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pdfU.S. Geological Survey
Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for 3D
Elevation Program (3DEP)
DOIGFBO210044
Grants.gov Funding Opportunity Number: G22AS00013
DOIGFBO210044
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FY22 BAA Solicitation
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
I.
OVERVIEW INFORMATION
4
II.
3D ELEVATION PROGRAM (3DEP) OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION 6
A.
Introduction
6
B.
Background
6
C.
Opportunity Considerations and Clarifications
7
1. Contract Mechanism
7
2. Acquisition in Alaska
8
3. Publication of 3DEP Data over Federally Recognized Tribal Lands
9
D.
3DEP Lidar Base Specifications, Project Deliverables and Upgrade Options 10
1. Lidar Base Specifications
10
2. Quality Level Upgrades (QL1 or better)
11
3. Product and Service Upgrades
11
4. Exceptions for Non-Conventional Technologies
11
5. Project Boundaries, Coordinate Reference System, and Tiling Scheme
11
Objective
12
III.
AWARD INFORMATION
12
IV.
ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION
12
Eligible Applicants
12
E.
A.
B. Cost Share, Minimum Non-Federal Match for Cooperative Agreements,
Project Scope
12
1. USGS Appropriations Law: Cost Share Restrictions for Mapping Projects
Carried on in Cooperation with States and Municipalities
13
C.
V.
A.
B.
2. Cooperative Agreements: State and Local Contributions
13
Post-Employment Conflicts of Interest
14
APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION
14
Application Submission
14
1. Geospatial Products and Services (GPSC) Proposals
14
2. Financial Assistance (Cooperative Agreements) Proposals
15
Format and Content of Proposals
16
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C.
Submission Dates and Times
17
D.
Late Submission and Withdrawal of a Proposal
17
PROPOSAL REVIEW INFORMATION
17
Criteria
17
1. Project Location
17
2. Areal Extent
18
3. Geographic Overlap with Federal Areas of Interest as Represented on
Attachment F, G, or H
18
4. Project Cost and Cost Share (funds contributed by applicant)
19
5. Maturity of Applicant’s Proposal and Maturity of Designated Funding
Sources
19
6. Technical Approach
20
7. Past Performance
20
B.
Review and Selection Process
20
C.
Evaluation Factors
21
VII.
AGENCY CONTACTS
21
VIII.
GENERAL INFORMATION
21
VI.
A.
A. Marking of Proposals and Disclosure of Proprietary Information Outside the
Government
21
IX.
B.
Disclosure of National BAA Statistics
22
C.
Government Obligation
22
D.
Prohibition on Contractor Involvement with Terrorist Activities
23
E.
Award Notices
23
F.
System for Award Management
23
ATTACHMENTS
23
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I.
OVERVIEW INFORMATION
Agency Name: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), National Geospatial Program,
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, MS 590, Reston, VA 20192
Issuing Acquisition Office: USGS Office of Acquisition and Grants (OAG), 12201
Sunrise Valley Drive, MS 205, Reston, VA 20191
Lidar Data Acquisition Opportunity Title: 3D Elevation Program (3DEP)
Announcement Type and Date: Initial Announcement – August 16, 2021
CFDA Number: 15.817 National Geospatial Program: Building the National Map
Public Meetings: A public webinar to review submission procedures and discuss
3DEP specifications and product deliverables as identified in the current version of
the USGS Lidar Base Specification was held on Wednesday August 11, 2021.
Materials from the webinar are posted on: https://usgs.gov/3DEP/FY22BAA.
Questions: Submit questions to [email protected]
Response Dates: Proposals for lidar acquisition are due by 5:00 PM ET on Friday,
October 1, 2021. The BAA will remain open and proposals received after the initial
due date will be considered for review until June 1, 2022 or until such time as the
BAA is cancelled through an amendment or another BAA is issued; additional
selections will be made depending on availability of funding and evaluation of
proposals consistent with the evaluation criteria provided herein. Amendments to this
BAA, including potential support for collection of National Hydrography Dataset
updates derived from 3DEP data, may be issued if additional funding or
geographically targeted partnership opportunities become available during the open
period of this BAA.
Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: This information collection is authorized by
Executive Order 12906. Your response is required to obtain or retain a benefit. We
estimate it will take approximately 60 hours to lay the foundation for a lidar
acquisition project and 1 hour to prepare and submit the BAA application. Applicants
awarded cooperative agreements or cost-share contracts are required to submit status
reports. Monthly progress reports will take approximately 1 hour to prepare; the final
report should take 20 hours to prepare.
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 USC 3501), an agency may not
conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a collection of
information unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) control number. OMB reviewed and approved this information collection
through December 2023 and assigned OMB Control Number 1028-0092. You may
submit comments on any aspect of this information collection, including the accuracy
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of the estimated burden hours and suggestions to reduce this burden. Send your
comments to: Information Collections Clearance Officer, US Geological Survey,
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, VA 20192 or to [email protected].
