GeoXO Ocean Color (OCX) Instrument Implementation

This an amendment to the final RFP.  Please see Amendment 1 attachments.

You are invited to submit a proposal in response to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center’s Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) Ocean Color (OCX) Instrument Implementation solicitation.  OCX is a hyperspectral, UV through infrared, passive imaging radiometer used to measure environmental data as part of a 3-axis 
stabilized, geostationary weather satellite system. Ocean color observations from geostationary orbit will provide critical data for ecological forecasters, marine resource managers, fisheries, health departments, water treatment managers, commerce, and recreational industries. OCX will provide daily observations of ocean biology, chemistry, and ecology to assess ocean productivity, 
ecosystem change, coast and inland water quality, and hazards like harmful algal blooms.

NASA will conduct this acquisition as a full and open competition.  The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 336414 and the small business size standard is 1,250 employees.

This competitive acquisition will result in a Cost-Plus-Award Fee (CPAF) hardware contract for the development of two Flight Models (FM) and two options, for additional OCX FMs.  The anticipated period of performance for this contract includes support for 10 years of on-orbit operations and 5 years of on-orbit storage, for a total of 15 years for each FM.

The anticipated contract award date is March 31, 2024.  The contract will be performed onsite at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and offsite at the Contractor’s facilities.

Potential offerors should pay close attention to all solicitation instructions; however, the following requirements list is summarized to assist in proposal development.  Please note that this list is not exhaustive, and the solicitation terms and conditions and provisions in sections L and M take precedence.

1.   Section H.14, Special Task Support Requirements of the RFP specifies that the Government may order special study tasks under the resultant hardware contract for risk reduction and mitigation activities. The clause includes a plug number of $25,000,000 that each offeror can use for planning purposes.

2.   Section L. 11 GSFC52.215-203 Offer Volume (APR 2020) of the RFP specifies: If the offeror is involved in an impending or already consummated corporate transaction such as an acquisition, or merger with another company, or restructuring, whether announced publicly or not, the Offeror must provide information to convey any potential impacts of that corporate transaction 
on its proposal and any subsequent contract that may be awarded.

This list is not intended to cover all changes nor describe all RFP requirements.  Offerors should carefully review the RFP in its entirety.

Below is a list of the Source Selection Authority (SSA) and voting members along with their associated NASA Goddard Space Flight Center organizational codes, for the Source Evaluation Board (SEB).  The names provided are for informational purposes only and other than the Contracting Officer, Darlene Harkins, these individuals shall not be contacted regarding this acquisition.  The 
Government may change personnel associated with this acquisition at its discretion.

SSA
Cynthia Simmons, Code 400

Voting Members
Kevin Tewey, Code 418

Kuiana Carson, Code 383

Amir Ibrahim, Code 616

Alexander Krimchansky, Code 590

Vincent E. Roback, LARC-D208

Offerors are required to have a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code that matches the corporate address submitted with its proposal.

Offerors are encouraged to refer to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) provision 52.215-1, INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS–COMPETITIVE ACQUISITION, in particular paragraph (f)(4) which discusses the Government’s right to award a contract without 
discussions. In order to control and protect sensitive data owned by the Government and its Contractors, NASA policy required all acquisition-related documents be released in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF).

Documents related to this acquisition, including this letter, the solicitation, attachments, exhibits, any amendments and links to online reference/technical/bidders library will be attainable electronically from the World Wide Web through the Government-wide point of entry website at www.SAM.gov. Potential Offerors are requested to periodically monitor the websites for updates.

NASA FAR Supplement (NFS) clause 1852.215-84, OMBUDSMAN, is applicable.  The Center Ombudsman for this acquisition can be found at: http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/publibrary/Omb.htm

This RFP does not commit NASA Goddard Space Flight Center to pay any proposal preparation costs, nor does it obligate NASA Goddard Space Flight Center to procure or contract for these services.  This request is not an authorization to proceed and does not authorize payment for any changes incurred by the offeror for performing any of the work called for in this solicitation.

Proposals submitted in response to this solicitation shall be due no later than October 16, 2023, at 5:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time. Proposal Marking and Delivery Through NASA’s EFSS Box is included in the solicitation: Proposals for this solicitation are required to be submitted through NASA’s Enterprise File Sharing and Sync Box (EFSS Box), a FedRAMP Moderate certified platform. 
Potential offerors, especially those that have not previously submitted a proposal utilizing NASA’s EFSS Box, are encouraged to review the solicitation instruction entitled “Electronic Proposal Delivery - Proposal Marking and Delivery Through NASA’s EFSS Box” which provides instructions related to the submission of proposal via EFSS Box. Offerors are encouraged to check with their 
corporate IT staff to determine if there are firewall restrictions that would need to be addressed prior to the submission of proposal files through NASA’s EFSS Box.

