US Space Economy Study

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, acting through its Office of Space Commerce, seeks a study to identify and justify a defined metric set for recurring federal assessment of the U.S. commercial space ecosystem, with Phase I quotations due October 16, 2026 at 9:00 AM ET. This is a total small business set-aside under NAICS 541720 with a $28.0 million size standard.

Place of performance is Washington, DC. The contract employs a firm fixed-price structure with a base performance period not to exceed 180 calendar days from award. The Statement of Work requires five sequential research tasks: compiling existing metrics from private-sector, non-governmental, and government sources with documented search methodology; analyzing gaps in existing metrics; developing candidate metrics addressing identified gaps with specific definitions and proposed data sources; evaluating all metrics against measurability, reliability, and trend-insight criteria using a consistent methodology and structured evaluation matrix; and delivering a final public-release report with a comprehensive recommended metric set organized into a Final Recommended Metric Register with operational specifications for recurring federal use. Four Base Assessment Areas are mandatory: Economic Activity and Business Growth; Capital and Investment; Market Access and Competitiveness; and Workforce and Human Capital. Three Optional Assessment Areas may be performed if exercised: Supply Chain and Industrial Capacity; Innovation and Commercialization; and Ecosystem Resilience. An optional modification allows extension of optional areas for an additional 180 calendar days. Structured matrices and public-release reports are due at 20, 40, 60, 80, and 130 business days; the contractor must segregate proprietary or sensitive information in a separate non-public annex and maintain Section 508 accessibility compliance. The Government retains unlimited rights to all deliverables under FAR clause 52.227-14. Phase I requires a cover page, Volume 1 (Domain Knowledge, two pages), and Volume 2 (Key Personnel, two pages exclusive of resumes and commitment letters). Phase II, for selected quoters, requires Volume 3 (Technical Approach), Volume 4 (Past Performance References), and Volume 5 (Pricing with detailed labor category breakdown). Evaluation uses confidence ratings across factors with Domain Knowledge and Key Personnel equally weighted as most important, followed by Technical Approach, then Past Performance; all non-price factors combined are significantly more important than price. Quotations must include a Data Management Plan and remain valid for a minimum of 30 days from receipt.