SACNAS Sponsorship 2024

The US Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Eastern Region Acquisition Division, Simplified Acquisition Branch intends to negotiate on a sole source basis with Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Latinos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), using the procedures in FAR Part 13, to provide 2024 Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Latinos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) Platinum Partnership 2024. Sponsorship and partnership with SACNAS builds upon a multi-year engagement strategy NOAA has implemented to advanced workforce diversity and equitable delivery of science services, 2 key priority areas for the agency.

The agency has worked to build an ocean and atmospheric science presence within this organization for several years with a focus on increasing the diversity and number of candidates seeking NOAA jobs and student opportunities.

This partnership builds specifically off of these initial outreach efforts and is targeted specifically towards SACNAS because: SACNAS has the largest national membership coverage for multiple diversity categories (e.g. Latinos, Native Americans, LGBTQ community, etc.) working in STEM fields that directly intersect with NOAA science and technology (e.g. -Omics and other biotechnology fields, uncrewed systems, Citizen Science/Indigenous Knowledge) Key agency academic partners from the Cooperative Science Centers and Sea Grant hold or previously held leadership positions in the organization which provide a foundation for successful partnership and implementation of activities.

These affiliates are active members who greatly enhance the ocean and atmospheric science presence by driving student and professional engagement and service to SACNAS Market research indicates that SACNAS is the only current vendor able to meet the agency’s needs for this requirement. The statutory authority for other than full and open competition is FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)(i), Only one responsible source.

The North American Industry Classification Code (NAICS) for this acquisition is 813920, Professional Organizations, with a business size standard of $23.5 million. This is not a solicitation for competitive quotes, nor will one be posted on the Contract Opportunities website. The determination by the Government not to compete this proposed requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government.

However, if any interested party believes that it is capable of meeting the requirements, and in an effort to comply with the requirements outlined in FAR 5.102, a firm may request an electronic copy of the solicitation from the Contract Specialist, Chelsea Vera, Chelsea.vera@noaa.gov All electronic correspondence shall have the subject line read:

Announcement Number: 141013-24-0149. All responsible sources may submit a Capability Statement in accordance with this notice, which may be considered by the agency if received on or before 12:00 PM EST on September 11, 2024. The Capability Statement must contain material in sufficient detail to allow NOAA to determine if the party can meet all of the requirements. This notice will remain open from August 27, 2024 to September 11, 2024.