In accordance with NFS 1815.201(f), a “Blackout Notice” has been issued to NASA personnel. All inquiries/communications pertaining to this acquisition shall be directed only to the Contracting Officer listed below.

All questions regarding this RFP should be submitted in writing, electronically to Darlene Harkins, Contracting Officer, at darlene.harkins@nasa.gov on or before October 16, 2023.  Offerors are encouraged to submit questions as soon as possible for consideration.

Thank you for your support.  We look forward to receiving your proposals.
 

You are invited to submit a proposal in response to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center’s Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) Ocean Color (OCX) Instrument Implementation solicitation.  OCX is a hyperspectral, UV through infrared, passive imaging radiometer used to measure environmental data as part of a 3-axis 
stabilized, geostationary weather satellite system. Ocean color observations from geostationary orbit will provide critical data for ecological forecasters, marine resource managers, fisheries, health departments, water treatment managers, commerce, and recreational industries. OCX will provide daily observations of ocean biology, chemistry, and ecology to assess ocean productivity, 
ecosystem change, coast and inland water quality, and hazards like harmful algal blooms.

NASA will conduct this acquisition as a full and open competition.  The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 336414 and the small business size standard is 1,250 employees.

This competitive acquisition will result in a Cost-Plus-Award Fee (CPAF) hardware contract for the development of two Flight Models (FM) and two options, for additional OCX FMs.  The anticipated period of performance for this contract includes support for 10 years of on-orbit operations and 5 years of on-orbit storage, for a total of 15 years for each FM.

The anticipated contract award date is March 31, 2024.  The contract will be performed onsite at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and offsite at the Contractor’s facilities.

Potential offerors should pay close attention to all solicitation instructions; however, the following requirements list is summarized to assist in proposal development.  Please note that this list is not exhaustive, and the solicitation terms and conditions and provisions in sections L and M take precedence.

1.   Section H.14, Special Task Support Requirements of the RFP specifies that the Government may order special study tasks under the resultant hardware contract for risk reduction and mitigation activities. The clause includes a plug number of $25,000,000 that each offeror can use for planning purposes.

2.   Section L. 11 GSFC52.215-203 Offer Volume (APR 2020) of the RFP specifies: If the offeror is involved in an impending or already consummated corporate transaction such as an acquisition, or merger with another company, or restructuring, whether announced publicly or not, the Offeror must provide information to convey any potential impacts of that corporate transaction 
on its proposal and any subsequent contract that may be awarded.

This list is not intended to cover all changes nor describe all RFP requirements.  Offerors should carefully review the RFP in its entirety.

Below is a list of the Source Selection Authority (SSA) and voting members along with their associated NASA Goddard Space Flight Center organizational codes, for the Source Evaluation Board (SEB).  The names provided are for informational purposes only and other than the Contracting Officer, Darlene Harkins, these individuals shall not be contacted regarding this acquisition.  The 
Government may change personnel associated with this acquisition at its discretion.

SSA
Cynthia Simmons, Code 400

Voting Members
Kevin Tewey, Code 418

Kuiana Carson, Code 383

Amir Ibrahim, Code 616

Alexander Krimchansky, Code 590

Vincent E. Roback, LARC-D208

Offerors are required to have a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code that matches the corporate address submitted with its proposal.

Offerors are encouraged to refer to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) provision 52.215-1, INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS–COMPETITIVE ACQUISITION, in particular paragraph (f)(4) which discusses the Government’s right to award a contract without 
discussions. In order to control and protect sensitive data owned by the Government and its Contractors, NASA policy required all acquisition-related documents be released in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF).

Documents related to this acquisition, including this letter, the solicitation, attachments, exhibits, any amendments and links to online reference/technical/bidders library will be attainable electronically from the World Wide Web through the Government-wide point of entry website at www.SAM.gov. Potential Offerors are requested to periodically monitor the websites for updates.

NASA FAR Supplement (NFS) clause 1852.215-84, OMBUDSMAN, is applicable.  The Center Ombudsman for this acquisition can be found at: http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/publibrary/Omb.htm

This RFP does not commit NASA Goddard Space Flight Center to pay any proposal preparation costs, nor does it obligate NASA Goddard Space Flight Center to procure or contract for these services.  This request is not an authorization to proceed and does not authorize payment for any changes incurred by the offeror for performing any of the work called for in this solicitation.

