right to fund all, some, or none of the proposals.

• The Library will not pay for concept paper or proposal preparation costs.

• Intellectual property created will be made available under a CCO 1.0 universal license.

• A minimum of 80 hours on-site at the Library of Congress (Washington, DC) is required in year one, though this may be waived.

• Proposals must be submitted via email to Loc-BAA@loc.gov.

Other / Unclassified

This document outlines a proposal for "Anywhere Adventures," a project by Vivian Li, Innovator in Residence at the Library of Congress. The project aims to create a website and associated activities that encourage users, particularly young people (Gen Z), to explore local history and stories through the Library of Congress's digital collections. The project involves developing a website with interactive activities, culminating in a user-generated digital or printable zine. It also includes plans for social media engagement, community partnerships, and events.

This document details the scope, technical approach, timeline, and budget for the "Anywhere Adventures" project. While not a solicitation for bids in the traditional sense, it provides insight into a potential future project or partnership opportunity related to digital engagement with the Library of Congress's collections. Vendors interested in digital content creation, website development, community engagement, or educational technology might find this project's approach and goals relevant for understanding potential future collaborations or service needs.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is an Excel spreadsheet containing budget worksheets for a potential government contract. It is intended to guide bidders in developing and submitting their cost proposals, broken down by project milestones and categories.

• Budget Summary: Provides an overview of budget categories including Labor, Travel, Equipment and Supplies, and Contractual Services. It includes prompts for applicants to review and ensure accuracy of totals before submission.
• Labor - Price Sheet: Requires bidders to detail personnel, labor categories, price per hour, and number of hours for each milestone. It also notes that automated calculations are present but accuracy should be verified.
• Travel Sheet: Requires itemized listing of travel activities, purpose, number of travelers, and detailed costs (airfare, hotel, per diem, etc.) per milestone.
• Equipment and Supplies Sheet: Requires listing of equipment and supplies, their purpose, unit price, number of units, and total cost per milestone.
• Contractual Sheet: Requires detailing contractual products or services, their purpose, and an itemized budget breakdown of costs per milestone.

This document is crucial for bidders to understand the cost structure expected by the government. Bidders must complete these worksheets accurately to detail their proposed costs for labor, travel, equipment, supplies, and contractual services across different project milestones. The "Budget Summary" sheet emphasizes the need for careful review and correction of any discrepancies before submission.

Other / Unclassified

This document, titled "Finding Library of Congress Digital Collections: Digital Collection Highlights and Tips for Browsing," provides an overview of various digital collections available through the Library of Congress. It is intended to assist applicants responding to a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA #030ADV26R0021) by highlighting collections that may be suitable for creative works focusing on interpretation, discovery, and reuse, particularly those with more permissible copyright statuses.

• Opportunity Context: This document is relevant to bidders for BAA #030ADV26R0021, as it showcases potential source material for proposals.
• Key Collections Highlighted:
  • Selected Digitized Books: Over 150,000 text-searchable PDFs, many published in the US before the 1930s, and some in foreign languages.
  • Early Copyright Records Collection: Records from the first federal copyright laws (1790 and 1831), covering a wide range of publications.
  • Free to Use and Reuse Image Sets: Curated thematic albums of images.
  • The Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection: A significant collection of rare books and illustrated materials related to graphic design, typography, and illustration.
  • United States Congressional Serial Set: Over 14,000 PDFs and online texts of journals, reports, and documents from Congress.
  • Sheet Music of the Musical Theater: Over 16,000 pieces of piano-vocal sheet music (1880-1922) and related cover art.
  • Computing Cultural Heritage in the Cloud Derivative Datasets: Bundles of digital files and technical documentation for computational analysis.
• Browsing Tips: The document offers guidance on how to search and browse the Library's collections online, including using researcher guides, blog posts, the YouTube channel, website facets, and format filters.
• Copyright Status: Bidders are advised to consult "Rights Advisory" or "Rights and Access" fields for copyright information.
• Proposal Guidance: While applicants are not required to cite a specific collection, strong concept papers should reference items or collections to be used, ensuring they are legally and ethically appropriate.

Questions & Answers / Clarifications

This document is a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) from the Library of Congress (LC) for an "Innovator in Residence" program. It clarifies details about the residency, application process, and requirements.

• Program Overview: The residency funds an individual to research LC collections, create a digital work, host a public program, and serve as an ambassador. It is primarily remote, with some in-person requirements, lasting 12-24 months, starting September 2026.
• Budget: Proposed budgets should not exceed $90,000 per year. This budget is all-inclusive for contract costs, including taxes and travel.
• Eligibility: Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Current federal employees are ineligible. Teaming arrangements are not allowed; the contract is issued to an individual or sole proprietorship.
• Intellectual Property: Works created must be made available under a CC0 1.0 universal license on LC properties. The Library and the public receive an irrevocable, fully paid-up, royalty-free license.
• Application Process: Submit a 3-page concept paper by March 13, 2026. A subset of applicants will be invited to submit full proposals. Selections are estimated for August 2026, with a September 2026 start.
• SAM.gov Registration: Registration in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) is required for award eligibility.
• On-site Requirements: Innovators must spend at least 80 cumulative hours on-site at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. during the first year.
• Subcontracting: Applicants can subcontract services, but the Library has no contractual relationship with subcontractors.
• Use of Existing Platforms: Innovators can use existing platforms (e.g., Instagram, podcasts) for their digital work, provided it adheres to IP requirements.

This FAQ provides critical details that bidders must consider when preparing their concept papers and full proposals, including eligibility, budget limitations, IP rights, and the application timeline. It clarifies ambiguities and answers common questions to guide applicants through the process.