SOLE SOURCE: GRAW Software Support for the NWS/ Program Management Office.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Acquisition and Grants Office, Eastern Acquisition Division-Kansas City intends to negotiate and award a Base plus four option year purchase order, on a sole source basis, under authority of RFO FAR 6.103-1, with GRAW Radiosondes GmbH & Co. KG for software support services for existing GRAW Radiosondes for the National Weather Service (NWS) Program Management Office in Silver Spring, MD.

Sole Source Justification: 
The sole source determination is based on NOAA's Sole Source Justification. Only one source is capable - GRAW Radiosondes GmbH & Co. KG is the only company that can make modifications to the source code necessary to identify, modify, and rectify potential issues. This GRAW Radiosondes GmbH & Co. KG brand name is essential to the requirement because the source code and internal architecture of GRAWMET are proprietary to the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). No other commercial software can process the unique data telemetry formats of the DFM-17 radiosonde or integrate with the existing MROS ground station hardware. Attempting to modify third­party software to meet these needs is not feasible, as it would require unauthorized access to proprietary GRAW protocols and would risk a critical gap in service. A disruption in support would prevent 55 sites from launching radiosondes, leading to a loss of mission-critical atmospheric data essential for tracking hurricanes and other significant weather patterns. Therefore, GRAW Radiosondes GmbH & Co. KG is the only source capable of providing the required maintenance and security updates necessary to ensure the continued reliability of the NWS upper-air observation network. 

This pre-solicitation notice is not a request for competitive proposals and no solicitation package is available. However, firms that believe they can fully meet the government's requirements may submit substantiating documentation or a request for additional information in writing to the (Contract Specialist) within 15 days after publication of this pre-solicitation notice. Such requests and documentation will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct this procurement on a competitive basis. A determination by the government not to conduct a competitive procurement, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the government. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this pre-solicitation notice.