Proposals submitted in response to this solicitation shall be due no later than October 16, 2023, at 5:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time. Proposal Marking and Delivery Through NASA’s EFSS Box is included in the solicitation: Proposals for this solicitation are required to be submitted through NASA’s Enterprise File Sharing and Sync Box (EFSS Box), a FedRAMP Moderate certified platform. 
Potential offerors, especially those that have not previously submitted a proposal utilizing NASA’s EFSS Box, are encouraged to review the solicitation instruction entitled “Electronic Proposal Delivery - Proposal Marking and Delivery Through NASA’s EFSS Box” which provides instructions related to the submission of proposal via EFSS Box. Offerors are encouraged to check with their 
corporate IT staff to determine if there are firewall restrictions that would need to be addressed prior to the submission of proposal files through NASA’s EFSS Box.

In accordance with NFS 1815.201(f), a “Blackout Notice” has been issued to NASA personnel. All inquiries/communications pertaining to this acquisition shall be directed only to the Contracting Officer listed below.

All questions regarding this RFP should be submitted in writing, electronically to Darlene Harkins, Contracting Officer, at darlene.harkins@nasa.gov on or before October 16, 2023.  Offerors are encouraged to submit questions as soon as possible for consideration.

Thank you for your support.  We look forward to receiving your proposals.
 

The purpose of this update is to provide responses to the questions received.

The purpose of this update is to provide another updated  Attachment F - CDRL.

The purpose of this update is to provide an updated Attachment F - CDRL.

You are invited to review and comment on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center’s Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) Ocean Color (OCX) Instrument Implementation solicitation. The Ocean Color (OCX) is a hyperspectral, UV through infrared, passive imaging radiometer used to measure environmental data as part of a 3-axis stabilized, geostationary weather satellite system. Ocean color observations from geostationary orbit will provide critical data for ecological forecasters, marine resource managers, fisheries, health departments, water treatment managers, and the commerce, recreation, and tourism industries. OCX will provide daily observations of ocean biology, chemistry, and ecology to assess ocean productivity, ecosystem change, coast and inland water quality, and hazards like harmful algal blooms. The instrument will track and assist in the response to climate-driven ocean and coastal ecosystem changes. Geostationary ocean color observations are also critical to maintaining U.S. leadership in science-based fisheries management, improving yield, and reducing bycatch. High spatial and temporal resolution OCX observations will be an improvement over those offered by contemporary low earth orbiting ocean color sensors. From its position in geostationary orbit, OCX will view ocean and coastal conditions in real time and greatly improve the chance of cloud-free observations of areas of interest.

Potential offerors are encouraged to comment on all aspects of the draft solicitation, including the requirements, schedules, proposal instructions, and evaluation approaches, any perceived safety, occupational health, security (including information technology security), environmental, export control, and/or other programmatic risk issues associated with performance of the work.

It is anticipated that this competitive procurement will result in a Cost-Plus-Award-Fee (CPAF) hardware contract that will consist of parts and materials for an Engineering Development Model (EDM)-if proposed and agreed to by the Government and four flight models. The period of performance includes efforts required to design, analyze, fabricate, integrate, test, evaluate, verify, store and support launch activities. The delivery schedule and/or period of performance of this contract is based upon a spacecraft launch date of April 2032 for Delivery Item 3, FM-1; October 2034 for Delivery Item 4, FM-2; May 2039 for Delivery Item 5, FM-3 (Option 1); and November 2042 for Delivery Item 6, FM-4 (Option 2).

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 336414 and the small business size standard is 1250.

Section H.13, Special Task Support Requirements of the DRFP specifies that the Government may order special study tasks under the resultant hardware contract for risk reduction and mitigation activities. The clause includes a plug number of $25,000,000 that each offeror can use for planning purposes.

Potential offerors should ensure its company is listed in the online database(s) for the following:

1. System for award management: https://www.sam.gov/SAM/
2. U.S. Department of Labor Veterans’ Employment and Training Service, VETS-4212 Reports: https://vets4212.dol.gov/vets4212/
3. Date Universal Numbering System (and the transition to the US Government’s unique entity identifier (UEI)): https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/organization/federal- acquisition-service/office-of-systems-management/integrated-award-environment- iae/iae-information-kit/unique-entity-identifier-update

The successful offeror must pass an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) clearance before contract award (See FAR 22.805).

The current planned release date for the Final Request for Proposal (RFP) is on or about August 15, 2023, with proposals being due approximately 30 calendar days after RFP release.

