DoD STTR - bootstrapped startup with academic interest but lack full capabilities

I run a startup defense R&D company, focused on applied research and tech transition. Basically I am the founder and chief engineer (mechanical engineer), and have a small team of advisors...some technical, some commercial. We work with universities and federal labs to identify and transition their research to the field. We focus on a few specific technology areas, and the idea is the get a few of these early stage technologies in the pipeline, grow the team, and focus on commercialization/dual use. But for now, very much a bootstrapped startup at my kitchen table.

We've had some successes in winning prize challenges in collaboration with academia and have written an SBIR that was not selected (I also have about a decade of experience working SBIRs as an Individual Contributor).

Here's the question: there's a Navy STTR opportunity that I have identified an interested university research partner for. Performance on this solicitation will involve some chemical engineering (which the researcher brings to the table) as well as some materials science (which I am not a materials scientist). My role as the SB would be to validate feasibility from a mechanical and systems engineering perspective...ie, will the fully integrated solution meet the stated performance metrics. But we will be lacking in the materials science aspect and I am concerned that my SB does not have the full set of necessary capabilities to submit a responsive proposal. My expertise is certainly relevant, but I think I need a materials scientist/SME on the team.

It's chicken/egg. I probably need this individual to win the contract, but I need to contract to go recruit and hire this individual. Long term, this position would be very much relevant to other things I want to pursue in the business and am currently developing the pipeline for, so at some point I'd hope their involvement would lead to non-SBIR funds and future applied research/R&D work.

Do I state this capability deficiency in the proposal and write it into the Phase I budget, with the intent to hire using SBIR funds? Alternatively, how would the technical reviewers view this type of individual as a consultant or subcontractor? My concern is they'd be fairly central to the project and the reviewers may want to see that organic capability in-house vs "TBD/added after award"