Notice of Intent to Sole Source - NIST National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee Support Services

Notice of Intent to Sole SourceThe National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) intends to negotiate, on a sole source basis, under the authority of FAR 6.302-1, with the Institute for Defense Analyses, Inc (IDA), located at 730 E Glebe Rd Alexandria, VA 22305, under the Science and Technology Policy Institute (STPI) Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract vehicle for National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee Support Services for the Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) at NIST, Gaithersburg, Maryland.  The period of performance of this work is expected to be from September 15, 2022 through September 14, 2023.Section 5104 of the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020 (P.L. 116-283 or the Act) mandated the establishment of the National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee (NAIAC or Committee) in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA).  The Committee

shall advise the President and the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Office (NAIIO) on matters related to the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative (Initiative). The purposes of the Initiative are: (1) ensuring continued United States leadership in artificial intelligence research and development; (2) leading the world in the development and use of trustworthy artificial intelligence systems in the public and private sectors; (3) preparing the present and future United States workforce for the integration of artificial intelligence systems across all sectors of the economy and society; and (4) coordinating ongoing artificial intelligence research, development, and demonstration activities among the civilian agencies, the Department of Defense, and the Intelligence Community to ensure that each informs the work of the others.NIST will support the NAIAC by synthesizing meetings; conducting research; collaborating with NAIAC staff and collaborators on research; and producing technical analysis of the committee’s findings, and recommendations as described in to Section 5104(d) and Section 5104(e) of the Act.The objective of this task order is for the contractor to provide support and technical analysis to NIST for identifying topical areas of concern as described in to Section 5104(d) and Section 5104(e) of the Act.  The Contractor shall provide technical and analytical support for the full NAIAC, its working groups, and Subcommittee.   The Contractor shall coordinate through the COR or designee with fellows, student volunteers, offsite collaborators to complete the following tasks: Task 1: The Contractor shall conduct research using a variety of qualitative and quantitative methods as requested by the full NAIAC, its working groups, and Subcommittee on topic areas pertaining to the duties enumerated in the Act.Task 2: The Contractor shall draft NAIAC reports that include the advice and recommendations pertaining to the statutory duties of the NAIAC and its Subcommittee, derived from Contractor research and analysis, meeting synthesis, and input from the Committee, working group, and Subcommittee members, and NAIAC support staff in an agreed upon format deemed acceptable by the COR.Task 3: The Contractor shall prepare a fact sheet or memo with pertinent information related to the meeting or topic area being discussed in advance of NAIAC, working group, or Subcommittee meetings. The COR/TPOC will advise the Contractor if a fact sheet or memo will be needed and the completion date for any deliverables will be mutually determined by the Contractor and COR.Task 4: The Contractor shall attend full NAIAC, working group, and subcommittee meetings to synthesize conclusions and consolidate findings and recommendations into an outline as a basis for the interim report for the NAIAC’s review and approval. Task 5: Once approved, the contractor shall develop an interim report based on the outline in collaboration with NAIAC for the committee’s review and approval.Task 6:  (Optional Task): The contractor shall provide the interim report to a technical review board for review/comments.  The contractor shall assist the Government with drafting a Request for Information (RFI) for public comments. Task 7: The contractor shall finalize the report based on the feedback gathered for the NAIAC’s review and approval.IDA has been identified as uniquely capable of providing the support and services required based on the following:Support for the NAIAC requires review and preparation of materials of a confidential nature and the understanding of how to navigate the coordination of a Federal advisory committee with an atypical reporting structure. The NAIAC members will engage in conversations and conduct research that may be sensitive or include sensitive data. IDA works with information and data of a sensitive and confidential nature. IDA can provide support to the NAIAC without conflict of interest. In addition, IDA has a combination of expertise in science and technology and policy to address the proposed study. The Government’s market research demonstrates there is not a private company with this total range of expertise and the ability to address all of the concerns outlined while maintaining freedom from conflict of interest.  IDA has the unique combined skills, knowledge, and experience to effectively and efficiently provide the services needed to support NAIAC’s mission.  The FFRDC can provide a bridge to combine research and academic data with professional knowledge, experience, practice, and understanding of policy in a way that others across the private industry would be unable to satisfy in the timeline stipulated by Congress.A determination by the Government not to compete the proposed acquisition based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement.No solicitation package will be issued. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive quotations. However, responses received by Aug 4, 2022 will be considered by the Government.  All responses to this notice of intent must be submitted via email to hnw6@nist.gov so that they are received no later than Aug 4, 2022 at 11:00 AM Eastern Time.Each response should include the following Business Information:Contractor Name, Address,Point of Contact Name, Phone Number, and Email addressContractor UEIContractor Business Classification (i.e., small business, 8(a), woman owned, HubZone, veteran owned, etc.) as validated in System for Award Management (SAM). All offerors must register in the SAM located at http://www.sam.gov.Capability Statement