Summary of Program Changes:
Primary changes implemented between the 2021 and the 2022 Broad Agency
Announcement include:
II. 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) Opportunity Description
C.1. Opportunity Considerations and Clarifications, Contract Mechanism:
Updated text to reflect preferred terminology of data validation instead of
QA/QC.
D.5. Project Boundaries, Coordinate Reference System, and Tiling Scheme:
Added text clarifying the submission of a properly formatted vector GIS file.
V. Application and Submission Information
A. Application Submission: Added clarifying text for the submission procedure
for each desired contract mechanism
A.1 Application Submission, Geospatial Products and Services (GPSC)
Proposals: Added text requiring the submission of a properly formatted vector
GIS file
A.2 Application Submission, Geospatial Products and Services (GPSC)
Proposals: Added text requiring the submission of a properly formatted vector
GIS file
IX. Attachments
Updated:
A. 3DEP BAA Proposal Submission Tool
B. Instructions for 3DEP Project Boundary Creation and Delivery Scheme
C. Request for Preliminary Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE)
D. Applicant Validation of Funding Partners
E. 3D Elevation Program: FY21 Status of 3DEP Quality Data
F. 3DEP FY22 - FY24 Federal Areas of Interest
G. 3DEP FY22 Consolidated High Priority Federal Areas of Interest
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H. 3DEP Agency Specific Multi-Year 3DEP Priority Areas for Data Acquisition
II.
3D ELEVATION PROGRAM (3DEP) OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION
A. Introduction
This Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) is issued to facilitate the collection of lidar
and derived elevation data for the 3D Elevation Program (3DEP). The BAA continues
the USGS’s long-standing approach to elevation data acquisition through a
combination of contracting through the USGS Geospatial Products and Services
Contracts (GPSC) and partner-managed acquisitions. The BAA is meant to provide
increased visibility to these existing processes for data acquisition partnerships to the
broadest possible stakeholder community.
Proposals are invited from applicants who wish to propose a partnership with 3DEP
to fund lidar data acquisition and the creation of lidar-derived elevation products.
Applicants may fund an acquisition project through the USGS Geospatial Products
and Services Contract (GPSC) or they may request 3DEP funds to apply towards a
lidar data acquisition project where the requesting partner uses their own contracting
vehicle. Federal agencies, state and local governments, tribes, academic institutions,
and the private sector are eligible to submit proposals. The Government will review
proposals based on the project’s alignment with the evaluation criteria identified in
section VI.A. of this BAA.
A synopsis of previous BAA Awards is available on https://usgs.gov/3DEP/BAA.
3DEP products and services, including data resulting from BAA projects can be
accessed via The National Map Data Download and Visualization Services:
https://apps.nationalmap.gov.
B. Background
The goal of the 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) is to complete nationwide lidar (IfSAR
in AK) to provide the first-ever national baseline of consistent high-resolution 3D
elevation data — including bare earth elevations and 3D point clouds — collected in
a timeframe of less than a decade.
The U.S. Geological Survey is designated by the Office of Management and Budget
(in 2002 through OMB Circular A–16) as the lead Federal agency for terrestrial
elevation data. The 3DEP is designed to fulfill that leadership responsibility and to
ensure that the needs of the Nation for high-quality 3D elevation data are being met.
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3DEP takes a collaborative approach to acquiring data for the nation because this role
cannot be filled by the USGS alone. 3DEP includes many partners: Federal agencies
and State, Tribal, and local governments, who will work together to build on existing
programs to complete the national collection of 3D elevation data. Private sector
firms, under contract to the Government, are collecting the data and providing
essential technology solutions to manage and deliver these data and services. The
implementation model for 3DEP is based on multi-agency partnership funding for
acquisition, with the USGS acting in a lead program management role to facilitate
planning and acquisition for the broader community through the use of government
contracts and partnership agreements. 3DEP presents a unique opportunity to increase
collaboration among all levels of government, to leverage the services and expertise
of private sector mapping firms that acquire the data, and to create jobs now and in
the future.
3DEP is based on the results of the National Enhanced Elevation Assessment (NEEA)
which indicated an optimal benefit to cost ratio for Quality Level 2 (QL2) data
collected over 8-years to complete national coverage. 3DEP aspires to systematically
collect elevation data in the form of high-quality light detection and ranging (lidar)
data for the conterminous United States, Hawaii, and the U.S. territories, as well as
interferometric synthetic aperture radar (IfSAR) data for Alaska.
This Broad Agency Announcement is structured to result in awards that will support
one or more of the Department of Interior’s Secretarial Priorities. Applicants should
refer to Attachment I for the full list of the current Department of the Interior
Secretarial Priorities.
C. Opportunity Considerations and Clarifications
1. Contract Mechanism
Applicants may propose to use the existing USGS Geospatial Products and Services
Contracts (GPSC) to acquire data or applicants may propose to use a contracting
vehicle for data acquisition that they manage and directly oversee. The USGS is
responsible for the final validation of all data supported by this opportunity regardless
of contract mechanism. Applicants who choose to manage and directly oversee their
data acquisition through a cooperative agreement, cost-share contract or purchase
order should reference USGS validation including corrections and resubmission of
the corrected data to the USGS in their acquisition contract.
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a) Geospatial Products and Services Contracts (GPSC)
The USGS National Geospatial Program’s (NGP) preferred method of data
acquisition is through the GPSC, a multiple award acquisition vehicle that is designed
to utilize the teams of firms on the contract for services needed to accomplish 3DEP
data acquisition. The contracts include acquisition, processing, and quality assurance
of lidar and other source geographic data. These contracts are already in place and
have been awarded through a competitive process, consistent with the Competition in
Contracting Act and the Brooks Act. Firms on the GPSC have been selected based on
their qualifications and performance in providing the professional services needed for
3DEP. The GPSC is an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract that
provides for an indefinite quantity of services for a fixed time, above a specified
minimum. IDIQs help streamline the contract process and speed service delivery. To
ensure data quality and efficient development of standard products and services, the
USGS prefers that partners use the GPSC when possible and practical and expects to
allocate approximately 75% or more of the available funding to projects proposing to
use the GPSC.
The GPSC is also offered as a service for acquiring elevation data for external
organizations who are not seeking additional funding. Information on this service can
be found at https://usgs.gov/3DEP/GPSC.
b) Financial Assistance: Cooperative Agreement (Government) or Cost Share
Contract (Non-Government)
Applicants may request financial assistance to support a contracting vehicle for data
acquisition that the applicant manages and directly oversees. This assistance is
provided through a cooperative agreement or a cost-share contract, which is neither a
contract nor a grant. As a cooperative agreement, there will be substantial
involvement on the part of the USGS with the recipient’s organization to promote the
objectives of the program, monitor progress, and agree on milestones and
accomplishments for work performed as part of the agreement. The USGS expects to
allocate approximately 25% or less of the available funding to projects requesting
assistance awards.
2. Acquisition in Alaska
Statewide IfSAR 3DEP coverage for Alaska was completed in Fiscal Year 2020.
However, proposals for lidar in Alaska will be considered over targeted acquisition
areas to include:
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•
•
•
•
•
•
critically targeted geographies identified by multiple agencies in the
original NEEA study
areas that overlap with Federal priorities as noted in attachments F, G or
H.
Alaska coastlines extending to the 50-foot elevation line. Additional
extents may be considered in developed areas or areas of populated native
communities to support geo-hazard and flood related assessment and
mitigation.
flat geographies of the Yukon delta including all US Fish and Wildlife
Service (USFWS) refuge lands therein, and in north central Alaska
surrounding Barrow
the area of the Yukon River basin identified for native Alaskan village
flood risk
larger municipalities with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
regulated airport facilities and FAA's identified Alaska Peninsula flight
approach area. Primary transportation corridors to include existing and
proposed railways, highways, ports, and major river corridors.
3. Publication of 3DEP Data over Federally Recognized Tribal Lands
The DOI Policy on Consultation with Indian Tribes and the DOI Policy on
Consultation with Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) Corporations
requires that DOI Agencies provide federally-recognized Indian Tribes or ANCSA
Corporations the opportunity to consult with the Agency before taking any action
affecting tribal or ANCSA Corporation interests. USGS has determined that the
publication of airborne lidar over tribal lands requires tribal notification. All BAA
award recipients, regardless of contract mechanism used (GPSC or Financial
Assistance) are subject to this policy.
USGS will initiate and manage the tribal notification and consultation process on
behalf of all BAA award recipients shortly after award. USGS will identify any
tribal/ANCSA lands within the project boundary and send a notification letter to those
tribes. The BAA award recipients will receive a copy of the tribal notification letter.
If the tribe objects to public release of the products resulting from the lidar acquisition
over their lands, the data may not be published. All other project area data outside of
the tribal land boundaries will be published. USGS will require the written permission
of the Tribe before providing a copy of the restricted data to nonfederal funding
partners for their own needs. Funding partners who receive a copy of the data may not
further distribute the restricted tribal data.
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Additional language for projects on surveyor access to tribal lands:
USGS requests that the data acquisition contract contain language regarding access to
tribal lands by survey teams. The contract should state that the lidar vendor should
avoid sending survey teams onto tribal lands if possible. If the teams need to collect
data on tribal lands, the collection should be limited to federal, state, county, or
Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) road right of ways. If a project requires additional
points outside of these areas, the survey team will contact the tribe to determine their
procedures for access to tribal lands.
D. 3DEP Lidar Base Specifications, Project Deliverables and Upgrade Options
1.
