[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 81 (Thursday, April 28, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page ]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-10154]


[Federal Register: April 28, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Morgantown Energy Technology Center, Research Opportunity 
Announcement, Applied Research and Development

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Morgantown Energy Technology 
Center.

ACTION: Notice of a Research Opportunity Announcement (ROA).

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SUMMARY: The objective of this program is to support the U.S. 
Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Technology Development's 
applied research efforts for the development of technologies having 
potential applications in the Environmental Restoration and Waste 
Management (EM) program. This is the second ROA to be issued in support 
of that program. Technologies which: Do not duplicate existing work; 
complement or enhance existing or planned work; and best serve the 
needs of the EM program are desired. A proposed technology may be a 
device, process, material or method that improves DOE's capabilities in 
the following areas: in situ remediation of contaminated sites; 
characterization, sensors and monitoring; low-level mixed waste 
processing; efficient separations technology for radioactive wastes; 
robotics; materials disposition technologies; improved engineered 
barriers for waste storage and disposal; and improved waste forms.
    For the purpose of this program, ``applied research'' is the 
systematic application of knowledge toward the production of useful 
devices, materials or methods, including design, development, and 
improvement of prototypes and processes to meet specific requirements. 
Proposals for basic research are not desired under this ROA.
    It is not the purpose of this solicitation to support, and no 
proposal will be selected to conduct, support service activities, 
conference or training activities, or for work who's primary purpose is 
the demonstration of existing technologies.

