Source Sought Notice HQ0516-FY-26-0005.pdf

Sources Sought Notice

MARKET RESEARCH PURPOSES ONLY

Music and Radio Data and Analytics Services

Sources Sought Tracking Number: HQ0516-FY-26-0005

CONTRACTING OFFICE ADDRESS:

Department of War Information Activity

6700 Taylor Avenue Fort George G. Meade, MD 20755

The Department of War Information Activity (DWIA) is seeking information from industry to assist with market research identifying small businesses capable of providing support. The intent of this Sources Sought is for determining the availability and technical capability of the commercial industry to provide the services described herein. Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary or competition sensitive information contained in their response.

The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed. Information provided will be used to assess availability of the anticipated requirement and may lead to the development of a solicitation. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Interested parties are requested to submit a capability statement package in response to this Sources Sought Synopsis. Submissions shall not exceed ten (10) pages, single-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font. The response should be organized into the following sections:

• Section 1: Company Profile: Include the company name, address, Unique Entity ID (UEI), CAGE code, business size, and socioeconomic status under NAICS 519130.

Provide a point of contact with name, title, phone, and email.

• Section 2: Capability Statement: Provide a detailed narrative of your company's capabilities to meet the requirements outlined in Section 1.0. Describe your data sources, monitoring panel size, analytical platform, and reporting capabilities. Include information on any relevant past performance with government or commercial clients for similar services.

• Section 3: Questions: Provide responses to the following:

o Is your data considered an industry standard or used by major industry organizations (e.g., for official music charts)? If so, please describe.

o Describe your typical business/licensing model (e.g., subscription-based, tiered access).

o Are your services available on any Government-wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs), such as the GSA Schedule? If so, please provide the contract number.

Background

The DWIA requires a service to provide weekly reports and analytics on U.S. radio stations airplay and music data. This information will be used to support various mission-critical activities. By procuring a service that provides this level of industry-standard data, the DWIA will be able to perform analyses and make assessments with the same level of fidelity and insight used by professionals at the forefront of the commercial radio industry.

Scope:

The scope of this requirement encompasses all tasks associated with the collection, processing, analysis, and delivery of U.S. music and radio airplay data. The contractor shall provide a robust online platform, detailed datasets, and summary reports that cover a broad range of U.S. radio markets, music genres, and consumption methods (sales and streaming). The service shall be the contractor’s standard commercial offering, provided to the Government without modification.

SPECIFIC TASKS

The contractor shall perform the following tasks:

1.1 Radio Airplay Monitoring:

The contractor shall monitor a comprehensive panel of U.S. radio stations to track music airplay.

This shall include:

• 1.1.1 Monitoring a panel of no fewer than 2,000 U.S. terrestrial and satellite radio stations.

• 1.1.2 Ensuring coverage of no fewer than 200 U.S. radio markets, including all Top 25 markets.

• 1.1.3 Tracking a wide variety of radio formats including, but not limited to: Top 40 (CHR), Adult Contemporary (AC), Hot AC, Country, Rock, Alternative, R&B/Hip-Hop, and Dance.

• 1.1.4 Providing detailed data for each song spin, to include: song title, artist, time/date or daypart of play, and station identification.

• 1.1.5 Calculating and providing audience impression data for each song spin, based on industry-accepted ratings information.

1.2 Music Consumption Data Collection:

The contractor shall collect and process data on music consumption from a wide range of U.S.

sources. This shall include:

• 1.2.1 Collecting sales data for physical and digital music formats from a network of retailers, including mass merchants, chain stores, and independent retailers.

• 1.2.2 Collecting data from all major streaming and on-demand audio services (e.g., Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music, YouTube).

• 1.2.3 Aggregating and processing sales and streaming data to provide a comprehensive view of music consumption by song, album, and artist. Data must be verifiable and of a quality sufficient to be used as an industry benchmark (e.g., for Billboard charts).

1.3 Data Analytics Platform:

The contractor shall provide access to a secure, web-based data analytics platform for Government personnel. The platform must provide the following functionalities:

• 1.3.1 Secure login for a minimum of 6 individual users.

• 1.3.2 The ability to query, filter, and analyze both current and historical data for radio airplay, sales, and streaming.

• 1.3.3 The ability to generate custom charts and reports based on user-defined parameters (e.g., market, station, format, artist, song, label, time period).

• 1.3.4 Provide access to pre-built, standardized industry charts and reports.

1.4 Reporting and Deliverables:

The contractor shall provide standardized reports and deliverables as outlined in Section 2.0.