Lidar Base Specifications
The deliverables for any given project must conform to the USGS product
specification for lidar and derived products in effect at the time of GPSC task order or
financial assistance award. Information on the current version of the USGS Lidar
Base Specification can be found at http://www.usgs.gov/3dep/lidarspec.
In addition to the requirements outlined in the USGS Lidar Base Specification, lidar
data and derived products must meet the current definition of Quality Level 2 (QL2)
as follows:
“Classified lidar point cloud data, with a minimum point density of 2 points per
square meter, a nominal lidar pulse spacing of no greater than 0.7 meter, and a
relative vertical accuracy of no greater than 10-cm root mean squared error
(RMSEz)”
Quality
Level
Source
QL0
QL1
QL2
QL3
QL4
QL5
Lidar
Lidar
Lidar
Lidar
Imagery
IfSAR
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Vertical
Accuracy
RMSEz
5 cm
10 cm
10 cm
20 cm
139 cm
185 cm
Nominal Pulse
Spacing (NPS)
Nominal Pulse DEM Post
Density (NPD) Spacing
0.35 m
0.35 m
0.7 m
1.4 m
N/A
N/A
8 points/m2
8 points/m2
2 points/m2
0.5 points/m2
N/A
N/A
FY22 BAA Solicitation
0.5 m
0.5 m
1m
2m
5m
5m
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2. Quality Level Upgrades
The USGS anticipates awarding lidar projects for QL2 data. However, applicants can
propose projects for the acquisition of higher quality (QL1 or better) data. The USGS
will only contribute funds for the cost of QL2 data and any costs associated with the
upgrade to higher quality data will be borne solely by the applicant.
3.
Product and Service Upgrades
For those applicants proposing to use the Geospatial Products and Services Contracts
(GPSC), additional products are available. Requests for additional products and
services should be documented in Attachments A and C to assure inclusion in the
Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE) and recognition of the full project
costs. The cost of the additional products and services will be incorporated into
partner funding agreement(s). The cost of additional products and services are the
sole responsibility of the applicant. 3DEP will not contribute funding toward
additional products and services. For applicants proposing to manage their own
contract for data acquisition, the cost of these products should not be included in the
3DEP funding request.
4. Exceptions for Non-Conventional Technologies
Data collected using Geiger Mode and Single Photon lidar systems do not currently
meet the USGS Lidar Base Specification, which it was written to specifically address
conventional lidar systems. Submissions for the use of these technologies will be
considered and reviewed against the stated criteria as noted in section VI. A, with
noted exceptions to the lidar base specifications. All exceptions to the lidar base
specifications and other data anomalies resulting from the use of non-conventional
lidar systems will be discussed, documented, and agreed upon prior to final award.
Agreed upon exceptions to the Lidar Base Specification will be noted in the award
documentation.
5. Project Boundaries, Coordinate Reference System, and Tiling Scheme
A Defined Project Area (DPA) must be developed for all 3DEP BAA projects. The
DPA is defined as the Area of Interest (AOI) plus a 100-meter buffer around the AOI.
The full extent of the DPA must contain data produced to meet 3DEP specifications
and Task Order requirements. 3DEP BAA project deliverables will be delivered in
the coordinate reference system(s) (CRS) and tiling scheme of the applicant’s
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choosing. The CRS(s) must be registered with EPSG as outlined in the current Lidar
Base Specification.
Additional information and instructions for expanding a project boundary to create a
DPA are included in Attachment B: Instructions for 3DEP Project Boundary
Creation and Delivery Scheme.
A properly formatted vector GIS file that has been expanded to the DPA as described
in Attachment B must be used for project cost estimates and submitted as a part of the
proposal submission package.
E. Objective
This effort will result high-resolution, public domain, lidar data and derived elevation
products, obtained through collaboration between the US government, tribal
organizations, state and regional agencies, academic institutions, and the private
sector.
III.
AWARD INFORMATION
Awards made under this BAA are subject to the availability of funds and may be in
the form of a contract for data acquisition through the USGS Geospatial Products and
Services (GPSC) or a financial assistance award (cooperative agreement, cost-share
contract) or a purchase order. Multiple awards are anticipated.
IV.
ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION
A. Eligible Applicants
Single entities or teams from Federal agencies, state and local governments, tribes,
academic institutions, and the private sector are eligible to submit proposals.
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), Minority Institutions (MI),
Small Business concerns, Small Disadvantaged Business concerns, Women-Owned
Small Business concerns, Veteran-Owned Small Business concerns, Service-Disabled
Veteran-Owned Small Business concerns, and HUB Zone Small Business concerns
are encouraged to submit proposals and to join other entities as team members in
submitting proposals.