The anticipated contract award date and effective date is mid- late March 2024. The contract will be performed offsite at the Contractor’s facilities, and onsite at GSFC.

The following additional information is provided to assist in understanding this acquisition:

1. Proposals for this solicitation are required to be submitted through NASA’s Enterprise File Sharing and Sync Box (EFSS Box), a FedRAMP Moderate certified platform. Potential offerors, especially those that have not previously submitted a proposal utilizing NASA’s EFSS Box, are encouraged to review the solicitation instruction entitled “Electronic Proposal Delivery - Proposal Marking and Delivery Through NASA’s EFSS Box” which provides instructions related to the submission of proposal via EFSS Box. Offerors are encouraged to check with their corporate IT staff to determine if there were firewall restrictions that would need to be addressed prior to the submission of proposal files through NASA’s EFSS Box.

In order to control and protect sensitive data owned by the Government and its Contractors, NASA policy requires all acquisition-related documents be released in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF).

Documents related to this acquisition, including this letter, the solicitation, attachments, exhibits, any amendments, and links to online reference/technical/bidders’ library will be attainable electronically from the World Wide Web through the Government-wide point of entry website at www.SAM.gov. Potential Offerors are requested to periodically monitor the websites for updates.

NASA FAR Supplement (NFS) clause 1852.215-84, OMBUDSMAN, is applicable. The Ombudsman for this acquisition is Raymond “Ray” Rubilotta, Associate Director, raymond.j.rubilotta@nasa.gov, 301-286-5867.

This DRFP is not a solicitation and NASA is not requesting proposals. This DRFP does not commit NASA GSFC to pay any proposal preparation costs, nor does it obligate NASA GSFC to procure or contract for this requirement. This request is not an authorization to proceed and does not authorize payment for any charges incurred by the offeror for performing any of the work called for in this solicitation.

Any comments regarding the DRFP should be submitted electronically in writing, to Darlene Harkins, Contracting Officer at darlene.harkins@nasa.gov no later than August 3, 2023. If a respondent believes their comments contain confidential, proprietary, competition sensitive, or business information, those questions/comments shall be marked appropriately. However, questions that are marked as containing confidential, proprietary, competition sensitive or business information will not be provided a Government response. The Government will consider all comments received in preparation of the Final RFP. To the extent a comment leads the Government to revise the acquisition approach or requirements, the change will be reflected in the Final RFP. Some DRFP questions and comments may receive a posted response to the GPE if the Contracting Officer determines that a response would facilitate additional understanding of the solicitation. The Government may also respond via the GPE to comments and/or questions received following the issuance of the Final Request for Proposal (RFP).

The purpose of this update is to provide another updated  Attachment F - CDRL.

The purpose of this update is to provide an updated Attachment F - CDRL.

You are invited to review and comment on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center’s Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) Ocean Color (OCX) Instrument Implementation solicitation. The Ocean Color (OCX) is a hyperspectral, UV through infrared, passive imaging radiometer used to measure environmental data as part of a 3-axis stabilized, geostationary weather satellite system. Ocean color observations from geostationary orbit will provide critical data for ecological forecasters, marine resource managers, fisheries, health departments, water treatment managers, and the commerce, recreation, and tourism industries. OCX will provide daily observations of ocean biology, chemistry, and ecology to assess ocean productivity, ecosystem change, coast and inland water quality, and hazards like harmful algal blooms. The instrument will track and assist in the response to climate-driven ocean and coastal ecosystem changes. Geostationary ocean color observations are also critical to maintaining U.S. leadership in science-based fisheries management, improving yield, and reducing bycatch. High spatial and temporal resolution OCX observations will be an improvement over those offered by contemporary low earth orbiting ocean color sensors. From its position in geostationary orbit, OCX will view ocean and coastal conditions in real time and greatly improve the chance of cloud-free observations of areas of interest.

Potential offerors are encouraged to comment on all aspects of the draft solicitation, including the requirements, schedules, proposal instructions, and evaluation approaches, any perceived safety, occupational health, security (including information technology security), environmental, export control, and/or other programmatic risk issues associated with performance of the work.

It is anticipated that this competitive procurement will result in a Cost-Plus-Award-Fee (CPAF) hardware contract that will consist of parts and materials for an Engineering Development Model (EDM)-if proposed and agreed to by the Government and four flight models. The period of performance includes efforts required to design, analyze, fabricate, integrate, test, evaluate, verify, store and support launch activities. The delivery schedule and/or period of performance of this contract is based upon a spacecraft launch date of April 2032 for Delivery Item 3, FM-1; October 2034 for Delivery Item 4, FM-2; May 2039 for Delivery Item 5, FM-3 (Option 1); and November 2042 for Delivery Item 6, FM-4 (Option 2).