DATES: Proposals may be submitted at any time after the issuance date 
of this ROA up to and including one year after the issue date. The 
issue date is the date on which this notice appears in the Federal 
Register. Proposals must state an acceptance period of at least 180 
days.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
    1. Additional information concerning DOE's requirement is available 
as an information package. The package will be made available on a 
3.5'' disc in WordperfectTM, version 5.2. The information package 
includes a more complete description of the research areas identified 
in the areas of research section and guidelines for preparing various 
section of the proposal as well as other information and forms. The 
information package will be updated periodically.
    2. Requests for the information package and other information 
concerning the ROA can be obtained by telephoning (304) 291-4634.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    1. Identification number, authority for issuance, and title:
    a. DE-RO21-94MC31305.
    b. The use of broad agency announcements is authorized by the 
Competition in Contracting Act of 1984 (CICA) (41 U.S.C. 259(b)(2)) and 
the Federal Acquisition Regulation at part 6.102(d)(2) as supplemented 
by the Department of Energy Acquisition Regulation.
    c. Title of Research Opportunity Announcement: Applied Research and 
Development of Technologies For Environmental Restoration and Waste 
Management II.
    d. Areas of Research in Which Contracts May be Awarded:
    1. In situ remediation. There is a need for innovative and improved 
in situ remediation methods for the cleanup of contaminated soils and 
groundwater. In situ treatment refers to treatment of contaminated 
material with minimal, or no, excavation, as well as any enhancement of 
contaminant removal from the subsurface. In situ remediation includes 
on-site treatment of groundwater and soils. In situ containment refers 
to technologies which retard or eliminate contaminant migration to the 
surrounding environment. The EM program has focused on three areas in 
which to develop in situ remediation technologies. They are: (1) In 
situ containment, (2) in situ biological treatment and (3) physical/
chemical in situ treatment.
    2. Characterization, sensors and monitoring. Technologies for 
characterization and monitoring are required for site clean-up and 
waste processing applications. There is a need for greater use of 
field-deployable methods and devices including real-time monitoring of 
process streams to reduce dependency on laboratory analyses which are 
costly and time consuming. In addition, techniques, including 
information management systems, are required that can better elucidate 
the physical, hydrogeological and chemical properties of the subsurface 
while minimizing or optimizing the use of boreholes. Finally, improved 
sensors are needed to better measure contaminants in varied, hazardous 
environments.
    3. Low-level mixed waste processing. DOE has identified the need 
for the development of new technologies for reducing current mixed 
(hazardous with a radioactive component) waste inventories. Low-level 
mixed waste is categorized into the following generic descriptions: 
Aqueous liquid wastes, organic liquid wastes containing organic 
chemicals, wet solid wastes, and dry solid wastes.
    Six treatment technology areas, ranging from front-end waste 
handling through the generation of a final waste form, are identified 
for focusing applied research and development efforts. The treatment 
technology areas are: (1) Front-end waste handling and feed 
preparation, (2) non-thermal waste treatment, including 
decontamination, recycling and separation of suspended and dissolved 
materials, (3) mercury control, (4) waste destruction and 
stabilization, (5) secondary destruction and off-gas treatment and (6) 
final waste forms. Processing low-level mixed wastes will emphasize, 
where appropriate, use of methods to treat and/or separate the 
hazardous component to simplify the handling and disposal of materials 
in subsequent steps.
    4. Efficient separations technology for radioactive wastes. 
Separations technologies are required to process a wide spectrum of 
highly radioactive defense wastes. These wastes may include high-level 
wastes, low-level wastes, transuranic wastes, and mixed wastes in all 
three categories. Highly radioactive defense wastes are anticipated to 
be processed into waste forms suitable for disposal in deep geologic 
repositories. Innovative applications of appropriate separation 
technologies will substantially decrease the volume of waste to be 
disposed of in repositories resulting in significant cost savings.
    5. Robotics. Five areas have been identified within the EM program 
for development and application of advanced robotics and automation 
technologies. These are: (1) The characterization and remediation of 
waste storage tanks, (2) the characterization and remediation of buried 
waste sites, (3) the automation of contaminant analysis, (4) the 
decontamination and decommissioning of inactive nuclear facilities, and 
(5) operations for waste handling. Advancements in the development of 
robotics and automation technologies are needed in the areas of 
mechanical, control, and sensor systems.
    6. Material disposition technology. Decontamination and 
decommissioning of surplus DOE facilities will result in the need to 
dispose of concrete, metals, sludges, contaminated soil, chemicals, and 
hazardous and mixed wastes. The implementation of recycling and reuse 
technologies is desired due to the great volumes and potential value of 
the material that is present at these facilities. Volume reduction 
technologies are also needed to minimize the costs associated with 
storage and disposal.
    7. Improved engineered barriers for waste and disposal. There is a 
need for improved engineered barriers, i.e, any man-made structures, 
devices or practices that enhance the performance of a waste storage or 
disposal facility. Engineered barriers are required to contain wastes 
which might otherwise release contaminants along air, surface water 
and/or groundwater pathways. Technology is needed for the design, 
construction and performance assessment of improved engineered barriers 
relative to low-level radioactive waste disposal and the interim 
storage of high-level radioactive wastes.
    8. Improved waste forms. Technologies producing improved waste 
forms for hazardous, radioactive and mixed wastes are desired. Waste 
forms must meet certain performance requirements, including durability 
and resistance to leaching. Waste types for which improved waste forms 
are desired are: low-level mixed wastes, incinerator ash and various 
special radioactive wastes including spent nuclear fuels, calcine 
waste, cesium and strontium halides, and transuranic waste. In 
addition, DOE is seeking performance assessment methodologies to 
rapidly and reliably determine the leachability and durability of waste 
forms.

Submission, Withdrawal, and Unsuccessful Proposals

    1. Proposals are to be submitted to the following address: U.S. 
Department of Energy, Morgantown Energy Technology Center, Attn: Thomas 
L. Martin, M.S. I07, 3610 Collins Ferry Road, Morgantown, WV 26505.
    2. Proposals may be withdrawn by the offeror at any time prior to 
award of a contract by written notice to the individual identified in 
item 1 above.
    3. Unsuccessful proposals will be retained by the receiving office 
and will not be returned to unsuccessful offerors. Unsuccessful 
offerors will be given an opportunity for a debriefing which will 
describe the evaluation process and discuss the major strengths and 
weaknesses found in their proposal. Proposals received subsequent to 
the close of the submission deadline may be considered and evaluated 
under a succeeding ROA if one is issued by METC, provided that the 
offeror so affirms, in writing, and provides METC, as part of its 
affirmation, any needed updated information relating to its proposal 
and the proposed research is consistent with the objectives of the 
succeeding ROA.

