Global critical minerals project scoping services
Closed Solicitation Posted
- Solicitation number
- 1131PL26R0057
- Responses due
- Set-aside
- No set-aside
Opportunity facts
- NAICS code
- 541690 Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services
- PSC
- R499 Support- Professional: Other
- Place of performance
- Arlington, Virginia 22209, United States
Notice details come from SAM.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The United States Trade and Development Agency seeks definional mission scoping services for critical minerals projects, with proposals due September 8, 2026, at 1:00 PM ET. The procurement is unrestricted under NAICS code 541690, Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services, and will result in one award to the offeror representing best value to the Government.
Place of performance is Arlington, VA, with travel required across Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe and Eurasia, Africa and the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific regions. The contractor shall deliver 30 Concept Note Consultations, 15 Initial Assessments, up to 25 Project Reports with corresponding Terms of Reference and budgets, up to 6 Critical Minerals Sector Deep Dives, and one Final Report over a 24-month performance period. The estimated contract value is $19 million.
Award is limited to U.S. firms or U.S. individuals. Contractor and U.S. subcontractor employees must be either U.S. citizens or non-U.S. citizens lawfully admitted for permanent residence. Contractor use of subcontractors is limited to less than fifty percent of the proposed price. All work must align with USTDA's funding criteria emphasizing implementation financing likelihood, equal procurement access for U.S. companies, substantial U.S. export potential, host country development priorities, and addressing U.S. companies' market entry challenges.
The contractor must demonstrate technical expertise in mining and critical mineral supply chains, with multiple team members possessing 7–10 years of experience in metallurgy, mining, geotechnical engineering, mine design, tailings management, and mineral processing. Technical proposals are limited to 10 pages; pricing proposals use Standard Form 1449. Evaluation weighs non-price factors—technical approach, technical expertise, and past performance—significantly more important than cost. Offerors must be registered in SAM with active status and provide a UEI number.
Notice text
3 versions
Update #3 · Latest ·
AMENDMENT 0002 - TO SOLICITATION NUMBER 1131PL26R0057 - FOR QUESTIONS AND REPONSES - SEE ATTACHMENTS - ALL ELSE REMAIN UNCHANGED.
AMENDMENT 00001 (A00001) TO SOLICITATION NUMBER 1131PL26R0057 (PLEASE SEE ATTACHMENT)
Addendum to add additional Clauses to Section C: Contract Clauses / a. Clause Incorporated by Reference.
Addendum to add Provisions to Section E / Section E.7. Other Provisions /E.7.1. Provisions Incorporated by
Reference.
ALL ELSE REMAIN UNCHANGED.
SOLICITATION NUMBER: 1131PL26R0057
ISSUANCE DATE: AUGUST 11, 2026
CLOSING DATE: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2026, 1:00 PM, Arlington, VA Time
This Request for Proposal was prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 12.6 and procedures in Subpart 15.3 as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only RFP being issued.
This solicitation is being issued IAW FAR Part 12. The Government will issue one award resulting from this solicitation to the offeror who is deemed responsible and is determined, based on the evaluation factors and sub factors, to represent the best value to the Government.
This procurement is UNRESTRICTED under NAICS Code 541690, Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services. Award is limited to U.S. Firms or U.S. individuals. Contractor and U.S. subcontractor employees used shall be either U.S. citizens or non-U.S. citizens lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States. Contractor use of subcontractors is limited to less than fifty percent of the proposed price.
THE FOLLOWING ITEMS REPRESENT THE "PROPOSAL PACKAGE" THAT SHOULD BE RETURNED IN RESPONSE TO THIS SOLICITATION (Addendum to FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors – Commercial Items (SEP 2023)).
According to FAR 52-204-7 (b) (1) An Offeror is required to be registered in SAM when submitting an offer or quotation and shall continue to be registered until time of award, during performance, and through final payment of any contract, basic agreement, basic ordering agreement, or blanket purchasing agreement resulting from this solicitation. All Offerors must be registered and have an active status in the SAM database (www.SAM.gov) in order to be eligible for contract award. Offerors are reminded that failure to properly enroll in the SAM database and provide accurate information shall make an offeror ineligible for award as described in FAR 52.204-7.
Should you have any questions, please send them to this office not later than 1:00 p.m., Eastern Time (ET) Tuesday, 18th August 2026. Send your questions by email to contractproposals@ustda.gov and tjohnson@ustda.gov . Questions submitted by alternate email addresses will NOT be accepted. No phone calls will be accepted.
Any contract awarded to a Contractor who at the time of award was suspended, debarred, and ineligible for receipt of contract with Government Agencies or is in receipt of a notice of proposed debarment from any Government Agency, is voidable at the option of the Government.
Enclosed are the following sections, which contain all information necessary to respond to this RFP:
1. Section B – SF 1449,
2. Section C – Contract Clauses,
3. Section D – Performance Work Statement, Exhibits and Attachment, and
4. Section E – Instructions to Offerors.
Update #2 ·
AMENDMENT 00001 (A00001) TO SOLICITATION NUMBER 1131PL26R0057 (PLEASE SEE ATTACHMENT)
Addendum to add additional Clauses to Section C: Contract Clauses / a. Clause Incorporated by Reference.