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 336414 and the small business size standard is 1250.

Section H.13, Special Task Support Requirements of the DRFP specifies that the Government may order special study tasks under the resultant hardware contract for risk reduction and mitigation activities. The clause includes a plug number of $25,000,000 that each offeror can use for planning purposes.

Potential offerors should ensure its company is listed in the online database(s) for the following:

1. System for award management: https://www.sam.gov/SAM/
2. U.S. Department of Labor Veterans’ Employment and Training Service, VETS-4212 Reports: https://vets4212.dol.gov/vets4212/
3. Date Universal Numbering System (and the transition to the US Government’s unique entity identifier (UEI)): https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/organization/federal- acquisition-service/office-of-systems-management/integrated-award-environment- iae/iae-information-kit/unique-entity-identifier-update

The successful offeror must pass an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) clearance before contract award (See FAR 22.805).

The current planned release date for the Final Request for Proposal (RFP) is on or about August 15, 2023, with proposals being due approximately 30 calendar days after RFP release.

The anticipated contract award date and effective date is mid- late March 2024. The contract will be performed offsite at the Contractor’s facilities, and onsite at GSFC.

The following additional information is provided to assist in understanding this acquisition:

1. Proposals for this solicitation are required to be submitted through NASA’s Enterprise File Sharing and Sync Box (EFSS Box), a FedRAMP Moderate certified platform. Potential offerors, especially those that have not previously submitted a proposal utilizing NASA’s EFSS Box, are encouraged to review the solicitation instruction entitled “Electronic Proposal Delivery - Proposal Marking and Delivery Through NASA’s EFSS Box” which provides instructions related to the submission of proposal via EFSS Box. Offerors are encouraged to check with their corporate IT staff to determine if there were firewall restrictions that would need to be addressed prior to the submission of proposal files through NASA’s EFSS Box.

In order to control and protect sensitive data owned by the Government and its Contractors, NASA policy requires all acquisition-related documents be released in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF).

Documents related to this acquisition, including this letter, the solicitation, attachments, exhibits, any amendments, and links to online reference/technical/bidders’ library will be attainable electronically from the World Wide Web through the Government-wide point of entry website at www.SAM.gov. Potential Offerors are requested to periodically monitor the websites for updates.

NASA FAR Supplement (NFS) clause 1852.215-84, OMBUDSMAN, is applicable. The Ombudsman for this acquisition is Raymond “Ray” Rubilotta, Associate Director, raymond.j.rubilotta@nasa.gov, 301-286-5867.

This DRFP is not a solicitation and NASA is not requesting proposals. This DRFP does not commit NASA GSFC to pay any proposal preparation costs, nor does it obligate NASA GSFC to procure or contract for this requirement. This request is not an authorization to proceed and does not authorize payment for any charges incurred by the offeror for performing any of the work called for in this solicitation.

Any comments regarding the DRFP should be submitted electronically in writing, to Darlene Harkins, Contracting Officer at darlene.harkins@nasa.gov no later than August 3, 2023. If a respondent believes their comments contain confidential, proprietary, competition sensitive, or business information, those questions/comments shall be marked appropriately. However, questions that are marked as containing confidential, proprietary, competition sensitive or business information will not be provided a Government response. The Government will consider all comments received in preparation of the Final RFP. To the extent a comment leads the Government to revise the acquisition approach or requirements, the change will be reflected in the Final RFP. Some DRFP questions and comments may receive a posted response to the GPE if the Contracting Officer determines that a response would facilitate additional understanding of the solicitation. The Government may also respond via the GPE to comments and/or questions received following the issuance of the Final Request for Proposal (RFP).

The purpose of this update is to provide an updated Attachment F - CDRL.

You are invited to review and comment on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center’s Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) Ocean Color (OCX) Instrument Implementation solicitation. The Ocean Color (OCX) is a hyperspectral, UV through infrared, passive imaging radiometer used to measure environmental data as part of a 3-axis stabilized, geostationary weather satellite system. Ocean color observations from geostationary orbit will provide critical data for ecological forecasters, marine resource managers, fisheries, health departments, water treatment managers, and the commerce, recreation, and tourism industries. OCX will provide daily observations of ocean biology, chemistry, and ecology to assess ocean productivity, ecosystem change, coast and inland water quality, and hazards like harmful algal blooms. The instrument will track and assist in the response to climate-driven ocean and coastal ecosystem changes. Geostationary ocean color observations are also critical to maintaining U.S. leadership in science-based fisheries management, improving yield, and reducing bycatch. High spatial and temporal resolution OCX observations will be an improvement over those offered by contemporary low earth orbiting ocean color sensors. From its position in geostationary orbit, OCX will view ocean and coastal conditions in real time and greatly improve the chance of cloud-free observations of areas of interest.

