Overview
The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory (GSL) invites solutions in support of its military engineering Survivability and Protective Structures research area. The work of the ERDC GSL centers on a unique combination of laboratory experimentation, materials characterizations, full-scale field testing, and high-performance computations analysis. These techniques are used to develop innovative solutions in several areas, including force protection.
Estimated Government Funding Profile
Up to $15,000,000
Estimated Period of Performance
Five-years is anticipated.
Project Manager
Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory (GSL), U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC)
Project Security Classification
Selected vendor may be required to obtain secret security clearance
Background and Problem Statement
Work is being conducted as a part of ERDC GSL’s military engineering Survivability and Protective Structures research area. The program specifically supports research initiatives with funding through headquarters of the U.S. Army. Solutions are being sought to further enable ERDC to develop state-of-the-art handbooks, develop force protection planning publications and intuitive protection decision support tools, support demonstration of the developed tools, and conduct protection assessments of USACE facilities. Anticipated tasks include, but are not limited to:
Publication Development and Maintenance
- Provide technical writing and updates for protection planning publications
- Convert technical research findings into easy-to-use handbook for use by non-technical protection planners and decision makers
- Provide support to DoD through document and design review of doctrinal publications and databases
Software and System Development and Maintenance
- Develop force protection planning applications based on new research and development efforts, current threat trends, and emerging technologies
- Develop engineering models from experimental and analytical data sets
- Develop user-friendly graphic user interfaces (GUIs) and applications (desktop executable, web-based, mobile/tablet applications for Android and Apple environments) for engineering models and fast-running algorithms capable of
- assessing weapon effects on existing, expedient, expeditionary structures from improvised, conventional, and emerging threats
- providing multiple courses of action for risk informed decision making and protection planning
- operating on standard Government-furnished platforms
- Working directly with government personnel to take GUI concept designs and program into a useable tool with necessary functions outlined by government personnel
- Convert existing software tools into web-based applications
- Working experience with a multitude of different programming languages and platforms including FORTRAN, C, C#, C++, java, html, SQL, Unity
- Provide technical support to maintain and update GSL’s force protection planning software tool and software systems
Demonstrate and Exercise Support
- Provide support to ERDC’s participation in relevant technology demonstrations and exercises where ERDC-developed protection planning technologies are engaged
- Pre-processing relevant data
- Setup and testing of software/system prior to each event
- Attend the event
- Provide necessary support
- Participate in after-action-reviews
- Contribute to resulting documentation
Support Anti-Terrorism/Physical Security Assessments of Department of the Army Facilities
Provide Support to Deployed Personnel through Reach Back
- Include analysis, assessment, review, and guidance on design and construction of protection solutions
ERDC will provide current research knowledge to aid in the development of the handbooks and decision support tools. Periodic evaluation visits/meetings are anticipated, specifically during the early development phases.
Evaluation Criteria
Solutions received in response to this announcement will be selected based upon review of how innovative and feasible the solution is at solving an agency challenge, the potential to enhance the mission effectiveness of the agency, and funding availability. Please see full announcement for further details.
Notional Project Schedule
Proposed project milestones include:
| June 15, 2023 | Submissions Open |
| July 3, 2023 | Submissions Close |
| July 14, 2023 | ERDC Requests Full Proposal |
| July 17-28, 2023 | Scope Collaboration |
| August 14, 2023 | Full Proposal Submission |
| August 31, 2023 | Anticipated Award |
*If needed; dates may vary to accommodate project team and participant availability.
How to Participate
Qualified parties may submit by completing a submission form and uploading required documentation as defined in the CSO Solicitation document.
1. Review CSO Solicitation document
2. Complete the submission form
Submission Instructions: This solicitation is issued consistent with the authority granted to the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) through the establishment of its Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO), W912HZ23SC002, with a focus on the mission of the Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory. Submissions must follow the requirements as detailed in the CSO Solicitation document.
Questions:
Interested parties may submit questions using this form until June 21, 2023.
Submissions must meet stated requirements and be received no later than 4:00 pm CST on Monday, July 3, 2023.
ERDC-GSL is conducting this project announcement on a full and open basis and intends to award contracts in accordance with FAR part 12 and the FAR part that is deemed most appropriate for the solution proposed (i.e. FAR part 13, 15, and/or 35); the government reserves the right to award prototype agreements (e.g. Other Transaction Agreements), in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 4022, if deemed appropriate and in the government’s best interest.