SOW_State-level IT data.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE OAM-SSPO

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

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REQUEST FOR INFORMATION:

State-Level Data on Software Investment, Equipment Purchases, and E-Commerce Shipments

FOR

REGIONAL ECONOMIC ACCOUNTS DIRECTORATE

BUREAU OF ECONOMIC ANALYSIS

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Purpose The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), including its Regional Directorate, is seeking information from private data providers about datasets that could improve the measurement of economic activity across states and counties. BEA is especially interested in data useful for estimating investment in prepackaged and custom software, investment in equipment, and the geographic flow of e-commerce activity. These data support BEA’s regional accounts, including Gross Domestic Product by state and county, input‑output frameworks, business investment, and related economic indicators.

This Request for Information (RFI) is issued solely for market research and planning. It does not constitute a solicitation.

Background BEA’s regional statistics rely on measuring activity where it physically occurs. For software and equipment, this means identifying the establishment where the software is installed or the equipment is delivered and used, rather than relying on corporate headquarters locations. For e-commerce shipments, BEA requires information about the destination state (purchaser’s residence) to support accurate measurement of retail flows, and—where possible—the origin state of the retailer itself.

Current data sources provide only partial coverage or insufficient geographic detail. BEA is therefore exploring private-sector products that may offer comprehensive, establishment‑based, or establishment‑allocated data suitable for regional economic statistics.

Data Requirements Coverage and Representativeness BEA requires data that either directly cover all U.S. establishments or can be reliably weighted or adjusted to reflect the full establishment population. Time series coverage back to 2011 or earlier is preferred to support consistent historical analysis.

• For software and equipment purchases, coverage of the full U.S. establishment universe, or valid weighting to represent it

• For e-commerce, coverage of the full U.S. household population, or valid weighting to represent it

• Historical availability ideally back to 2011 or earlier

Data Elements and Documentation Comprehensive metadata and documentation are essential for proper statistical integration.

• Establishment location (state; optional sub-state)

• Industry classification

• Transaction values or quantities

• Shipment destination

• Seller origin (preferred)

• Product/equipment categories

• Data dictionaries and methodological documentation

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Data Topics BEA is seeking data on any of the three topics below:

1. Prepackaged and Custom Software BEA is interested in datasets that identify where software is installed or used. Location must reflect the operating establishment—not the purchasing headquarters. This supports correct regional classification of investment.

• State where software is installed/used

• Annual data (or sub-annual such as monthly, quarterly)

• Establishment identifiers, or establishment-based allocation methods

• Industry classification (e.g., NAICS)

• Aggregated state totals acceptable if based on establishment-level allocation

2. Equipment Purchases Equipment investment needs to be attributed to the state where the equipment is delivered and put into use. As with software, BEA seeks industry detail and establishment‑based assignment.

• State of delivery and installation

• Annual data (or sub-annual such as monthly, quarterly)

• Establishment identifiers and industry classification

• Aggregated state totals acceptable if based on establishment-industry-level allocation

• While sales of new equipment is the most significant need, information on purchases and sales of used equipment would also be of value

3. E-Commerce Shipments For e-commerce, BEA requires information on the destination state of shipments, as this reflects household consumption patterns. BEA also prefers information on the origin state, defined as the retailer’s location rather than warehouse or fulfillment centers.

• Destination state (purchaser’s residence)

• Origin state (preferred; retailer’s location, not warehouse)

• Annual aggregates (or sub-annual such as monthly, quarterly)

• Data should represent full shipment (or U.S. household) universe or be weighted to national totals

• Classification by retailer or product category

• Shipments from domestic retailers separated from shipments from international retailers

(preferred)

Technical Requirements While BEA does not require a specific delivery mechanism, data must be accessible in a structured, machine‑readable form and updated annually within a reasonable period after year‑end.

• Delivery via API, SFTP, flat files, web platform, or equivalent

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• Annual updates available within a few months after year-end

• Sample data requested, if available

Terms of Use and Licensing BEA requires that licensing terms allow for the publication of derived statistics, including those created by combining vendor data with BEA-generated estimates. The data must also be available for internal analytical use across BEA program areas.

• Permission to publish derived statistics

• Permission for internal analytical use

Vendor Capability Information To assess suitability, BEA requests information about the vendor’s background, methodology, and experience with establishment-level or geographically detailed datasets.

• Company size, contacts, and locations

• Experience with establishment-based data

• Ability to provide national coverage or statistically representative data

• Methods for assigning establishment location for software/equipment

• Methods for determining destination/origin states for e-commerce

• Historical depth of data

• Documentation practices

• Supported delivery mechanisms

• Existing government contracts

• Availability of sample data

Response Instructions Vendors should provide narrative responses addressing the requirements in this document, along with any supporting materials such as technical documentation, methodology descriptions, and sample data.

The submission shall be no longer than 10 pages as follows:

• Cover Page – Vendor Name, Cage code, UEI Number, DUNS Number, Business Size (Page will not be part of the page count)

• Narrative responses and supporting documentation

• Provide samples if possible

• Procurement will specify deadlines and submission instructions