Addendum to add Provisions to Section E / Section E.7. Other Provisions /E.7.1. Provisions Incorporated by
Reference.
ALL ELSE REMAIN UNCHANGED.
SOLICITATION NUMBER: 1131PL26R0057
ISSUANCE DATE: AUGUST 11, 2026
CLOSING DATE: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2026, 1:00 PM, Arlington, VA Time
This Request for Proposal was prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 12.6 and procedures in Subpart 15.3 as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only RFP being issued.
This solicitation is being issued IAW FAR Part 12. The Government will issue one award resulting from this solicitation to the offeror who is deemed responsible and is determined, based on the evaluation factors and sub factors, to represent the best value to the Government.
This procurement is UNRESTRICTED under NAICS Code 541690, Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services. Award is limited to U.S. Firms or U.S. individuals. Contractor and U.S. subcontractor employees used shall be either U.S. citizens or non-U.S. citizens lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States. Contractor use of subcontractors is limited to less than fifty percent of the proposed price.
THE FOLLOWING ITEMS REPRESENT THE "PROPOSAL PACKAGE" THAT SHOULD BE RETURNED IN RESPONSE TO THIS SOLICITATION (Addendum to FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors – Commercial Items (SEP 2023)).
According to FAR 52-204-7 (b) (1) An Offeror is required to be registered in SAM when submitting an offer or quotation and shall continue to be registered until time of award, during performance, and through final payment of any contract, basic agreement, basic ordering agreement, or blanket purchasing agreement resulting from this solicitation. All Offerors must be registered and have an active status in the SAM database (www.SAM.gov) in order to be eligible for contract award. Offerors are reminded that failure to properly enroll in the SAM database and provide accurate information shall make an offeror ineligible for award as described in FAR 52.204-7.
Should you have any questions, please send them to this office not later than 1:00 p.m., Eastern Time (ET) Tuesday, 18th August 2026. Send your questions by email to contractproposals@ustda.gov and tjohnson@ustda.gov . Questions submitted by alternate email addresses will NOT be accepted. No phone calls will be accepted.
Any contract awarded to a Contractor who at the time of award was suspended, debarred, and ineligible for receipt of contract with Government Agencies or is in receipt of a notice of proposed debarment from any Government Agency, is voidable at the option of the Government.
Enclosed are the following sections, which contain all information necessary to respond to this RFP:
1. Section B – SF 1449,
2. Section C – Contract Clauses,
3. Section D – Performance Work Statement, Exhibits and Attachment, and
4. Section E – Instructions to Offerors.
Update #1 ·
SOLICITATION NUMBER: 1131PL26R0057
ISSUANCE DATE: AUGUST 11, 2026
CLOSING DATE: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2026, 1:00 PM, Arlington, VA Time
This Request for Proposal was prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 12.6 and procedures in Subpart 15.3 as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only RFP being issued.
This solicitation is being issued IAW FAR Part 12. The Government will issue one award resulting from this solicitation to the offeror who is deemed responsible and is determined, based on the evaluation factors and sub factors, to represent the best value to the Government.
This procurement is UNRESTRICTED under NAICS Code 541690, Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services. Award is limited to U.S. Firms or U.S. individuals. Contractor and U.S. subcontractor employees used shall be either U.S. citizens or non-U.S. citizens lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States. Contractor use of subcontractors is limited to less than fifty percent of the proposed price.
THE FOLLOWING ITEMS REPRESENT THE "PROPOSAL PACKAGE" THAT SHOULD BE RETURNED IN RESPONSE TO THIS SOLICITATION (Addendum to FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors – Commercial Items (SEP 2023)).
According to FAR 52-204-7 (b) (1) An Offeror is required to be registered in SAM when submitting an offer or quotation and shall continue to be registered until time of award, during performance, and through final payment of any contract, basic agreement, basic ordering agreement, or blanket purchasing agreement resulting from this solicitation. All Offerors must be registered and have an active status in the SAM database (www.SAM.gov) in order to be eligible for contract award. Offerors are reminded that failure to properly enroll in the SAM database and provide accurate information shall make an offeror ineligible for award as described in FAR 52.204-7.
Should you have any questions, please send them to this office not later than 1:00 p.m., Eastern Time (ET) Tuesday, 18th August 2026. Send your questions by email to contractproposals@ustda.gov and tjohnson@ustda.gov . Questions submitted by alternate email addresses will NOT be accepted. No phone calls will be accepted.
Any contract awarded to a Contractor who at the time of award was suspended, debarred, and ineligible for receipt of contract with Government Agencies or is in receipt of a notice of proposed debarment from any Government Agency, is voidable at the option of the Government.
Enclosed are the following sections, which contain all information necessary to respond to this RFP:
1. Section B – SF 1449,
2. Section C – Contract Clauses,
3. Section D – Performance Work Statement, Exhibits and Attachment, and
4. Section E – Instructions to Offerors.
Files
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