Funding Availability

    The amount of money which is available for initial funding of 
awards during FY 1995 is approximately $6,000,000.

Evaluation Factors and Proposal Preparation Instructions

    1. Technical Evaluation Factors: The following factors will be used 
for the evaluation of proposals submitted under this solicitation: a. 
Technical Approach and Understanding: Proposals will be evaluated 
considering the offeror's understanding of the need(s) or problem(s) 
the technology will address and the soundness and likelihood of success 
of the proposed research effort in meeting the research objective(s).
    b. Merit of the Technology: Proposals will be evaluated considering 
the offeror's discussion of the technology's merit in terms of 
anticipated performance improvements and cost savings compared to 
existing technology.
    c. Personnel Qualifications, Project Organization and Experience: 
Proposals will be evaluated considering the offeror's technical and 
managerial experience, qualifications, and the availability of 
personnel who are proposed to work on the project; project organization 
and management structure; and prior experience in managing projects 
similar in type, technology, size and complexity.
    d. Facilities and Equipment: Proposals will be evaluated 
considering the quality, availability, and appropriateness of the 
offeror's proposed facilities and equipment.
    2. Relative Importance of the Evaluation Criteria: The Technical 
Proposal Evaluation Criteria, as listed above, are in descending order 
of importance. Criteria a and b are of equal importance. Criterion c is 
twice as important as criterion d. Criteria a and b are each more than 
three times as important as criterion d.
    3. Cost Evaluation: Proposed cost will be evaluated for 
reasonableness, appropriateness, and probable cost to the Government.
    4. Proposal Preparation Instructions: a. Offerors who include in 
their proposal data that they do not want disclosed to the public for 
any purpose or used by the Government except for evaluation purposes 
shall: 1. Mark the title page with the following legend: This proposal 
or quotation includes data that shall not be disclosed outside of the 
Government and shall not be duplicated, used, or disclosed--in whole or 
in part--for any purpose other than to evaluate this proposal or 
quotation. If, however, a contract is awarded to this offeror or quoter 
as a result of--or in connection with--the submission of this data, the 
government shall have the right to duplicate, use, or disclose the data 
to the extent provided in the resulting contract. This restriction does 
not limit the Government's right to use information contained in this 
data if it is obtained from another source without restriction. The 
data subject to this restriction are contained in sheets (insert number 
or other identification of sheets); and
    2. Mark each sheet of data it wishes to restrict with the following 
legend: ``Use or disclosure of data contained on this sheet is subject 
to the restriction on the title page of this proposal or quotation.''
    b. Each proposal will be submitted in the quantities specified 
below to the address given in the summary section, above, designated as 
the delivery point for proposals. Proposals are not to be submitted in 
three-ring or similar binders. Each proposal will be comprised of three 
separate volumes, numbered and submitted in the number of copies as 
follows:

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         Volume                    Title              Number of copies  
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Volume I................  Offer and Other Document  Original and 1.     
Volume II...............  Technical Proposal......  Original and 5.     
Volume III..............  Cost Proposal...........  Original and 3.     
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Brief, but complete, proposals are desired. The Technical Proposal 
shall be as brief as possible while addressing all of the technical 
evaluation criteria and preparation instructions. The technical 
proposal shall not exceed 50 pages in length including figures and 
tables but excluding resumes of proposed personnel and the statement of 
work. The statement of work shall not exceed 10 pages and is not 
included in the technical proposal's 50 page limitation. There is no 
limitation on the length of the other two volumes of the proposal.
    The Volumes of the Proposal Must Contain the Following:

