DLA Strategic Materials' Supplier Pathway: Research & Development

Purpose: This Supplier Pathway outlines the steps on how a Supplier engages with DLA Strategic Materials' Research & Development (R&D) Program — from registration and eligibility, to submitting a proposal, evaluation, award, execution, and invoicing.

Navigate:

Introduction into Strategic Materials

1. Reach Out to Your Local APEX Accelerators for Assistance
2. Register in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov)
3. Obtain Basic Certifications and Meet Compliance Standards
4. Research Current and Past Solicitations in SAM.gov
5. Find Solicitations that Meet the Supplier's Capabilities
6. Prepare White Paper and Submit to KO
7. White Paper Accepted by DLA?
   1. Restart Process at Market Research
8. Understand Evaluation Factors
9. Assemble Technical Proposal (if requested)
10. Assemble Cost Proposal (if requested)
11. Review and Submit Full Proposal
12. Proposal Accepted for Award?
    1. Restart Process at Market Research
13. Execute the BAA Award
14. Supplier Submits Receiving Report & Invoice in the same WAWF session?
    1. Complete Combo Invoicing
15. Complete Invoice and Receiving Report
16. Receive Payment from DFAS

Resources and Terms Glossary

DLA Strategic Materials Research & Development

DLA Strategic Materials R&D Program

DLA Strategic Materials R&D program is part of the agency's manufacturing technology portfolio and is designed to address the challenges of securing critical materials. Its primary goals are to:

• Lower costs
• Shorten lead times for materials
• Reduce security risks associated with relying on imported materials

To achieve these goals, the program partners with military services and industry to transition promising lab-scale technologies to full-scale production. The program has a particular interest in areas such as:

• Hypersonic thermal protection systems
• Energetic materials
• Rare earth elements
• Battery components

Back to Top

---

Back to Top

When working with DLA Strategic Materials as a small business / supplier, these specific basic certifications and compliance standards may be required in order to do business. See examples below:

Certifications

• Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC)  , as stated in DFARS clause 252.204-7021 , is needed to ensure Suppliers are safeguarding DLA/DoW data. For more information, see DLA OSBPs Cybersecurity Resources page.

Compliance

• Department of Transportation (DOT)  regulations certifying hazardous materials are properly classified, described, packaged, marked, labeled, and are in a condition safe to transport the material
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)  regulations regarding the proper management, handling, storage, transportation, and disposition of material
• Safety Data Sheet (SDS)  to communicate the hazards of the material  in accordance with The United Nations Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)  regulations for the characterization of waste to determine appropriate disposal of material and any associated packing and shipping material
• Environmental, Safety, and Occupational Health (ESOH) Policy Statement outlines DLA's overall commitment to maintaining safe, environmentally responsible, and compliant operations at all depot facilities
• Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS)  Compliance - Suppliers must be prepared to accept and prioritize contracts that are assigned a priority rating (e.g., "DO" or "DX") under the Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS)

Back to Top

DLA Research & Development utilizes Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs) to solicit proposals from industry and academia for research and development projects. For Strategic Materials, these BAAs are specifically designed to:

The BAA supports research and development, prototypes, technology advancements, and supply chain innovation that strengthen the National Defense Stockpile (NDS) and address Strategic/Critical Material risks.

The BAA does not procure commodities or materials. Instead, it invites industry, academia, research institutions, and Small Businesses to submit White Papers and full proposals for R&D or prototype efforts that align with stockpile modernization and national defense needs.

The BAA helps the DoW anticipate and solve Strategic-Material risks before they affect readiness.

Example of a Broad Agency Announcement:

After looking at active listings, switch to inactive or old listings of solicitations to see which proposals succeeded in the past.

Under the Status section located in the Filter By section, select the checkbox for Inactive and de-select the checkbox for Active to see old solicitations.

Begin reviewing Notice Types labeled Solicitation or Updated Solicitation.

Tip: Remember to focus on Notice Type "Solicitation" or "Updated Solicitation" for most relevant information while conducting market research.

Review solicitations present in listings on SAM.gov. There are typically three phases to a solicitation you will see:

1. Sources Sought - Used to gather basic information on availability and interest for Suppliers to meet the demands of a potential future solicitation, customer need, or business need. Usually gives basic information on:
   • Specification requirements to needed items
   • Location
   • Anticipated period of performance
   • Estimated quantities
   • Instructions for Suppliers on how to submit their capability statements if interested.
2. Pre-solicitation/Synopsis (usually a Request For Information or RFI) - Used to provide Vendors an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the requirement and submit their capability statements.
3. Solicitation - Standard solicitation to make official bids
4. Original Award Notice - SAM.gov notice stating who the successful Offeror is and what the contract price is that is under contract

Note: As time progresses, the above documents can be amended (updated) to reflect the newest changes such as requirement updates or extra clarifications needed within documents themselves.

