# NOAA Awards EPIC Support Contract to Tomorrow.io

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) awarded a contract on September 17, 2026, to Tomorrow.io to support the Earth Prediction Innovation Center (EPIC). This contract advances NOAA's Unified Forecast System (UFS), a next-generation, cloud-based weather modeling platform aimed at enhancing U.S. weather forecasting capabilities. The partnership focuses on software infrastructure, engineering, and community engagement to develop a fully coupled Earth System Model, leveraging public, private, and academic sector collaboration.

- **Why this matters:** This contract represents a strategic investment in modernizing weather prediction technology, emphasizing cloud-based and AI-driven modeling that will impact future federal weather forecasting procurements.
- Procurement professionals should note the growing role of private sector partnerships in advancing federal weather systems, highlighting opportunities for vendors with expertise in AI, cloud infrastructure, and environmental modeling.
- Contractors can leverage this development to align offerings with NOAA’s evolving requirements for integrated Earth system modeling and community engagement platforms.
- The contract underscores NOAA’s commitment to innovation through collaborative efforts, signaling potential future procurements in advanced weather prediction technologies and data services.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Environment, Information Technology
**Topics:** Cloud Services, Artificial Intelligence
**Published:** September 18, 2026

### Government Entities
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
- National Weather Service (NWS)

### Vendors
- Tomorrow.io (contracting partner)

### Key Quotes
> With EPIC, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to cement U.S. leadership in weather prediction by leveraging the full power of the public, private, and academic sectors.
> — Neil Jacobs, Ph.D., NOAA Administrator

> This partnership with Tomorrow.io is another key step in EPIC’s goal of advancing the UFS toward a fully coupled Earth System Model.
> — Ken Graham, Director, NOAA's National Weather Service

> Our expertise in AI modeling and satellite observations reflects our commitment to NOAA’s mission of protecting lives and property.
> — Thomas Cavett, Vice President, U.S. Federal Business, Tomorrow.io

### Sources
- [NOAA selects Tomorrow.io to help advance U.S. weather forecasting | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration](https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/noaa-selects-tomorrowio-to-help-advance-us-weather-forecasting) - NOAA