Redacted JOFOC_NOAA ROBD2.pdf

Space Sciences and Engineering LLC Spire Global Subsidiary, Inc.

15000 W 6th Ave Ste 202 8000 Towers Crescent Dr, Ste 1100 Golden, CO 80401 Vienna, VA 22182

The request to increase the contract ceiling is necessitated by two primary factors: the proven operational value of the data and the rapid expansion of commercial supply. Since the establishment of the RODB-2 IDIQ, the following developments have occurred:

Recent Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) studies have transitioned from theoretical projections to empirical proof. Data confirms that higher volumes of Radio Occultation (RO) and low-latency Total Electron Content (TEC) data directly improve forecast accuracy. We are no longer speculating on the benefit; we are responding to a demonstrated requirement for increased data density to maintain superior predictive capabilities.

Commercial satellite providers have exceeded initial capacity and performance forecasts. Through successful orbital deployments and enhanced ground-processing architectures, vendors can now deliver high-fidelity, low-latency data at a scale that was technically unattainable when the original ceiling was set. This increase does not represent a change in mission scope, but rather a strategic optimization to ingest the full volume of available high-value data that the current market can now provide and our models are now optimized to utilize

This adjustment does not constitute an expansion of the program’s original mission. Instead, it represents a strategic optimization of the contract. It allows NOAA to fully leverage the current market’s capacity and capitalize on our internal models’ readiness to ingest and process this high-value data.

All DOs under this vehicle have been executed through a fair opportunity competitive process. The current distribution of funds is a direct result of technical evaluations and market capacity at the time of each award. To meet the government’s total data requirements for these specific orders, awards were distributed to both IDIQ holders for DO-4 and DO-5. This was a strategic necessity, as no single vendor possessed the infrastructure to provide the required volume of RO data independently. The total sum for DO-5 was awarded at , for the period September 18, 2025 to September 18, 2026. This includes more than three times the amount of RO than DO-4, 500 of which has a signal-noise ratio requirement 6 times higher than the standard RO, and additionally includes low-latency TEC for the first time in any Delivery Order due to the technology maturing to a level capable of purchasing operationally.

Although of the RODB-2 IDIQ remained halfway through the IDIQ period of performance, the program’s requirement for more operational data in DO-5 increased the total cost of Delivery Orders 1 through 5 of the RODB-2 IDIQ to (see Table 1), leaving only remaining. As a result, the contract's maximum value is insufficient to support any future delivery orders of the contract through the full ordering period, which ends on March 26, 2028. Also, prior to any future orders, the CO will ensure the POP complies with the IDIQ and all funding and fiscal law requirements.

Table 1: Delivery Orders under the Radio Occultation Data Buy 2 IDIQ (3/27/2023 - 3/26/2028)

Delivery Order

PoP Start PoP End Status Total Cost Cumulative Cost % Max Remaining

1 4/5/2023 5/5/2023 Awarded

2 7/18/2023 1/18/2024 Awarded

3 1/18/2024 9/18/2024 Awarded

4 9/18/2024 9/18/2025 Awarded

5 9/18/2025 9/18/2026 Awarded

6 9/18/2026 9/18/2027 Planned

The following statutes direct NOAA to assess, utilize, and where appropriate, procure commercial weather and space weather data to enhance forecasting capabilities:

The Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (Weather Act) Section 302 where the purchase of weather data by the federal government is permitted with commercial providers.

15 U.S.C. Chapter 111 §8532, which authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to enter into agreements with commercial providers to acquire weather data. This is part of the larger Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017, outlining a strategy and a pilot program to ensure the integration of commercially-provided weather data into government operations.

15 U.S.C. Chapter 111 §8516, which requires the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere (the head of NOAA) to develop a strategic plan for observing systems. This is part of the larger Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 to ensure that the U.S. maintains and improves its weather forecasting capabilities to protect life and property.

51 U.S.C. Chapter 606 §60601, enacted per the PROSWIFT Act, states in section (a)(2)(A) that NOAA provides operational space weather monitoring, forecasting, and long-term archiving and access for civil applications.

51 U.S.C. Chapter 606 §60603, enacted per the PROSWIFT Act, focuses on the actions and responsibilities of federal agencies to sustain and advance space weather observations, obtain enhanced space weather observations to advance forecasting and prediction capability, and develop options to build and deploy space-based observational capabilities to improve space weather measurements and observations with an emphasis on commercial solutions.

5. A statement demonstrating the unique qualifications of the proposed contractor or the nature of the action requiring the use of the authority.

The scope and performance requirements will remain consistent with the original contract, and the current vendors have demonstrated their ability to meet NOAA’s technical, operational, and data delivery standards. No other vendors have proposed capabilities to meet the requirements, nor has CDP found through market research that any other company could meet the requirements.

