SS-2024022018 - Sources Sought Notice.pdf

Sources Sought Notice No. SS-2024022018

“Software Application and Web Development Services for IDEA”

September 5, 2024

Background:

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is a national laboratory owned by the U.S.

Department of Energy (DOE). NREL is the only federal laboratory dedicated to research, development, commercialization, and deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. NREL is managed and operated for DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy by The Alliance for Sustainable Energy (Alliance), the “M&O Contractor”.

NREL’s Innovative Data Energy Applications (IDEA) group was initiated in 2022, and is a multi-disciplinary collection of UX Designers, UX Researchers, Product Managers, and Software Engineers. IDEA develops a variety of applications within its three major portfolios focused on trust, dissemination, and democratization. Generally, these portfolios and subsequent data applications leverage the same deployment infrastructure and are JavaScript based full-stack applications in a serverless Amazon Web Services (AWS) environment. Currently there are more than 50 applications encompassing multiple renewable energy technologies, funded by over eleven offices of Department of Energy (DOE). These applications receive thousands of visitors each month and are among the most visited sites on the NREL website.

Interest in new data applications is very strong, and the IDEA group is seeking a flexible resource that can meet needs in multiple areas based on individual project requirements as the workload increases. These areas could include front-end application development, back-end application development, UX Research, UX Design, and Product Management.

Objective:

The objective of this Sources Sought is to identify potential subcontracting companies that are qualified and capable of meeting the project objectives. The project objective, at a high level, is to perform UX Research, UX Design, Software Development, and Product Management tasks identified in support of the objective of the IDEA group.

Project Details:

In the event a solicitation is released, NREL is seeking information from sources that may be capable of providing a solution that meets or exceeds one or more of the following capabilities:

experience performing UX Research, UX Design, Software Development, and Product Management tasks to meet client needs.

Request Details:

The Alliance intends to competitively solicit for Software Application and Web Development Services for IDEA, dependent on the volume of qualified responses received.

Step 1 - Sourcing (SSN): Parties that meet the minimum criteria outlined herein are encouraged to submit their capabilities statements. Submitted capabilities statements that meet the Alliance’s stated criteria will be considered for inclusion in the source list to receive notice of the planned RFP. The Alliance reserves the right to add additional sources to the source list at its discretion.

Step 2: Qualifying (RFQ): Once the source list is compiled (the Alliance reserves the right to add additional sources to the source list at its discretion), the Alliance will send each qualified source the solicitation document, a Request for Proposals (RFP). Sources will then be asked to submit in accordance with that formal solicitation document. The Alliance will then evaluate the submitted qualifications against the selection criteria.

Small-Business Requirements: Sufficient, qualified responses to this SSN will determine if a total small business set aside is appropriate for a resultant RFP. The NAICS code applicable to this SSN is 541511.

The following links are being provided for convenience:

• https://www.sba.gov/document/support--table-size-standards

• https://www.sba.gov/size-standards

Period of Performance: This project is anticipated to have a base period of performance totaling twelve (12) months or 365 days, plus four one-year option periods totaling twelve (12) months of 365 days. The total Period of Performance, if all options are exercised, shall not exceed sixty

(60) months.

Location of Work to be Performed: The work required can be performed remote, but may require rare travel for on-site meetings in Colorado and/or Washington, D.C.

Submission Requirements:

For companies interested in competing for the “Software Application and Web Development Services for IDEA” RFP, please submit the following to Lee Oberg (PPM) at ASP.Responses@nrel.gov with this subject line: “SS-2024022018, “your company name”” on or before 5:00 p.m. (MST), 09/17/2024. Your submission response is limited to 2-5 pages:

1. Company Name, Address, and Company URL (include bona-fide location as stated above).

2. Point of Contact Information (Email, Direct Phone Number).

3. Company’s Capability Statement that provides a narrative of the Offeror’s expertise with projects of similar scope, size, and complexity as identified below:

https://www.sba.gov/document/support--table-size-standards https://www.sba.gov/size-standards mailto:ASP.Responses@nrel.gov

Technical Capabilities: Alliance is seeking a subcontractor that has demonstrated success with similar projects, has experience with federally funded projects, is knowledgeable with challenging schedules on project delivery, and is well versed and skilled in effectively integrating with all project team stakeholders. Capabilities Statements submitted in response to this Sources Sought Notice should describe your company/organization’s experience in the areas listed in the table below.

Please include in in your Capabilities Statement the following content:

• Portfolio demonstrating your organization’s experience with one or more of the Technical Capabilities as requested in the table below.

• Project Examples/Case Studies

• Ratio of Junior, Mid-Level, and Senior Staff your organization would typically propose to support the project objectives detailed on page 1 of this Sources Sought Notice.

Please complete the following table.

1 Technical Capabilities Experience:

Yes/No

Years Experience as an Organization

1.1

UX Research – At least 3-10 years of industry experience, as an organization, in Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods: Ability to conduct user interviews, surveys, usability testing, and analyze behavioral data. Expertise in synthesizing research insights into actionable user journey maps, personas, and pain points. Ability to derive insights that influence design choices and stakeholder decision-making.

If your company has experience conducting UX Research using other methods, please briefly list or describe those methods in your Capabilities Statement.

1.2

UX Design – At least 3-10 years of industry experience, as an organization, collaborating with UX Research teams to create wireframes, high-fidelity mockups, and interactive prototypes using Figma. Ability to create and maintain a cohesive design system and style guides. Ability to design interfaces that work across multiple screen sizes and devices. As well as expertise in Accessibility Standards

(WCAG).

1.3

Software Development – At least 3-10 years of industry experience and demonstrated ability as an organization, to build and maintain scalable applications using JavaScript frameworks (React, NEXTJS, Node.js, HTML, CSS). Strong grasp of responsive design principles and best practices in building accessible, performant user interfaces.

Experience in automated testing, version control (Git), and maintaining clean code standards.

1.4

Product Management – At least 3-10 years of industry experience, as an organization, guiding products from conception to launch by connecting the engineering and UX research worlds. Ability to define and prioritize features based on stakeholder timelines and budgets while defining and aligning on problem statements and genuine user needs. Experience managing sprints, backlogs, and user stories.

Expertise in taking a product from concept to launch and iterating based on feedback.

Disclaimer: Responding to this request identifies your company as an interested candidate only.

Your submittal is not in response to a Request for Proposals (RFP). This is an SSN, not a Request for Proposal. Verbal replies will not be accepted. All inquiries must be in writing via email. Project related questions will not be entertained at this point in the procurement process.

This document represents a market research effort. Any costs associated with the development of a response to this request will not be reimbursed by NREL and submission does not guarantee or otherwise promise inclusion in any forthcoming RFP. In the event a solicitation results from this SSN, NREL reserves the right to set aside in total or in part any resultant award. No award will be made to any subcontractor/vendor that is not registered or in the process of registering with the System for Award Management (SAM). Please visit the SAM website at https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration for instructions on how to register.

If a solicitation is conducted and an award is resulting, a SAM registration is required to be active at time of award.

https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration