B01-Sources_Sought_TSSC_Recompete_2025_1.doc

THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES ONLY for planning purposes to identify interested vendors for the requirement detailed below. A formal solicitation, performance work statement, and technical exhibits are not available for release at this time. In accordance with FAR 19.5 Set-asides for Small Business, the Government will review the information requested in the submission to determine the type of set-aside, if any, for this requirement.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) has a requirement for technical support services for the Earth Resources Observation and Science Center (EROS), located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. EROS is a data management, systems development, and research field center for the USGS that collects, archives, and distributes many types of remotely sensed photographic and digital earth science data and investigate ways to use the data in scientific and operational planning and management. These data are used by Federal, State, local and tribal governments, academia, non-governmental users, industry, the public and international users in global change research, agriculture, forestry, geology, land resource management, geography, mapping, water quality, and emergency response applications. The center advances the remote sensing research and science applications that increases our understanding of our planet and result in solutions to societal needs.

Operated by the USGS, EROS is a national data reception, processing, archiving, distribution, and research facility for remotely sensed data and other forms of geographic information. These data are made available in a timely, reliable manner, with an open data policy, at low or no cost, on standard formats and are well calibrated. EROS maintains the world's largest collection of space and aircraft acquired imagery of the Earth, including over four million images acquired by Landsat and other civil satellites, and over eight million aerial photographs. EROS conducts a broad range of activities in management of global Earth observations data, including the development, operation and management of advanced systems for scheduling, processing, distributing, and applying land related earth science, mapping, and other geographic data and information. Additional information about EROS can be found at http://eros.usgs.gov/.

Background: The current Technical Support Services Contract (TSSC), 140G0121D0001, was awarded to KBR Wyle, Inc. (KBR) as an Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract with a base year, plus four option years in the amount of $300 MIL. It is anticipated that the new requirement will remain similar to the current effort and the award date for TSSC is anticipated to be December 2025. The previous requirements were issued as full and open competitive procurements in accordance with FAR Part 15 and were subject to the availability of funds.

Requirements: Maintaining a highly technical and specialized workforce with the appropriate mix of skills, experience, and constant training of personnel is essential to accomplish the mission of EROS and the USGS. This is extremely critical in order to meet future Landsat projects requirements and schedule. Future Landsat projects ground systems will form the core capability of a multi-mission operation that will ingest, archive, process, calibrate, and distribute remote sensing data from civil, international and commercial satellites. Additional information concerning future Landsat projects will become available in the next year as mission roles/responsibilities are determined.

The geographical location of EROS can conceivably limit the competitive opportunities to recruit highly trained or specially qualified skills that would be more readily available in a major metropolitan area. In addition, the national demands for a workforce with high-level technical abilities creates a competitive environment that can draw on the existing workforce at EROS, especially for individuals interested in expanded career opportunities within a large corporation with national scope. These career opportunities include promotion with the management ranks, challenging and diverse technical work, training and educational advancement, and other benefits. It is critical that the contractor understand and own the responsibility for human resources (including employee retention, recruitment, and employee development) and maintain a workforce required to meet the mission of EROS which includes technology and professional certifications that are necessary for work that is conducted at EROS.

Purpose: The USGS is seeking capabilities, expertise and experience from Small, Small Disadvantaged, 8(a), Woman-owned, Service Disabled Veteran, Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) and Indian Small Business Economic Enterprises (ISBEE) businesses for the purposes of determining the appropriate level of competition and/or small business subcontracting goals for this requirement. The Government anticipates award of a noncommercial, performance based, IDIQ contract that issues firm fixed price and cost-plus-fixed fee task orders with a period of performance of a five (5) year contract, not to exceed 60 months. The North American Industry Classification Code (NAICS) code is 541513 - - Computer Facilities Management Services, with a $37 Million size standard. Small Business Concerns who believe they can responsibly perform this requirement.

1. Provide a 1-page summary (not part of 20-page limit-see below) to be included with your capability statement, which identifies your company's specific capabilities relevant to the requirement. Provide small business status of potential offer (8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB and ISBEE, etc.) and point of contact information, cage code, D&B number, average annual revenue for the past three years, and your government size/type classification (small, 8(a), etc.).

2. Do not provide only general brochures or generic information.

3. Do not provide company-sensitive information.

4. USGS will not accept unsolicited proposals related to the subject of this notice.

5. This sources sought synopsis is for information and planning purposes and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government, nor will be Government pays for information solicited. No evaluation letters and/or results will be issued to the respondents. Respondents deemed fully qualified will be considered in any resultant solicitation for the requirement.

6. Provide a capability statement of no more than 20 pages (including attachments, exhibits, etc.), that addresses the following:

a. Expertise. Demonstrate current staffing expertise or the ability to recruit, sufficient to plan, coordinate and execute multidisciplinary programs, which includes development and operation of complex satellite-based systems, multi-disciplinary science research and applications, archive management, customer services, and information dissemination. At a minimum, expertise should include senior and junior staff members with experience in project management, systems engineering, aerospace and electrical engineering, system architecting, database management and design, quality assurance, and configuration management.

b. Experience. Demonstrate recent, relevant experience in the planning, coordination and execution of multi-disciplinary programs, which includes development and operation of complex satellite-based systems, multi-disciplinary science research and applications, archive management, customer services, and information dissemination. Experience should also be shown in management of large system acquisitions, particularly in the execution of multi-million dollar aerospace programs, and in the ability to take over a project in the middle of its development phase from another contractor and successfully deliver the end product or service to the customer.

c. "Requirements" as stated above.

Interested vendors must provide their response via email to the Contracting Officer identified in this announcement: Kristen Pederson: kpederson@usgs.gov with the subject line reading "TSSC Sources Sought" is due Monday, May 20, 2024 10:00 am Central Standard Time. The response must be specific to the qualifications listed above. Submissions should not exceed a total of 25 pages. A determination by the Government to proceed with the acquisition as a set-aside is within the discretion of the Government.

PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT TELEPHONE INQUIRIES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 10.002(b)2)(i) this notice is issued for the purpose of market research. This request is for planning purposes only and does not constitute a Solicitation or an indication the Government will contract for the items contained in this notice. This notice is not to be construed as an acquisition request for Proposal (RFP), nor is any commitment on the part of the Government to award a contract implied, nor does the Government intend to pay for any cost associated with submission of the information being requested or reimburse expenses incurred to interested parties for responses to this notice. Any response received will not be used as a proposal.