OCX DRFP Cover Letter.pdf

Rev.: 8/2020

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD 20771

Reply to Attn of: 172

TO: All Potential Offerors

SUBJECT: Draft Request for Proposal (DRFP), Solicitation No. 80GSFC23R0014, for

Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) Ocean Color (OCX) Instrument

Implementation

You are invited to review and comment on the National Aeronautics and Space

Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center’s Geostationary Extended

Observations (GeoXO) Ocean Color (OCX) Instrument Implementation solicitation.

The Ocean Color (OCX) is a hyperspectral, UV through infrared, passive imaging radiometer used to measure environmental data as part of a 3-axis stabilized, geostationary weather satellite system. Ocean color observations from geostationary orbit will provide critical data for ecological forecasters, marine resource managers, fisheries, health departments, water treatment managers, and the commerce, recreation, and tourism industries. OCX will provide daily observations of ocean biology, chemistry, and ecology to assess ocean productivity, ecosystem change, coast and inland water quality, and hazards like harmful algal blooms. The instrument will track and assist in the response to climate-driven ocean and coastal ecosystem changes. Geostationary ocean color observations are also critical to maintaining U.S.

leadership in science-based fisheries management, improving yield, and reducing bycatch.

High spatial and temporal resolution OCX observations will be an improvement over those offered by contemporary low earth orbiting ocean color sensors. From its position in geostationary orbit, OCX will view ocean and coastal conditions in real time and greatly improve the chance of cloud-free observations of areas of interest.

Potential offerors are encouraged to comment on all aspects of the draft solicitation, including the requirements, schedules, proposal instructions, and evaluation approaches, any perceived safety, occupational health, security (including information technology security), environmental, export control, and/or other programmatic risk issues associated with performance of the work.

It is anticipated that this competitive procurement will result in a Cost-Plus-Award-Fee

(CPAF) hardware contract that will consist of parts and materials for an Engineering

Development Model (EDM)-if proposed and agreed to by the Government and four flight models. The period of performance includes efforts required to design, analyze, fabricate, integrate, test, evaluate, verify, store and support launch activities. The delivery schedule and/or period of performance of this contract is based upon a spacecraft launch date of April

2032 for Delivery Item 3, FM-1; October 2034 for Delivery Item 4, FM-2; May 2039 for

Delivery Item 5, FM-3 (Option 1); and November 2042 for Delivery Item 6, FM-4 (Option 2).

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is

336414 and the small business size standard is 1250.

Section H.13, Special Task Support Requirements of the DRFP specifies that the

Government may order special study tasks under the resultant hardware contract for risk reduction and mitigation activities. The clause includes a plug number of $25,000,000 that each offeror can use for planning purposes.

Potential offerors should ensure its company is listed in the online database(s) for the following:

(1) System for award management: https://www.sam.gov/SAM/

(2) U.S. Department of Labor Veterans’ Employment and Training Service, VETS-4212

Reports: https://vets4212.dol.gov/vets4212/

(3) Date Universal Numbering System (and the transition to the US Government’s unique entity identifier (UEI)): https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/organization/federal-acquisition-service/office-of-systems-management/integrated-award-environment-iae/iae-information-kit/unique-entity-identifier-update

The successful offeror must pass an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) clearance before contract award (See FAR 22.805).

The current planned release date for the Final Request for Proposal (RFP) is on or about

August 15, 2023, with proposals being due approximately 30 calendar days after RFP release.

The anticipated contract award date and effective date is mid- late March 2024. The contract will be performed offsite at the Contractor’s facilities, and onsite at GSFC.

The following additional information is provided to assist in understanding this acquisition:

1. Proposals for this solicitation are required to be submitted through NASA’s

Enterprise File Sharing and Sync Box (EFSS Box), a FedRAMP Moderate certified platform. Potential offerors, especially those that have not previously submitted a proposal utilizing NASA’s EFSS Box, are encouraged to review the solicitation instruction entitled “Electronic Proposal Delivery - Proposal Marking and Delivery

Through NASA’s EFSS Box” which provides instructions related to the submission of proposal via EFSS Box. Offerors are encouraged to check with their corporate IT staff to determine if there were firewall restrictions that would need to be addressed prior to the submission of proposal files through NASA’s EFSS Box.

In order to control and protect sensitive data owned by the Government and its Contractors, NASA policy requires all acquisition-related documents be released in Adobe Portable

Document Format (PDF).

Documents related to this acquisition, including this letter, the solicitation, attachments, exhibits, any amendments, and links to online reference/technical/bidders’ library will be attainable electronically from the World Wide Web through the Government-wide point of entry website at www.SAM.gov. Potential Offerors are requested to periodically monitor the websites for updates.

NASA FAR Supplement (NFS) clause 1852.215-84, OMBUDSMAN, is applicable. The

Ombudsman for this acquisition is Raymond “Ray” Rubilotta, Associate Director, raymond.j.rubilotta@nasa.gov, 301-286-5867.

This DRFP is not a solicitation and NASA is not requesting proposals. This DRFP does not commit NASA GSFC to pay any proposal preparation costs, nor does it obligate NASA

GSFC to procure or contract for this requirement. This request is not an authorization to proceed and does not authorize payment for any charges incurred by the offeror for performing any of the work called for in this solicitation.

Any comments regarding the DRFP should be submitted electronically in writing, to Darlene

Harkins, Contracting Officer at darlene.harkins@nasa.gov no later than July 15, 2023. If a respondent believes their comments contain confidential, proprietary, competition sensitive, or business information, those questions/comments shall be marked appropriately. However, questions that are marked as containing confidential, proprietary, competition sensitive or business information will not be provided a Government response. The Government will consider all comments received in preparation of the Final RFP. To the extent a comment leads the Government to revise the acquisition approach or requirements, the change will be reflected in the Final RFP. Some DRFP questions and comments may receive a posted response to the GPE if the Contracting Officer determines that a response would facilitate additional understanding of the solicitation. The Government may also respond via the GPE to comments and/or questions received following the issuance of the Final Request for

Proposal (RFP).

Darlene Harkins

Contracting Officer

Enclosure:

Draft RFP 80GSFC23R0014