VOS Request for Information.pdf

Recommendations to Supplement Marine Surface Observations for the National Weather Service, National Data Buoy Center

Voluntary Observing Ship Program

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Weather Service (NWS), National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) is conducting market research on the capabilities of vendors to support the NDBC Voluntary Observing Ship (VOS) Program. Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10 requires the Government to conduct market research before developing new requirements documents for an acquisition. Results of market research will be used to determine whether qualified sources exist.

The information obtained from industry’s responses to this notice may be used in the development of an acquisition strategy for future solicitation.

The Government does not intend to award a contract based on this market research or otherwise pay for information received. This Request for Information (RFI) is issued solely for information, planning purposes, and market research; it does not constitute a solicitation or promise to issue a solicitation. This market research does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service.

NOAA will not pay for any costs associated with providing information in response to this announcement, or any follow-up information requests. Not responding to this announcement does not preclude participation in any future solicitation. All submissions become the property of the Government and will not be returned.

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this RFI is 541990 - All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services.

BACKGROUND

The NDBC VOS Program collects high-quality ship observations to advance the nation’s maritime safety and resilience by delivering accurate, high-resolution, and timely marine observations from challenging and traditionally inaccessible regions, enabling informed decision-making and stronger protection of lives, property, and maritime infrastructure. These consistent, reliable data streams support critical forecast and warning operations for the National Hurricane Center, the Ocean Prediction Center (OPC), coastal Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs), Environmental Modeling Center (EMC), state and federal operations, commercial and recreational maritime activities, and international meteorological centers.

These observations are essential for numerical weather prediction, forecasts, and warnings that safeguard the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and coastal communities, while also contributing to the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) and international models.

The NDBC VOS Program is the current standard for ship observations and supplies critical in-situ ship reports that support global forecasting and enhance maritime safety. Despite advances in buoy and satellite technology and using new marine collection platforms, significant gaps in ocean observations persist, making ship-based data essential.

The NDBC wants to continue, and improve upon, the current marine observation structure. Attached to this RFI is a draft Statement of Objectives (SOO) that provides examples of the current practices for collecting observations from ship platforms. This SOO is provided for informational purposes only and should not be seen as a requirement.

More information about the NDBC and the current VOS program can be found at the following links:

https://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/ https://vos.noaa.gov/

REQUESTED INFORMATION AND RESPONSE FORMAT

Interested vendors are requested to submit responses electronically by providing:

1) Company Information: Company name, address, Unique Entity ID (UEI) number and corresponding CAGE Code, website, etc.

2) Company Point of Contact(s): Provide the name, title, phone number, and email address of your company representative(s) for future correspondence regarding this RFI.

3) Contractor’s socioeconomic status under NAICS code 541990 - All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services.

4) Description of your company’s capabilities as they relate to the services contained in this RFI, including the draft SOO.

5) Recommendations that could supplement/improve/innovate the current marine surface observations program. Recommendations can include your company strengths and unique position that will allow you to meet NDBC’s observation goals of a minimum of 2.5 million marine surface observations yearly. If you are not able to satisfy the observation goals, how many observations can you deliver?

6) Recommendations on how you would grow the number of minimum observations each by 10%.

7) Information that describes the vendor’s ability to satisfy observations from ALL marine regions listed on page 5 of the draft SOO (Section 6 Place of Performance). If you are not able to provide ALL, list the region numbers for the marine regions you will provide observations along with the explanation as to why you are limited.

8) Published pricing for the requested services (if available).

9) Provide information relating to any common commercial practices regarding providing the needed services that the Government should be aware of.

10)Provide any other relevant information not specifically mentioned in this RFI that your company feels would be beneficial to the Government to consider in finalizing its market research and acquisition strategy.

Responses to any or all information requested in this RFI is acceptable. Responses must be submitted in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. RFI responses are limited to 10 pages on standard US letter size 8-½ by 11-inch paper using Times New Roman font, 12 point. The 10 pages include any supporting appendices, title pages, all graphics, pictures, and figures. Proprietary information, if any, should be minimized and

MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED.

RESPONSE SUBMISSION DEADLINE, AND POINTS OF CONTACT

Responses shall be submitted via email to Contracting Officer Mr. Kevin Buum at kevin.j.buum@noaa.gov and Contract Specialist Ms. Kari Webler at kari.webler@noaa.gov no later than Friday, February 20, 2026 at 2:00 PM ET. The Government is not obligated to review responses to this RFI received after the stated deadline.

QUESTIONS

Questions may be submitted via email to Contracting Officer Mr. Kevin Buum at kevin.j.buum@noaa.gov and Contract Specialist Ms. Kari Webler at kari.webler@noaa.gov no later than Friday, February 6, 2026 at 2:00 PM ET. Telephonic questions are not acceptable. Questions will be consolidated and answered at https://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/ https://vos.noaa.gov/ mailto:kevin.j.buum@noaa.gov mailto:kari.webler@noaa.gov mailto:kevin.j.buum@noaa.gov mailto:kari.webler@noaa.gov the Government’s discretion and posted to https://sam.gov.

POSSIBLE INDUSTRY DAY

NOAA representatives may hold an Industry Day after this RFI has closed to provide a forum for further engagement. If an Industry Day were to be scheduled, any announcements will be posted on https://sam.gov.

In addition, holding any “one-on-one” meetings with industry will be at the Government’s discretion.

Please monitor https://sam.gov for any additional information.

ATTACHMENTS

Attachment 1 - DRAFT Statement of Objectives - NDBC VOS Program Commercial Services https://sam.gov