GNSS Receiver RFI.pdf

UNCLASSIFIED

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Receiver Requirements for Sub-millimeter Precision

1.0 DESCRIPTION & PURPOSE

1.1 The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), in support of the Mapping, Charting and Geodesy (MC&G) Program Executive Office (PEO), is seeking information on how an interested contractor could provide GNSS Receivers to support critical NGA missions.

1.2 The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to obtain information in support of market research efforts and initiate a dialogue with industry to discuss ideas and approaches to shape an overall design of the receivers for eventual acquisition as well as future sustainment support capability.

1.3 THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes – it does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. This RFI does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Further, NGA is not at this time, seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. Responders are advised that the U.S. Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI. All costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested party’s expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued.

2.0 BACKGROUND

2.0.1 NGA has a mission-critical requirement for a compact, integrated GNSS receiver system capable of tracking GPS and Galileo satellite constellations. The system is designed for high-precision geodetic applications requiring sub-millimeter phase center stability and autonomous operation in field conditions.

2.0.2 Typical applications involve the deployment of several GNSS receivers spaced approximately 30 meters apart and collecting statically for 90-minute sessions. A minimum of two repeated 90-minute sessions is collected, with hardware disturbed between each session, yielding at least two independent vector measurements between instrumented sites. The precision in the weighted average of two independent measurements is approximately (𝜎)÷(√ 2) where 𝜎 is the uncertainty in an individual measurement. To achieve sub-millimeter precision in the averaged vector, the target precision in the individual measurements is 1.0 mm. Note that the vertical error budget is more generous in these applications because additional measurements such as leveling are available to complement the GNSS measurements.

2.1 PLANNED ACQUISITION: The NGA intends to procure GNSS receivers during Fiscal Year

2027.

2.2 PERFORMANCE:

2.2.1 PERIOD (POP): The Period of Performance for the acquisition of these GNSS receivers is

1 October 2026 through 30 September 2027.

2.2.2 LOCATION(S): Delivery to NGA-East (Springfield, VA), NGA-West (St. Louis, MO), or

Contractor Facility as required.

2.3 CONSTRAINTS AND LIMITATIONS: The following are anticipated to apply to this acquisition:

2.3.1 Software must support NSG standards for unclassified production, emphasize use of open source and non-proprietary code, open standards, work in the cloud environment, and be modular and flexible.

2.3.2 Hardware and all subcomponents must meet all NGA and relevant Federal Supply Chain security standards.

2.4 SECURITY REQUIREMENTS: The hardware and software associated with this acquisition is

UNCLASSIFIED.

2.5 ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST: This acquisition is for commercial items and non-developmental items and the government does not expect any OCI concerns. In accordance with FAR Part 9.5, please discuss any performance which may lead to an OCI and how the

Offeror would mitigate, avoid, or neutralize the conflict.

3.0 REQUESTED INFORMATION

Responses must only contain UNCLASSIFIED information and be marked “UNCLASSIFIED” on all pages in both the header and footer. No classified information may be included in your response.

Neither classified concepts, nor classified information should be included in the submittal. Input on the information contained in the responses may be solicited and reviewed by NGA non-

Government consultants or experts who are bound by appropriate non-disclosure agreements.

Proprietary information, if any, should be minimized and MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED. To aid the Government, please segregate proprietary information. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned.

3.1 ADMINISTRATIVE

Information to include the following as a minimum:

3.1.1. Name, mailing address, overnight delivery address (if different from mailing address), phone number, fax number, company website, and e-mail of designated point(s) of contact.

3.1.2. BUSINESS TYPE.

Based upon North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) 334511 – If there is a better NAICS code, please make that recommendation

To be considered for a Small Business set-aside, at least 50 % of the cost of contract performance incurred for personnel shall be expended for employees of the responder. ( FAR 52.219-14, Limitation of Subcontracting)

RESPONSE

http://www.census.gov/cgi-bin/sssd/naics/naicsrch?chart=2012 http://www.naics.com/naicsfiles/Size_Standards_Table2013.pdf

Are you a Small Business? (FAR 19.102), If so, which type: ☐ YES ☐ NO

Small Disadvantaged small business? (FAR 19.304) ☐ YES ☐ NO

Service Disabled small business? (FAR 19.14) ☐ YES ☐ NO

8(a) Small Disadvantaged small business? (FAR 19.8) ☐ YES ☐ NO

HUBZone small business? (FAR 19.13) ☐ YES ☐ NO

Woman-Owned Small Business? (FAR 19.15) ☐ YES ☐ NO

Involved in a mentor and/or protégé program? (DFARS 219.71) ☐ YES ☐ NO

3.1.3 Recommendation for alternative NAICS Code? Provide rationale for any NAICS Code applicable to the planned acquisition other than the NAICS code identified above.