Potential offerors are encouraged to comment on all aspects of the draft solicitation, including the requirements, schedules, proposal instructions, and evaluation approaches, any perceived safety, occupational health, security (including information technology security), environmental, export control, and/or other programmatic risk issues associated with performance of the work.

It is anticipated that this competitive procurement will result in a Cost-Plus-Award-Fee (CPAF) hardware contract that will consist of parts and materials for an Engineering Development Model (EDM)-if proposed and agreed to by the Government and four flight models. The period of performance includes efforts required to design, analyze, fabricate, integrate, test, evaluate, verify, store and support launch activities. The delivery schedule and/or period of performance of this contract is based upon a spacecraft launch date of April 2032 for Delivery Item 3, FM-1; October 2034 for Delivery Item 4, FM-2; May 2039 for Delivery Item 5, FM-3 (Option 1); and November 2042 for Delivery Item 6, FM-4 (Option 2).

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 336414 and the small business size standard is 1250.

Section H.13, Special Task Support Requirements of the DRFP specifies that the Government may order special study tasks under the resultant hardware contract for risk reduction and mitigation activities. The clause includes a plug number of $25,000,000 that each offeror can use for planning purposes.

Potential offerors should ensure its company is listed in the online database(s) for the following:

1. System for award management: https://www.sam.gov/SAM/
2. U.S. Department of Labor Veterans’ Employment and Training Service, VETS-4212 Reports: https://vets4212.dol.gov/vets4212/
3. Date Universal Numbering System (and the transition to the US Government’s unique entity identifier (UEI)): https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/organization/federal- acquisition-service/office-of-systems-management/integrated-award-environment- iae/iae-information-kit/unique-entity-identifier-update

The successful offeror must pass an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) clearance before contract award (See FAR 22.805).

The current planned release date for the Final Request for Proposal (RFP) is on or about August 15, 2023, with proposals being due approximately 30 calendar days after RFP release.

The anticipated contract award date and effective date is mid- late March 2024. The contract will be performed offsite at the Contractor’s facilities, and onsite at GSFC.

The following additional information is provided to assist in understanding this acquisition:

1. Proposals for this solicitation are required to be submitted through NASA’s Enterprise File Sharing and Sync Box (EFSS Box), a FedRAMP Moderate certified platform. Potential offerors, especially those that have not previously submitted a proposal utilizing NASA’s EFSS Box, are encouraged to review the solicitation instruction entitled “Electronic Proposal Delivery - Proposal Marking and Delivery Through NASA’s EFSS Box” which provides instructions related to the submission of proposal via EFSS Box. Offerors are encouraged to check with their corporate IT staff to determine if there were firewall restrictions that would need to be addressed prior to the submission of proposal files through NASA’s EFSS Box.

In order to control and protect sensitive data owned by the Government and its Contractors, NASA policy requires all acquisition-related documents be released in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF).

Documents related to this acquisition, including this letter, the solicitation, attachments, exhibits, any amendments, and links to online reference/technical/bidders’ library will be attainable electronically from the World Wide Web through the Government-wide point of entry website at www.SAM.gov. Potential Offerors are requested to periodically monitor the websites for updates.

NASA FAR Supplement (NFS) clause 1852.215-84, OMBUDSMAN, is applicable. The Ombudsman for this acquisition is Raymond “Ray” Rubilotta, Associate Director, raymond.j.rubilotta@nasa.gov, 301-286-5867.

This DRFP is not a solicitation and NASA is not requesting proposals. This DRFP does not commit NASA GSFC to pay any proposal preparation costs, nor does it obligate NASA GSFC to procure or contract for this requirement. This request is not an authorization to proceed and does not authorize payment for any charges incurred by the offeror for performing any of the work called for in this solicitation.

Any comments regarding the DRFP should be submitted electronically in writing, to Darlene Harkins, Contracting Officer at darlene.harkins@nasa.gov no later than August 3, 2023. If a respondent believes their comments contain confidential, proprietary, competition sensitive, or business information, those questions/comments shall be marked appropriately. However, questions that are marked as containing confidential, proprietary, competition sensitive or business information will not be provided a Government response. The Government will consider all comments received in preparation of the Final RFP. To the extent a comment leads the Government to revise the acquisition approach or requirements, the change will be reflected in the Final RFP. Some DRFP questions and comments may receive a posted response to the GPE if the Contracting Officer determines that a response would facilitate additional understanding of the solicitation. The Government may also respond via the GPE to comments and/or questions received following the issuance of the Final Request for Proposal (RFP).

