DRFP Cover Letter - 80GSFC25R7005 SMBA_41825.pdf

Rev.: 9/2024

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD 20771

4/18/2025

Reply to Attn of: 171

TO: All Potential Offerors

SUBJECT: Draft Request for Proposal (DRFP), Solicitation No. 80GSFC25R7005, for the

Sounder for Microwave-Based Applications Solicitation

You are invited to review and comment on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center’s (GSFC) Sounder for Microwave-Based Applications (SMBA) solicitation. The principal purpose of this requirement is to design, develop, and support the SMBA instruments under the Near Earth Orbit Network (NEON) program.

Potential offerors are encouraged to comment on all aspects of the draft solicitation, including the requirements, deliverables, schedules, proposal instructions, evaluation approaches, and 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. Potential offerors should identify any perceived unnecessary, inefficient, or otherwise concerning requirements as well as any perceived beneficial requirements. The requirements include, but are not limited to, the Statement of Work, Contract Data Requirements List, Instrument Mission Assurance Requirements, and Performance Requirements Document. Potential offerors are also encouraged to comment on the requirements’ overall alignment with the Instrument’s intended risk classification. NASA anticipates a change in the CLIN Structure outlined in this Draft RFP. The anticipated change will align the CLIN Structure with programmatic milestones.

Potential offerors are encouraged to comment on the early funding profile and what risks, if any, funding available poses to the technical requirements, cost, and schedule on contract.

GFY 2026 GFY 2027 GFY 2028

Base Period $12M $60M $60M

NASA will conduct this acquisition as a full and open competition. This competitive acquisition will result in a Cost Plus Award Fee Contract with a segregated Cost Plus Fixed Fee Line Item for task orders. However, NASA is open to input from industry concerning different contract types for incentivization and to maximize performance. The contract will have a total period of performance from the effective date of the contract through completion of the post-launch support of the final SMBA Flight Model as specified in the contract, Section B, clauses GSFC 52.211-90 SUPPLIES AND/OR SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED and GSFC 52.217-91 OPTION FOR INCREASED QUANTITY. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 334511, Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing with a small business size standard of 1,350 employees.

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) US Government’s unique entity identifier (UEI): https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/organization/federal-acquisition-service/technology-transformation-services/integrated-award-environment-iae/iae-systems-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 July17, 2025, with proposals being due approximately 30 calendar days later.

The anticipated contract award date is August 18, 2026, with a August 18, 2026 contract effective date. The contract will be performed primarily offsite at the Contactor’s facilities with performance at Subcontractor facilities, Spacecraft contractor facilities and Mission Operations Centers.

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

1. The Government will make available specific Government Furnished Property (GFP) for offsite use at the Contractor’s facility as described in the DRFP.

2. NASA has determined that this acquisition may give rise to a potential organizational conflict of interest (OCI). Offerors should refer to the contract: Section I, clause 1852.237-72 ACCESS TO SENSITIVE INFORMATION; Section L, provision NOTICE OF POTENTIAL ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST; and Section L, provision PROSPECTIVE CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITY AND ELIGIBILITY

STANDARDS.

3. 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 Submission of Proposals – 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 are 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 Rubilotta, 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 Bruce Tsai, Contracting Officer, at Bruce.B.Tsai@nasa.gov, within 21 calendar days after the release of this DRFP. 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 RFP.

Travis Hagelberg Contracting Officer

Enclosure:

Draft RFP 80GSFC25R7005