1.0 GENERAL

1.1 BACKGROUND

To foster growth and resilience in the U.S. commercial space ecosystem, the Office of Space Commerce (OSC) requires a deeper, evidence-based understanding of the ecosystem and the economic activity it generates. This includes the accuracy, coverage, and comparability of existing economic statistics and the metrics used to develop them. To address these needs, OSC is commissioning research to establish a government-verifiable baseline of metrics that can inform future quantitative evaluations and recurring measurement of the U.S. commercial space ecosystem.

The resulting measurement framework is intended to support defensible, grounded assessments that can inform federal policy and government decision-making, improve visibility into ecosystem conditions, and provide a consistent basis for understanding long-term economic trends.

1.2 PURPOSE

The purpose of this effort is to establish a defensible and repeatable basis for measuring the health and trajectory of the U.S. commercial space ecosystem. Prior private-sector, non-governmental, and historical U.S. Government efforts have sought to characterize the space economy, but these efforts have often relied on disparate metrics and one-time analytical approaches that limit comparability and longitudinal assessment.

This study will identify and justify a set of defined metrics that can support recurring federal assessment and provide policymakers with sustained insight into the growth, health, competitiveness, resilience, and emerging challenges of the ecosystem. Recommended metrics shall be capable of measurement using reliable and repeatable methods and shall provide meaningful insight into broader trends over time.

1.3 ASSESSMENT SCOPE AND ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK

The Contractor shall provide research, analytical, and technical support to develop a comprehensive, repeatable, and evidence-based framework and recommended metric set for assessing the U.S. commercial space ecosystem. The framework shall enable the Government to evaluate the ecosystem's economic scale, growth, competitiveness, capacity, resilience, and long-term development over time.

For purposes of this SOW, the U.S. commercial space ecosystem includes commercial firms and the markets, resources, institutions, infrastructure, and other enabling actors that directly participate in or materially support U.S. commercial space activity. The analytical boundary shall include core space industries and, where supported by documented criteria and Government direction, relevant space-adjacent, space-enabled, and cross-sector economic activity.

The Contractor shall assess the ecosystem as an interconnected economic system. The assessment framework consists of the following Base Assessment Areas and Optional Assessment Areas.

1.3.1 Base Assessment Areas

The Contractor shall identify, evaluate, and recommend quantitative and qualitative metrics addressing:

● Economic Activity and Business Growth: revenue, output, value added, firm formation and survival, employment, market structure, business growth, and changes in the commercial industrial base.

● Capital and Investment: availability, sources, distribution, and accessibility of capital across company formation, commercialization, growth, and scale.

● Market Access and Competitiveness: domestic and international commercial activity, exports, customer diversity, market share, procurement and trade access, barriers to entry or expansion, and comparative indicators of U.S. competitiveness.

● Workforce and Human Capital: employment, skills demand, talent pipelines, workforce availability, geographic distribution, mobility, and alignment with current and projected industry needs.

1.3.2 Optional Assessment Areas

The following assessment areas shall be performed only upon exercise of the Option CLIN by the Government:

● Supply Chain, Industrial Capacity, and Infrastructure: supplier capacity and concentration, domestic sourcing, critical dependencies, manufacturing capacity, infrastructure availability and utilization, and other indicators of industrial readiness and vulnerability.

● Innovation and Commercialization: research and development, technology transition, intellectual property, commercialization pathways, time-to-market, and relationships among research institutions, government programs, investors, and commercial firms.

● Ecosystem Resilience and Connectivity: geographic and supplier concentration, critical dependencies, institutional and cross-sector relationships, workforce and capital mobility, technology and information flows, and the ability to adapt to and recover from disruption.

Unless otherwise specified, the requirements and analytical methodology in Sections 2.1 through 2.5 apply to the Base Assessment Areas and to any Optional Assessment Areas for which the Government has exercised the applicable option. The Contractor shall not perform analysis unique to an Optional Assessment Area unless the applicable option has been exercised. Where an Optional Assessment Area overlaps with a Base Assessment Area, the Contractor shall avoid duplicative analysis while addressing relevant relationships among assessment areas.

1.3.3 General Requirement

The measurement framework shall distinguish among:

● Economic activity measures, describing the size and current economic activity of the ecosystem;

● Economic outcome measures, identifying changes in commercial or ecosystem conditions; and

● Ecosystem condition and trajectory measures, assessing underlying capacity, competitiveness, resilience, and long-term health.

For each assessment area authorized for performance, the Contractor shall identify appropriate metrics, data sources, indicators, benchmarks, and analytical limitations. The methodology shall address data availability, quality, comparability, and the risk of false precision and, where feasible, support longitudinal analysis and establishment of a repeatable baseline for future assessments.

The Contractor shall document all methodologies, definitions, assumptions, data sources, analytical boundaries, and inclusion and exclusion criteria, including the treatment of core space, space-adjacent, space-enabled, and cross-sector economic activity. The final framework and recommended metric set shall be submitted to the Government for review and approval.