3.1.4 DUNS Number: _________________

3.1.5 Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code: _____________________________

3.1.6 Accounting system, if applicable? Date of last audit? Audit performed by? Determined adequate/inadequate? ___________________________________________________________

3.1.7 Purchasing system? Date determined adequate or inadequate? _____________________

3.1.8 Do you hold a GSA Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) contract applicable to the NAICS code (s) identified above? If yes, provide contract number(s). _____________________________

3.1.9 Are you registered in SAM __________________________________________________

3.1.10 Include additional details that are not already requested based on the constraints of the information request.

3.2 EXPERIENCE

3.2.1 COMMERCIAL.

Provide relevant details on the responder providing the same or similar services offered or made to the general public or to non-governmental entities for purposes other than governmental purposes in the last three (3) years. Relevant details to NGA’s proposed acquisition should include, but not be limited to, information regarding the respondent’s ability to manufacture or source secure components, assemble/manufacture a final product as well as develop and integrate all relevant software and firmware. Additionally, the ability to provide sustainment, including routine and corrective maintenance, to the hardware as well as continued development, updates and security patching to the software and firmware.

3.2.2 GOVERNMENT.

Provide relevant details on the responder providing the same or similar services offered or made to Government agencies other than NGA in the last three (3) years. Relevant details to NGA’s proposed acquisition should include, but not be limited to contract value, information regarding the contract number, agency, size and length of the acquisition, type of pricing and/or cost, http://www.acquisition.gov/far/current/html/Subpart%2019_1.html http://www.acquisition.gov/far/current/html/Subpart%2019_3.html http://www.acquisition.gov/far/current/html/Subpart%2019_14.html#wp1093836 http://www.acquisition.gov/far/current/html/Subpart%2019_8.html#wp1092796 http://www.acquisition.gov/far/current/html/Subpart%2019_13.html#wp1094801 http://www.acquisition.gov/far/current/html/Subpart%2019_15.html#wp1094868 http://www.acq.osd.mil/dpap/dars/dfars/html/current/219_71.htm security details, the kinds of factors used to evaluate performance; the kinds of performance incentives; the kinds of performance assessment methods; and any unique terms and conditions, that can demonstrate the responder’s abilities and capacity to meet NGA’s requirements in this

RFI.

3.3 CAPABILITIES, RECEIVER REQUIREMENTS AND VERIFICATION METHODS

Respondents should provide a capabilities statement regarding their ability to meet the following details of the proposed acquisition set forth in sections 2 and 3.3 of this RFI:

3.3.1 Mission-Critical Receiver Requirements

The following requirements are mandatory and must be satisfied for the system to meet fundamental mission objectives.

3.3.1.1 Requirement: The system shall track and store GPS and Galileo L1 and L2 code and carrier phase measurements.

Verification Method: Inspect output files

3.3.1.2 Requirement: The system shall have a phase center stability of better than 1 mm (sub-

mm) with 90-minute dwell time.

Verification Method: Mount receivers on geodetic monuments 30m apart, collect 90-minute 1-Hz static sessions (minimum 20 trials), process using standard carrier phase processing employing L1 and L2 single frequency observables, compute trial standard deviation in ENU frame. Success: E, N stdevs < 1.0 mm; U < 2 mm.

3.3.1.3 Requirement: The system shall output data in RINEX format, OR provide a cross-platform (Linux/Windows) command-line utility to convert binary data to RINEX format

Verification Method: Verify RINEX file generation; confirm files parse without error using RinSum from NGA’s GNSS Took Kit (GNSSTk).

3.3.2 High-Priority Requirements

While not essential to mission success, the following requirements help maintain operational efficiency. They are ranked in descending order of priority.

3.3.2.1 Requirement: The system shall record 2-axis tilt (inclination) data

Verification Method: Collect 90-minute tilt data from mounted receivers; repeat 3x per unit; apply 10-point moving average filter and assess start-to-end drift and max variation across collection window. Success: Drift < 0.003 m/s².

3.3.2.2 Requirement: The system shall consist of an integrated antenna/receiver unit requiring no external cables during operation.

Verification Method: Visual inspection and functional test confirming autonomous operation without external connections.

3.3.2.3 Requirement: The system shall include onboard memory sufficient to log GPS and

Galileo multi-frequency carrier phase data at 1 Hz for a minimum of 8 hours.

Verification Method: Collect 8+ hours of continuous data at 1 Hz; offload and verify no data loss or corruption.

3.3.2.4 Requirement: The system shall operate on battery power for a minimum of 6 hours continuously while collecting GPS and Galileo multi-frequency carrier phase measurements at 1

Hz.