You are invited to review and comment on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center’s Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) Ocean Color (OCX) Instrument Implementation solicitation. The Ocean Color (OCX) is a hyperspectral, UV through infrared, passive imaging radiometer used to measure environmental data as part of a 3-axis stabilized, geostationary weather satellite system. Ocean color observations from geostationary orbit will provide critical data for ecological forecasters, marine resource managers, fisheries, health departments, water treatment managers, and the commerce, recreation, and tourism industries. OCX will provide daily observations of ocean biology, chemistry, and ecology to assess ocean productivity, ecosystem change, coast and inland water quality, and hazards like harmful algal blooms. The instrument will track and assist in the response to climate-driven ocean and coastal ecosystem changes. Geostationary ocean color observations are also critical to maintaining U.S. leadership in science-based fisheries management, improving yield, and reducing bycatch. High spatial and temporal resolution OCX observations will be an improvement over those offered by contemporary low earth orbiting ocean color sensors. From its position in geostationary orbit, OCX will view ocean and coastal conditions in real time and greatly improve the chance of cloud-free observations of areas of interest.

Potential offerors are encouraged to comment on all aspects of the draft solicitation, including the requirements, schedules, proposal instructions, and evaluation approaches, any perceived safety, occupational health, security (including information technology security), environmental, export control, and/or other programmatic risk issues associated with performance of the work.

It is anticipated that this competitive procurement will result in a Cost-Plus-Award-Fee (CPAF) hardware contract that will consist of parts and materials for an Engineering Development Model (EDM)-if proposed and agreed to by the Government and four flight models. The period of performance includes efforts required to design, analyze, fabricate, integrate, test, evaluate, verify, store and support launch activities. The delivery schedule and/or period of performance of this contract is based upon a spacecraft launch date of April 2032 for Delivery Item 3, FM-1; October 2034 for Delivery Item 4, FM-2; May 2039 for Delivery Item 5, FM-3 (Option 1); and November 2042 for Delivery Item 6, FM-4 (Option 2).

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 336414 and the small business size standard is 1250.

Section H.13, Special Task Support Requirements of the DRFP specifies that the Government may order special study tasks under the resultant hardware contract for risk reduction and mitigation activities. The clause includes a plug number of $25,000,000 that each offeror can use for planning purposes.

Potential offerors should ensure its company is listed in the online database(s) for the following:

1. System for award management: https://www.sam.gov/SAM/
2. U.S. Department of Labor Veterans’ Employment and Training Service, VETS-4212 Reports: https://vets4212.dol.gov/vets4212/
3. Date Universal Numbering System (and the transition to the US Government’s unique entity identifier (UEI)): https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/organization/federal- acquisition-service/office-of-systems-management/integrated-award-environment- iae/iae-information-kit/unique-entity-identifier-update

The successful offeror must pass an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) clearance before contract award (See FAR 22.805).

The current planned release date for the Final Request for Proposal (RFP) is on or about August 15, 2023, with proposals being due approximately 30 calendar days after RFP release.

The anticipated contract award date and effective date is mid- late March 2024. The contract will be performed offsite at the Contractor’s facilities, and onsite at GSFC.

The following additional information is provided to assist in understanding this acquisition:

1. Proposals for this solicitation are required to be submitted through NASA’s Enterprise File Sharing and Sync Box (EFSS Box), a FedRAMP Moderate certified platform. Potential offerors, especially those that have not previously submitted a proposal utilizing NASA’s EFSS Box, are encouraged to review the solicitation instruction entitled “Electronic Proposal Delivery - Proposal Marking and Delivery Through NASA’s EFSS Box” which provides instructions related to the submission of proposal via EFSS Box. Offerors are encouraged to check with their corporate IT staff to determine if there were firewall restrictions that would need to be addressed prior to the submission of proposal files through NASA’s EFSS Box.

In order to control and protect sensitive data owned by the Government and its Contractors, NASA policy requires all acquisition-related documents be released in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF).

Documents related to this acquisition, including this letter, the solicitation, attachments, exhibits, any amendments, and links to online reference/technical/bidders’ library will be attainable electronically from the World Wide Web through the Government-wide point of entry website at www.SAM.gov. Potential Offerors are requested to periodically monitor the websites for updates.

