Intent to Sole Source for Drought Planning Research Services

POINT OF CONTACT: JAMIE ROSALES-WOLD U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE/NOAA WESTERN ACQUISITION DIVISION 325 BROADWAY, SOU6 BOULDER, CO 80305 PHONE:

303-578-6951 EMAIL: JAMIE.ROSALES@NOAA.GOV

THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION’S (NOAA) ACQUISITION & GRANTS OFFICE, WESTERN ACQUISITION DIVISION-BOULDER, OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH, CLIMATE PROGRAM OFFICE (CPO), INTENDS TO NEGOTIATE AND AWARD A PURCHASE ORDER, ON A SOLE SOURCE BASIS, UNDER AUTHORITY OF RFO 12.102(a), WITH THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO FOR SERVICES, NON-PERSONAL FOR DROUGHT PLANNING RESEARCH TO BE PERFORMED IN BOULDER, CO. NO SET ASIDE IS TO BE USED FOR THIS SOLE SOURCE REQUIREMENT. THE ASSOCIATED NAICS CODE IS 541990.

THE SOLE SOURCE DETERMINATION IS BASED ON NOAA’S REQUIREMENT THAT THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO IS THE ONLY VENDOR THAT POSSESSES THE EXPERTISE FOR INFORMATION CLEARINGHOUSE FOR THE SOCIETAL DIMENSIONS OF HAZARDS AND DISASTERS. NATURAL HAZARDS CENTER IS THE ONLY ACADEMIC RESEARCH CENTER IN THE NATION TASKED WITH BRINGING TOGETHER RESEARCH, PRACTICE, AND POLICY COMMUNITIES TO REDUCE HAZARD (DROUGHT) RISK AND THE HARM TO PEOPLE AND INFRASTRUCTURE IN DISASTERS.

NATURAL HAZARDS CENTER FOCUS IS ON HAZARD MITIGATION AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, RESPONSE, AND RECOVERY. THESE SKILLS INCLUDE A DEEP KNOWLEDGE OF, AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH, THE MANAGEMENT AND RISK CONTEXT OF HAZARD PLANNING, AND THE ABILITY TO QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY APPLY THAT KNOWLEDGE TO A VERY COMPLICATED HAZARD (DROUGHT) IN A PREPAREDNESS CONTEXT.

WITHOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER, NOAA WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THIS KEY PROGRAMMATIC GAP ON CURRENT DROUGHT COMMUNICATION AT REGIONAL AND NATIONAL LEVELS, WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO FULLY MEET THE CONGRESSIONAL MANDATE AS OUTLINED IN THE NATIONAL INTEGRATED DROUGHT INFORMATION SYSTEM (NIDIS) PUBLIC LAW 109-430 TO INTEGRATE INFORMATION ON DROUGHT IMPACTS INFORMATION, AND WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO IMPROVE HOW NIDIS COMMUNICATES THIS INFORMATION ON AN ONGOING BASIS TO SUPPORT BETTER INFORMED AND MORE TIMELY DECISIONS.

DUE TO ITS UNIQUE AND HIGHLY SPECIALIZED NATURE, THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER IS THE ONLY ENTITY THAT CAN MEET THE NEEDS OF CPO’S MISSION. THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO HAS CONFIRMED THEY ARE THE SOLE SOURCE.

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: 8/1/2026-1/31/2028.

THIS PRESOLICITATION 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 IDENTIFIED POINT OF CONTACT 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 NOTICE.