Verification Method: Mount fully charged receivers on geodetic monuments; run in nominal mode (1 Hz) until battery depletion; offload data and determine runtime. Success: ≥ 6 hours runtime

3.3.2.5 Requirement: The system shall support charging of internal batteries while remaining installed in the device.

Verification Method: Test charging with batteries installed; verify successful charging without removal.

3.3.2.6 Requirement: The system shall power on and commence data collection via a built-in physical interface (button or switch) without requiring an external controller.

Verification Method: Verify power-on and data collection commence via physical button/switch; verify that data collection parameters (observables, data rate, file naming preferences, etc.) persist between power cycles.

3.3.2.7 Requirement: The system physical diameter shall not exceed 25 cm.

Verification Method: Physical measurement using calipers or equivalent measuring tool.

3.3.2.8 Requirement: The system physical height shall not exceed 15 cm.

Verification Method: Physical measurement using calipers or equivalent measuring tool.

3.3.2.9 Requirement: The system weight shall not exceed 1 kg.

Verification Method: Physical measurement using calibrated scale.

3.3.3 Preferred Requirements

The following features are desirable but not mandatory for mission success.

3.3.3.1 Requirement: The system shall withstand a drop from a minimum height of 1 meter onto a hard surface without loss of functionality.

Verification Method: Defer to manufacturer’s specifications.

3.3.3.2 Requirement: The system shall support data offloading while simultaneously charging internal batteries.

Verification Method: Test data offload via USB/network while device is charging;

verify stable operation and complete data transfer.

3.3.3.3 Requirement: The system shall include Wi-Fi connectivity to enable connection to local wireless networks.

Verification Method: Verify Wi-Fi connection to local router; confirm data access capabilities.

3.3.3.4 Requirement: The system shall track and store GPS L5 and Galileo E5 signals in addition to L1/L2.

Verification Method: Configure receiver for multi-frequency collection; confirm L5 and E5 observables are present.

3.3.3 Sustainment Requirements

The following features are desirable but not mandatory for mission success

3.3.1 Capability to provide Operations and Maintenance (O&M) support for up to ten years for all parts and software/firmware.

3.4 RECOMMENDATIONS AND FEEDBACK

In addition to the capabilities statement, potential responders are invited to provide information and recommendations for fashioning this proposed acquisition. Recommendation areas may include any areas that the responder believes is relevant for the Government to achieve its stated objectives.

3.4.1 If the respondent has a product they believe is close to the requirements set out in section

3.3 but doesn’t meet the exact specifications, please note what the difference is between the product and the requirement. For those specifications the Government is interested in the respondents’ ability to modify their product to meet the specifications listed.

3.4.2 If the respondent has a product that they believe is close to the requirements, can you provide a model for government testing?

3.4.3 What areas are unclear in the capabilities and receiver requirements?

3.4.4 Are there any aspects of this acquisition that you have concerns or recommendations for?

3.4.5 Is the product available on an existing governmentwide contract?

4.0 RESPONSES

4.1 Interested parties are directed to respond to this RFI with a white paper.

4.2 White paper shall be in Microsoft Word for Office or compatible format and shall not exceed 10 pages including responses to section 3.3. A page is defined as each face of an 8½” x

11” sheet with information contained within a one-inch margin on all sides. Font type shall be

Times Roman 12 point.

4.3 Responses containing the white paper are due no later than 11:00AM CT on 22 June 2026.

Responses shall be submitted via e-mail only as a message attachment to the Contracting Office at taija.m.sheltonbennett@nga.mil and timothy.j.hull@nga.mil with the message subject line “

GNSS Receiver RFI Response - [INSERT Business name]”.

4.4 Proprietary information, if any, should be minimized and MUST BE CLEARLY

MARKED. To aid the Government, please segregate proprietary information. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned.

5.0 MEETINGS AND DISCUSSIONS

The Government representatives may or may not choose to meet with potential RFI service provider. Such meetings and discussions would only be intended to get further clarification of potential capability, especially any development and certification risks.

6.0 QUESTIONS

Questions and the whitepaper regarding this RFI should be submitted in writing NLT 17 June

2026 by e-mail to the Contracting Office at taija.m.sheltonbennett@nga.mil with the message subject line “GNSS Receiver RFI Questions - [INSERT Business name]”.

7.0 SUMMARY

This RFI is only intended for the Government to identify sources that can provide the equipment needed to fulfill the Government’s statement of objectives. The information provided in this RFI is subject to change and is not binding to the Government. The Government has not made a mailto:taija.m.sheltonbennett@nga.mil mailto:timothy.j.hull@nga.mil commitment to procure any of the RFI requirements discussed, and release of this RFI should not be construed as such a commitment or as authorization to incur cost for which reimbursement would be required or sought. All submissions become Government property and will not be returned.