ODNI-PC-RFI-23-01C.pdf

UNCLASSIFIED

Request for Information—Overcoming Barriers to Use Commercial Overhead Data and Analytic Services in the Intelligence Community and Department of Defense

RFI Number: ODNI-PC-RFI-23-01

Agency: Office of the Director of National Intelligence

Office: Policy and Capabilities—Requirements, Cost & Effectiveness

Request for Information (RFI): Overcoming Barriers to Use Commercial Overhead Data and Analytic Services in the Intelligence Community and Department of Defense

ODNI is seeking information on barriers encountered by commercial remote sensing data and analytic services providers when seeking to or conducting business with the Intelligence Community and/or the Department of Defense. This RFI is issued for planning purposes only, and it does not constitute a formal solicitation for proposals or suggest the procurement of any material, data sets, etc. The following sections of this announcement contain details on the specific topics of interest, along with instructions for the submission of responses.

Background and Scope:

The United States Government relies on commercial remote sensing capabilities and services for our mission success. Over the past decade, the commercial remote sensing industry has grown rapidly, and it continues to introduce new capabilities, improved imagery quality, and enhanced revisit rates. Both the Intelligence Community and the Department of Defense have explored emerging capabilities offered by commercial companies with varying degrees of incorporation into operations. Although it is the policy of the United States to eliminate impediments to the timely delivery of space capabilities and accelerate the use of commercial capabilities,1 frequently commercial industry encounters challenges to working with the U.S. Government and spending on commercial analytic products remains relatively small compared to spending on commercial satellite data.

The Director of National Intelligence directed a study to examine ways to overcome barriers to use of commercial remote sensing/space-based data and analytic services in the Intelligence Community and Department of Defense. For purposes of this study and this RFI, the following definitions apply:

Commercial Overhead Data is defined as unprocessed and/or processed signals or images (i.e., pixels) acquired or licensed from a commercial spaced-based providers. It includes all phenomenologies. Overhead SIGINT includes radio frequency data, communications intelligence, electronic intelligence, and geolocation. Commercial Overhead Data excludes cloud, storage or other costs associated with storage of imagery; portals or web-based dissemination/discovery tools used to access imagery; and analytic tools for exploiting imagery and visualization tools to display imagery.

1 National Strategy for Space, March 5, 2018.

Commercial Overhead Analytic Services is defined as products, analytics, or services derived using space-based commercial remote sensing capabilities. It includes, but is not limited to, imagery-derived geospatial information (e.g., observations, features, and tracks), non-imagery derived geospatial information (e.g., automated identification system (AIS) data, radio frequency-derived locations, algorithms, or machine learning models), and finished analytics and products. Ground station networks/as a service are included only as they pertain to being a limitation to use of commercial overhead data and analytic services. Commercial overhead analytic services do not include non-analytic based services such as communications; relay; launch; in-space service, or assembly and manufacturing.

The purpose of this RFI is to identify challenges encountered by commercial providers of data (imagery and signals) and analytic services when seeking to or conducting business with the Intelligence Community and/or Department of Defense.

Responses to this RFI should address the following questions:

1. Does your organization currently have or is it seeking contracts with the Intelligence Community and/or Department of Defense to provide commercial remote sensing data and/or analytic services?

a. If so, please discuss the capabilities currently provided and any new or emerging capabilities.

2. If you have contracts with the Intelligence Community or Department of Defense or are participating in the National Reconnaissance Office’s strategic commercial enhancement program, to what extent are the Intelligence Community or Department of Defense maximizing data or analytic services offered by your company? Are any data or analytic services being underutilized? If so, please describe.

3. What systemic challenges does your organization encounter doing business with the Intelligence Community and the Department of Defense?

a. How does this differ from conducting business with the rest of U.S. Government?

b. How, if at all, has this changed over time? How has your organization addressed these challenges?

4. What systemic challenges affect your organization’s ability to provide or develop additional overhead data and/or analytic service capabilities for the Intelligence Community or the Department of Defense?

5. What objections or concerns about using commercial remote sensing data or analytic services do you hear during conversations with the Intelligence Community or Department of Defense?

a. Do any of these objections seem to be waning or increasing over time? If so, to what do you attribute the changes?

6. What changes would you advise the U.S. Government—and specifically the Intelligence Community and Department of Defense —to make to fully maximize use of commercial remote-sensing data and analytic products?

7. How does the U.S. regulatory and licensing regime affect your organization’s ability to conduct business with the Intelligence Community and Department of Defense?

8. To what extent are Intelligence Community and Department of Defense acquisition approaches effective for identifying and awarding long—term contracts for new and emerging commercial phenomenologies and capabilities?

9. What concerns, if any, does your organization have about the ability of Intelligence Community and Department of Defense architectures to integrate commercial phenomenologies?

10. How do concerns about indemnification affect your organization’s willingness to work with the Intelligence Community and/or Department of Defense?

11. How do Intelligence Community and Department of Defense system cybersecurity requirements affect your organization’s ability to provide remote sensing data or analytic services?

12. How is your organization using Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, or Computer Vision to expedite remote sensing data and/or analytic product-related tasks and processes that computers can perform more precisely and accurately?

13. As use of Artificial Intelligence becomes more pervasive, what should the Intelligence Community and Department of Defense consider to ensure they can partner effectively with commercial providers of data and analytic products?

Information provided in the responses may assist in the identification and understanding of systemic barriers to the use of commercial overhead data and analytic products and may help develop solutions and inform funding decisions. Based on the quality and number of responses, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence may hold an invitation-only focus group to further discuss these and related questions. Space for the focus group is limited and will be by invitation only.

Preparation Instructions to Respondents:

ODNI requests that submittals briefly and clearly address any or all of the specific questions.

This announcement contains all of the information required to submit a response. No additional forms, kits, or other materials are needed.

ODNI welcomes responses from all capable and qualified sources from within and outside of the U.S. Submissions from Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) and University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs) are permitted.

Responses have the following formatting requirements:

1. A one page cover sheet that identifies the title, organization(s), respondent's technical and administrative points of contact - including names, addresses, phone and fax numbers, and email addresses of all co-authors, and clearly indicating its association with

RFI-23-01;

2. Answers to the above questions limited to 5 pages in minimum 12-point Times New Roman font, appropriate for single-sided, single-spaced 8.5 by 11-inch paper, with 1-inch margins)

Submission Instructions to Respondents:

Responses to this RFI are due no later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on 22 September 2023.

All submissions must be electronically submitted to ODNI_CODAS_Study_Team@dni.gov as a PDF document. Inquiries to this RFI must be submitted to ODNI_CODAS_Study_Team@dni.gov. Do not send questions with proprietary content. No telephone inquiries will be accepted.

Disclaimers and Important Notes:

This is an RFI issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a solicitation. Respondents are advised that ODNI is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted under this RFI.

Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Respondents are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. ODNI will not provide reimbursement for costs incurred in responding to this RFI. It is the respondent's responsibility to ensure that the submitted material has been approved for public release by the information owner.

The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this RFI or to otherwise pay for the information solicited, nor is the Government obligated to issue a solicitation based on responses received. No proprietary and no classified concepts or information should be included in the submittal.

Input on technical aspects of the responses may be solicited by ODNI from non-Government consultants/experts who are bound by appropriate non-disclosure requirements. Submissions may be reviewed and followed up on by an assigned technical contractor supporting the designated ODNI POC.

Contracting Office Address

Office of the Director of National Intelligence Washington, District of Columbia 20511 United States

Primary Point of Contact:

Ms. Krislin Bolling, Study Director Policy and Capabilities/Requirements, Cost & Effectiveness