B. Cost Share, Minimum Non-Federal Match for Cooperative Agreements, Project
Scope
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The 3DEP implementation model is based on multi-agency partnership funding for
acquisition. Applicants must commit to funding a portion of the project (cost share)
to be considered for a BAA award. Project cost share is an evaluation factor against
which proposals are rated (section VI.A.4). The greater the applicant’s cost share, the
higher the score for this factor. The average BAA Award covers 30% (range 2% to
50%) of the total project cost. In FY21, project awards ranged from $120,000 to
$2.7M with an average award of $850,000. BAA awards must comply with the
following federal guidelines:
1. USGS Appropriations Law: Cost Share Restrictions for Mapping Projects
Carried on in Cooperation with States and Municipalities
Appropriations law dictates that the USGS may not pay more than one-half the cost
of topographic mapping (which includes lidar and derived elevation products) carried
on in cooperation with States and municipalities (43 USC 50). The 3DEP program
will review the entire proposed funding package (both applicant partners and BAA
funding partners) to assure that the USGS contribution does not exceed 50%. Note
that this law limits the USGS contribution to the project but does not limit the total
contribution by the federal government. Multiple federal agencies may contribute to a
project and collectively these federal agencies may contribute greater than 50%.
Contracting procedures require that this law be cited in the BAA announcement. This
should not be construed as an offer from the USGS to fund 50% of a proposed
project. Again, the greater the applicant’s cost share, the greater the score for this
factor in the evaluation and the greater the likelihood that the proposal will be
selected.
2. Cooperative Agreements: State and Local Contributions
For State or local applicants proposing a Financial Assistance award through
Cooperative Agreements: Pursuant to 2 CFR § 200.306, State and local applicants
requesting an award in the form of a cooperative agreement must contribute a
minimum of 25% State and/or local funds to the collective applicant cost share. State
and local applicants are encouraged to develop funding consortiums that include
Federal partners however Federal agency contributions may not represent more than
75% of the applicant’s cost share. For example, if a State and/or local applicant is
proposing a total applicant cost share of $100,000, a minimum of $25,000 of those
funds must come from non-Federal sources. For all applicants, Federal and nonFederal contributions to the cost-share are specified in Attachment A: 3DEP BAA
Proposal Submission Tool. For applicants requesting cooperative agreements, Federal
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and non-Federal cost share must also be specified in the grants.gov application
package.
C. Post-Employment Conflicts of Interest
There are certain post-employment restrictions on former Federal officers and
employees, including special government employees (Section 207 of Title 18,
U.S.C.). If a prospective applicant believes a conflict of interest may exist, the
situation should be emailed to the Contracting Officer, prior to expending time and
effort to prepare a proposal.
V.
APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION
A. Application Submission
Procedures for submitting a BAA proposal vary based on the contract mechanism the
applicant proposes to use. Instructions for submitting an application to acquire data
through the Geospatial Products and Services contract are provided in section V.A.1.
Instructions for applicants requesting financial assistance for data acquisition
managed by the applicant are provided in section V.A.2.
1. Geospatial Products and Services (GPSC) Proposals
Acquisition proposals for projects to be contracted through the USGS GPSC must be
submitted directly to the Contracting Officer Vickie Floyd by emailing required
documents and forms to [email protected]. The email subject line should contain the
following: State, Last name of primary applicant, BAA Number DOIGFBO210044 proposal (e.g. VASmithDOIGFBO210044 - proposal).
Required documents, forms, and files to submit:
• Attachment A: 3DEP BAA Proposal Submission Tool
• Attachment C: Request for Preliminary Independent Government Cost Estimate
(IGCE) as appropriate
• Attachment(s) D: Applicant Validation of Funding Partners for each funding
partner
• A vector GIS file defining the location and coverage area of the project formatted
as described in Attachment B: Instructions for 3DEP Project Boundary Creation
and Delivery Scheme
All required forms are available for download at: https://usgs.gov/3DEP/FY22BAA.
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Project proposals must include a vector GIS file defining the location and coverage
area of the project represented by a polygon in shapefile, geopackage, or KML/KMZ
format. GIS files must be formatted as described in Attachment B: Instructions for
3DEP Project Boundary Creation and Delivery Scheme
Applicants may suggest a GPSC contractor for the project by identifying a “suggested
source” in the space provided in Attachment A. If a suggested source is identified,
the applicant must also provide a rationale for the suggestion in the space provided.
Greater consideration will be given to suggested GPSC contractors that provide
substantial direct input into the development of the proposal. USGS is not obligated
to award the project to the suggested source.
These are the only documents required for projects proposing to use the GPSC for
acquisition.