1.4 OBJECTIVE

The objective of this effort is to produce a defensible, government-verifiable measurement framework and recommended set of metrics for assessing the size, growth, health, competitiveness, resilience, and capacity of the U.S. commercial space ecosystem. The framework and metric set shall be sufficiently defined and documented to form the basis for recurring U.S. Government empirical reporting beginning in FY2027.

This requires the Contractor to identify metrics already in use across private, non-governmental, and U.S. Government studies of the space economy and commercial space ecosystem;

determine whether those metrics leave important methodological, statistical, accounting, or ecosystem-health questions unanswered; devise new metrics to close substantiated gaps;

evaluate all candidate metrics - existing and newly proposed - against measurability, reliability, and trend-insight criteria; and deliver a final, public-releasable recommendation of a comprehensive metric set, with all sensitive or proprietary information segregated from the public-facing deliverable.

Success is defined as a measurement framework and metric set that OSC, or a designated federal partner, can adopt directly into a repeatable annual or recurring reporting process without requiring further foundational methodological development.

1.5 APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS

The following document is provided as a reference source for the Contractor in performing the work described in this SOW:

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, New and Revised Statistics for the U.S. Space Economy, 2012–2023 (March 2025), available at https://www.bea.gov/data/special-topics/space-economy https://www.bea.gov/data/special-topics/space-economy

2.0 REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall perform the research tasks described in Sections 2.1 through 2.5 to satisfy the objective in Section 1.4. Each task builds on the deliverable of the prior task; the Contractor shall treat the evidentiary chain from Section 2.1 through Section 2.5 as continuous, and shall not perform any task’s analysis independent of the deliverables produced under the tasks preceding it.

If the Option CLIN is exercised after performance has begun, the Contractor shall use the analytical record developed for the Base Assessment Areas as the starting point for the Optional Assessment Areas and shall perform additional research and analysis under Sections

2.1 through 2.5 only as necessary to address the Optional Assessment Areas. The Contractor shall maintain traceability to applicable findings developed for the Base Assessment Areas and shall not unnecessarily duplicate previously completed research or analysis.

2.1 Task 1 — Metrics Identification and Compilation

2.1.1 The Contractor shall identify all metrics used in prior private-sector studies characterizing the size, growth, health, competitiveness, resilience, or capacity of the U.S. space economy or commercial space ecosystem.

2.1.2 The Contractor shall identify all metrics used in prior non-governmental (e.g., trade association, academic, non-profit) studies of the same subject.

2.1.3 The Contractor shall identify all metrics used in prior U.S. Government studies or reporting efforts of the same subject, including one-off or discontinued efforts.

2.1.4 The Contractor shall compile the metrics identified under 2.1.1–2.1.3 into a single annotated bibliography. Each entry shall include, at minimum:

(a) the metric name and originating source/publication;

(b) the source category (private-sector, non-governmental, or U.S. Government);

(c) a description of what the metric purports to measure;

(d) the data source(s) underlying the metric;

(e) the update/reporting frequency, if any;

(f) known limitations as documented by the originating source.

2.1.5 The Contractor shall document the search methodology used to identify metrics under 2.1.1–2.1.3 (databases, agencies, associations, and publications canvassed), delivered alongside the bibliography, so that completeness of coverage can be independently verified rather than asserted.

2.1.6 The bibliography required under 2.1.4 shall be delivered in a structured, sortable format (table or structured document), not narrative prose.

2.2 Task 2 — Identification of Gaps in Previous Metrics

2.2.1 The Contractor shall determine whether the metrics compiled under Section 2.1 leave any methodological, statistical, accounting, or ecosystem-health question unanswered with respect to assessing the size, growth, health, competitiveness, resilience, or capacity of the U.S.

commercial space ecosystem, consistent with the analytical boundaries established under Section 1.4.

2.2.2 For each gap identified under 2.2.1, the Contractor shall state the specific analytical question the existing metrics cannot answer, and shall identify the specific metric(s) or source(s) from Section 2.1 that fail to address it, with a stated reason (methodological, statistical, or accounting).

2.2.3 The Contractor shall categorize or prioritize gaps identified under 2.2.1 by significance to the overall assessment of ecosystem size, growth, health, competitiveness, resilience, or capacity; an undifferentiated list does not satisfy this requirement.

2.2.4 The Contractor shall deliver the evaluation required under Sections 2.4.1 through 2.4.3 as a structured evaluation matrix, with one record for each metric evaluated. At a minimum, the matrix shall include the metric name or unique identifier; applicable assessment area; metric origin; source or publication; related gap identifier, where applicable; metric definition;

underlying data source(s); findings and supporting rationale for measurability, reliability, and trend insight; known limitations; overall evaluation; and recommended disposition. The matrix shall document the reason for any metric not recommended for inclusion in the final metric set.

The matrix shall be delivered in a structured, sortable electronic format consistent with Section 4.9.

2.3 Task 3 — Identification of Potential New Metrics

2.3.1 The Contractor shall develop candidate metrics based on the findings and analysis conducted under Section 2.2. The Contractor shall identify and develop metrics necessary to address gaps in the existing measurement framework and support meaningful assessment of the commercial space ecosystem.