2.0 DELIVERABLES

The contractor shall provide the following deliverables:

Deliverable No.

Deliverable Title Frequency Format Due Date

1 Access to Online Data & Analytics Platform

Continuous access

Web-based Platform Login Credentials

Within 5 business days of contract award

Weekly Airplay & Music Consumption Summary Report

Weekly Electronic (e.g., PDF, CSV) via email or platform download

No later than Monday, 12:00

PM ET

Weekly Industry Standard Music Charts

Weekly Electronic (via platform or email)

Concurrent with release to industry

4 User Training As Needed Virtual/Webinar Upon Government request

REQUIREMENTS:

The Government is seeking sources with the capability to provide data and analytics service. The service must include, at a minimum:

• Radio Airplay Monitoring: The capability to monitor a comprehensive panel of U.S.

terrestrial and satellite radio stations across all major U.S. markets and a wide variety of formats. Data must include individual song spins, station identification, and audience impression metrics.

• Music Consumption Tracking: The capability to collect, process, and report on music sales (physical and digital) and streaming data from a vast network of U.S. retailers and digital service providers (DSPs).

• Data Analytics Platform: Access to a secure, web-based platform or online tool that allows for on-demand data access, querying, analysis, and custom report generation on both current and historical data.

• Reporting: The delivery of weekly summary reports and industry-standard music charts detailing key findings and trends in radio airplay and music consumption.

Additional Considerations

• The contractor must comply with all applicable FAR and Department of War clauses and provisions incorporated into the resulting contract.

PSC Code: B503 - Special Studies/Analysis - (Other than R&D)

NAICS Code: 519130 - Internet Publishing and Broadcasting and Web Search Portals

Response Guidelines:

Vendors who wish to respond to this should send responses via email NLT 30 April 2026 01:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST) to Contracting Specialist nastashia.d.willoughby.civ@mail.mil and Contracting Officer thomas.j.brown314.civ@mail.mil and Interested parties are requested to respond to this SOURCES SOUGHT with a white paper.

Submissions cannot exceed 10 pages, single-spaced, 12-point type with at least one-inch margins on 8 1/2” X 11” page size, not including any manufacturer cut sheets or system block diagrams.

Responses must specifically describe the contractor’s capability to meet the requirements outlined in this SOURCES SOUGHT.

Disclaimer:

This SOURCES SOUGHT is not a Request for Proposal (RFP) and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. Responses will not be considered as proposals nor will any award be made as a result of this synopsis.

All information contained in the SOURCES SOUGHT is preliminary, as well as, subject to modification and is in no way binding on the Government. FAR clause 52.215-3, “Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes”, is incorporated by reference in this SOURCES SOUGHT. The Government does not intend to pay for information received in response to this SOURCES SOUGHT. Responders to this invitation are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this SOURCES SOUGHT. This SOURCES SOUGHT will be the basis for collecting information on capabilities available. This SOURCES SOUGHT is issued solely for information and planning purposes. Proprietary information and trade secrets, if any, must be clearly marked on all materials. All information received in this SOURCES SOUGHT that is marked “Proprietary” will be handled accordingly. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned nor will receipt be confirmed. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this SOURCES SOUGHT are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract.

PARTICIPATION IN THIS SOURCES SOUGHT IS STRICTLY VOLUNTARY AND FOR

PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS A

COMMITMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT TO PROCURE ANY ITEMS/SERVICES OR

FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO PAY FOR THE INFORMATION RECEIVED. THE

GOVERNMENT WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ASSOCIATED COSTS AS A

RESULT OF PROSPECTIVE OFFERORS INTEREST, RESPONSE OR

PARTICIPATION IN THIS SOURCES SOUGHT. ANY FORMAL SOLICITATION WILL

BE ANNOUNCED AT A LATER DATE. THE GOVERNMENT RESERVES THE RIGHT

mailto:nastashia.d.willoughby.civ@mail.mil mailto:thomas.j.brown314.civ@mail.mil

TO CANCEL THIS REQUIREMENT AT ANY TIME DURING THE ACQUISITION

PROCESS.

ANY SOLICITATION RESULTING FROM THE ANALYSIS OF INFORMATION

OBTAINED WILL BE POSTED TO THE PUBLIC IN SAM.GOV IN ACCORDANCE

WITH THE FAR PART 5. HOWEVER, RESPONSES TO THIS NOTICE WILL NOT BE

CONSIDERED RESPONSES TO A SOLICITATION.