2. Financial Assistance Proposals
Acquisition proposals for projects requesting Financial Assistance awards (projects
acquired through the applicant’s contract) must be submitted electronically through
the grants.gov portal at http://www.grants.gov. A grant application package is
available for download through the portal under CFDA number 15.817 National
Geospatial Program: Building the National Map/Funding Opportunity Number
G22AS00013
Required documents, forms, and files to submit:
• Proposal Narrative
o Attachment A: 3DEP BAA Proposal Submission Tool
o Attachment(s) D: Applicant Validation of Funding Partners for each
funding partner
• Standard Form 424 Application for Federal Assistance
• Standard Form 424A Budget Information Non-Construction Programs
• Standard Form 424B Assurances Non-Construction Programs
• Detailed budget breakdown – Optional (may be required)
• A vector GIS file defining the location and coverage area of the project formatted
as described in Attachment B: Instructions for 3DEP Project Boundary Creation
and Delivery Scheme
Attachment A: 3DEP BAA Proposal Submission Tool and Attachment D: Validation
of Funding Partner(s) for proposal submission are also available for download at:
https://usgs.gov/3DEP/FY22BAA.
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Attachments A and D constitute the narrative portion of the application and must be
included as part of the application package. Financial Assistance proposals are
required to provide details about the technical approach for acquiring and
performing quality assurance of the lidar data and in the space provided in
Attachment A.
Project proposals must include a vector GIS file defining the location and coverage
area of the project represented by a polygon in shapefile, geopackage, or KML/KMZ
format. GIS files must be formatted as described in Attachment B: Instructions for
3DEP Project Boundary Creation and Delivery Scheme
In addition to the application package available through grants.gov, a detailed budget
breakdown may be required. The information provided in this document expands on
the information provided in the SF-424A and may be required if the proposal is
awarded. A grant specialist will contact the applicant to obtain detailed information if
the proposal is accepted for award.
NOTE: Prospective grantees (for cooperative agreements) must complete several
steps to enable submission through grants.gov. Starting early is extremely important
as it may take several weeks to complete the processes necessary to apply through the
portal.
B. Format and Content of Proposals
Applicants must complete and submit required documents listed for each submission
type above. Attachment A: 3DEP BAA Proposal Submission Tool, Attachment C:
Request for Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE) and Attachment D:
Validation of Funding Partner(s) are available for download at
https://usgs.gov/3DEP/FY22BAA.
The applicant is asked to provide detailed information including:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Contact Information
Project Summary
Project Synopsis (suitable for publication in list of BAA awards)
A vector GIS file (polygon in shapefile, geopackage, or KML/KMZ format)
defining the location and coverage area of the project*
Project Timeline
Data Specifications and Data Deliverables
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•
•
•
•
•
Technical Approach (where applicable)
Suggested Source (where applicable)
Project Cost and Finances
Funding Partners
Past Performance
* NOTE: The submission tool is designed to be used for a single geographic area.
Applicants must submit a separate proposal for each distinct project area to be
considered. Each submission will be evaluated against the criteria identified in section
VI.A.
C. Submission Dates and Times
Proposals for lidar acquisition are due by 5:00 PM ET on Friday October 1, 2021.
D. Late Submission and Withdrawal of a Proposal
Applicants are responsible for submitting electronic proposals through the proper
mechanism described in Sections V.A.1 and V.A.2 in sufficient time to enable receipt
by the Government office designated in this BAA by the submission deadline. If the
electronic submittals are received after the date and time specified for receipt of
offers, the submittal will be considered “late” and will not be reviewed as part of the
initial awards process. Proposals may be withdrawn by written notice received at any
time. Withdrawals are effective upon receipt of notice by the Contracting Officer.
The BAA will remain open and proposals received after the initial due date will be
considered for review until June 1, 2022 or until such time as the BAA is cancelled
through an amendment or another BAA is issued; additional selections will be made
depending on availability of funding and evaluation of proposals consistent with the
evaluation criteria provided herein.
VI.
PROPOSAL REVIEW INFORMATION
A. Criteria
1. Project Location
The “Project Location” selection criterion is designed to support Secretarial Priorities
as identified in Attachment I.
a)
Preference will be given to geographic areas
(1)
With no existing lidar coverage (IfSAR in AK)
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(2)
(3)
(4)
With existing data where the data quality level is QL3 (QL4 or
QL5)
With existing data where the data are more than 8 years old
With existing data where significant changes to the landscape have
occurred and are documented in the proposal
2. Areal Extent
The “Areal Extent” selection criterion recognizes the cost savings associated with
larger projects and is designed to support Secretarial Priorities as identified in
Attachment I.
a)
3DEP prefers projects greater than 1,500 square miles.
b)
Projects smaller than 1,500 square miles may be considered
(1)
To fill in gaps in coverage
(2)
Where project AOI defines a complete geophysical or political unit
(3)
For projects that represent significant cost share by the applicant
(4)
Where the total area of a project is reduced due to overlap with
another BAA proposal
3. Geographic Overlap with Federal Areas of Interest as Represented on
Attachment F, G, or H
Federal Agencies have provided their priorities in accordance with the current goals,
objectives, and priorities of their agencies. DOI agencies have submitted priorities in
alignment with the Department of Interior Secretarial Priorities (Attachment I).