2.3.2 For each gap substantiated under Section 2.2, the Contractor shall devise a candidate metric intended to close that gap, or shall document a determination that no defensible metric can close it.

2.3.3 Each metric proposed under 2.3.2 shall be mapped one-to-one (or many-to-one) to the specific gap(s) from Section 2.2 it is intended to close.

2.3.4 Each metric proposed under 2.3.2 shall include a stated definition, a proposed data source or collection method, and a rationale explaining why it closes the associated gap. The definition shall be specific enough that an independent analyst could operationalize the metric without further clarification from the Contractor.

2.4 Task 4 — Analysis of All Potential Metrics

The purpose of Task 4 is to establish the evidentiary basis for selection of the final recommended metric set under Task 5. Task 4 is intended to provide the complete analytical record of metric evaluation. The structured evaluation matrix shall include every metric identified under Section 2.1 and every candidate metric developed under Section 2.3, where applicable, regardless of whether the metric is ultimately recommended for inclusion in the final measurement framework. The purpose of the matrix is to provide a transparent and auditable record showing how each metric was evaluated against the criteria of measurability, reliability, and trend insight, and why each metric was retained, modified, deferred, or not recommended.

The Task 4 evaluation matrix is distinct from the final recommended metric set required under Section 2.5. The Task 4 matrix documents the full universe of metrics considered and the basis for their disposition. The final recommended metric set shall contain only those metrics determined through the Task 4 analysis to be suitable for recurring Government measurement and reporting.

No metric may be omitted from the Task 4 evaluation matrix solely because it is not recommended for final adoption. Where a metric is not recommended, the Contractor shall document the specific analytical basis for that determination.

2.4.1 The Contractor shall evaluate every metric under consideration — the full set compiled under Section 2.1 plus any metrics proposed under Section 2.3 — against each of the following three criteria, using a single evaluation methodology applied consistently across all metrics:

(a) Measurability — whether the metric can be measured using a repeatable method, citing actual data availability and collection feasibility;

(b) Reliability - whether the metric is a reliable indicator of the state of the U.S.

commercial space ecosystem, addressing validity and consistency over time;

(c) Trend insight — whether the metric provides insight into broader trends, addressing whether it supports longitudinal or cross-sector analysis.

2.4.2 The Contractor shall state the evaluation methodology used under 2.4.1 in advance of applying it, and shall apply it uniformly; selective application of criteria to reach a predetermined outcome does not satisfy this requirement.

2.4.3 Where a metric fails one or more criteria under 2.4.1, the Contractor shall state specifically why (e.g., data does not exist at the required frequency, methodology is not standardized across sources, the metric is a lagging rather than leading indicator). No metric evaluated under Section 2.1 or proposed under Section 2.3 shall be dropped from the analysis without a documented reason.

2.4. Structured Evaluation Matrix

The Contractor shall deliver the evaluation required under Sections 2.4.1 through 2.4.3 as a structured evaluation matrix, with one record for each metric evaluated. The matrix shall include, at a minimum, the following fields:

Field Required Content

Metric ID Unique traceability identifier

Metric Name Name of metric

Assessment Area Applicable Base or Optional Assessment Area

Metric Origin Existing metric or newly proposed metric

Source / Publication Originating source or publication

Related Gap ID Applicable gap identified under Task 2

Definition What the metric measures

Data Source(s) Data required to produce the metric

Measurability Evaluation finding

Measurability Rationale Basis for the finding

Reliability Evaluation finding

Reliability Rationale Basis for the finding

Trend Insight Evaluation finding

Trend Insight Rationale Basis for the finding

Known Limitations Data, methodology, timeliness, comparability, or other limitations

Overall Evaluation Summary assessment

Disposition Recommend / Retain for Further Study / Do Not Recommend

Disposition Rationale Basis for the disposition

No metric evaluated under Section 2.1 or proposed under Section 2.3 shall be dropped from the analysis without a documented reason.

2.5 Task 5 — Recommendation and Final Report

The final recommended metric register shall represent the subset of metrics selected from the Task 4 evaluation matrix for recurring Federal use. It shall not reproduce the full Task 4 analytical universe. Instead, it shall provide the operational specification necessary for OSC, or a designated Federal partner, to implement, calculate, maintain, and report each recommended metric on a recurring basis.

Each recommended metric shall retain traceability to its Task 4 evaluation and, where applicable, to the gap and candidate-metric analysis conducted under Sections 2.2 and 2.3. The final recommended metric register shall therefore serve as the implementation-ready measurement specification, while the Task 4 matrix shall serve as the supporting analytical and decision record.

2.5.1 The Contractor shall recommend a comprehensive set of metrics, drawn from the evaluation conducted under Section 2.4, that together form a sufficient basis for recurring empirical reporting on the size, growth, health, competitiveness, resilience, and capacity of the U.S. commercial space ecosystem beginning in FY2027.

2.5.2 The recommendation under 2.5.1 shall explain why the recommended metrics function adequately as a set — i.e., what each contributes and how they complement one another — rather than restating the full list of metrics evaluated under Section 2.4.

