Sole Source Justification REQUIREMENTS-25-0681_Redacted.pdf

This is a Sole Source Justification document for a new contract with the University of California, Davis to develop a web-based platform for drought early warning and decision support.

The Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is awarding a Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) contract to the University of California, Davis for a 2-year period from September 19, 2025 through September 18, 2027. The contract will develop a comprehensive web-based platform called the California Drought Early Warning Dashboard built on NOAA's National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) investment. The platform will identify sector-specific drought hazard indicators and expected drought impacts for four sectors (cities, small communities, agriculture, and environment) across all hydrologic regions in California. Key deliverables include developing statewide sector-specific drought hazard indicators, creating real-time drought impact estimations, developing the web application dashboard, establishing a collaborative development process, and analyzing scalability for other western U.S. states. Services are non-severable.

The contracting officer determined that only the University of California, Davis possesses the unique qualifications required due to its deep expertise in water resources engineering, established relationships with NOAA/NIDIS, proven track record in drought research, integral role within California's drought and water resources community, and ability to convene stakeholders for tool adoption. Market research included a Sources Sought Notice published on SAM.gov from July 18–28, 2025, which generated 15 responses, and a Notice of Intent to Sole Source published August 8–15, 2025, with no responses. The contracting officer determined pricing will be fair and reasonable based on the contractor's price proposal. No actions are available to overcome barriers to competition for subsequent acquisitions.