Broad_Agency_Announcement_FY24_(BAA__DOIGFBO240048).pdf

Next Generation Water Observing System – Request for Technologies Broad Agency Announcement # DOIGFBO240048

1. OVERVIEW INFORMATION

Agency Name: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Water Mission Area, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, VA 20192

Issuing Acquisition Office: USGS Office of Acquisition and Grants (OAG), 12201

Sunrise Valley Drive, MS 205, Reston, VA 20191

Next Generation Water Observing System – Request for Technologies

Announcement Type and Date: Broad Agency Announcement – June 1, 2024

Slide Presentation: A slide presentation (USGS NWOS R&D FY24 BAA Slides) to discuss the

USGS Water Mission Area Priorities is posted with this Broad Agency Announcement as

Attachment 2

Questions: Submit questions to BAA-NGWOS@usgs.gov

Response Dates: The Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) will remain open until March 15, 2025, or until such time as the BAA is cancelled through an amendment or another BAA is issued. Selections will be made on a continuous basis, depending on availability of funding and proposals consistent with the evaluation criteria provided herein.

2. BACKGROUND

The USGS Water Mission Area (WMA) operates over 13,000 real-time water monitoring stations across the United States, including in Puerto Rico and Guam. This data is vital to understanding water availability and water quality and it used by other Federal agencies, state and local governments, and water management groups to effectively manage this precious natural resource. The public also benefits from this network through important flood and drought warnings as well as informing recreational users of current conditions so they can make safe and economical decisions about accessing rivers, lakes, and reservoirs.

The WMA is seeking proposals from industry, academia, nonprofits, and research institutions for the research and development of innovative water monitoring technologies that could be deployed as part of the Next Generation Water Observing System (NGWOS) effort ongoing within the USGS. The NGWOS Program is an effort to enhance USGS monitoring in space and time to support modern water prediction and assessments, with the primary goal to provide data necessary to evaluate and improve simulation and prediction skills of hydrologic and water-quality models.

When fully implemented, NGWOS aims to provide quantitative information on water quantity, water quality and water use that includes but is not limited to streamflow, evapotranspiration, snowpack, soil moisture, groundwater levels, and connections between groundwater and surface water; nutrients, salinity, turbidity, and water temperature; and water use for irrigation and public supply. To achieve that goal, technologies that strategically enhance the temporal and spatial collection and delivery of water data in surface and groundwater across the United States are needed. The data will be served through a modernized USGS National Water Information

System that will be coupled to advanced modeling tools to inform daily water operations, decision-making during water emergencies, assessments of past trends in water quantity and quality, and forecasts of future water availability.

NGWOS aims to support the development of innovative water resource monitoring technologies to make water monitoring data more affordable and more rapidly available, as well as innovative technologies that improve the temporal resolution and spatial representation of water data. The application and benefits of these innovations will extend beyond the NGWOS program and may be incorporated into routine operation of USGS monitoring networks. Technologies of interest may be at any Technology Readiness Level (TRL), though prototype, alpha and beta technologies that can be field deployed for evaluation within the specified award period are of greatest interest. Technologies should ultimately be scalable from regional to national monitoring networks.

This BAA is issued under the provisions of Parts 35.016 and 6.102(d)(2) (i) and (ii) of the

Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), which provides for the competitive selection of proposals submitted in response to this announcement. Accordingly, proposals selected for award are considered to be the result of full and open competition and fully compliant with PL 98-369, entitled "The Competition in Contracting Act of 1984."

This BAA is an expression of interest only and does not commit the Government to make an award or pay proposal preparation prices/cost generated in response to this announcement. The price/cost of proposal preparation for response to a BAA is not considered an allowable direct charge to any resultant contract or any other contract. No contract award will be made unless funds are available. Prospective Offerors are reminded that only a duly warranted Contracting

Officer may obligate the Government to an agreement involving expenditure of Government funds.

Only the information provided in this notice is available. No formal solicitation will be issued.

The contract type is Firm Fixed Price (FFP) and the total amount of funding available through this BAA is $1.0 million. The Government anticipates making no more than 3 awards under this

BAA. If proposals include multiple technologies, the Government may elect to fund one or several of the proposal technologies under the BAA.

