Scientific Research Flights

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. The U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA/ARL NOAA’s Air Resources Laboratory (ARL) requires a vendor to conduct scientific research flights in the Baltimore-Washington and southwest Marcellus shale regions.

Background To support the Greenhouse Gas program and AIRMAPS 2025 field campaign to measure urban emissions that impact air quality and climate, the NOAA Air Resources Lab (ARL) will deploy a fully instrumented research aircraft in the Baltimore- Washington and southwest Marcellus shale regions in 2024-2025. An airborne instrument package will measure short-lived air pollutants and greenhouse gases (GHGs) emitted from Baltimore/Washington as well as the southwest Marcellus shale.

Data from the research flights will be used to characterize the meteorology and chemistry leading to air pollution events and emissions of GHGs from these areas. The Greenhouse Gas program and AIRMAPS 2025 field campaign will provide the scientific basis for effective air quality and climate policies.

Tasks to be performed NOAA’s Air Resources Laboratory (ARL) requires a vendor to conduct scientific research flights in the Baltimore-Washington and southwest Marcellus shale regions in 2024-2025 to measure concentrations of short- and long-lived trace pollutants and greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, with important scientific objectives including: • To characterize spatial and temporal patterns of ozone and precursors during ozone exceedance events along with pre-exceedance conditions with a tie to key monitoring sites. • To characterize spatial and temporal patterns of meteorological conditions (e.g., low-level jets, land-sea breeze, mixing heights, etc.) during ozone events. • To investigate emission of NOx, CO, CH4, and VOCs from these areas and compare these measurements to emission inventories.

The Greenhouse Gas program and AIRMAPS 2025 field campaign study will require ~50 hours and approximately 13 science flights. We will choose flight plans in coordination with other participating partners. The measurements from these flights will augment data from other ground monitoring sites along Baltimore-Washington, DC and southwest Marcellus.

The successful vendor must be capable of supplying an aircraft with a minimum instrument payload of approximately 500 pounds, an effective range of approximately 600 nm, and an endurance of approximately 3-4 hours, with one pilot and one scientist (a non-federal employee, e.g., a scientist from University of Maryland) aboard. Federal employees from NOAA ARL may help with the pre-flight preparation and post-flight tasks while the aircraft is on ground.

The vendor must measure and report all relevant wind, meteorological, and aircraft attitude (roll, pitch, yaw, altitude, true airspeed, ground speed, position) parameters. Position, attitude, and velocity measurements should be made with differential GPS techniques. ARL staff will be responsible for integrating the instrument payload into the aircraft, with technical and engineering support from the vendor, as needed.

To the extent practicable, all measurements should be calibrated with NIST-traceable instruments and techniques. Most significantly, the successful vendor must supply an inlet system, certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), to direct ambient air to the chemical measurement systems via manifold tubing, or similar. The preferred location of this inlet is at and well ahead of the nose of the aircraft, to allow the sampling of air parcels uninfluenced by turbulence or aircraft engine exhaust.

Deliverables The vendor will conduct approximately 13 research flights (~4 hours each flight, totaling 50 flight hours. NOAA/ARL will choose flight plans in coordination with other participating partners. The measurements from these flights will augment data from other ground monitoring sites along Baltimore-Washington, DC and southwest Marcellus. Each flight will last 3 to 4 hours, and we expect to fly about 2-3 missions out of WV and PA.

Emissions of air pollutants and GHGs can be calculated based on the mass balance approach as well as enhancement ratios among the air pollutants.

The flight crew will help ARL scientists to collect meteorological and chemical data during those flights to evaluate emission inventories of GHGs and air pollutants from urban areas and will deliver to ARL data sets containing all measured platform parameters (meteorology, winds, 3-dimensional aircraft position and attitude, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds). Period of performance:

Base: July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025 Option Year: July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026 - 1. (note: option year subject to availability of funds and programmatic needs) Interested persons may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirement or submit proposals. All proposals received within five days after the date of publication of this synopsis will be considered by the Government. Evidence must be provided of the ability to provide the required service.

The announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. A contract will be issued in accordance with the simplified acquisition procedures authorized. The associated NAICS Code is 541715. Offers will be evaluated based on proven technical capabilities, past performance, availability, price, and the factors set forth above.

An award will be made to the entity who can meet the specific requirements and is of the best value to the Government considering other related factors and price on an all or none basis. This will be a firm fixed-price purchase order, with payment terms of Net 30. No other additional contractual terms and conditions are applicable.

In order to comply with the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996, ALL Vendors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) All proposals are required to be received in the contracting office no later than 12:00 pm, EST, on Wednesday, June 12, 2024 . Reference Request for Quotation (RFQ) Number 145022-24-0025 in your quotation. All proposals must be submitted via electronics means (e-mail) to Barbara.Shifflett@noaa.gov. The anticipated award date is on or around June 20, 2024. Questions pertaining to this special notice must be submitted in writing to Barbara Shifflett, Contracting Officer.