2.5.3 Every metric recommended under 2.5.1 shall be traceable to its evaluation under Section

2.4 and, where applicable, to the gap-and-new-metric chain in Sections 2.2–2.3.

2.5.4 The Contractor shall segregate all privacy-protected, proprietary, or otherwise sensitive information from the final report required under this section. Any such information necessary to support the analysis shall be delivered in a separate, clearly marked, non-public document, not in the report intended for release.

2.5.5 The final report required under 2.5.1 shall be structured for public release: plain-language executive summary, methodology section, and recommendations section, requiring no further redaction prior to publication.

2.5.6 The Contractor shall maintain a running public-releasability determination throughout performance of Sections 2.1–2.4, rather than performing sensitive-information review as a single filtering step at the end of the effort.

2.5.7 Data Presentation and Supporting Data

The Final Report shall present the recommended metric set using standardized tables, figures, and other data visualizations, as appropriate, sufficient to communicate the structure, coverage, relationships, and intended use of the recommended measurement framework.

For each recommended metric, the Contractor shall provide, at minimum, the metric name or unique identifier; applicable assessment area; measure type; definition; unit of measure;

calculation or measurement methodology; required underlying data; data source or proposed collection method; expected update frequency; applicable geographic, industry, or population scope; inclusion and exclusion criteria; relevant benchmark or comparison basis, where applicable; findings regarding measurability, reliability, and trend insight; known limitations; and traceability to the analytical record developed under Sections 2.1 through 2.4.

Where the Contractor develops, calculates, or validates empirical values during performance of this SOW, such values shall identify the applicable source, reference period, unit of measure, methodology, and any material limitations or uncertainty. The Contractor shall clearly distinguish observed data from estimates, modeled values, proxies, or other derived information.

The Contractor shall provide the complete recommended metric set and associated supporting information in a structured, machine-readable format consistent with Section 4.9, in addition to its presentation in the Final Report. The structured data shall be sufficient for OSC or a designated Federal partner to incorporate the recommended metrics into a recurring reporting process without reconstructing the underlying metric definitions or methodology.

The report shall contain the following minimum requirements:

Required data element Purpose

Metric name / unique identifier Enables traceability across the report and supporting files

Assessment area Economic Activity, Capital, Competitiveness, Workforce, or applicable Optional Area

Measure type Economic activity, economic outcome, or ecosystem condition/trajectory

Metric definition States exactly what is being measured

Unit of measure Dollars, percentage, count, rate, index, ratio, etc.

Calculation methodology Formula or method sufficient for independent reproduction

Required data element Purpose

Required underlying data Identifies the inputs necessary to calculate the metric

Data source(s) Federal, commercial, academic, association, survey, administrative, etc.

Data availability Existing, partially available, collection required, or unavailable

Collection/access method How the Government would obtain the underlying data

Reporting/update frequency Annual, quarterly, monthly, periodic, etc.

Reference period / baseline Applicable time period or recommended baseline convention

Geographic / industry scope National, regional, industry segment, firm-level, etc.

Inclusion / exclusion criteria Defines analytical boundaries

Benchmark / comparator Where applicable, identifies meaningful comparison basis

Measurability finding Result from Task 4

Reliability finding Result from Task 4

Trend-insight finding Result from Task 4

Known limitations Coverage gaps, lag, comparability, uncertainty, bias, false-precision risks

Gap traceability Links new metrics to the Task 2 gap they address

Source / metric lineage Links the recommendation back through Tasks 1–4

Recurring-reporting suitability Identifies whether and how the metric can be incorporated into future Federal reporting

Public-release status Identifies whether supporting data/methodology are public or require segregation

Current value, if developed Reported only when the contractor actually calculates or validates a value under this effort

3.0 CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL

3.1 QUALIFIED PERSONNEL

The Contractor shall provide sufficient qualified personnel and resources to perform the requirements of this SOW and complete all deliverables within the specified schedule.

3.2 CONTINUITY OF SUPPORT

The Contractor is responsible for determining the staffing levels and work schedules necessary to successfully perform the work. Contractor personnel shall be available, as necessary, to participate in required meetings, consultations, and other activities necessary to support timely completion of the study.

3.3 KEY PERSONNEL

3.3.1 PROJECT MANAGER

The Contractor shall provide a Project Manager who shall be responsible for all Contractor work performed under this SOW. The Project Manager shall be a single point of contact for the Contracting Officer and the COR. The name of the Project Manager, and the name(s) of any alternate(s) who shall act for the Contractor in the absence of the Project Manager, shall be provided to the Government as part of the Contractor's proposal. The Project Manager is further designated as Key by the Government. During any absence of the Project Manager, only one alternate shall have full authority to act for the Contractor on all matters relating to work performed under this contract. Additionally, the Contractor shall not replace the Project Manager without prior approval from the Contracting Officer.