Recognition of “Geographic Overlap” as a selection criterion supports the selection of
awards over geographic areas of interest of recognized value to the current
administration.
a)
3DEP has the goal of nation-wide coverage so welcomes submissions
from across the nation.
b)
General preference is given to projects that overlap identified Federal
areas of interest as noted in Attachment F: 3DEP FY22 – FY24 Federal
Areas of Interest
c)
Additional preference is given to projects that overlap areas designated in
Attachment G: 3DEP FY22 Consolidated High Priority Federal Areas of
Interest as Federal Agency areas of Interest Seeking Partnerships – High
Priority
d)
3DEP Federal funding partners may give additional preference to projects
that overlap their individual agency requirements identified in Attachment
H.
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4. Project Cost and Cost Share (funds contributed by applicant)
The “Project Cost and Cost Share” selection criterion recognizes the importance of
engaging with, building trust, and identifying mutual areas of interest and common
goals between the Federal, state, and local communities. This criterion will support
the Department of Interior Secretarial Priorities as identified in Attachment I.
a)
The cost of lidar acquisition varies based on geographic extent, terrain,
and vegetative cover. Applicants must include an ESTIMATED cost of
their project by means of:
(1)
An Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE) received from
the USGS Geospatial Products and Services Contracts (GPSC)
Commercial Partnership Team (CPT). Applicants should follow
the instructions and submit Attachment C: Request for Preliminary
Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE) as soon as
possible and no later than by 5:00 PM ET on Friday September 3,
2021 to receive the estimate in time to meet the October 1, 2021
submission deadline.
(2)
An estimate received from a lidar acquisition contractor. The
USGS will complete an independent review during the evaluation
period to determine if the proposed cost estimates reflect valid
industry cost for the specific geographic area and reflect a good
value to the government.
(3)
An estimate from another source accompanied by an explanation
of how the cost estimate was derived to enable an evaluation of the
proposed project costs. The USGS will complete an independent
review during the evaluation period to determine if the proposed
cost estimates reflect valid industry cost for the specific geographic
area and reflect a good value to the government.
b)
Preference is given to applicants that offer larger contributions to the total
cost of their project
5. Maturity of Applicant’s Proposal and Maturity of Designated Funding
Sources
The “Maturity” selection criterion recognizes the importance of engaging with,
building trust, and identifying mutual areas of interest and common goals between the
Federal, state, and local communities. This criterion will support the Department of
Interior Secretarial Priorities as identified in Attachment I.
a)
Applicants are required to provide validation of all funding partners listed
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in their proposal via Attachment D: Applicant Validation of Funding
Partner(s). Applicants with “Guaranteed” funding receive a higher score.
6. Technical Approach
A solid “Technical Approach” which results in acquisition, processing, and delivery
of 3DEP compliant data to all stakeholders including release of the data to the public
domain is the key to the satisfaction of all other goals and objectives.
a)
Projects making use of the GPSC as the acquisition mechanism receive
full score for technical approach
b)
Applicants proposing to manage their own contract will be evaluated on
the applicant’s approach to data acquisition and required project
deliverables. All products must meet the minimum 3DEP standards and
specifications as defined in Section II D.
7. Past Performance
a)
Applicant’s history of financial management of projects of similar
financial scope
b)
For applicants proposing to manage their own contract, past performance
may also apply to the contractor the applicant proposes to use to acquire
the data
B. Review and Selection Process
Each proposal will be evaluated based on the overall value and benefit to the
government in consideration of the project’s ability to support the current Department
of the Interior’s Secretarial Priorities (Attachment I). Submission benefits will be
judged on project location and areal extent of proposed data acquisition; cost realism
(cost per square mile for defined geographic area); cost share (funds contributed by
applicant); maturity of applicant’s proposal and designated funding sources; technical
approach; and past performance as applicable and related to the subject of this BAA.
All things being equal, the USGS prefers projects that will be acquired through the
GPSC because it is a standardized process that ensures data quality and standardized
product and service development. As stated in II C.1.a, the USGS expects to allocate
approximately 75% or more of the available funding to projects proposing to use the
GPSC.
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C. Evaluation Factors
The most important factors are project location, geographic overlap with areas
identified by Federal agencies as areas of interest for lidar acquisition, project cost
and cost share (funds contributed by applicants), and technical approach. These
factors are equally valued. Secondary factors include areal extent and maturity of
applicant’s proposal and (maturity of) designated funding sources. These factors carry
less weight than the five factors noted as most important but are of higher
consideration than past performance. Past performance is the factor with the least
weight.
VII.
AGENCY CONTACTS
Interested parties are encouraged to submit comments or questions via email to
Vickie Floyd at [email protected] and include BAA DOIFBO210044/G22AS000134
in the subject line. Comments or questions submitted should be concise and reference
the relevant part and paragraph of the BAA. All questions and responses will be
publicly posted as FAQs to https://usgs.gov/3DEP/BAA during the open period of the
BAA. Please take caution when submitting questions containing proprietary or
sensitive information.