NASA FAR Supplement (NFS) clause 1852.215-84, OMBUDSMAN, is applicable. The Ombudsman for this acquisition is Raymond “Ray” Rubilotta, Associate Director, raymond.j.rubilotta@nasa.gov, 301-286-5867.

This DRFP is not a solicitation and NASA is not requesting proposals. This DRFP does not commit NASA GSFC to pay any proposal preparation costs, nor does it obligate NASA GSFC to procure or contract for this requirement. This request is not an authorization to proceed and does not authorize payment for any charges incurred by the offeror for performing any of the work called for in this solicitation.

Any comments regarding the DRFP should be submitted electronically in writing, to Darlene Harkins, Contracting Officer at darlene.harkins@nasa.gov no later than August 3, 2023. If a respondent believes their comments contain confidential, proprietary, competition sensitive, or business information, those questions/comments shall be marked appropriately. However, questions that are marked as containing confidential, proprietary, competition sensitive or business information will not be provided a Government response. The Government will consider all comments received in preparation of the Final RFP. To the extent a comment leads the Government to revise the acquisition approach or requirements, the change will be reflected in the Final RFP. Some DRFP questions and comments may receive a posted response to the GPE if the Contracting Officer determines that a response would facilitate additional understanding of the solicitation. The Government may also respond via the GPE to comments and/or questions received following the issuance of the Final Request for Proposal (RFP).

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) plans to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) Program. This new procurement is for the implementation phase of the GeoXO Ocean Color (OCX) instrument.

The Ocean Color (OCX) is a hyperspectral, UV through infrared, passive imaging radiometer used to measure environmental data as part of a 3-axis stabilized, geostationary weather satellite system. Ocean color observations from geostationary orbit will provide critical data for ecological forecasters, marine resource managers, fisheries, health departments, water treatment managers, and the commerce, recreation and tourism industries. OCX will provide daily observations of ocean biology, chemistry, and ecology to assess ocean productivity, ecosystem change, coast and inland water quality, and hazards like harmful algal blooms. The instrument will track and assist in the response to climate-driven ocean and coastal ecosystem changes. Geostationary ocean color observations are also critical to maintaining U.S. leadership in science-based fisheries management, improving yield and reducing bycatch. High spatial and temporal resolution OCX observations will be an improvement over those offered by contemporary low-earth orbiting ocean color sensors. From its position in geostationary orbit, OCX will view ocean and coastal conditions in real time and greatly improve the chance of cloud-free observations of areas of interest.

This procurement will be conducted as a full and open competition. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code and Size Standard are 336414 and 1250 employees, respectively.

It is anticipated that this competitive procurement will result in a Cost-Plus-Award-Fee (CPAF) hardware contract that will consist of parts and materials for an Engineering Development Model (EDM)-if proposed and agreed to by the Government and four flight models. The period of performance includes efforts required to design, analyze, fabricate, integrate, test, evaluate, verify, store and support launch activities.   The base contract is based on the launch schedule of April 2032 for FM1 and October 2034 for FM2.  Option 1, FM3, is based on the FM3 launch schedule of April 2039, while Option 2 is based on the FM4 launch schedule of October 2042.  The base contract period of performance extends to June 2050, and the total period of performance upon exercising all the options extends to November 2057. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 336414 and the small business size standard is 1250.

The Government does not intend to acquire a commercial item using FAR Part 12.

This synopsis shall serve as the pre-solicitation notice for the Draft RFP as well as the Final RFP.

The anticipated release of the Draft RFP is about late June 2023, and the anticipated release of the Final RFP is mid August 2023. Once the Draft RFP is issued, industry will be requested to submit questions in writing by the date specified in the Draft RFP. The Government will not accept proposals in response to the Draft RFP. When the Final RFP is issued, all responsible sources may submit an offer which shall be considered by the agency.

The Government anticipates issuing a modification to this synopsis when the Draft RFP and RFP becomes available.

NASA Clause 1852.215-84, Ombudsman, is applicable. The Center Ombudsman for this acquisition can be found at https://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/procurement/regs/Procurement-Ombuds-Comp-Advocate-Listing.pdf

If a solicitation is released, then it and any additional documents will be available on www.Sam.gov. 

Prospective offerors shall notify this office of their intent to submit an offer. It is the offeror's responsibility to monitor this website for the release of the solicitation and amendments (if any). Potential offerors will be responsible for downloading their own copy of the solicitation and amendments (if any).

All contractual and technical questions must be submitted electronically via email to darlene.harkins@nasa.gov no later than 15 days from posting date. Telephone questions will not be accepted.