NOAA starts the bidding for $8B services vehicle's 'Weather' domain

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is now ready for industry to start working on and turning in proposals for the lone not-yet awarded block of its major professional services recompete for small businesses.

For this domain of ProTech 2.0 called Weather, the agency is acquiring scientific support services that aid in the collection of weather data and creation of models. Awardees for this track will vie for work with NOAA’s National Weather Service.

Phase one bids for the Weather domain are due to NOAA by 2 p.m. Eastern time on Oct. 18, the agency said in a Tuesday notice to unveil the final solicitation.

All three other domains of NOAA’s potential $8 billion ProTech 2.0 vehicle are awarded and open for task order activity. Each of the four domains has a five-year base period and five-year option.

For the Weather domain, NOAA is using a two-phase advisory downselect process to choose no more than 25 companies from. After phase one, no more than 30 bidders will be told they are likely to win a seat on the contract.

Awardees will compete for work in areas such as scientific services, program and project management, and engineering services for systems and facilities.

Those who are told they are not viable competitors are free to take their chances in phase two even if NOAA tells them the odds of an award are low.

Phase two bids will be due between three and four weeks after NOAA sends the advisory notices and instructions for how to proceed. The second phase will have a written submission and oral presentation, as opposed to the first that is solely written.