POD-19-MT-0001,_USDA_Water_and_Climate_Information_System-_Data_Ingestion.pdf

USDA Sources Sought Notice, POD-19-MT-0001 pg. 1

United States

Department of

Agriculture

Sources Sought Notice for USDA Water and

Climate Information System- Data Ingestion

Request for Information

Under the Procedures of FAR Part 10, Market Research

United States Department of Agriculture

Departmental Administration for Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC)

Internal Tracking No. POD-19-MT-0001

This Sources Sought notice and request for information is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a solicitation. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. This RFI does not commit the Government to pay any costs incurred in the submission of any information or in making necessary studies for the preparation thereof. Nor does it commit the Government to procure or contract for said services. The Contracting Officer is the only individual who can commit the Government to the expenditure of public funds in connection with this proposed procurement. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this Sources Sought Notice. The government will not return any information provided in response to this announcement.

USDA Sources Sought Notice, POD-19-MT-0001 pg. 2

USDA Water and Climate Information System- Data Ingestion

1.1 Introduction

This Sources Sought notice is being issued under the procedures of FAR Part 10 via Federal Business Opportunities. The government is requesting information for Water and Climate Information System- Data Ingestion. This request for information is open to all interested parties. The NAICS for this requirement has not been determined.

1.2 Background

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is issuing this request for information as part of a market research and information gathering to determine the availability of technical capabilities to receive, convert, and aggregate data for storage in the Snow Program databases according to a planned architectural roadmap. USDA is seeking solutions that are cost effective, interoperable, secure (IAW FISMA requirements), reliable, robust, and scalable. At a minimum, vendors must provide a strategic vision and framework on how USDA would transform the Water & Climate Information System data ingestion to include, but not limited to, GOES satellite stations, cellular infrastructure, iridium stations (low earth orbit satellites), meteor burst stations (including: master stations, external downlink and uplink servers). All vendors are requested to provide a description of their costing model along with their response.

1.3 Request for Information Questions

Vendors must respond in written format to the following questions:

1. USDA is seeking to establish technical capabilities to receive, convert, and aggregate data for storage in the Snow Program databases. Does your firm provide these types of services and are they readily accessible via government acquisition vehicles?

2. Based on the current USDA architecture, does your firm have the capability to develop an architectural roadmap?

3. Does your firm have solution capability for central management of data ingestion?

Specifically, National Water and Climate Center data feeds though the USDA data platform and determine integration into existing infrastructure. JBOSS compatibility required. At least 4 integration types: GOES satellite stations, cellular infrastructure, iridium stations (low earth orbit satellites), meteor burst stations (including: master stations, external downlink and uplink servers).

4. Does your firm have solution capability to support multi-channel hourly data pulls, ad hoc data pulls, and data fetch by central application management?

USDA Sources Sought Notice, POD-19-MT-0001 pg. 3

5. Is your firm able to provide a fixed price amount for these types of services? What type of information would be needed from the government to provide an adequate price quote and/or proposal?

6. Does your firm have any similar experience within USDA and/or other federal agencies?

Please briefly describe or highlight any related experience.

7. Has your firm provided these services using agile methodology?

8. Are there any general constraints that USDA should be made aware of prior to procuring these types of services?

9. What is the recommended NAICS code for these types of services?

10. How does your firm generally provide these types of services to the government? Open market? GSA Federal Supply Schedule? Government-wide Acquisition Contract(s)? Other?

11. Please provide any additional information that may be of use to USDA in its market research process.

*Please be sure to include your company information (Company Name, Company Address, Business Size, DUNS number, GSA Federal Supply Schedule Number, if applicable, Government Wide Acquisition Contract Number(s), if applicable, and Point of Contact) with your response. *

1.4 RFI Questions

Any questions concerning this market research request must be submitted to the USDA Contracting Officer via email to: MonicaL.Taylor@usda.gov.

mailto:MonicaL.Taylor@usda.gov