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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS: AUGUST 8, 2023 PERIOD OF PROPOSAL SUBMISSION ENDS: SEPTEMBER 8, 2023 ABOUT PROPOSALS. The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (hereafter “the Commission”) invites... REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS: AUGUST 8, 2023 PERIOD OF PROPOSAL SUBMISSION ENDS: SEPTEMBER 8, 2023 ABOUT PROPOSALS. The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (hereafter “the Commission”) invites submission of proposals to provide a concise, one-time unclassified report on China’s Advanced Remote Sensing Technologies and Applications. ABOUT THE COMMISSION. The Commission was established by Congress in 2000 to monitor and report to Congress on the national security implications of the bilateral trade and economic relationship between the United States and the People’s Republic of China. Further details about the Commission are available on its website at: www.uscc.gov. The Commission solicits this research pursuant to its Congressional mandate (contained in P.L. 113-291, Section 1259B), which states, “The Commission … shall investigate and report … on…” (B) The qualitative and quantitative nature of the transfer of United States production activities to the People’s Republic of China, including the relocation of manufacturing, advanced technology and intellectual property, and research and development facilities, the impact of such transfers on the national security of the United States (including the dependence of the national security industrial base of the United States on imports from China), the economic security of the United States, and employment in the United States, and the adequacy of United States export control laws in relation to the People’s Republic of China. (D) Foreign investment by the United States in the People’s Republic of China and by the People’s Republic of China in the United States, including an assessment of its economic and security implications, the challenges to market access confronting potential United States investment in the People’s Republic of China, and foreign activities by financial institutions in the People’s Republic of China. (E) The military plans, strategy and doctrine of the People’s Republic of China, the structure and organization of the People’s Republic of China military, the decision-making process of the People’s Republic of China military, the interaction between the civilian and military leadership in the People’s Republic of China, the development and promotion process for leaders in the People’s Republic of China military, deployments of the People’s Republic of China military, resources available to the People’s Republic of China military (including the development and execution of budgets and the allocation of funds), force modernization objectives and trends for the People’s Republic of China military, and the implications of such objectives and trends for the national security of the United States. This report’s key research requirements are: 1. Assess China’s objectives and approach to advanced remote sensing technologies. a. Provide an overview of the types of remote sensing technologies and briefly explain how such sensors work. b. Identify primary industries and end-users for remote sensors in dual-use applications including unmanned systems, satellites, radar, automotive, shipping, materials movement and management, and any other uses, highlighting but not focusing solely on military or dual-use applications. c. What remote sensing technologies are state of the art and what are considered next-generation? To what extent is the advancement of remote sensing technology driven by evolution of the sensors themselves versus advances in computing capabilities? Which technologies, such as light detection and ranging (LiDAR), synthetic aperture radar (SAR), and quantum sensing, will be essential for emerging industries and military applications? d. What are China’s objectives for current and emerging remote sensor technologies? What Chinese government entities are setting and implementing advanced remote sensor development targets? e. Identify the key players in terms of research, commercial activities, and funding in China. Include state entities, laboratories, research institutes, universities, and other players. f. To what extent do China’s remote sensor R&D and production rely on U.S. or other countries’ components, software, and other technologies? 2. Assess the state of China’s research and development (R&D) on advanced remote sensor technologies. a. How does the state of advanced remote sensor R&D in China compare with that of the United States and other countries with leading capabilities in these technologies? In general, which countries are global leaders in remote sensing technologies? Do any, including China or the United States, have a “chokehold” on key components of the technology? b. Identify which companies, laboratories, universities, and other entities are leaders in China’s advanced remote sensor technology development and the areas of significant advances and capabilities. c. Identify any remote sensor technologies, components, intellectual property, other inputs or companies that China has acquired or may target for acquisition from U.S. and other foreign companies through legal or other means including cyber-enabled espionage. 3. Assess the competitiveness of China’s advanced remote sensors industry and case studies. a. Provide an overview of the size and scope of China’s advanced remote sensor industry. Compare and contrast the competitiveness of China’s industry with that of the United States and other countries, particularly those with leading capabilities in remote sensing technologies. b. What segments of the Chinese economy are driving increased demand for advanced remote sensors? Please provide case studies in satellites, unmanned vehicles, and at least one more industry, such as the automotive industry, for analysis. Selection of case studies should take into account applications of remote sensing technologies with implications for both security and economic competitiveness. c. Identify any existing or planned near-term utilization of China’s advanced remote sensors in the United States or major economies. d. For these case studies, identify any policies that favor China’s advanced remote sensor companies and assess their implications for U.S. economic competitiveness in these industries. e. Assess the implications for U.S. industry and commercial competitiveness if Chinese competitors gain advantage in remote sensing technologies. 4. Identify and assess Chinese investments in U.S. advanced remote sensor companies. a. What is the volume of Chinese investment in the U.S. remote sensor industry? Assess any patterns of investment, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and venture capital investments. b. Has the Chinese government provided support to these investments? c. Identify trends in the types of remote sensor capabilities and companies targeted by Chinese entities for investment. d. Identify what government and commercial procurement policies, if any, consider the country of origin of remote sensing technologies. 5. Examine China’s use and development of advanced remote sensors for military purposes. a. Assess what advanced remote sensor capabilities are currently operational within the PLA and what capabilities are under development. b. How do these advanced remote sensor capabilities improve the PLA’s Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), space domain awareness, and Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) capabilities? c. Assess the current, short-term, and long-term implications for U.S. national security of the PLA’s use of advanced remote sensors, including but not limited to any threats posed to the survivability of U.S. submarines, aircraft, or other military platforms. The report should include an executive summary of the report’s key findings; a list of recommendations for Congress; a brief overview of the sources and analytic methodology used for the report; and a brief explanation of the scope and limitations of the report. Deliverables: 1. Kick off meeting with Commission - Within 2 weeks of award of contract 2. Interim Progress Report (IPR) and supporting enclosures defined below - Within 5 weeks of award of contract 3. Draft Report - 60 days from award of contract 4. Final Report - Within 4 weeks of Commission acceptance of a final draft report Additional Requirements: 1. Prior to the award of any contract, the contractor must be registered in the federal System for Award Management (SAM). 2. Once the Commission selects a contractor for this project, and a contract is signed, public notice of this may be made on the Commission’s website. 3. The Commission’s goal is to publish a report on advanced remote sensing technologies. Once the Commission selects a contractor and a contract is signed, Commission staff will work with the contractor through the following deliverables and tasks: a. Kick-Off Meeting: Commission staff will meet with the contractor for a “kick-off meeting” one to two weeks after the contract is awarded to discuss the project, Commission standards and expectations for contracted research, and any challenges anticipated by the contractor for this effort. b. Interim Progress Report: Within five weeks of the award of the contract, the contractor will submit an interim progress report on progress made and challenges encountered. The report should include a detailed report outline, a summary of initial findings and challenges, and a written sample of the work completed to date. Commission staff will review the deliverables with the contractor and provide feedback as needed to support the Draft Report. c. Draft Report: A complete first draft of the report—not to exceed 50 pages of text—must be submitted to the Commission for review no later than 60 days from the award of the contract. The Commission will assess the first draft of the report to ensure that it satisfactorily answers all key research requirements contained in the Request for Proposals (RFP), incorporates feedback on the interim progress report, employs a clear methodology, makes appropriate use of evidence, is well organized, is well written, and includes all required elements. The contractor, in their contract proposal, may propose a different time frame for submission of the draft report. d. Final Report: The final report must be submitted within 20 days of the Commission’s certification that it has accepted the final draft report and must respond to additional guidance the Commission issued in conjunction with that certification. The final report should be free of typographical errors and conform to the Chicago Manual of Style. 4. As work on the report progresses, the Commission’s Research Director shall act as the Commission’s representative in monitoring the progress, quality, and responsiveness of the report to the major issues of concern identified in this Request for Proposals (RFP). The Research Director shall, on request to the contractor, be entitled to informal briefings on the status of the research work and to readings of the outline and draft in progress. 