Notice of intent to issue a sole source award contract for housing requirements and market analysis (HRMA) modernization support

THIS IS A NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD A SOLE-SOURCE CONTRACT AND IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS. The United States Department of War (DoW), Washington Headquarters Services, Acquisition Directorate (WHS/AD) intends to award a contract on a sole source basis to the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) (CAGE: 6S4815), located at 2121 K St. NW, Suite 800 Washington D.C., 20073, for Housing Requirements and Market Analysis (HRMA) Modernization Support. Award is expected in the second quarter of Fiscal Year 2026. The period of performance is estimated to be for a nine-month period.

Housing Requirements and Market Analyses (HRMAs) are critical tools used by the DoW to assess housing supply and demand to inform housing decision-making. However, the current HRMA process faces significant challenges, as highlighted in GAO report GAO-25-106208, including inconsistencies in methodology, inadequate documentation, and incomplete assessments of housing inventories. This sole source award includes all work necessary to develop an enterprise Digital Twin to modernize the HRMA process. This includes a Proof of Concept (PoC) and Minimum Viable Product (MVP). This effort shall initially focus on Hawai'i's unique housing ecosystem and expand to other U.S.-based housing markets before scaling to the DoW enterprise. 

Justification for Sole-Source Award: The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is 10 U.S.C. 3204(a)(1), as implemented by Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1 - Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) is the only source that can meet this requirement without causing unacceptable delays and substantial duplication of costs that are not expected to be recovered through competition.

This action is a continuation of a multi-phased effort for which NIBS has already completed the foundational work in Phases 0 and 1a under Task Order FA800325F0026. The work products developed during these initial phases are interdependent with and essential for the subsequent design, development, and scaling activities. Selecting another vendor at this stage would require the Government to duplicate approximately $1.2 million in costs and would incur a minimum schedule delay of six months, undermining the urgent need to correct systemic flaws in the HRMA process.

Requests for copies of a solicitation in response to this notice will not be honored or acknowledged. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed action based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether conducting a competitive procurement is in the best interest of the Government. The Government reserves the right to cancel the sole source award.  

Interested parties may identify their interest and capability by responding to this notice via email to warren.g.arthur.civ@mail.mil and mark.v.smith28.civ@mail.mil, with a file size less than 5MB, Subject Line: Response to NOI: HRMA Modernization, no later than 3:00 P.M. EST, March 11, 2026.  All information submitted should support the offerors capability to provide the services required and shall be furnished at no cost or obligation to the Government. Telephone calls will not be honored.

The primary North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 541690 and the size standard $19 million.