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FAR Based Strategies

Ordering under the Federal Supply Schedule
Acquisition of Commercial Products and Commercial Services
Simplified Procedures for Noncommercial Acquisitions
Contracting by Negotiation
Indefinite-Delivery Contracts
Letter Contracts
Agreements
Small Business
Broad Agency Announcement
Commercial Solutions Opening

Statutory Strategies

SBIR/STTR Programs
Other Transactions
Procurement for Experiments
R&D Agreements
Cooperative R&D Agreement
Partnership Intermediary Agreement
Technology Investment Agreement
Contract Type Matrix

Broad Agency Announcement
FAR 35.102

Broad Agency Announcements, or BAAs, are used with peer or scientific review to obtain proposals for basic and applied research, and for that part of development not related to developing a specific system or hardware procurement. The BAA technique should be used only when meaningful proposals with varying technical or scientific approaches are reasonably expected. Under RFO FAR Part 35, the BAA citation is now FAR 35.102.

A BAA must describe the research the agency is interested in, explain how proposals will be selected, state the relative importance of the evaluation criteria, describe the evaluation methodology, specify the proposal due date, and provide clear proposal preparation and submission instructions. BAAs are publicized through the Governmentwide point of entry and, when authorized, may also be published through scientific, technical, or engineering publications or other platforms used by the target audience.

BAA proposals are evaluated using a peer or scientific review process. Written evaluation reports are required for each proposal, but proposals do not need to be evaluated against each other because they respond to broad research areas rather than a common work statement. Proposals are generally selected based on technical merit, importance to agency programs, and availability of funds.

BAAs may be used for science and technology efforts such as:

  • Basic research
  • Applied research
  • Development not related to a specific system or hardware procurement
  • Science and technology initiatives
  • Technology maturation when consistent with FAR 35.102

BAAs may support FAR-based contracts and, where separately authorized, may also lead to non-FAR-based agreements.

For DoD, Class Deviation 2022-O0005, Revision 2, provides a pilot program for streamlining awards for innovative technology projects. It expands exceptions to certified cost or pricing data requirements for certain contracts, subcontracts, or modifications valued at less than $7.5 million and awarded to a small business concern or nontraditional defense contractor under a technical, merit-based selection procedure, the SBIR Program, or the STTR Program. The deviation also addresses exemptions from audit and records examination requirements for certain covered actions, but the class deviation should be checked for current applicability before use because it has been revised over time.

 

Common Applications

  • Research and development studies
  • Basic and applied research
  • Science and technology initiatives
  • Technology maturation
  • SBIR and STTR-related efforts, when applicable
  • Early-stage innovative technology exploration

 

 

Pros

Cons
Supports discovery and advancement in areas of strategic technical importance. BAAs are limited to research and development purposes and cannot be used as a general acquisition shortcut.
Allows technical or scientific merit-based evaluation. Transitioning successful research into acquisition programs may require a separate acquisition strategy.
Provides flexibility to consider different scientific and technical approaches. Intellectual property and data rights must be addressed carefully, especially if the effort may transition later.
Can help agencies engage innovative performers and nontraditional vendors. BAAs cannot be used to acquire production quantities or a specific system or hardware solution.

Restrictions

  • Limited to basic and applied research, and development not related to a specific system or hardware procurement.
  • Must use peer or scientific review.
    Must not be used when the Government is seeking a specific system, hardware solution, production requirement, or ordinary services requirement.
  • Cannot be used to acquire products in quantity.
  • Cannot be used for systems engineering and advisory services.
  • Funding must be appropriate for the research and development purpose.
  • DoD users should check current DoD class deviations, SBIR/STTR policy, and any agency-specific BAA procedures before use.

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