Areas of Interest

The USGS WMA is seeking innovative water monitoring technologies to fill current data gaps and improved operational efficiency. This BAA is to help develop promising technologies at all

Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) that may ultimately be integrated into USGS water research and monitoring networks. Deliverables for these awards may include prototypes or commercial technologies for testing at USGS sites during the award period. Future Requests for

Proposals (RFPs) will be considered for further development of these technologies past the initial prototype – beta stage development and evaluation.

The USGS has numerous areas of interest in innovative water resource monitoring technologies.

Technologies of interest include, but are not limited to, the following (with 1-3 of greatest interest):

1) Rapid Deployment Monitoring Systems - the USGS WMA has a need for pre-packaged monitoring platforms that can be rapidly deployed by a single technician in response to extreme hydrologic events. These rapid deployment gages (RDG) as used in a variety of field locations for floods but have potential applications that include monitoring of post-fire runoff, contaminant spills, harmful algal blooms, and other water-related hazards.

Customizable, smart sensor packages to monitor specific combinations of water quality parameters are of interest.

Particular technologies of interest may include:

a) Those that utilize SWaP-C components to ensure safe deployment, usually at a bridge, by a single technician;

b) Technologies that are capable of measuring surface velocity, flow direction, water levels and/or streamflow using cameras and radars;

c) Technologies for measuring high-frequency (10 Hz) water levels for measuring wave dynamics in coastal setting;

d) Non-contact technologies for measuring water quality including sediment, nutrients, water temperature, salinity and harmful algae.

2) Imagery and Camera-Based Monitoring – the USGS WMA is seeking to test camera-based technologies of potentially high value to the USGS and its cooperators. The goal is to adopt and develop new tools to make more effective and cost-efficient hydrologic measurements and to expand the range of water quality and water quantity variables that can be measured. The primary objective of this effort is to determine which imagery- and camera-based monitoring techniques and infrastructure improvements are most promising for future development and implementation in our national monitoring programs.

The USGS WMA is exploring ways in which ground-based and aerial camera imagery can be used as data to measure parameters such as water level, water velocity, stream bathymetry, suspended sediment, and temperature. The non-contact and low-cost features of modern camera hardware provide flexibility in how this technology can be applied to the WMA monitoring network. Drone-mounted cameras can collect both video and still images over large areas efficiently. Advances in imagery analysis present opportunities to utilize artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques to convert sequential still images into time series of data points. The WMA is especially interested in developing algorithms that can detect the presence of personally identifiable information and appropriately mask the information on the raw image file.

Particular areas of interest include:

a) Drone-mounted camera systems for operational and science applications such as water depth (bathymetry) surveys; surface flow velocity measurements; suspended sediment concentration; toxic spill monitoring; and harmful algal bloom identification and classification;

b) Automated algorithms for detecting features in images such as humans; presence of ice on rivers; river water levels; presence, size, and quantity of objects of interest (e.g.

gravel-size sediment, debris);

c) System design using MQTT data, command/control, and edge-computing capabilities;

d) Fixed-mounted camera systems that leverage low SWaP-C components that can reliably capture high quality images at night and during periods of low light;

e) Unsupervised algorithms to detect personally identifiable information (PII), or any information that permits the identity of an individual to be directly or indirectly inferred, including any information that is linked or linkable to that individual, in images and applies appropriate masks to remove the PII from the raw image file.

3) Power Management – most USGS monitoring stations are powered by 12-volt DC power supplies with photovoltaic charging systems keeping them operational during periods of no, or reduced, solar energy (ie- nighttime, cloudy days, etc). Proper power system configuration and continued maintenance of these power supplies and charging systems are critical to reliable and continuous operation of the USGS WMA monitoring network. With stations located from Alaska to Puerto Rico and from Hawaii to Maine, the WMA operates monitoring stations in all climates and environmental extremes and operators must adapt power supplies appropriately depending on their location.

Historically, the power requirements for basic monitoring systems have been relatively low

(2-4 Watts). Traditional power supplies consist of a single deep-cycle lead-acid battery

(typically 8-26 Amp-hr) and a single 30-W solar panel. A voltage regulator is added to control the voltage coming from the solar panel to the monitoring equipment. This system works well until additional sensors and observing systems are added to the station increasing the power requirements and requiring additional batteries and/or solar panels to meet the demand.