5. At the Commission’s discretion, the report procured via this RFP may be posted on the Commission’s website. 6. Each organization or individual responding to this request must warrant they will perform this work solely for the Commission, and the resulting report will not be shared with other parties without the prior written consent of the Commission. 7. The Commission expects contractors to identify all personnel working on the contract, and that there will not be any delegation of responsibilities to other parties without prior written approval of the Commission. 8. At the discretion and request of the Commission, the contractor shall, within a year after publication of the report, agree to participate in up to two (2) separate briefings, and up to one (1) public hearing, held by the Commission, of up to two (2) hours each in the Washington, DC area, supported by at least one (1) individual affiliated with the contractor identified as “key personnel.” This could include, but not necessarily be limited to, briefing the content of the research to Commissioners and Commission staff, appearing as witnesses at a public hearing held by the Commission, and briefing the content of the research to Members of Congress and/or their staff. No additional remuneration will be provided to the contractor for these briefings or a hearing. The Commission will make a good faith effort to schedule briefings and a hearing at times that are subject to mutual agreement. Primary Selection Criteria: 1. The Commission will determine which organization or individual responding to this request will be awarded the contract based on a comprehensive “best value” analysis of the proposals received, to include costs, technical value, and ability to complete the work satisfactorily and on time, and past performance with the Commission, if applicable. 2. The primary weighting criterion in selection shall be the assessed qualifications and ability of an organization or individual to address the fundamental research points enunciated above (“key research requirements”). 3. The cost and amount of time necessary to complete the report will also be considered as criteria in the selection process. 4. The Commission is a legislative advisory committee not subject to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). Proposal submissions should include: 1. A description of the research methodology the offeror proposes to employ. In describing methodology, the submission should provide detailed descriptions of the sources and methods that will be used to research the report’s topic and the extent to which Chinese language sources, if any, and other primary materials will be used. Offerors should endeavor to address each key research requirement individually in describing their intended research approach. 2. A statement of the offeror’s relevant qualifications to satisfy the terms of this RFP. Curricula vitae for personnel intended to work on the project are required, but may be included in a separate attachment. 3. Identification of the principal researchers who will be responsible for the preparation of the report. It is understood that the designation of the researchers is a critical element of the proposal, and any changes regarding which individuals will be involved in the report’s preparation must be approved by the Commission in advance and in writing. 4. A list of any entities for whom the offeror has conducted research or provided consulting services in the past as well as a disclosure regarding whether the offeror is presently receiving compensation, directly or indirectly, from a foreign government, foreign corporation, foreign political party, foreign individual, or other foreign entity. The Commission understands you may be limited in providing such information by confidentiality agreements. This information may be included in a separate attachment. 5. For offerors who are already registered in the federal System for Award Management (SAM), the offeror’s Unique Entity ID (UEI). For offerors who are not already registered in the SAM, the offeror’s responses to FAR 52.204-24, Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment (November 2021) available at: https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.204-24#FAR_52_204_24 and to FAR 52.204-26, Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services—Representation (October 2020) available at: https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.204-26#FAR_52_204_26. 6. An estimate of the time the offeror will need to complete the required work. 7. The Firm-Fixed Price the offeror will charge to the Commission to complete the work set forth in this RFP. 8. The proposal shall not exceed ten (10) pages and may be shorter. Organizations and individuals wishing to submit a proposal in response to this RFP must ensure that the response arrives at the location noted below by 5:00pm (ET) on September 8, 2023, or it will not be accepted or considered. Electronic submissions are acceptable. Proposals, as well as inquiries or any other correspondence related to this matter, should be directed to: Sierra Janik Director of Research U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission Hall of the States, Suite 602 444 North Capitol Street NW Washington, DC 20001 phone: 202-624-1492 email: sjanik@uscc.gov