3.3.2 Economist/Lead Researcher

The Contractor shall provide an Economist/Lead Researcher who shall be responsible for the economic and analytical work performed under this SOW. The Economist/Lead Researcher shall serve as the principal subject matter expert for the development, evaluation, and recommendation of economic metrics and measurement methodologies required under Sections 2.1 through 2.5. The name of the Economist/Lead Researcher , and the name(s) of any alternate(s) who shall act for the Contractor in the absence of the Economist/Lead Researcher , shall be provided to the Government as part of the Contractor's proposal.

The Economist/Lead Researcher is further designated as Key by the Government. During any absence of the Economist/Lead Researcher , only one alternate shall have full authority to act for the Contractor on matters relating to economic analysis, methodology, metric evaluation, and associated technical work performed under this contract. Additionally, the Contractor shall not replace the Economist/Lead Researcher without prior approval from the Contracting Officer.

3.4 EMPLOYEE IDENTIFICATION

3.4.1 Contractor employees visiting Government facilities shall wear an identification badge that, at a minimum, displays the Contractor name, the employee’s photo, name, clearance-level and badge expiration date. Visiting Contractor employees shall comply with all Government escort rules and requirements. All Contractor employees shall identify themselves as Contractors when their status is not readily apparent and display all identification and visitor badges in plain view above the waist at all times.

3.5 EMPLOYEE CONDUCT

Contractor’s employees shall comply with all applicable Government regulations, policies and procedures (e.g., fire, safety, sanitation, environmental protection, security, “off limits” areas, etc.) when visiting or working at Government facilities. The Contractor shall ensure Contractor employees present a professional appearance at all times and that their conduct shall not reflect discredit on the United States or the Department of Commerce. The Project Manager shall ensure Contractor employees understand and abide by Department of Commerce established rules, regulations and policies concerning safety and security.

3.6 REMOVING EMPLOYEES FOR MISCONDUCT OR SECURITY REASONS

The Government may, at its sole discretion (in coordination with the Contracting Officer where practical), direct the Contractor to remove any Contractor employee from NOAA facilities for misconduct or security reasons. Removal does not relieve the Contractor of the responsibility to continue providing the services required under the contract. The Contracting Officer will provide the Contractor with a written explanation to support any request to remove an employee.

4.0 OTHER APPLICABLE CONDITIONS

4.1 SECURITY

Contractor access to classified information is not currently required under this SOW.

4.2 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance for the Base Assessment Areas shall not exceed 180 calendar days.

The start date for the Base Assessment Areas shall be established in the contract.

The period of performance for the Optional Assessment Areas shall be established in the modification exercising the Option CLIN and shall not exceed 180 calendar days from the effective date of the option exercise. Exercise of the Option CLIN shall not alter the period of performance or delivery schedule for the Base Assessment Areas unless expressly modified by the Contracting Officer.

4.3 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

The primary place of performance will be the Contractor’s facilities.

4.4 TRAVEL

Contractor travel shall not be required for this requirement.

4.5 POST AWARD CONFERENCE

The Contractor shall attend a Post Award Conference with the Contracting Officer and the COR no later than 10 business days after the date of award. The purpose of the Post Award Conference, which will be chaired by the Contracting Officer, is to discuss technical and contracting objectives of this contract and review the Contractor's draft project plan. The Post Award Conference will be held at the Government’s facility, located at the Herbert C. Hoover Building, 1401 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, Room 68015, or via teleconference.

4.6 PROJECT PLAN

The Contractor shall provide a draft Project Plan at the Post Award Conference for Government review and comment. The Contractor shall provide a final Project Plan to the COR not later than 30 business days after the Post Award Conference.

4.7 PROGRESS REPORTS

The Project Manager shall provide a monthly progress report to the Contracting Officer and COR via electronic mail. This report shall include a summary of all Contractor work performed, an assessment of technical progress, schedule status, any travel conducted and any Contractor concerns or recommendations for the previous and future reporting period.

4.8 PROGRESS MEETINGS

The Project Manager shall keep the COR informed of Contractor progress throughout the period of performance and shall ensure Contractor activities remain aligned with OSC objectives. At a minimum, the Project Manager shall meet with the COR monthly to review technical progress, deliverable status, schedule, risks, and issues requiring Government attention. Additional meetings may be requested by the COR as needed to present deliverables, exchange information, or resolve emergent technical issues. Meetings shall be conducted by teleconference or other Government-approved virtual platform unless otherwise agreed by the parties at no additional cost to the Government.

4.9 GENERAL REPORT REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall provide all written reports and data deliverables in electronic formats that are editable, accessible, and compatible with Government systems. Unless otherwise directed by the COR, narrative deliverables shall be submitted in Microsoft Word (.docx) and PDF formats, and structured data, tables, and evaluation matrices shall be submitted in Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) or comma-separated values (.csv) format, as appropriate. Final public-release deliverables shall be provided in an accessible electronic format consistent with the Section 508 requirements in Section 4.12.

4.10 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Pursuant to FAR clause 52.227-14, OSC shall have unlimited rights in data produced under this contract, including but not limited to the final report, the comprehensive set of metrics, and other associated materials. Consistent with these rights, OSC may publicly release these materials.

