The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a five year broad agency announcement (BAA) for cyber security with international partners according to a Feb. 3 posting to FedBizOpps.
The BAA is substantially similar to another BAA released Feb. 6. The Feb. 3 BAA is in support of DHS’s Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) Cyber Security Division (CSD) as it develops and delivers new cyber security research and development technologies, tools, techniques, and capabilities. The BAA does not call for white papers or proposals directly but they will be called for in later amendments.
The announcement intends to have foreign government participation because cybersecurity “is a global concern and CSD has collaborative activities with several countries.” The participation includes access to white papers and proposal submissions to help determine joint-funding and joint participation in overseeing projects through the contract period of performance.
Foreign government participation will be determined by technical topic area for each call based on CSD collaboration and the possible list mirrors the other BAA: the governments of the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, the European Union, Germany, Israel, Sweden, New Zealand, Spain, Mexico, South Korea, Singapore, and other possible future partners.
DHS said while the CSD BAA program is subject to official fiscal appropriation, it anticipates a cost of $95 million over five years.
The BAA named several anticipated technical topic areas (TTAs) to help offerors understand potential cybersecurity program areas. This includes software assurance, cyber security for law enforcement, cyber physical systems, cyber for critical infrastructure, mobile security, network system security, cybersecurity outreach, data privacy and identity management, transition to practice, research infrastructure, Homeland Security Open Source Technologies (HOST), aviation cybersecurity, and human aspects of cyber security.
The announcement highlighted that offerors submitting eventual white papers and proposals will be required to identify which type classifications align with their submissions. The options are Type I-new technologies including an applied research and development phase with a three year total period of performance; Type II-prototype technologies with a development phase and two year total performance period; and Type II-mature technologies for technology demonstrations in an operational environment with a one year performance period.