For more information on SAM.gov Solicitation Notice Types see: What are the notice types for Contract Opportunities in SAM.gov?

See the example below of different Notice Types:

Suppliers can also use the advanced search filter on SAM.gov to save searches and then receive notifications by email every time a new solicitation is released with the saved criteria.

 

---

The BAA seeks solutions that directly support Defense stockpile objectives.
Suppliers should ask:

• Does my technology reduce supply chain risk?
• Does my technology strengthen U.S. sourcing or production of Strategic Materials?
• Does my technology introduce new scientific or engineering approaches the DoW has not yet used?

Because BAAs differ from traditional contracts, Suppliers must thoroughly review the solicitation to ensure they can meet all requirements. 

This includes, but is not limited to, the following areas:

• Instructions for White Paper and proposal format
• Mandatory templates (if provided)
• Intellectual property provisions
• Data rights
• Cost-sharing expectations (if applicable)
• Required technical capabilities

Back to Top

Most DLA Strategic Materials BAAs use a two-step process:

1. White Paper (initial screening)
2. Full Proposal (by invitation from the Government only)

The BAA White Paper provides a synopsis of the Supplier's proposed project. Before preparing this document, read the White Paper instructions in full. BAAs vary by year and by research area, but all include a White Paper submission section with required formats, page limits, subject matter focus, and a submission Point of Contact (POC). 

BAA instructions usually specify the following components and formatting requirements:

• Single PDF file submitted as an email attachment
• Page size: 8½ × 11 inches
• Margins: 1 inch
• Font: Times New Roman, 12-point
• Spacing: Single
• Typically no more than five pages, not including the cover page and any required addenda

The BAA instructions may require the use of a template for White Paper submission. This template will be found in the attachments section of the BAA.

Templates containing content descriptions and instructions are provided in Attachment B of the BAA.

Technical Content

Most BAAs ask for key information such as:

• Area(s) of interest you are responding to
• Technical description of the effort or research concept
• Identification of risks or challenges
• Estimated project duration
• Preliminary schedule for tasks or milestones
• Preliminary, “not-to-exceed” cost estimate
• A brief abstract that summarizes the proposed research in plain language    

Personal Addendum

Include a one-page addendum with biographical sketches (bios) of key personnel who will perform the research, highlighting qualifications and relevant experience.

Submit to Contracting Officer

Follow the contact and submission instructions in the BAA:

• Most BAAs direct Offerors to submit White Papers via email to a dedicated contracting inbox.
• Use the BAA number and title as directed in the announcement when naming the email or attachment.

---

Once a Supplier has submitted a White Paper:

• White Papers are screened for relevance to the BAA’s research interests and merit
• Not all submissions will be invited to proceed; only those of interest will be asked to submit a full proposal
• Notifications are typically sent via email to the address you provided in your White Paper

Only selected White Papers advance to the full proposal stage.

The KO will provide only one of the following two responses to an Offeror submitting a White Paper:

• A statement that the proposed research is not of interest to the Government with the rationale for this decision
• A request to submit a full proposal

The Government reserves the right to request full proposals from any, all, some, or none of the White Paper Offerors.

---

If the proposed research is not of interest to the Government, Suppliers can restart the process and begin researching Strategic Materials R&D opportunities using Step 4 - Search Solicitations. 

The Government will attempt to provide feedback to the Offeror regarding the rationale for this decision after receipt. These official notifications will be emailed to the Offeror’s Administrative POC identified in the White Paper. A full debrief after review of White Papers is not provided as no award can result from a White Paper submission.

Back to Top

A Supplier must understand the evaluation factors before writing a full proposal. Awards are made when proposals demonstrate both mission relevance and strong technical potential.

DLA uses a "best value" tradeoff process, meaning they will weigh the strengths of the technical proposal against the proposed price. A technically superior proposal may be selected even if it has a higher price.

Evaluation criteria generally include:

• Overall Scientific and Technical Merit: The Government will assess whether the proposed approach is innovative, feasible, credible, and comprehensive. They will evaluate the Supplier's understanding of the problem and the soundness of their technical methodology.

• Relevance and Benefit to DLA: The proposal will be judged on how well it aligns with DLA's mission and the specific "Areas of Interest" listed in the BAA. Suppliers must clearly demonstrate how their solution will provide a significant benefit or new capability to DLA Strategic Materials.

