SAM #1305M2-COOP

Market Research for COOP Network Modernization: Weather Stations, Sensors, O&M, and Data Services

NOAA's National Weather Service (NWS) is conducting market research for the modernization and management of the Cooperative Observer Program (COOP) Network, targeting small business capabilities. - Government Buyer: - Department of Commerce - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - National Weather Service (NWS) - Scope of Work: - Modernization and technology refresh for approximately 6,700 distributed surface observation sites - Procurement of up to 3,000 All-in-One (AIO) weather station units - Must measure temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, wind speed/direction, liquid precipitation - Communication options: cellular, satellite, GOES, or local radio - Power options: solar, AC, battery backup - Compliance with NWS/WMO standards - Optional automated snow depth/snowfall sensors compatible with AIO stations - Turnkey field installation, operations & maintenance (O&M) services for up to 3,000 sites, including remote and wilderness locations - Subscription-based Data-as-a-Service (DaaS) for climatological-grade meteorological data streams - Data must be quality-controlled, open, non-proprietary, and publicly accessible - Management Paradigms Under Consideration: - Government-Owned, Government-Operated (GO-GO) - Government-Owned, Contractor-Operated (GO-CO) - Contractor-Owned, Contractor-Operated (CO-CO) or Data-as-a-Service (DaaS) - Unique Requirements: - Tiered volume pricing for hardware and services - Compliance with NWS and WMO standards for hardware and data - Focus on data continuity, cost-effectiveness, and accessibility - No specific OEMs, vendors, or part numbers are named; market research only.

Description

In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10 (Market Research), the DOC, NOAA, NWS is conducting market research to determine the capabilities, commerciality, and competitive landscape of the market, specifically targeting qualified Small Business concerns (including 8(a), HUBZone, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses, and Women-Owned Small Businesses).

This market research will assist the NWS in defining its acquisition strategy for the wholesale modernization, technology refresh, and operational support of the Cooperative Observer Program (COOP). The NWS is evaluating the feasibility, cost-effectiveness, and data continuity risks associated with blending three distinct management paradigms across approximately 6,700 highly distributed surface observation sites:

Government-Owned, Government-Operated (GO-GO) [Current State]: Hardware is federally procured and maintained directly by NWS personnel. Government-Owned, Contractor-Operated (GO-CO): Standard hardware is federally procured, but field installation, preventive maintenance, and emergency restorative services are outsourced to a commercial provider. Contractor-Owned, Contractor-Operated (CO-CO) / "Data-as-a-Service" (DaaS): The NWS does not own hardware or manage field logistics; instead, it subscribes to quality-controlled, climatological-grade data streams from commercial or state-level mesonet operators.

This is a Sources Sought Notice only. This is not a request for proposals, bids, or quotes. No contract will be awarded directly from this notice, and the Government will not pay for any information submitted in response.

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