Sources Sought 145034-25-0020.pdf

SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE

IMET-54 Radiosondes

This Sources Sought Notice is for market research purposes only and does not constitute a Request for Proposal or Quotation. It is not considered to be a commitment by the Government to award a contract nor will the Government pay for any information provided;

no basis for claim against the Government shall arise as a result from a response to this Sources Sought Notice or Government use of any information provided.

Pursuant to FAR Part 10 (Market Research), the purpose of this notice is to:

1. Determine if sources capable of satisfying the agency's requirements exists.

2. Determine whether the acquisition should utilize any of the small business programs in accordance with FAR Part 19.

Pursuant to FAR Part 6 and FAR Part 19, competition and set-aside decisions may be based on the results of this market research. This notice in no way obligates the Government to any further action.

Requirement: This notice is issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), Global Monitoring Laboratory (GML) to identify sources capable of providing the following:

The requirement is to provide IMET-54 Radiosondes for use at the Boulder, CO Global Monitoring Laboratory.

Anticipated Period of Performance: The anticipated delivery date is 11/7/2025. A Firm Fixed price contract is anticipated for award.

NAICS Code/Size Standard: The applicable NAICS Code is 334519, NAICS Description, and the size standard is 600 employees.

Scope of Work: The scope of the acquisition is for Radiosondes compatible with the IMET-54.

GML conducts launches of balloon borne radiosonde and water vapor/aerosol instruments from up to nine (9) sites around the world, launching three to four radiosondes per month. A necessary component of the radiosonde instrument is the meteorological radiosonde that interfaces with the unique radiosonde electronics board to merge and transmit data during flight to the receiving station running SkySonde telemetry software. The InterMet Systems IMET- 54 radiosonde, interfaced with the radiosonde, water vapor, and aerosol instruments, is the only method for obtaining high-resolution vertical profile measurements with necessary meteorological data from surface through the stratospheric ozone layer to eventual balloon burst at approximately 20 miles altitude.

The InterMet Systems IMET-54 radiosonde measures air temperature with a small glass bead thermistor. Its small size minimizes effects caused by long and short-wave radiation and ensures fast response times. The humidity sensor is a thin-film capacitive polymer that responds directly to relative humidity. Radiosonde height is provided by the integrated GNSS receiver, and pressure is derived from the reported altitude, combined with the temperature and humidity readings. Wind speed and direction reporting during the sounding is derived from the GNSS position information, with processing algorithms ensuring that wind vectors are not affected by swinging of the radiosonde beneath the balloon. Packet transmission uses error correction techniques to ensure reliable, accurate data reception for all expected link conditions. This is the only known instrument that can meet the Government’s needs, and this notice’s intent is to identify any other products that meet the full requirements listed below.

Special Requirements/Essential Salient Features:

Measurements:

Measurement cycle: 1 Hz Temperature Sensor: Glass bead Measurement range: +60°C to -100°C Resolution: 0.01°C Response time: still air/ 6 m/s (1000 hPa): < 2 / < 1 sec Repeatability in Calibration: < 0.1°C Combined Uncertainty/Reproducibility: > 100 hPa, 0.3°C / 0.1°C; < 100 hPa, 0.5°C / 0.25°C Humidity Sensor: Capacitive polymer Measurement range: 0 to 100% RH Resolution: 0.01% Response time: @ 20°C, < 0.4 sec; @ 0°C, < 1 sec; @ -20°C, < 3.2 sec; @ -40°C, < 20 sec Repeatability in Calibration: < 2% Uncertainty: < 4% Reproducibility: < 3% Pressure: GNSS derived Measurement range: SFC to 3 hPa Resolution: 0.01 hPa Uncertainty/Reproducibility: 1100 - 400 hPa, < 1.0 / 0.6 hPa; 400 - 100 hPa, < 0.4 / 0.3 hPa; 100 – 3 hPa, <0.2 / 0.2 hPa Geopotential Height: GNSS derived Measurement range: SFC to 50 km Resolution: 0.1 m Uncertainty: < 8 m Reproducibility: < 5 m Wind: GNSS derived Wind speed range: 0 to 180 m/s Wind speed resolution: 0.1 m/s Wind speed uncertainty: < 0.15 m/s Wind speed reproducibility: < 0.10 m/s Wind direction range: 0 to 360° Wind direction resolution: 0.01° Wind direction uncertainty: < 1° Wind direction reproducibility: < 1° Telemetry:

Transmission type: Synthesized Maximum range: > 250 km Frequency band: 400.15 – 406 MHz Frequency stability: +/- 1 kHz

Deviation, peak to peak: 4.8 kHz Output power: 150 mW Modulation: GFSK Data rate: 480 bit/s Operational Data:

Battery: Lithium Operating time: > 180 minutes Weight: 80 grams Dimensions (L x W x H): 235 x 70 x 30 mm Calibration Stability: 2 years Power / control: Wireless or push button GNSS Receiver:

Number of channels: 99 GNSS systems used: GPS + GLONASS + Galileo Cold start acquisition time: 35 sec (nominal) Reacquisition time: 1 s (nominal) Horizontal position accuracy: 2.5 m (CEP)

Submission of Information: Companies having capabilities necessary to meet or exceed the stated requirements are invited to provide information to contribute to this market survey/sources sought notice including commercial market information and company information.

Companies may respond to this Sources Sought Notice via email to: darrin.moore@noaa.gov no later than 16 August 2025 at 1200 Eastern Time.

Please provide the following information/documentation:

1. Name of Company, Address and Unique Entity ID.

2. Point of Contact and Phone Number.

3. Business Size applicable to the NAICS Code: 8(a) Small Business Concern, Hub Zone Small

Business Concern, Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business Concern (SDVOSBC) or a Small Business Concern.

4. Statement for Proposal Submission:

• Evidence of experience in providing supplies similar in type and scope to include contract numbers, project titles, points of contact and telephone numbers.

• Brief statement on the supplies you intend to supply, with country of origin.

• Confirmation that your company WILL submit a proposal as a prime contractor if a solicitation is issued as a result of this Sources Sought Notice.

Interested parties: Need to be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM). Failure to submit sufficient detailed information may result in considering a company as not a viable source and may influence competition and set-aside decisions. Regardless of the information obtained from this Sources Sought Notice, the Government reserves the right to consider any arrangement as deemed appropriated for this requirement.

Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted.

No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response to this Sources Sought Notice. The Government reserves the right to use any information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate, including using technical information provided by respondents in any resultant solicitation.

After a review of the responses received from this notice, a pre-solicitation notice and solicitation may be published on the Governmentwide Point of Entry (GPE). It is the potential offeror's responsibility to monitor the GPE for release of any future solicitation that may result from this Sources Sought Notice. Responses to this Sources Sought Notice will not be considered adequate responses to any resultant solicitation.