With advances in battery and photovoltaic charging technology being realized across the world, the USGS WMA is seeking to develop a next generation power supply that can efficiently meet the demands of this growing set of monitoring technologies. This power supply will incorporate low size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) components and smart power management routines and technologies, such as MPPT solar systems, to extend the life of the battery during extended periods of low solar charging potential is desired. The next generation power supply system design would also include MQTT messaging protocol to allow for remote command and control as well as facilitate edge-computing capabilities. The inclusion of alternative power generation methods (ie- wind and micro-hydro), alternative storage potential via super-capacitors, and other innovative power harvesting technologies are also desired.

Technologies of interest might include:

a) Inclusion of low size, weight, power, and cost (low-SWaP-C) sensing solutions;

b) Use of Lithium solar systems for improved maintenance and increased power capacity at remote locations;

c) Use of Smart instrumented MPPT Solar PV systems for improved predictive maintenance and power monitoring at remote USGS sites using MQTT or similar telemetry methods;

d) System design using MQTT data, command/control, and edge-computing edgecomputing capabilities;

e) Use of alternative power generation methods at remote USGS sites (eg, wind or microhydro)

4) Water Budget Monitoring – the USGS WMA has a need for new and/or lower cost technologies for monitoring water budget components. There is a need for sensors that can measure representative groundwater recharge over time as well as innovative technologies and field techniques to measure evapotranspiration (ET) in both irrigated and natural vegetation settings to advance current ET modeling and analysis capabilities. Measuring soil moisture using in situ or proximal sensors that provide observations over areas of greater than 10 square meters (m2) and depths up to 3m is also of interest as is remote sensing of snow depth and snow water equivalent (SWE) over areas ranging from 10-10,000 m2.

Technologies that address the following data types are of particular interest:

a) Evapotranspiration using novel technologies and field techniques applicable to irrigated areas and natural vegetation – (ET measurement from eddy covariance and satellite data analysis are already well established);

b) Soil moisture using in situ or proximal sensors that provide observations of soil moisture over areas of at least 10 square meters or depths to 3 meters;

c) Remote sensing (UAS-, high-altitude-, and satellite-based platforms) of snow depth and snow water equivalent (SWE) using direct or indirect methodologies over areas of 10-

10,000 square meters;

d) Water use monitoring IoT technologies for self-supplied domestic wells and agricultural water use;

e) Sensors for measuring representative groundwater recharge over time.

5) Streamflow Monitoring – the USGS WMA has a need for automated and non-contact technologies for monitoring water quantity in streams and rivers. These technologies can improve network operational efficiency and safety by increasing the spatial coverage of measurements while removing field staff from the water. We are seeking technologies that are both ground- and air-based systems that can measure water elevation, depth, temperature, velocity, and discharge using reliable, sturdy, and low SWaP-C components while producing accurate and repeatable results.

Ground-based systems of interest include bank and bridge mounted surface velocity meters that can be installed at any angle relative to the predominant flow direction as well as fixed camera systems that can compute surface velocity using image velocimetry methods such as

Large-Scale Particle Image Velocimetry (LSPIV) and space–time image velocimetry (STIV).

Cost-effective and reliable remote control boat platforms designed to support different payloads (i.e., acoustic doppler current profilers (ADCP), water-quality sondes, and cameras) and with features such as sensors to measure distance to either stream bank are also desired.

Remote sensing technologies such as unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) -, high altitude-, and space-based platforms are also of interest as they greatly increase the spatial coverage potential for the WMA while providing additional data analyses that are not possible with ground-based observations. Similarly, UAS-based remote sensing of stream channel bathymetry, including sensors and/or integrated hardware-software technology that can be mounted on any UAS with payload capacity up to 15 kg and approaches to mapping water depth in larger, deeper, and/or more turbid rivers are of special interest.

Technologies of interest include:

a) Remote sensing (ground-, UAS-, high altitude-, and space-based platforms) to measure depth, velocity, stage, and discharge using Doppler and pulsed radars and particle image velocity;

b) Ground-based platforms with bank-mounted radars capable of mapping surface velocities from bank-to-bank;

c) Aerial (UAS-based) remote sensing of stream channel bathymetry, including sensors and/or integrated hardware-software technology that can be mounted on any UAS with payload capacity up to 15 kg. Approaches to mapping depth in larger, deeper, and/or more turbid rivers are of special interest.

d) Aerial (helicopter- or fixed wing aircraft-based) remote sensing of river velocities, bathymetry, and discharge. Again, approaches to mapping depth in larger, deeper, and/or more turbid rivers are of special interest.

