Amendment 1_MWS DB RFP_QA Compilation.pdf

Commercial Data Program (CDP) Microwave Sounder (MWS) Data Buy

RFP 1332KP26R0007

Questions & Answers Form

# RFP Page No. Question/Comment NOAA Response

1 RFP

RFP

Cover Page

Section i

Section (i) of the solicitation designates this acquisition as reserved for one small business concern under NAICS 518210. What if a vendor currently qualifies as a small business under this NAICS code and size standard, but are in the final stages of a pending change-in-control transaction that is expected to close prior to contract award? Upon closing, the vendor will no longer qualify as a small business concern.

Under FAR 19.301-2, size status is determined as of the date of the initial offer that includes price. Given the anticipated timeline of this transaction relative to the proposal due date and expected award, the vendor may be unable to certify small business status at the time of offer or, alternatively, may lose that status before award - raising potential size protest risk and disruption to the program. We request the Government consider removing the small business reserve and conducting this procurement on an unrestricted basis to ensure continuity of proven data providers and maximize competition.

NOAA small business office confirmed that no changes need to be made to the solicitation at this time. This solicitation is full and open competition reserved for one small business. If we receive fewer offers from SBs than we reserved, then so be it. Therefore, an other than SB may still propose to this requirement.

2 RFP N/A

We are performing independent research on the Combined Synopsis/Solicitation (1332KP26R0007).

We would like to know if this is a brand new contract OR if there is (was) an incumbent performing these services. If not brand new, could you please provide the current / previous contract number?

This solicitation is a follow-on requirement to 1332KP24P0077 with The Tomorrow Companies, Inc.

3 RFP N/A

We are pleased to submit this Capability Statement in response to Commercial Data Program (CDP) Microwave Sounder (MWS) Data Buy.

We will not be evaluating capability statements in response to this RFP. The Government will solely evaluate proposals.

III.5/II.B

Table 3 6+9

Does 70% L1b latency only include data delivered within the 1 hour latency requirement (Table 4), or all data ultimately delivered per day as a % regardless of latency (III.5, p9)?

While the requirements are stated as such in the SOW, we encourage vendors to follow the specific instructions outlined in Section II.3 when submitting their proposals.

II.B, Table

3 6 Is the ≤60-minute L1B latency requirement a strict threshold or is improved latency evaluated as added value?

While the requirements are stated as such in the SOW, we encourage vendors to follow the specific instructions outlined in Section II.3 when submitting their proposals.

6 II.B.2.e 4

L2 products: Can the government define the select land & hydrology products requested, and if so, are they required to be retrieved from the offered channels alone, or can they be contributor channels to those variables

Per Section II.B.1, the primary requirement is for the Contractor to supply Microwave Sounder (MWS) L1B/L1C observation data. While derived products may be provided as a supplement, they do not replace the requirement for radiances. The Government expects that any additional L2 products provided will be derived from the L1B/L1C observations supplied by the Contractor.

7 Table 4 6

The hyperspectral requirements define V and F band, or G band. Would an instrument fitting the definition of hyperspectral at F band only (>10 channels) be eligible for purchases under the hyperspectral option? It is our understanding that no current on-orbit sensor has hyperspectral capability at both V and F band.

As stated in Section II.C, hyperspectral capability is an optional requirement for this data buy, and any resulting award is subject to mission requirements and budgetary approval. The current guidance is not intended to be restrictive. Proposals that meet a portion of the objective targets outlined in Table 4 are eligible for evaluation; such evaluations will be conducted based on the priorities listed within that table

8 II.3/ II.C 2+6

How should offerors present partial compliance with hyperspectral objectives, and how will this impact scoring? If hyperspectral capabilities are proposed but not eligible for hyperspectral purchases, would data also be eligible for the core observation data purchase? How should this be presented in the pricing document?

For partial compliance with hyperspectral objectives, the proposal shall describe which requirements can not be met and why, as described in section II.3 of the SoW. This additional capability will be considered as a factor for evaluation and scoring.

As stated in SoW section II.2, if the proposal meets the mandatory threshold requirements for MWS, it would be eligible for the core observation data purchase even if the optional hyperspectral contract isn't awarded.

Separate pricing shall be provided for MWS and hyperspectral requirements.

Solicitation

CLIN 1

Solicitatio n p3/4 Can the government define the anticipated date of initial data delivery in the Phase 1 period, either in absolute or contract-relative terms?

The data preparation phase isn't a "data delivery" period, rather a period in which the contractor shall work with NOAA for government preparation to get data into operational systems before moving to Phase 2. This includes secure ingest and data flow tests. Additionally, NOAA will need approximately 4-6 weeks to build BUFR conversion tables. As such, upon contract commencing, NOAA will need an offline sample set of data (48 hrs worth) in order for NOAA to build BUFR conversion tables.

Solicitation

CLIN 2

Solicitatio n p4 Can the government define the conditions that are used to define the Phase 2 period length (6-12 months), and what conditions are used to extend data deliveries under this contract vs other future opportunities?

For vendors whose data was previously evaluated with NOAA/NESDIS CDP, the data delivery period will be considered for 12 months, and they may proceed directly to Phase 2, bypass the Phase 1 Preparation Phase and also skip the Phase 3 Evaluation Period. Vendors whose data has not been previously evaluated will be considered for a 6-month data delivery period and must complete all phases.

(SOW, Section V).

11 III.4 9

Can the government define or provide references to the minimum datasets required to be compatible with NOAA's operational processing and assimilation systems? The NCEI Swath standard is defined for geophysical (L2) variables, not radiance/DA-ready data. Is compatibility with other DA frameworks (e.g.

JCSDA JEDI/IODA format) sufficient for this requirement?

The primary focus of this acquisition is on Low Earth Orbit (LEO) observations suitable for operational data assimilation, short-term forecasting, and environmental hazard assessment. The Government requires L1B/L1C observations from on-orbit satellites, with derived products serving as additional components. Detailed delivery specifications and technical requirements are further elaborated in Section III of the solicitation. Please refer to the "Data Dictionary for the ATMS RDR/TDR/SDR" document for detailed information (https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/s3/2024- 01/474-00448-02-02_JPSS-DD-Vol-II-Part-2_L.pdf).

12 II.B 4+5

How would the government view small changes in channel sets between instruments that may be needed to adapt to capabilities of different bus platforms? Are there different onboarding requirements for new or improved instrument capabilities from the same vendor/satellite constellation

Small changes in channel sets: Changes are acceptable as long as the threshold requirements are met in Section II.B.

Onboarding requirements: If the data was previously evaluated under a NOAA/NESDIS CDP, vendor may proceed directly to Phase 2 (Data Delivery) and skip the evaluation phase. All necessary technical documentation for any instrument capabilities must still be provided.

13 RFP SOW

Would NOAA be looking for hyperspectral data from a single sensor, if it does not meet the 75% orbital average data availability?

Per Section II.B.1, Contractors shall provide Microwave Sounder (MWS) L1B/L1C observation data from one or more on-orbit satellites. Offerors should clearly specify in their proposal whether the stated requirements are being met through a single sensor or a constellation of multiple sensors.

14 RFP SOW Is the data latency <=60 minutes a binding requirement for Hyperspectral Microwave Sounder Data?

No. As identified in Section II.C, the only binding technical requirements for this specific data buy are the threshold requirements documented in Table 3.

Draft RFP Q&A