As of June 2025, only two vendors, Spire Global Subsidiary, Inc. and Space Sciences and Engineering LLC (dba PlanetiQ), have demonstrated the ability to meet NOAA’s full set of technical and operational requirements for GNSS RO data delivery under the RODB-2 IDIQ and are, therefore, the only vendors authorized to provide the services required under the RODB-2 IDIQ. These include the ability to:

Provide near-real-time GNSS RO and ionospheric data products from operational satellites Consistently meet NOAA NESDIS's Interface Control Document (ICD) specifications Deliver data to the NESDIS Common Cloud Framework (NCCF) with operational reliability Support integration into NOAA’s forecast models with sufficient latency and data quality standards

Market research and RFI responses confirm no additional vendors currently offer the end-to-end technical capabilities and infrastructure necessary to support NOAA’s operational systems at scale, particularly having operational satellites on orbit. The current contractors’ experience, technical infrastructure, and proven delivery performance represent capabilities not presently available from other market sources. The two vendors were awarded contracts initially when the RODB-2 IDIQ began, although only small amounts of data were available then.

Maintaining data continuity through this interim period is essential to support NOAA’s mission while transitioning to the next generation of commercial data contracts. A gap would interrupt the flow of RO data to NOAA’s operational systems, degrading forecast model performance and compromising NOAA’s ability to protect life, property, and economic interests.

6. A description of efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as possible, including whether a notice was or will be publicized as required by RFO FAR Part 5 and, if not, which exception under RFO FAR Part 5 applies.

The original RODB-2 IDIQ contracts were awarded competitively, where all competing vendors were given a fair opportunity to be considered. On 1/22/26, the government posted a notice of intent to increase the contract maximum value by 95% on the basis of other than full and open competition in accordance with 41 U.S.C. 3304 (a)(1), implemented in FAR 6.103-1: “Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements”. Spire Global Subsidiary, Inc.

and Space Sciences and Engineering LLC (dba PlanetiQ) are the only current vendors capable of providing RO data that meet the requirements of the SOW based on recent market research. No new entrants were identified in a 2025 on-ramping Request for Information (RFI) published on SAM.gov on March 14, 2025. CDP will continue annual RFIs to consider qualified vendors for future task/delivery orders within the current IDIQ and include on-ramping opportunities for any vendor capable of meeting the requirements within the RODB-2 IDIQ SOW. NOAA has continued to support open competition through posting regular Commercial Data-as-a-Service RFIs (9/2022, 1/2024, and 3/2025) on SAM.gov to assess market capabilities in order to ascertain whether to solicit for new entrants into the IDIQ.

7. Determination by the contracting officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable.

The Contracting Officer will ensure the price of any modifications or additional delivery orders issued to the RODB-2 contracts are evaluated and negotiated in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract which has an established maximum value, with FAR 15.4 to obtain fair and reasonable pricing for the Government, and follow RFO FAR 16.507-2 fair opportunity procedures to establish prices for each order using the policies and methods in subpart 15.4. This ceiling increase does not alter the fundamental economic terms of the RODB-2 IDIQ. The base contracts establish pre-negotiated maximum price caps that remain binding through the end of the ordering period, ensuring that unit costs remain stable.

Furthermore, price integrity is maintained through mandatory competition at the Delivery Order level. By sustaining a multi-vendor environment, NOAA continues to leverage market competition to drive prices below the established caps, mitigating any risk of price escalation typically associated with ceiling adjustments. No changes to the scope of the IDIQ are necessary. Additionally, the increased capacity available is expected to drive down the price per-data when purchasing larger quantities, similar to when buying supplies in bulk versus individual sales. The Government will perform in-house technical evaluation to ensure that all prices are reasonable when applied to technical requirements and Independent Government Cost Estimates will be utilized for purposes of negotiation during each delivery order.

Therefore, the Contracting Officer determines that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable.

The continued competition among awardees under the RODB-2 IDIQ provides an active pricing environment, enabling effective comparison across vendors and proposals. Anticipated prices will be determined fair and reasonable based on historical pricing from previous delivery orders under both the original RODB IDIQ and the current RODB-2 IDIQ. The Contracting Officer will also assess current proposal submissions for alignment with historical pricing trends and technical requirements to ensure the government receives fair and reasonable pricing for each task/delivery order.

8. The market research conducted (see RFO FAR Part 10) and the results or a statement of the reason market research was not conducted.

Section 3 identified services necessary for the RODB-2 acquisition. Market research was conducted as part of the original RODB-2 procurement and prior to the release of the RODB-2 solicitation. Market research on this maximum value increase was conducted as stated in section 6 to identify available sources and to evaluate the availability of the marketplace to meet the requirement. Based on the results of market research conducted as of February 2024 and additional market research conducted in April 2025, the government determined the current marketplace has not changed. The Government semi-annually posts General Requests for Information (G-RFIs) to pulse the market and identify capable sources for this requirement. The RODB-2 IDIQ contracts contain “on-ramping” language that would also enable capable sources to provide required services even if they were not originally awarded an RODB-2 IDIQ. As a result of these efforts, the semi-annually posted G-RFIs, and the current market analysis, the Government has not identified any other potential vendors to reconsider