cultural practitioner support services

The US Geological Survey (USGS) is conducting market research to identify qualified businesses capable of providing cultural practitioner support services to facilitate engagement with the Native Hawaiian Community regarding seabed mineral research offshore the Hawaiian Islands. This sources sought notice is issued by the Department of the Interior's US Geological Survey Office of Acquisitions and Grants and is not a request for quotes or proposals, but rather market research for planning purposes to assist in determining acquisition strategy. The contractor must be a member of or have at least five years of experience working with the Native Hawaiian Community, with additional experience in oceanography or ocean science communication preferred. Key requirements include integrating Native Hawaiian cultural knowledge into sampling plans, facilitating at least one community meeting, providing text revisions and talking points, and briefing scientists on Native Hawaiian cultural protocols. The NAICS code 541990 (All Other Professional, Scientific and Technical Services) with a size standard of $19.5 million applies to this opportunity. Capability statements must be submitted electronically to yangzhideng@usgs.gov by July 18, 2025, at 1500 PST, with no hardcopy or web portal submissions accepted.

This opportunity does not utilize any set-aside designations and is open to all responsible sources. No current contractors or incumbents are identified in the notice. The work will be performed remotely on a Firm Fixed Price basis from August 18, 2025, to March 31, 2026, supporting USGS field operations scheduled for October 30 through November 22, 2025. All deliverables must be completed within 10 business days of request, with payments processed through IPP.gov upon successful completion. The contract duration spans approximately 7.5 months, with the critical field operations period occurring during a three-week window in late October and November 2025. While no specific contract value is mentioned in the sources sought notice, the announcement indicates this is preliminary market research to inform the government's acquisition strategy for these specialized cultural practitioner services.