The contractor may elect to assign copyright in such materials to OSC; if the contractor retains copyright, the contractor shall comply with a request by the Contracting Officer to apply a standard open license providing public use rights to materials to be publicly released (either CC0 1.0 or CC BY 4.0).

The contractor shall not deliver any limited rights data except with the prior written approval of the Contracting Officer.

4.11 PROTECTION OF INFORMATION

Contractor access to information protected under the Privacy Act is required under this SOW.

Contractor employees shall safeguard this information against unauthorized disclosure or dissemination in accordance with the law and Government policy and regulation.

Contractor access to proprietary information is required under this SOW. Contractor employees shall safeguard this information against unauthorized disclosure or dissemination in accordance with the Privacy Act, OMB M06-16 (PII) and other pertinent laws and regulations governing the confidentiality of privileged information and Safeguarding Sensitive But Unclassified (SBU) (For Official Use Only) Information. The Contractor shall ensure that all Contractor personnel having access to business or procurement sensitive information sign a NOAA Non-Disclosure Agreement.

4.12 SECTION 508 COMPLIANCE

All electronic content and information and communication technology (ICT) deliverables produced under this SOW, including electronic documents, reports, spreadsheets, and public-release materials, shall conform to the applicable Revised Section 508 Standards in 36 CFR Part 1194, as amended. The Contractor shall ensure that applicable electronic document deliverables are accessible before submission and shall perform appropriate accessibility testing for Microsoft Office and PDF deliverables. The Government reserves the right to evaluate deliverables for conformance with applicable Section 508 requirements and may return nonconforming deliverables for remediation. The Contractor shall correct identified accessibility deficiencies within the period specified by the COR and at no additional cost to the Government.

5.0 GOVERNMENT TERMS & DEFINITIONS

Term / Acronym Definition

BEA Bureau of Economic Analysis

CC0 / CC BY 4.0 Creative Commons Zero / Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International — standard open licenses referenced in Section 4.10 for public release of Contractor-produced materials

CFR Code of Federal Regulations

COR Contracting Officer's Representative

DOC Department of Commerce

FAR Federal Acquisition Regulation

FY Fiscal Year

ICT Information and Communication Technology

NDA Non-Disclosure Agreement

NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

OMB Office of Management and Budget

OSC Office of Space Commerce

PII Personally Identifiable Information

SBU Sensitive But Unclassified

SOW Statement of Work

U.S. Government / USG United

6.0 GOVERNMENT FURNISHED RESOURCES

The Government will not furnish any resources to the Contractor in support of this contract.

7.0 CONTRACTOR FURNISHED PROPERTY

The Contractor shall furnish all facilities, materials, equipment and services necessary to fulfill the requirements of this contract, except for the Government Furnished Resources specified in Section 6.0.

8.0 GOVERNMENT ACCEPTANCE PERIOD

The COR will review deliverables prior to acceptance and provide the contractor with an e-mail that provides documented reasons for non-acceptance. If the deliverable is acceptable, the COR will send an e-mail to the Contractor notifying it that the deliverable has been accepted.

8.1 Rejection Assesment

The COR will have the right to reject or require correction of any deficiencies found in the deliverables that are contrary to the information contained in the Contractor’s accepted proposal. In the event of a rejected deliverable, the Contractor will be notified in writing by the COR of the specific reasons for rejection. The Contractor may have an opportunity to correct the rejected deliverable and return it per delivery instructions.

8.2 DELIVERABLE REVIEW AND CORRECTION PERIODS

For interim technical deliverables submitted under Sections 9.1 through 9.4, the COR will have up to 10 business days from receipt to review the deliverable and provide comments, acceptance, or notice of deficiencies. The Contractor shall address Government comments and resubmit corrected interim deliverables within 5 business days unless otherwise agreed upon by the parties.

For the final report and associated deliverables submitted under Section 9.5, the Government will have up to 15 business days from receipt to conduct technical review and applicable pre-publication review and to provide comments, acceptance, or notice of deficiencies. The Contractor shall address Government comments and resubmit corrected final deliverables within a timeframe established by the COR, based on the nature and extent of the required revisions.

Government review of an interim deliverable shall not, unless otherwise directed by the COR, prevent the Contractor from initiating work on subsequent tasks when predecessor findings are substantially complete and sufficient to support continued analysis, consistent with Section 9.0.

8.3 OTHER REVIEW SCHEDULES

Review times and schedules not otherwise specified in Section 8.2 shall be agreed upon by the parties and documented in the final approved Project Plan. The Contractor shall be responsible for timely delivery to Government personnel within the agreed-upon review chain and shall coordinate with Government reviewers as necessary to maintain the established schedule.

9.0 DELIVERABLES

Deliverables under this effort fall into two categories. The first is the set of technical deliverables produced under Sections 2.1 through 2.5, each of which documents completion of a specific research task and informs the tasks that follow. The second is the set of contract administration deliverables that apply throughout the period of performance, regardless of technical task status, and provide the Government with continuing visibility into cost, schedule, progress, and performance.