1. Volume I--Offeror Information: (Original and 1 Copy)

    a. A publically releasable abstract: This section shall contain a 
public abstract of not more than one page describing the proposed 
project, the objective, methodology, sponsoring organization(s), the 
schedule. Diagrams should not be included with the abstract. The 
abstract may be released to the public by DOE in whole or in part at 
any time. It is, therefore, required that it shall not contain 
proprietary data or confidential business information.
    b. Name and address of the offeror.
    c. The ROA solicitation number: DE-RO21-94MC31305.
    d. The date of submission of the proposal (Month, day, and year) 
and the offer acceptance period (minimum of 180 days).
    e. The names and addresses of any other Federal, State, or local 
government entity who has in the past, or is currently, or expects in 
the future, to provide funds for the same or similar research 
activities of the offeror.
    f. A proposal cover sheet, containing the information noted above, 
signed by an individual authorized to contractually obligate the 
offeror.
    g. DOE Representations, Certifications, and Other Statements of 
Bidders/Offerors.
    h. Certificate of Environmental Safety and Health.

2. Volume II--Technical Proposal: (Original and 5 Copies)

    The offeror shall identify the specific area(s) of research the 
proposed project addresses. These areas are defined in the section 
titled, ``Areas of Research in Which Contracts May be Awarded''.
a. Technical Approach and Understanding
    This section shall describe the offeror's technical approach to 
accomplish the work.
    The offeror shall provide a description of the technology, its 
intended use(s), and the need(s) or problem(s) the technology will 
address. The offeror shall provide a clear description of the project 
objective(s) and deliverables (e.g. reports, device(s)).
    The offeror shall provide a statement of work (SOW) which shall be 
divided into logical tasks and subtasks necessary to accomplish the 
project objective(s). The SOW shall include, where applicable, key go/
no-go decision points (it is understood that because of the nature of 
the work proposed that some, though few, will not lend themselves to 
go/no-go decision points) which will be used to evaluate project 
success. These decision points may be identified as options in any 
resulting contract. The offeror shall identify specific success 
criteria which must be satisfied to demonstrate success for each key 
go/no-go decision point.

    Note: The statement of work will contain Task 1 which will 
require the preparation of documentation and submission of 
information necessary for DOE to comply with the National 
Environmental Policy Act requirements if the project does not 
qualify as a categorical exclusion. Offerors may receive the 
Statement of Work format, which includes Task 1, from the individual 
identified in Article 9, as part of the information package.

    Where applicable the offer should provide a preliminary test plan 
which shall include, but not be limited to, objectives of the test, 
description of test equipment and experimental setup, test procedures, 
test conditions, number of tests, duration of tests, data to be 
collected, and criteria to determine success of a test. Also where 
applicable, the offeror shall provide a preliminary process flow 
diagram and material balance for the proposed technology.
    The proposer shall provide a PERT (Program Evaluation and Review 
Technique) chart or equivalent depicting the project schedule, 
milestones, and interrelationship of the project tasks. The offeror 
shall identify the critical path which identifies the sequential tasks 
which, if not completed on time, will result in a delay in the overall 
project schedule.
    The offeror shall provide a table listing the estimated labor hours 
and labor categories (e.g., management, engineering, scientific, 
technician, analytical, clerical) required for each task. The offeror 
shall include a table showing labor hours and labor categories for any 
proposed subcontracting or consulting effort for each task, including 
Task 1. The offeror shall discuss the rationale used to develop 
estimates for labor hours, labor categories, subcontracting effort, 
consulting effort, and travel. Cost information is not to be included 
in the technical proposal volume.
    The offeror shall describe the proposed travel. The purpose of the 
trip, number of trips, the origin and destination, trip duration, and 
the number of personnel shall be included in the explanation.
b. Merit of the Technology
    The offeror shall describe the merit of the proposed technology in 
terms of anticipated performance and/or cost savings over existing 
technologies and how the technology is an improvement, where 
applicable, in the following areas:
     Reducing public and occupational health risks
     Reducing environmental impacts
     Improving clean-up and waste management/processing 
operations
     Cost reduction
     Reducing the time required for remediation and or waste 
management/processing
     Minimizing generated or secondary wastes
     Ability to meet regulatory requirements
     Feasibility in implementing the technology
     Breadth of application
c. Personnel Qualifications, Project Organization and Experience
    The offeror shall describe relevant technical and managerial 
experience, qualifications, and availability of the proposed project 
personnel including subcontractors and consultants. Resumes of key 
project personnel (e.g., project manager, principal investigator) shall 
be included in an appendix to the proposal.
    The offeror shall provide a description of the project organization 
structure and the lines of authority, both technical and 
administrative, and the relationship to the proposed research effort.
    The offeror shall discuss any prior experience in managing project 
that were similar in type, size, and complexity. The offeror shall 
discuss experience in developing the proposed or similar technologies.
d. Facilities and Equipment
    The offeror shall provide a discussion of the type, quality, 
availability and appropriateness of the proposed facilities and 
equipment, including a description of any facilities and/or non-
monetary resources requested to be furnished by the Government for use 
by the offeror in performance of the proposed research.
    The offeror shall discuss any special existing permits and licenses 
for handling, treating, storing and disposing of hazardous and 
radioactive waste at their facilities.