6) Remote Data Telemetry – the USGS WMA transmits real-time water data from most of the stations in its monitoring network. This data is served to the public through the National

Water Information System (NWIS) and is the primary data product for the USGS WMA.

Currently, the USGS WMA utilizes Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite

(GOES) and commercial satellite systems as well as 4G LTE cellular technology for telemetry options. We are seeking technologies that increase the options for data transmissions and that allow for two-way communication to facilitate remote command and control tasks, such as firmware upgrades, data downloads, sensor and modem configuration, and other system operational and maintenance tasks.

Technologies that increase the options for data transmission might include:

a) Long range (10-mile) /wide area, low power observation network technologies;

b) Wireless (WiFi) internet-enabled sensors for use with satellite broadband internet and

Internet of Things (IoT) applications;

c) Short-range (<1 mile), low power remote sensor interrogation/ communication;

d) Cellular 4G LTE CAT-M1 and 5G technologies;

e) Licensed band Software Defined Radio (SDR) based on IEEE 802.16 or other standards;

f) Leverage use of Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) spectrum (3.5 GHz to 3.7

GHz) for telemetry remote USGS sites;

g) Two-way satellite telemetry to communicate with remote USGS sites;

h) Leverage next-gen P25 Land Mobile Radio (LMR) networks for Mission Critical IoT for command and control with optional LoRaWAN last-mile sensor networks.

7) Groundwater Monitoring– the USGS WMA has a need for new and refined approaches for evaluating groundwater recharge, water table depth, and flow dynamics within aquifers.

Innovative technologies that provide non-contact sensors for measuring water levels below ground in drilled wells as well as locations without wells are desired. Other technologies of interest include acoustic instruments for measuring multidimensional flow in wells and boreholes and improved sensors for measuring oxidation-reduction potential of saturated sediments.

Technologies that address the following data types are of particular interest:

a) Non-contact sensing of water levels in wells to minimize disturbance and avoid potential contamination;

b) Non-contact sensing of water levels below ground in locations without wells;

c) Acoustic instruments for measuring multidimensional flow in wells and boreholes;

d) Improved sensors for measuring oxidation-reduction potential of saturated sediments.

8) Water Quality Monitoring – the USGS WMA has a need for innovative and lower cost technologies for monitoring water quality in surface and groundwater continuously and in real-time. We are seeking solutions that are both in-water and above-water and sensors that add capability to existing monitoring at fixed and mobile locations. Mobile technologies may be autonomous, remote controlled and boat mounted / towed. Customizable, low-cost smart sensor packages to monitor specific combinations of water quality parameters are of interest.

Technologies of particular interest include:

a) Sensors for measuring sediment, nutrients, contaminants (PFAS, harmful algal toxins), and environmental DNA;

b) Non-contact sensors including acoustic Doppler instruments optimized for sediment measurement and lasers for water temperature;

c) Sensors for detecting and monitoring harmful algal blooms (HABs), including simultaneous measurements of spectral reflectance and constituent concentrations such as chlorophyll-a and phycocyanin;

d) Smart optical sensors that can compensation for matrix interferences from particles and color, and compensate for temperature;

e) Smart samplers that can calculate volume of water sampled, water depth, water velocity, and standard field parameters at various depths and wirelessly transmit this information to the monitoring station data collection platform.

9) Mobile Monitoring – the USGS WMA has a need for new and/or lower cost technologies for monitoring water quantity and quality using mobile, remote controlled or autonomous platforms. There is a need for both surface and underwater vehicles than can be deployed by a single field technician in a surface water body. Propelled and non-propelled platforms such as drifters are of interest for monitoring in rivers and lakes.

a) Systems that can be deployed and operated for water quality observations such as water temperature, salinity, nutrients, and/or discharge and bathymetric surveying;

b) Systems that are GPS-trackable, open source or API accessible, and open standards based;

c) Systems that include edge-computing and real-time control technologies for remote status, command, and control;

d) Technologies that include iridium and/or other IoT satellite devices programmable for geotracking, asset tracking, vehicle/vessel tracking with telemetry are of interest.