VIII.
GENERAL INFORMATION
A. Marking of Proposals and Disclosure of Proprietary Information Outside the
Government
The proposal submitted in response to this BAA may contain technical and other data
that the applicant does not want disclosed to the public or used by the Government for
any purpose other than evaluation of the proposal. Public release of information in
any proposal submitted will be subject to existing statutory and regulatory
requirements. If proprietary information which constitutes a trade secret, proprietary
commercial or financial information, confidential personal information, or data
affecting the national security, is provided by the applicant in a proposal, it will be
treated in confidence, to the extent permitted by law, provided that the following
legend appears and is completed on the front of any proposal documentation
submitted to the Government: “For any purpose other than to evaluate the proposal,
this data must not be disclosed outside the Government and must not be duplicated,
used, or disclosed in whole or in part, provided that if an award is made to the
applicant as a result of or in connection with the submission of this data, the
Government must have the right to duplicate, use or disclose the data to the extent
provided in the agreement. This restriction does not limit the right of the Government
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to use information contained in the data if it is obtained from another source without
restriction. The data subject to this restriction is contained in page(s) ____ of this
proposal.” Any other legend may be unacceptable to the Government and may
constitute grounds for removing the proposal from further consideration without
assuming any liability for inadvertent disclosure. The Government will limit
dissemination of properly marked information to within official channels. In addition,
the pages indicated as restricted must be marked with the following legend: “Use or
disclosure of the proposed data on lines specifically identified by asterisk (*) are
subject to the restriction on the front page of this proposal.”
The Government assumes no liability for disclosure or use of unmarked data and may
use or disclose such data for any purpose.
By submission of a proposal, the applicant understands that proprietary information
may be disclosed outside the Government for the sole purpose of technical
evaluation. The USGS OAG will obtain a written agreement from the evaluator that
proprietary information in the proposal will only be used for evaluation purposes and
will not be further disclosed or utilized.
B. Disclosure of National BAA Statistics
Understanding the national needs for enhanced elevation data allows the USGS and
the 3DEP Stakeholder community to define a program that best meets the needs of
the nation.
The collective body of work that is submitted to the USGS though the BAA is a
critical indicator of the near-term geographic priorities, the level of funding needed to
support these requirements, and the resources 3DEP partners are able to contribute to
the acquisition of lidar data and derived products. The USGS will collate and may
make publicly available collective proposal statistics to include total funds requested,
total square miles requested, and a graphic showing all proposed areas of interest (in
graphic and shapefile format). Individual applicant information will not be
associated with these collective statistics.
This information will be used for analyses and program development.
C. Government Obligation
Applicants are cautioned that only an appointed Contracting Officer may obligate the
Government to the expenditure of funds. Applicants who make financial or other
commitments for a research effort in the absence of an actual legal obligation signed
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by a Contracting Officer do so at their own risk.
D. Prohibition on Contractor Involvement with Terrorist Activities
The applicant acknowledges that U.S. Executive Orders and Laws, including but not
limited to Executive Order 13224 and Public Law 107-56, prohibit transactions with,
and the provision of resources and support to, individuals and organizations
associated with terrorism. It is the legal responsibility of the applicant to ensure
compliance with these Executive Orders and Laws.
E. Award Notices
Notification of acceptance of proposals will be emailed to applicants beginning
around November/December 2021. Staggered notification of awards is likely as
award notifications are dependent upon the availability of Federal funds.
Unsuccessful applicants will be notified after all available funding has been
expended. Applicants whose proposals are accepted for funding will be contacted by
a Contract Specialist before award to discuss additional information required for
award. This may include representations and certifications, revised budgets or budget
explanations, certificate of current cost or pricing data, and other information as
applicable to the proposed award. If the submission proposes the use of the GPSC
services, a 3DEP and/or GPSC representative will contact the applicant to continue
the Task Order estimation process. During this process, the final funding amount
from both the Offeror organization and USGS will be determined. The period of
performance for the Task Order will also be finalized. A contract or cooperative
agreement signed by a Contracting Officer is the authorizing award document.
F. System for Award Management
Successful applicants must be registered in the System for Award Management
(http://federalcontractorregistry.com/) and have an active DUNS number.
IX.
ATTACHMENTS
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
BAA Proposal Submission Tool
Instructions for 3DEP Project Boundary Creation and Delivery Scheme
Request for Preliminary Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE)
Applicant Validation of Funding Partners
3D Elevation Program: FY21 Status of 3DEP Quality Data
3DEP FY22- FY24 Federal Areas of Interest
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G. 3DEP FY 22 Consolidated High Priority Federal Areas of Interest
H. 3DEP Agency Specific Multi-Year 3DEP Priority for Data Acquisition
I. Department of the Interior Secretarial Priorities
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| File Type | application/pdf |
| Author | Buto, Susan G |
| File Modified | 2021-08-12 |
| File Created | 2021-08-12 |