The Contractor shall deliver each item in Sections 9.1 through 9.5 in accordance with the content and format requirements specified in the corresponding subsection of Section 2.0. The Contractor shall deliver each item in Sections 9.6 through 9.8 in accordance with the schedule and content requirements of Sections 4.6 through 4.8, regardless of the status of any technical task.

The Contractor may initiate work on subsequent tasks when predecessor task findings are substantially complete and sufficient to support continued analysis. Such overlapping performance is permitted to support schedule efficiency and shall not alter the required traceability among Tasks 1 through 5. No final downstream deliverable shall be submitted without incorporating all applicable predecessor findings, Government comments and direction, and accepted revisions necessary to maintain analytical consistency and traceability across the full research effort.

Deliverable What it contains Purpose

Task 4 Evaluation Matrix

Every metric considered Shows how each candidate was evaluated and why it passed, failed, or was retained

Final Recommended Metric Register

Only the metrics recommended for recurring reporting

Gives OSC the operational specification needed to use the metric

Supplemental Metric Register

Metrics applicable to exercised Optional Assessment Areas

Extends the base framework without duplicating it

9.1 BIBLIOGRAPHY AND SEARCH METHODOLOGY (TASK 1)

The Contractor shall deliver the annotated bibliography and accompanying search methodology documentation required under Section 2.1, in the structured format specified in Section 2.1.6, not later than 20 business days after the start of the applicable period of performance (PoP)..

9.2 GAP ANALYSIS (TASK 2)

The Contractor shall deliver the gap analysis required under Section 2.2, consisting of either the substantiated set of identified gaps or a substantiated finding that no important gaps exist, not later than 40 business days after the start of the PoP.

The Contractor may initiate Task 2 analysis when the findings developed under Task 1 are substantially complete and sufficient to support continued analysis, consistent with Section 9.0.

The deliverable shall incorporate all applicable predecessor findings and Government comments and direction available at the time of submission.

9.3 PROPOSED NEW METRICS (TASK 3)

The Contractor shall deliver the analysis required under Section 2.3 not later than 60 business days after the start of the PoP. Where Section 2.2 identifies one or more substantiated gaps, the deliverable shall include the proposed new metrics and gap-traceability mapping required under Section 2.3. Where Section 2.2 results in a substantiated finding that no important gaps exist, the deliverable shall document that determination and explain why no new metrics are warranted.

The Contractor may initiate Task 3 when the findings developed under Task 2 are substantially complete and sufficient to support the analysis required under Section 2.3, consistent with Section 9.0.

9.4 METRIC EVALUATION MATRIX (TASK 4)

The Contractor shall deliver the structured evaluation matrix required under Section 2.4, covering the full set of metrics compiled under Section 2.1 and, where applicable, metrics proposed under Section 2.3, not later than 80 business days after the start of the PoP.

The Contractor may develop the evaluation methodology and begin evaluating existing metrics while Tasks 2 and 3 are underway, provided that the final evaluation matrix incorporates all applicable metrics, substantiated findings, Government comments and direction, and revisions necessary to maintain analytical consistency and traceability across the research effort.

9.5 FINAL REPORT AND SENSITIVE INFORMATION ANNEX (TASK 5)

9.5.1 Draft Final Report

The Contractor shall deliver a draft public-release report containing the recommended measurement framework and metric set required under Section 2.5 not later than 80 business days after the start of the PoP.

The draft final report shall reflect the complete analytical record developed under Tasks 1 through 4 and shall incorporate all applicable predecessor findings, traceability relationships, and Government comments and direction available at the time of submission.

The government shall accept the delivery of the report as established in Section 2.5.7.

The Government shall review the draft final report in accordance with the review period established in Section 8.2.

9.5.2 Final Public-Release Report

The Contractor shall deliver the final public-release report, incorporating applicable Government comments and required revisions, not later than 130 business days after the start of the PoP, unless an alternative date is established by the COR based on the scope of required revisions or the Government pre-publication review process.

The final report shall not be considered accepted until it has satisfied applicable Government technical and pre-publication review requirements for public-release suitability.

9.5.3 Sensitive Information Annex

Where privacy-protected, proprietary, or otherwise sensitive information is necessary to support the analysis, the Contractor shall deliver the separate, clearly marked, non-public sensitive-information annex required under Section 2.5.4 concurrently with the final report required under Section 9.5.2.

The sensitive-information annex shall not contain information intended for inclusion in the public-release report and shall be handled in accordance with the applicable information-protection requirements of this SOW.

9.6 PROJECT PLAN

The Contractor shall deliver the draft and final Project Plan in accordance with Section 4.6.

9.7 PROGRESS REPORTS

The Contractor shall submit monthly progress reports in accordance with Section 4.7.

9.8 PROGRESS MEETINGS

The Contractor shall participate in a regular occurring set of progress meetings in accordance with Section 4.8

9.9 OPTIONAL ASSESSMENT DELIVERABLES

If the Option CLIN is exercised, the Government may direct the Contractor to incorporate the Optional Assessment Areas into the applicable technical deliverables and final report.