10) Smart Network Technologies – the USGS WMA has a need for information and communication technology that enhance USGS water monitoring networks. Smart technologies could be deployed at the national, regional or local scale, but would improve

USGS operational efficiency and/or enhance real-time data collection and delivery.

a) Technologies that support the seamless data collection, integration and delivery of data from mobile assets (drifters, autonomous underwater vehicles, rapid deployment gages) with our fixed site networks;

b) Technologies for increased spatial and temporal coverage through improved integration of IoT sensors at or near USGS fixed sites which may include mesh networks and custom

5G networks;

c) Systems designed using MQTT data, command/control, and integrated edge-computing capabilities;

d) Technologies that increase edge computing capabilities on dataloggers at the gages or within a network of gages that may include artificial intelligence / machine learning

(AI/ML);

e) Improved infrastructure for the rapid integration of new sensors and/or platforms.

3. AWARD INFORMATION

The total amount of funding available through this BAA is $1.0 million. Projects will need to be completed by September 30, 2026. The Government anticipates making no more than 3 awards under this BAA. Awards made under this BAA are subject to the availability of funds and the

Government reserves the right to make one, more than one, or no contract awards from this

BAA. Awards may only be in the form of contracts or purchase order; financial assistance awards (grant or cooperative agreement) are not available through this BAA.

4. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. This BAA is an open opportunity for research proposals under a contract or purchase order only. Single entities or teams from the private sector, academic institutions, Federal agencies, state and local governments, and tribes are eligible to submit proposals. International entities are excluded from eligibility.

B. The contract resulting from this solicitation will contain FAR clause 52.232-33, “Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer—System for Award Management.” All Contractors receiving payments under USGS contracts, purchase orders, delivery orders, or other contractual vehicles must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database. The

SAM is a Department of Defense web-base repository of Contractor information. The

Electronic Funds Transfer information in the SAM must be accurate in order for

Contractors’ invoices or contract financing requests to be considered proper invoices for the purpose of prompt payment under DOI contracts. Interested offerors should read and understand the requirements of FAR 52.232-33. The successful offeror must register in the

SAM before submitting any invoices or contract financing instruments to the USGS, and must maintain current, updated information in SAM throughout the performance period of the contract. Offerors can register in SAM at any time and are encouraged to do so immediately.

C. Post-Employment Conflicts of Interest

There are certain post-employment restrictions on former Federal officers and employees, including special government employees (Section 207 of Title 18, U.S.C.). If a prospective applicant believes a conflict of interest may exist, the situation should be emailed to the Contracting Officer, prior to expending time and effort to prepare a proposal.

5. CORRESPONDENCE

All correspondence and questions on this BAA, including requests for information on how to submit a proposal, should be directed to Marcia Hall by electronic mail (email) to BAA-

NGWOS@usgs.gov . Please reference BAA Number DOIGFBO240048 in all correspondence and communications. For more information on NGWOS, visit:

https://www.usgs.gov/mission-areas/water-resources/science/usgs-next-generation-waterobserving-system-ngwos?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects

6. DUE DATES

The BAA will consist of Two (2) Phases; Phase 1 (Quick Look) proposals and Phase 2 (Full) proposals. Interested parties are required to submit Phase 1 proposals. Phase 1 proposals will be accepted during the period June 1, 2024, through August 31, 2024.

Phase 2 proposals will be accepted during the period October 15, 2024, through March 15, 2025. Any proposals not received by the Phase 2 proposal period end date of March 15, 2025, must be resubmitted by the Contractor under a newly issued or amended BAA for evaluation and possible award.

This BAA remains open from June 1, 2024, thru March 15, 2025

7. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. All proposals must be submitted directly to the Contracting Officer Marcia Hall by emailing required documents and forms to BAA-NGWOS@usgs.gov. The email subject line should contain the following: Last name of primary applicant, BAA Number - proposal (e.g., Smith DOIGFBO240048 - proposal).

B. Phase 1 (Quick Look) Proposals

Interested parties are required to submit Phase 1 proposals. Phase 1 proposals will be accepted during the period June 1, 2024, through August 31, 2024. The purpose of the Phase

1 proposal is to minimize the time and costs associated with the production of Phase 2 (full proposal) proposals that have little likelihood of being selected for funding. Phase 1 proposals shall not exceed four (4) pages plus one (1) cover page and must be submitted directly to BAA-NGWOS@usgs.gov as a single PDF formatted file as an email attachment.

Phase 1 proposals must include the following information:

• Title,

• BAA number,

• Offeror Contact Information,

• SAM Unique Entity ID

• Area(s) of USGS Interest Addressed,

• Brief Description of the Proposed Technology (including Technology Readiness

Level (TRL)),

• Project Duration,

• Estimated Project Price/Cost

Phase 1 proposals will be evaluated based on the above information to determine the potential contribution and relevance to USGS/NGWOS Mission. The Offeror will be notified in writing by the CO of any initial feedback via email within 45 days of the proposal submission window closing date.

