RCA-EO_RFI_1.docx

United States Geological Survey (USGS) Request for Information (RFI) Requirements, Capabilities and Analysis for Earth Observations (RCA-EO) General Information Solicitation Number: DOIGFBO190038 Release of RFI Date: 01/27/2025 Required Responses Due Date: 02/17/2025 11:00am EST Set Aside: To Be Determined Classification Code: R – Support-Professional: Engineering/Technical NAICS Code: 541330 – Engineering Services Requirements, Capabilities and Analysis for Earth Observations (RCA-EO) RFI This is a Request for Information (RFI) only and is not a solicitation for a contract or grant award. This RFI notice is for information purposes only, is not a request for proposals, and does not obligate the Government in any way. A request for proposals may or may not result from this request. The Government will not reimburse the respondents for any costs associated with the information submitted in response to this request. The Government will treat each submission in confidence.

Background Our Nation’s economic security and environmental vitality relies on continuous monitoring of the Earth’s continents, islands, and coastal regions to record, study, and understand land change at local, regional, and global scales. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Land Imaging Program (NLIP) helps meet this need by ensuring the continuous availability of moderate-resolution satellite imagery and other remotely sensed and geospatial data and capabilities. NLIP partners with Federal agencies and international collaborators and cooperators to document Earth observation data user needs, identify optimal mission/sensor solutions to meet these needs, inform Earth observation (EO) technology development and products, and evaluate data access mechanisms to serve science and operational applications. This work is being conducted under the NLIP Requirements, Capabilities and Analysis for Earth Observation (RCA-EO) branch. The RCA-EO branch was established to help the USGS and other agencies take advantage of current and emerging U.S., international, and commercial Earth observation capabilities, and develop requirements-driven, prioritized investment priorities for new EO systems, products and services.

Purpose and Objectives The USGS is seeking information from companies who have proven experience and expertise collecting and characterizing land imaging user needs and observation capabilities and evaluating land imaging observation architectures and other solutions to optimally meet these needs in the context of agency programs, science and operational applications, and other national priorities.

1. Data Collection. Collect and refresh a robust set of foundational databases comprised of user needs for land imaging, land imaging and other Earth observation (EO) capabilities, value tree constructs, and cost / benefit data. Value trees are hierarchical, networked models of an agency’s functional or strategic elements that rely on EO data. Data collection methodologies include expert elicitation methods supplemented by surveys, and data mined from literature and other databases. This information combined will guide EO system design requirements for temporal, spatial, spectral resolution and other observing characteristics, to assess optimal technology investment options, and identify data gaps relative to user needs. The capabilities database includes platform and sensor descriptions and attributes and expected ability to sense and retrieve geophysical parameters (e.g., water quality, vegetation types, minerals) on land, near shore and in open oceans. Sensing modalities include optical/multispectral/thermal, super-spectral, hyperspectral, radar, lidar, etc. Platform and sensor costs will be documented for use in cost/benefit studies.

2. Analysis. Develop a framework to analyze land imaging architecture performance and compare investment options as they impact agency or national interests such as in environmental, disaster, or agricultural monitoring. Identify and assess partnerships, multi-mission data harmonization, commercial data buys, or other approaches to satisfy EO needs. Implement tools to flexibly measure how changes in mission configurations, evolving architectures, and derivative products could enable or degrade the ability to meet user needs. Analysis outputs will characterize impact of needs met by agency, science or societal priorities or other criteria. EO development costs, risk, schedules and other factors will considered for some studies. Network models will be developed to understand explicit linkages and dependencies between user needs, products, and agency functions (e.g., what capabilities serve multiple agencies, are the most impactful, are most critical to specific or many government functions). Evaluate machine learning algorithms for discovering patterns in Earth observation data sets that could identify actionable information in support of science and operational needs for scientists and decision makers.

3. Capabilities. Characterize and verify observing system capabilities and model the impacts of error propagation on derivative products, models and applications. Investigate a range of EO technologies of high relevance to USGS objectives, such as hyperspectral, radar or lidar measurements applied to water resource assessments, land cover change, fire behavior, locating strategic minerals, and predictive modeling. Evaluate how the multi-mission capabilities (US, foreign or commercial) could analyzed as a combined capability. Determine the feasibility and benefits of multi-sensor data harmonization and perform selected EO technology studies. Evaluate opportunities to influence emerging EO missions to include federal, academic, international partners, and the commercial sector.

4. System engineering. Design and develop relational databases, web services and other tools for importing, maintaining, and integrating user needs, system capabilities, organizational models, and other information supporting analysis of alternatives. Develop visualization tools to explore, understand and compare land imaging architectures in terms of performance, cost effectiveness and other considerations in the context of user needs.

5. Communications. Develop communications and branding with clear messaging and intuitive graphics and animations to attract partner interest and RCA-EO purposes and advance engagement with Federal, state, international, academic and commercial collaborators.

This RFI intends to inform the USGS about current industry capabilities and performance in these areas.

Response Information Requested Interested parties should submit a written response which addresses the following topics:

1. Organization information: Organization name and address, point of contact, email address, phone number.

2. GSA Schedules or Other GWACs: Vendors with a General Services Administration (GSA) schedule or other type of Government Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) award or schedule which is available to the Government for the procurement of the proposed solution, should provide the full description of that award or schedule, award number of that contract or schedule. If the vendor’s solution is not available through an existing GWAC please confirm this as well.

3. Capabilities: Provide a brief description of your capabilities and prior experience relevant to this RFI as described in the Purposes and Objectives section, items 1-5 above.

4. Concept of Operations: Provide a concept of operations for evaluating land imaging systems or multi-mission architectures against user needs to include data collection, analysis, and observing system or architecture optimization. Discuss prior experience with suggested concepts. Describe how the user needs, system capabilities and cost information would be collected and modeled.

Do not provide only general brochures or generic information. The vendor’s RFI submission shall be written in response to the information identified within this RFI.

USGS will not accept unsolicited proposals related to this subject of this notice.

Responses are limited to no more than 12 pages and should be submitted via email only by February 17, 2025, at 11 AM Eastern Time to the point of contact listed below. The subject line of the submission should be "RFI for USGS Earth Observation Architecture Analysis” and attachments should be in PDF format.

The information is requested for planning purposes only, subject to FAR Clause 52.215-3, entitled "Solicitation for Information for Planning Purposes." Only material suitable for internal government distribution shall be submitted. Any proprietary information should be marked accordingly. The U.S. Government will protect all proprietary information received from respondents, and distribution of any material will be based on a strict need-to-know basis.

However, note that the submissions may be subject to review by experts outside of the civil service, including NASA, and USGS contractors, each of whom would sign non-disclosure agreements as required.

SOURCES SOUGHT: Responses from large and small businesses are encouraged, however, in accordance with FAR 19.5, set asides for small business; the government will review the information in this announcement to determine the type of set aside (if any) for this requirement. Please provide the size status of your company based on NAICS 541330 – Engineering Services. Please limit your responses to 10 pages for the sources sought, which is separate from the 12-page limit for the RFI response.

All questions about the RFI shall be directed by email to the point of contact listed below.

Responses may be sent via electronic mail to:

Terrence Hardy, Contracting Officer, trhardy@usgs.gov