Targeting Operations and Analytics Development

Quick Summary

The Department of the Air Force, AFRL - Rome Research Site, has issued Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) FA8750-25-S-7002, titled "Targeting Operations and Analytics Development." This Open, 2-Step BAA seeks innovative research to develop, test, evaluate, and integrate technologies aimed at improving the joint targeting cycle. The total estimated funding for this BAA is approximately $499 million. White papers are accepted as initial submissions until September 30, 2029.

Purpose & Scope

The primary goal is to shorten the killchain, enhance operational awareness, ensure information and connectivity assurance during execution, and enable battle damage assessment. Key technology areas of interest include:

• Dynamic Targeting Engagement At Scale: Technologies for rapid identification, targeting, and engagement of numerous dynamic targets in peer conflict scenarios, including human-on-the-loop (HOTL) and human-in-the-loop (HITL) tools, and low SWaP-C systems.
• Mission Communications: Solutions to assure mission-critical communications in low-bandwidth, low-permissivity environments, and to counter adversarial interference.
• Combat Assessment: Technologies for tactically relevant combat assessment immediately post-strike, utilizing multi-source fusion approaches.
• Indications & Warning Analytics: Analytics leveraging all data sources to generate battlespace context and understand adversary readiness, intent, and posture through automated I&W/alerting.
• Test and Evaluations: Development and implementation of T&E methodologies, tools, and techniques to validate technology performance in realistic environments.

Contract Details

• Type: Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) - Open, 2-Step.
• Estimated Funding: Approximately $499M total.
• Individual Awards: Typically range from $1M to $25M, not normally exceeding 36 months. Awards up to $99.9M are possible.
• Award Instruments: May include FAR-based Procurement contracts, CFR-based grants and cooperative agreements, or Other Transactions (OTs) under 10 USC 4021, 10 USC 4022, and 10 USC 4023.
• Follow-on Potential: Successful Other Transaction for Prototype agreements may transition to follow-on production contracts or transactions.
• Set-Aside: None specified.

Submission & Evaluation

• Process: Only white papers are accepted as initial submissions; formal proposals are by invitation only.
• White Paper Deadline: White papers will be considered if received prior to 1600 EST on September 30, 2029. Suggested submission dates for alignment with projected funding are: FY25 by March 20, 2025; FY26 by November 1, 2025; FY27 by November 1, 2026; FY28 by November 1, 2027; FY29 by November 1, 2028.
• White Paper Format: 3-5 pages, double-spaced, 12-point font, including Title/POCs, Task Objective, and Technical Summary/Deliverables.
• Evaluation Criteria: Scientific and Technical Merit, Related Experience, Openness/Maturity/Assurance of Solution, and Reasonableness/Realism of Costs.

Eligibility & Key Updates

• Eligibility: All qualified offerors may apply. Foreign participation is generally closed, with specific exceptions for unclassified fundamental research. FFRDCs and Government Entities are subject to competition limitations.
• Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCI): Offerors must disclose and mitigate potential OCIs.
• Security: Security Risk Reviews will be conducted, requiring specific documentation for Senior/Key Personnel.
• Recent Updates (Amendment 3): The Simplified Acquisition Threshold has been updated to $350,000, and the certified cost and pricing data threshold to $2.5M. Notably, the paragraph related to a 15% indirect cost cap on assistance awards to institutions of higher education has been deleted. Updates also include revisions to proposal formatting, debriefing language, DFARS clauses, and OMBUDSMAN information.

Contacts

• Technical Point of Contact: Ariana Emad (ariana.emad@us.af.mil, 315-330-2649).
• Contracting Officer: Amber Buckley (Amber.Buckley@us.af.mil, 315-330-3605).