Funder: NSWC - CRANE
Due Dates: Rolling (Abstracts & Proposals)
Funding Amounts: No set minimum or maximum; multiple awards anticipated; award size and duration vary by project and technical area.
Summary: Supports innovative research and technology demonstrations to advance national security across NSWC Crane’s primary technical capabilities.
Key Information: Open to academia, industry, and research organizations; proposals supporting multiple technical capabilities are encouraged.
Description
This opportunity is a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) from the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC Crane), seeking revolutionary research ideas and technology demonstrators that can advance and improve the center’s primary mission areas in support of national security. NSWC Crane specializes in total lifecycle support for the warfighter, focusing on three broad areas: Expeditionary Warfare, Strategic Missions, and Electronic Warfare. The BAA is intentionally broad, encouraging proposals that address one or more of ten defined technical capabilities (TCs), with a preference for projects that span multiple TCs.
The BAA is open to a wide range of research and development topics not covered by other NSWC Crane solicitations. Proposals should clearly identify the principal technical capability addressed and any adjunct capabilities. The BAA is designed to foster innovation in support of the U.S. Navy, Department of Defense, and other federal agencies engaged in national security.
Due Dates
- Abstracts and Proposals: Rolling submission; there is no fixed deadline. Submissions are accepted and reviewed on an ongoing basis.
Funding Amount
- Award Size: No specified minimum or maximum; funding and period of performance are determined by the scope and technical approach of each proposal.
- Number of Awards: Multiple awards are anticipated.
- Award Types: Grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, technology investment agreements, and other transaction agreements may be used.
Eligibility
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Who Can Apply:
- All responsible sources from academia, industry, and the research community.
- Teams and consortia are encouraged.
- Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Institutions (MIs) are encouraged to participate, but there is no set-aside.
- Federally Funded Research & Development Centers (FFRDCs) and most federal labs are not eligible as prime recipients but may participate as team members if allowed by their sponsoring agreements.
- University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs) may apply unless precluded by their DoD contract.
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Restrictions:
- Navy laboratories, military universities, and warfare centers, as well as other DoD and civilian agency labs, are not eligible to receive awards as prime recipients.
- Cost sharing is not required but may be proposed voluntarily.
Application Process
1. White Paper Submission (Recommended)
- Format: 1–5 pages, Times New Roman 12pt, single-spaced.
- Content: Cover page, technical concept, military relevance, operational concept, assessment plan, and rough order of magnitude cost estimate.
- Submission: Email to usn.crane.nswc-cd-crane-in.mbx.NSWC-Crane-T2-BACA@us.navy.mil with subject line “N0016424SNB35 White Paper Submission”.
- Purpose: White papers are strongly encouraged to facilitate early feedback and reduce unnecessary effort.
2. Full Proposal Submission
- After invitation or at your discretion, submit a full proposal.
- For grants/cooperative agreements: Submit via Grants.gov using the SF-424 (R&R) forms and required attachments.
- For contracts/other transactions: Contact the NSWC Crane Program Officer for submission instructions.
- Required Registrations: DUNS number, active SAM registration, and Grants.gov registration (for grants).
- Proposal Content: Technical narrative, management plan, budget, PI qualifications, current/pending support, facilities, and equipment.
3. Review Process
- Proposals are evaluated on technical merit, relevance to NSWC Crane’s mission, and availability of funds.
- Proposals are not evaluated against each other but on their own merits.
Technical Focus Areas
Proposals should address one or more of the following technical capabilities (TCs):
- Electronic Warfare (EW)
- Infrared and Pyrotechnic Countermeasures
- Strategic Systems Hardware
- Expeditionary Warfare and Systems
- Advanced Electronics
- Sensors and Surveillance Systems
- Hypersonic Weapon Systems
- Power and Energy Systems
- Electro-optic and Infrared Technologies
- Force Level EW Mission Analysis, Advanced Concepts, and Technologies
Each TC includes multiple thrust areas; see the full BAA PDF for detailed descriptions.
Additional Information
- Instrument Types: Awards may be made as grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, technology investment agreements, or other transaction agreements.
- Export Control: Compliance with ITAR/EAR may be required.
- Security: Most work is expected to be unclassified, but classified proposals are permitted.
- Reporting: Standard technical and financial reporting is required.
- No reimbursement for proposal preparation costs.
- No set program funding ceiling or floor.
External Links
Contact Information
For additional details or to discuss specific technical areas, contact the NSWC Crane technical point of contact listed above.