• Offeror's Capabilities and Experience: The Government will evaluate your company's ability to actually perform the work. This includes the qualifications of key personnel, the company's related experience, and the suitability of facilities and resources.

• Past Performance: The Supplier's history of performance on previous Government or commercial contracts is a key indicator of success. The Government will assess the quality of your previous work, your ability to control costs, and your timeliness.

• Transition and Adoption Potential: DLA wants solutions that can be successfully transitioned into operational use. The proposal will be evaluated on its "viability" (likelihood of becoming a real capability) and "desirability" (how easily it can be adopted by DLA).

• Price/Cost: The proposed price will be evaluated for reasonableness. For cost-reimbursement proposals, the Government will conduct a detailed "cost realism" analysis to determine if the estimated costs are realistic for the work being proposed.

---

If a White Paper is of sufficient interest to the Government, DLA may request technical and cost proposals. Before writing the technical proposal, understand that submission of a full technical proposal can only happen after the Government has reviewed your initial White Paper and explicitly requested one.

• Request is Not a Guarantee: A request for a full proposal does not in any way guarantee a contract award.
• Meet Basic Standards: To be eligible for an award, your company must meet the minimum standards for financial resources, past performance, integrity, and technical skill as defined in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 9 .

Your proposal submission must be broken into two distinct, standalone volumes.

• Volume I - Technical Proposal: Contains the technical solution. NO PRICING INFORMATION is allowed here.
• Volume II - Price/Cost Proposal: This is a completely separate document containing all financial details. It has no page limit.
• The volumes must be written so they can be evaluated independently. Do not cross-reference between them.

Adhere to Core Formatting Rules

This is the most common area for rejection. Your proposal may not be evaluated or awarded if you do not follow these rules exactly.

Adhere to these core formatting rules:

• Submission Structure - Two separate, standalone volumes: Volume I (Technical) and Volume II (Price/Cost).
• Page Limit - 20-page limit
• Page Format - 8.5" x 11" paper, 1-inch margins
• Font - 12-point Times New Roman (or similar)
• File Format - Typically PDF

What does NOT count towards the 20-page limit for Volume I:

• Table of Contents
• Resumes of Key Personnel
• Certifications for technical data

Assemble the Technical Proposal (Volume I)

While the BAAs use slightly different section titles, they require the same core information. A successful proposal should be structured as follows:

Back to Top

A Price/Cost Proposal is only submitted as part of a full proposal, and only after the Government has reviewed your White Paper and invited you to do so. Strategic Materials R&D solicitations anticipate awarding a Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) contract, where the Government and the supplier agree on a single, total price for the work to be performed.

The primary goal of your Price Proposal is to present a clear, total price for the project and provide sufficient detail for the Government to determine that the proposed price is fair and reasonable.

For a Firm-Fixed-Price proposal, be sure to include the following:

• Cover Page with your company information, the solicitation number, and contact details.
• Clear summary of the total proposed price for the entire project.
• Detailed breakdown of the total price by major tasks, phases, or deliverables as outlined in your Performance Work Statement (PWS).
• Supporting justification for your price. While the final price is fixed, you must provide a basis of estimate to show how you arrived at your number. This supporting detail should include:
  • Labor: Estimated labor categories, the total number of hours for each, and the blended hourly rates.
  • Materials & Equipment: An itemized list of major materials, supplies, and equipment with estimated costs.
  • Travel: Justification for any proposed travel, including the number of trips, travelers, and estimated costs.
  • Other Direct Costs (ODCs): Any other direct costs required to perform the work.
  • Indirect Rates: Your company's indirect rates (e.g., Fringe Benefits, Overhead, and G&A) that are factored into your final price.

---

When submitting a full proposal, be sure to review the following:

1. Isolate the Volumes: Before submitting, perform a final check to confirm there is absolutely no pricing data in Volume I. Verify that Volume II contains all the cost elements and supporting documentation required by the BAA.
2. Final Check: Proofread everything against the BAA's instructions. Ensure there are two completely separate volumes, all markings are correct, and under the 20-page limit for the technical volume (Volume I).
3. Convert to Final Format: Convert both your Technical and Price volumes into the required file format (almost always a PDF). Name your files clearly to avoid confusion (e.g., "Vol_I_Technical_Proposal_CompanyName.pdf" and "Vol_II_Price_Proposal_CompanyName.pdf").
4. Submit as Instructed: Proposals are typically submitted via email to  RandD.DCSO@dla.mil, but be sure to review the submission instructions.

