Attachment 4 - Revised Industry Update Document.pdf

UPDATE TO ACQUISITION APPROACH

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/Marshall Space Flight Center

(MSFC) is updating industry on a change to the acquisition approach for Unified Network and

Navigation Operations (UNNO).

Background

As previously described, the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program is evolving its management and operational structure to form an integrated network operations team under SCaN's One Network philosophy, to be executed under the UNNO contract. The mission, scope, and objectives described in the original notice remain unchanged: UNNO will provide unified operations, maintenance, sustainment, integration, and continuous improvement for the Near Space Network (NSN) and Deep Space Network (DSN) as those networks evolve to integrate new capabilities.

Change to the Acquisition Approach

NASA is transitioning from the previously contemplated two-category procurement model to a single-award model. The single-award contractor will be responsible for operation, maintenance, and development of the unified network. Work under the resulting contract is anticipated to be organized into two groupings by contract type, fixed-price and cost-type, rather than into separately awarded functional categories.

Rationale

This change reflects NASA's ongoing assessment of the acquisition strategy and its alignment with UNNO's objectives to achieve a unified, integrated network operations model. Market research findings, together with NASA's evaluation of execution, operational, and contractual considerations, supported the decision to revise the approach.

A single accountable contractor establishes one party responsible to NASA for network performance, one integrated management and technical baseline, one configuration control and cybersecurity posture, and one transition path from development into sustained operations. This structure directly advances SCaN's One Network objective of managing the network as an integrated enterprise, and it positions NASA to hold a single contractor accountable for end-to-end mission outcomes.

Statement of Objectives and Offeror-Proposed Contract Type

NASA is releasing a Statement of Objectives (SOO) as an attachment to this update. In addition to the SOO, NASA has generated a Functional Construct Set and Notional Facility List to help inform industry. The SOO describes NASA's objectives for executing the immediate UNNO contract tasks; the previously posted draft Scope of Work provides the basis for industry planning and serves to define the overall IDIQ scope.

Rather than prescribing which objectives will be performed under fixed-price arrangements and which will be performed under cost-type arrangements, NASA intends to allow each offeror to propose that allocation. Using the SOO together with the information provided in the technical library, each offeror will determine and propose which objectives it can responsibly price as fixed price and which require a cost-type arrangement, along with the rationale supporting that allocation.

This approach is intended to allow offerors to assume fixed-price risk where they have sufficient information and confidence to do so, consistent with Executive Order 14402's preference for fixed-price contracting, while avoiding embedded contingency pricing in areas where scope definition, workload history, asset condition, or technical maturity does not yet support responsible fixed pricing. NASA will determine target values for fixed price to maximize competition, to be finalized at Request For Proposal release. It is NASA’s intent to transition from cost-type to FFP throughout the life of the contract.

Small Business Participation

NASA remains committed to meaningful small business participation under UNNO. With the move to a single award, small business participation is anticipated to be achieved principally through subcontracting. To ensure adequate small business participation, the small business subcontracting plan will be included in the evaluation of proposals.

Continued Industry Engagement

NASA values collaboration with industry and appreciates the substantive responses received to date. Firms that previously submitted capability statements or industry feedback need not resubmit; however, industry is encouraged to review the attached Statement of Objectives and provide any additional feedback relevant to the revised acquisition approach.

Additional information, including the technical library, solicitation schedule, and any further updates to the acquisition strategy, and industry day will be posted to this notice as it becomes available. Interested parties should monitor SAM.gov for updates.

Questions regarding this notice should be directed to the Contracting Officer identified in this posting.