C. Phase 2 (Full) Proposals Phase 2 proposals will be accepted during the period October 15, 2024, through March 15, 2025. Phase 2 proposals cannot exceed ten (10) pages plus one (1) cover letter. Proposals must be submitted directly to BAA-NGWOS@usgs.gov as a single PDF formatted file in an email attachment. Ancillary material such as publications or data sheets may also be included as needed. Proposals must include the following information:

• Title,

• BAA number,

• Offeror Contact Information,

• SAM Unique Entity ID

• Brief Summary/Abstract,

• Area(s) of USGS Interest Addressed,

• Detailed Description of the Proposed Technology (including Technology Readiness

Level (TRL)),

• Identification of Risks to Project Success,

• Project Duration,

• Preliminary Schedule,

• Deliverables,

• Team Capabilities to include Key Personnel Resumes,

• Project Price/Costs to include labor categories, rates, hours for Key Personnel as well as a detailed summary budget that includes projected material costs if any.

Offerors must submit a separate proposal for each distinct technology to be considered. Each submission will be evaluated against the criteria identified below. The Offeror will be notified in writing by the CO of any initial feedback and/or final disposition via email and debriefing as needed within 60 days of the proposal submission window closing date.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

The USGS intends to select for award those proposals that deliver technological innovations that contributes to the USGS mission, provides societal benefit, and grows the U.S. economy. Each proposal will be evaluated on its own merits using the factors described below. In accordance with FAR 35.016(e), the primary basis for selecting proposals for acceptance shall be technical, importance to agency programs, and funding availability. Factors 1 and 2 will be scored using adjectival ratings, except that proposals lacking scientific merit or USGS relevance are ineligible for award. The evaluation for Factor 3 will be based on price/cost reasonableness. Factor 1 is more important than Factor 2, their relative weights indicated by the percentage numbers below, and the non-price factors are more important than price. An offerors proposed price/cost will be an important consideration when making an award decision (i.e., USGS will only make an award when the price/cost is fair and reasonable).

Phase 1 proposals will primarily be evaluated on the Contribution and Relevance to the USGS

Mission (Factor 2).

Factor 1: Technical (75%)

Subfactor 1: Scientific and Technical Merit (50%)

The proposal will be evaluated on the soundness and innovation of the technical approaches. A clear understanding of the problem and the current state of the art must be demonstrated through the objectives, approaches, and plans. The significance of the risks involved in the proposed innovation must also be presented.

Subfactor 2: Team Experience, Qualifications and Facilities (25%)

The qualifications, capabilities and experience of the proposed Key Personnel and team critical in achieving the proposal objectives will be evaluated for consistency with the proposed effort. In addition, the instrument or facilities required for achieving the proposal objectives will also be evaluated.

Factor 2: Contribution and Relevance to USGS / NGWOS Mission (25%)

The proposal will be evaluated to determine if the proposed innovations address the USGS Areas of Interest identified in the BAA and the USGS Mission. For early-stage innovations, the proposal should identify the potential for the technology to be transitioned into a commercial and/or operational phase.

Factor 3: Price Reasonableness

The offeror’s cost proposal will be evaluated for price/cost reasonableness based on the information provided in the detailed summary budget. USGS will comply with the FAR to evaluate the fairness and reasonableness of the proposed price/cost.

8. TECHNICAL AND PRICE/COST PROPOSALS

The Government reserves the right to request full technical and price proposals from any, all, part of, or none of the Offerors Phase 1 proposals. Any such request for Phase 2 proposal does not guarantee award. Decisions to select and fund certain proposals will be based on technical, importance to agency programs, team capabilities, and funding availability.

Additionally, to be eligible for a potential award of a contract or purchase order, all prospective

Offerors must meet certain minimum standards pertaining to financial resources, organizational structure, experience, operational controls, technical skills, facilities and equipment in accordance with FAR Part 9. Every effort will be made to protect the confidentiality of the proposal and any evaluations. The Offeror must mark the proposal with a protective legend in accordance with FAR 52.215-1(e).

To the maximum extent possible, please submit non-proprietary information. If proprietary information is submitted, clearly mark this information as Confidential. The USGS will protect this information from disclosure if it meets the Federal FOIA exemptions.