---

After full proposals are submitted, the Government's evaluation team will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the following criteria:

• Overall Scientific and Technical Merit: How innovative, feasible, and comprehensive is the proposed research? 
• Relevance and Benefit to DLA: Does the proposal directly address the needs of the Strategic Materials program and offer a significant new capability?
• Offeror's Capabilities and Experience: Does the team have the necessary qualifications, facilities, and demonstrated experience to successfully execute the project?
• Past Performance: What is the Offeror's track record on similar Government or commercial contracts for quality, timeliness, and cost control?
• Reasonableness and Realism of Proposed Price/Cost: Is the proposed price fair for the work described? For cost proposals, are the estimated costs realistic and justified?

For help understanding Government contracts, see Understanding Contract Basics.

---

If the full proposal is not of interest to the Government, Suppliers can restart the process and begin researching Strategic Materials R&D opportunities using Step 4 - Search Solicitations. 

---

Once the BAA contract is awarded, the focus shifts to execution. Please note that following the selection process, all prospective contracts are subject to a comprehensive legal review, which includes a detailed cost analysis. Suppliers should anticipate that this review period may take between 60 and 90 days before the contract is finalized and awarded.

Successful performance requires concentrating on the following key areas:

• Attend the Post-Award Kick-Off Meeting: Align with the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) on goals, communication plans, and the schedule for key events.

• Monthly Status Reports: Suppliers will provide comprehensive Monthly Status Reports as specified in the contract. These reports serve as the formal mechanism to update the Government on technical progress, discuss challenges, and ensure stakeholder alignment before advancing to the next project stage.

• Perform MRL Process Development: Execute the Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) process development plan as proposed in your contract. The primary goal is to actively work to mature the technology and demonstrate progress toward the target MRL by the end of the performance period.

• Provide Demonstrations and Data Deliverables: Prepare for and deliver technical demonstrations or other tangible data deliverables that validate your findings and show progress toward the final objective.

• Deliver the End-of-Effort Final Report: At the conclusion of the performance period, the Supplier will prepare and submit a comprehensive final report. This document summarizes the entire project, including methodology, the results of analysis, all data collected, and conclusions and recommendations.

---

To submit an invoice, users must have access to Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment (PIEE), which provides access to Wide Area Workflow (WAWF), the system used to submit invoices to DLA and route the information to Defense Finance and Account Service (DFAS) for payment processing.

There are two slightly different invoicing processes depending on whether the Supplier already has a receiving report in hand or not. Suppliers have different business practices based upon their priorities.

---

When completing the Combo Invoicing Process, both the Invoice and Receiving Report will be generated at the same time. See the Combo Invoicing Process for additional information on how to complete the invoice and receiving report simultaneously.

After completing the Combo Invoice, skip to step 16 - Receive Payment from DFAS.

---

Supplier will need to complete two rounds of entering data into WAWF. The first round is entering data to create an receiving report and the second round is to enter information to create an invoice.

See Stand Alone Invoicing Process for additional information on how to complete the invoice and receiving report.

---

Once the invoice (typically with receiving report) has been submitted in WAWF, it will be routed to the Defense Finance And Accounting Service (DFAS)  for processing.

Typically payment terms are 30 days, but this will be stated in the contract. DFAS evaluates the submitted Invoice and Receiving Report by using a "3-Way Match" approach which seeks matching information across the Contract, Invoice, and Receiving Report and then pre-validates the invoice. After approval, the DFAS Disbursing Office will send a check or Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) to Vendor and update myInvoice.

MyInvoice is a web-based application developed specifically for Suppliers' and Government users to obtain status of Suppliers' invoices.

To check invoice payment status, a Supplier can check myInvoice in Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment (PIEE)  or see if a Payment Official has completed any action on the WAWF submitted invoice.

See the following DFAS video below to see how to check payment status in myInvoice.

 

Check for Payment Official Action

Another way to check the status of your invoice in WAWF is to follow these steps: 

1. Login to WAWF and select the Vendor tab. 
2. From the dropdown, select History folder.
3. Use the search fields to locate the Combo Invoice.
4. Click Submit.
5. Locate the invoice heading and then click on the linked document below. 
6. Once invoice opens, scroll down to the bottom of the page and under Action By: Payment Official, you can view the status of your invoice.

Resources:

• Contractor and Vendor Payment Information Booklet (PDF) - Detailed guides on how to get paid and common hinderances as to why payments could be delayed
• Accelerating Payments to Small Businesses (PDF) - Guide and overview of DFAS for small businesses

This information includes elements of AI-generated content, which were reviewed and edited by relevant War Department employees to verify appropriateness and compliance with DOW policies and guidance.