Where the Government exercises an Optional Assessment Area, the Contractor shall apply the same analytical, evaluation, traceability, documentation, and data-presentation requirements applicable to the Base Assessment Areas. Optional Assessment Area metrics evaluated under Task 4 shall be incorporated into the applicable evaluation matrix and clearly identified as optional-scope metrics.

9.9.1 If the Government does not direct integration, the Contractor shall deliver a public-release-ready Optional Assessment Supplemental Report documenting the analysis and recommended metrics for the Optional Assessment Areas. The supplemental report shall build upon the analytical work completed for the Base Assessment Areas and shall not unnecessarily duplicate previously completed research or analysis.

9.9.1.1 Where an Optional Assessment Supplemental Report is required, the associated supplemental metric register shall include only those Optional Assessment Area metrics recommended for recurring measurement. The register shall identify relationships, dependencies, or overlap with metrics established for the Base Assessment Areas and shall distinguish newly recommended metrics from metrics previously established under the Base Requirement. The Contractor shall not duplicate Base Assessment Area analysis except where necessary to explain the relationship between base and optional metrics.

9.9.2 The Optional Assessment Supplemental Report shall be delivered within the period established in the modification exercising the Option CLIN, not to exceed 180 calendar days from the effective date of the option exercise. Exercise of the Option CLIN shall not alter the delivery schedule for the Base Assessment Areas unless expressly modified by the Contracting Officer.

9.9.3 The Optional Assessment Supplemental Report shall apply the same data-presentation, metric-definition, traceability, structured-data, public-releasability, and supporting-data requirements applicable to the Final Report under Section 2.5. The Supplemental Report shall identify relationships between recommended Optional Assessment Area metrics and metrics established for the Base Assessment Areas and shall distinguish new, modified, and previously established metrics. The Contractor shall not duplicate Base Assessment Area data or analysis except where necessary to explain those relationships.

9.9.4 Where the Government exercises an Optional Assessment Area, the Contractor shall apply the same analytical and documentation requirements used for the Base Assessment Areas. Any Optional Assessment Area metrics evaluated under Task 4 shall be incorporated into the applicable evaluation matrix and clearly identified as optional-scope metrics.

9.9.5 Where an Optional Assessment Supplemental Report is required, the associated supplemental metric register shall include only those Optional Assessment Area metrics recommended for recurring measurement. It shall identify relationships, dependencies, or overlap with metrics established under the Base Assessment Areas and shall distinguish newly recommended metrics from metrics already established in the Base Requirement. The Contractor shall not duplicate Base Assessment Area analysis except where necessary to explain the relationship between base and optional metrics.

DELIVERABLES SUMMARY TABLE

Ref Deliverable Format Due (from start of PoP)

Recipient Governing Section

9.1 Annotated

bibliography + search methodology documentation

Structured document/table 20 business days COR 2.1.4–2.1.6

9.2 Gap analysis

(substantiated gaps, or substantiated finding of none)

Structured document 40 business days COR — decision point for Phase 2

2.2.2–2.2.4

9.3 Proposed new

metrics + gap-traceability mapping (conditional)

Structured document/matrix

60 business days COR 2.3.2–2.3.4

9.4 Metric evaluation

matrix (measurability / reliability / trend insight)

Structured matrix in accordance with PWS Section 2.4

80 business days COR — decision point for Phase 3

2.4.1–2.4.4

9.5.1 Draft Final Report

Report — plain-language, public-release ready in accordance with PWS Section 2.5

80 business days CO, COR 2.5.1–2.5.3, 2.5.5, 2.5.7

9.5.2 Final public-release

report with recommended metric set

Report — plain-language, public-release ready in accordance with PWS Section 2.5

130 business days CO, COR; subject to pre-publication review

2.5.1–2.5.3, 2.5.5, 2.5.7

Recipient Governing Section

9.5.3 Sensitive information

annex (if any)

Separate, clearly marked non-public document

Concurrent with 9.5.1

CO, COR 2.5.4

9.6 Draft Project Plan

(incl. proposed phasing)

Document, presented at Post Award Conference

At Post Award Conference

Government (Post Award Conference)

4.6

9.6 Final Project Plan Document NLT 30 business

days after Post Award Conference

COR 4.6

9.7 Monthly Progress

Report

Electronic mail; includes labor hours by category, direct costs by line item, technical/schedule status, travel, phase status, concerns/recommendations

Monthly no later than 7 business days following the preceding month

CO, COR 4.7

9.8 Progress Meeting Teleconference or

Government-approved virtual platform

Monthly; additional meetings as requested by the

COR

COR 4.8

9.9 Draft Optional

Assessment Supplemental Report

Report — plain-language, public-release ready in accordance with PWS Section 2.5

At least three weeks before the end of PoP established in the modification exercising the Option CLIN

CO, COR 2.5.1–2.5.3,

Recipient Governing Section

9.9 Final Optional

Assessment Supplemental Report

Report — plain-language, public-release ready in accordance with PWS Section 2.5

At least one week before the end of PoP established in the modification exercising the Option CLIN

CO, COR 2.5.1–2.5.3,

2.5 Task 5 — Recommendation and Final Report