6. Submission of Proposals
6.1 Submission Requirements
NASA uses electronically supported business processes for the Select SBIR Program. An offeror must have Internet access and an e-mail address. Paper submissions are not accepted.
The Electronic Handbook (EHB) for submitting proposals is located at (http://sbir.nasa.gov). The Proposal Submission EHB will guide the firms through the steps for submitting a Select SBIR proposal. All EHB submissions are through a secure connection. Communication between NASA’s SBIR Program and the firm is primarily through a combination of EHBs and e-mail.
6.2 Submission Process
SBCs must register in the EHB to begin the submission process. Firms are encouraged to start the proposal process early, to allow for sufficient time to complete the submissions process. It is recommended that the Business Official, or an authorized representative designated by the Business Official, be the first person to register for the SBC. The SBC’s Employer Identification Number (EIN)/Taxpayer Identification Number is required during registration.
Note: The designated firm admin, typically the first person to register your firm, is the only individual authorized to update and change the firm level forms (see section 6.2.1).
For successful proposal submission, SBCs shall complete all forms online, upload their technical proposal in an acceptable format, and have the Business Official and Principal Investigator electronically endorse the proposal. Electronic endorsement of the proposal is handled online with no additional software requirements. The term “technical proposal” refers to the part of the submission as described in section 3.2.4.
6.2.1 What Needs to Be Submitted
The entire proposal including Forms A, B, C, the briefing chart, and other firm level forms must be submitted/completed via the Submissions EHB located on the NASA SBIR/STTR website. (Note: Other forms of submissions such as postal, paper, fax, diskette, or e-mail attachments are not acceptable).
(1) Forms A, B, and C are to be completed online.
(2) The technical proposal is uploaded from your computer via the Internet utilizing secure communication protocol.
(3) Firms must submit a briefing chart online, which is not included in the page count (see section 3.2.5).
(4) NASA Research License Application (only if the use of TAV is proposed).
(5) The certifications, audit information, prior awards addendum, commercialization metrics survey are required and to be completed online. These are not included in the page count.
6.2.2 Technical Proposal Submissions
NASA converts all technical proposal files to PDF format for evaluation. Therefore, NASA requests that technical proposals be submitted in PDF format or MS Word. Note: Embedded animation or video, as well as reference technical papers for “further reading” will not be considered for evaluation.
Virus Check
The offeror is responsible for performing a virus check on each submitted technical proposal. As a standard part of entering the proposal into the processing system, NASA will scan each submitted electronic technical proposal for viruses. The detection, by NASA, of a virus on any electronically submitted technical proposal, may cause rejection of the proposal.
6.2.3 Technical Proposal Uploads
Firms will upload their proposals using the Submissions EHB. Directions will be provided to assist users. All transactions via the EHB are encrypted for security. Firms cannot submit security/password protected technical proposal and/or briefing chart files, as reviewers may not be able to open and read the files. An e-mail will be sent acknowledging each successful upload. Please verify the file name and file size in the confirmation email to ensure the correct proposal was uploaded. An example is provided below:
You may upload the technical proposal multiple times, with each new upload replacing the previous version, but only the final uploaded and electronically endorsed version will be considered for review.
6.3 Deadline for Select Phase I Proposal Receipt
All Select SBIR Phase I proposal submissions shall be received no later than 5:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, January 28, 2015, via the NASA SBIR/STTR website (http://sbir.nasa.gov). The EHB will not be available for Internet submissions after this deadline. Any proposal received after that date and time shall be considered late and handled according to NASA FAR Supplement 1815.208.
6.4 Acknowledgment of Proposal Receipt
The final proposal submission includes successful completion of Form A (electronically endorsed by the SBC Official), Form B, Form C, the uploaded technical proposal, firm-level forms, and the briefing chart. NASA will acknowledge receipt of electronically submitted proposals upon endorsement by the SBC Official to the SBC Official’s e-mail address as provided on the proposal cover sheet. If a proposal acknowledgment is not received, the offeror should call NASA SBIR/STTR Helpdesk at sbir@reisystems.com.
6.5 Withdrawal of Proposals
Prior to the close of submissions, proposals may be withdrawn via the Proposal Submission Electronic Handbook hosted on the NASA SBIR/STTR website (http://sbir.nasa.gov). In order to withdraw a proposal after the deadline, the designated SBC Official must send written notification via email to sbir@reisystems.com.
6.6 Service of Protests
Protests, as defined in Section 33.101 of the FAR, that are filed directly with an agency and copies of any protests that are filed with the General Accounting Office (GAO) shall be served on the Contracting Officer by obtaining written and dated acknowledgement of receipt from the NASA SBIR/STTR Program contact listed below:
Cassandra Williams
NASA Shared Services Center
Building 1111, C Road
Stennis Space Center, MS 39529
The copy of any protest shall be received within one calendar day of filing a protest with the GAO.