3. Volume III--Cost Proposal: (Original and 3 Copies)

    a. A fully executed Standard Form (SF) 1411.
    b. Supporting cost exhibits for the total project, by task, and 
between go/no-go decision points to include labor hours, rates and 
costs; equipment and supplies lists and costs; subcontracted costs in 
the same level of detail; indirect costs and all other costs proposed. 
The same level of detail shall be provided for shared costs, if 
proposed.

DOE Obligation for Proposal Preparation

    DOE is under no obligation to reimburse the offeror for any costs 
associated with the preparation or submission of proposals; however, 
bid and proposal preparation costs which are a portion of an 
established indirect cost rate will be paid to successful offerors to 
the extent that such costs have been reviewed and approved by the 
appropriate auditing agency.

Funding of Proposals

    DOE reserves the right to fund, in whole or in part (including any 
options that may be negotiated), any, all, or none of the proposals 
submitted.

Return of Unsuccessful Proposals

    DOE is not required to, and will not, return to the offeror a 
proposal which is not selected.

Proposal Review and Selection

    1. Each proposal will be objectively reviewed on its own merit 
against the evaluation criteria stated in the ROA. A two-step review 
process will be employed. The initial evaluation will be performed to 
determine if the proposal is responsive to this ROA. Proposals passing 
the initial evaluation will be subject to a comprehensive evaluation 
using scientific and/or peer reviewers, some of whom may be DOE 
contractors. Offerors who object to review of their proposal by persons 
other than Government employees shall so state in Volume I of their 
proposal. Offerors are cautioned that DOE may be unable to give full 
consideration to proposals which indicate that only Government 
evaluation is authorized.
    2. Proposals will be reviewed in groups which will be assembled as 
often as practical considering the number of proposals received and the 
availability of competent reviewers.
    3. Selection of proposal(s) will be made in consideration of the 
evaluation, the importance of the proposed research to DOE's overall 
program objectives, and the availability of funds.

Proposal Evaluation and Award

    DOE is not obligated to award a contract to an offeror merely 
because the offeror's proposal was accepted by DOE for evaluation.

Set-aside Information, Standard Industrial Classification, and 
Qualified Offerors

    1. Set Aside Information: A minimum of twenty percent (20%) of the 
number of awards made as a result of this solicitation are set aside 
for small businesses.
    2. Standard industrial classification: The standard industrial 
classification (SIC) code for this acquisition is 8731. The small 
business size standard is 500. The small business size standard for a 
concern which submits an offer in its own name, other than on a 
construction or service contract, but which proposes to furnish a 
product which it did not itself manufacture, is 500 employees.
    3. Qualified Offerors: Individuals, educational institutions, large 
and small businesses, and all other organizations, with the exceptions 
noted below, may submit proposals under this ROA.
    Proposals are not solicited from and contracts will not be awarded 
to any specific entity which operates a Government-owned or Government-
controlled research, development, special production, or testing 
establishment, such as DOE's management and operating contractors 
facilities, or Federally Funded Research and Development Centers 
chartered by other agencies. For further information see DEAR 935.016-
2(b)(2).

    Dated: April 20, 1994.
Thomas F. Bechtel,
Director, Morgantown Energy Technology Center.
[FR Doc. 94-10154 Filed 4-26-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P