Notice of Intent - Space Weather Observations (SWO) Program Support

The U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Acquisition and Grants Office, Satellite and Information Acquisition Division located at 1325 East-West Highway Silver Spring Metro Center Building 2 Silver Spring, MD 20910, intends to award a contract to THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY APPLIED PHYSICS LABORATORY LLC. on a sole source basis in accordance with 41 U.S.C.3304(a)(3) as implemented by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 6.302-3(a)(2)(ii), Full and open competition need not be provided for when it is necessary to award the contract to a particular source or sources in order to establish or maintain an essential engineering, research, or development capability to be provided by an educational or other nonprofit institution or a federally funded research and development center.

The proposed source is THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY APPLIED PHYSICS LABORATORY LLC. located at 11100 Johns Hopkins RD Laurel, Maryland 20723-6005 United States. The requirement is to accomplish NESDIS' responsibility to continue and extend space-based environmental monitoring for operational observation, warning, and forecast for the purpose to preserve lives, property and economic vitality through highly specialized space systems engineering, research and development services.

This includes science and mission concept and formulation; design, construction, integration, and testing of spacecraft instruments; and data analysis and science support. These missions can range from single instruments or small, quick turn-around missions to flagship scale observatories.

APL's ability to provide a full range of resources to support NOAA satellite environmental monitoring programs including space weather observation capabilities is clearly demonstrated as responsive to all aspects of NOAA’s requirement. NOAA requires these skills for requirements verification, mission design, development oversight, and operational support to its environmental space observatories.

Many of these capabilities are found individually in other sources, including sources that responded to NOAA’s sources sought notice; however, a major strength of APL is its ability to bring all of these individual strengths together in a coordinated and integrated package. As a longstanding partner with NASA, APL is also supremely qualified to provide this essential competence as a supplement to and complement to NOAA’s primary acquisition support from NASA.

For these reasons, THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY APPLIED PHYSICS LABORATORY LLC is the only source for this program support. The Government anticipates awarding a Firm Fixed-Price and Cost-Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) IDIQ contract. This notice is published for informational purposes only and is not a request for competitive quotations. However, any firm who believes they can meet this requirement may submit a response in writing.

Responses must include a written narrative statement of capability, including detailed technical information demonstrating the company's ability to meet the above requirements. A determination by the Government not to open the requirement to competition based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Written responses must be received no later than 15 calendar days after publication of this synopsis to the person listed as the Government point of contact in this announcement.

All questions must be submitted in writing to the attention of the Government Contract Specialist. If no responses are received, the Government will proceed with the sole source negotiation. NOTHING HEREIN SHOULD BE MISCONSTRUED AS A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS, QUOTES OR BIDS. NO SOLICITATION DOCUMENTATION IS AVAILABLE OR WILL BE ISSUED.

The National Industry Classification Systems Code is 541715 - Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology). Please direct any questions regarding this notice to both Mrs. Cherron Bennett-Pettus, Contract Specialist at cherron.bennett-pettus@noaa.gov and to Ms. Suzanna Espinoza, Contracting Officer at suzanna.espinoza@noaa.gov