Cooperative Observer Program (COOP) Network Modernization & Management Paradigm Analysis

Request for Information / Sources Sought Notice

This document is a Request for Information (RFI) / Sources Sought Notice issued by the Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Weather Service (NWS). The NWS is conducting market research to determine the capabilities, commerciality, and competitive landscape for the modernization, technology refresh, and operational support of the Cooperative Observer Program (COOP) network. The goal is to assess three distinct management paradigms: Government-Owned, Government-Operated (GO-GO); Government-Owned, Contractor-Operated (GO-CO); and Contractor-Owned, Contractor-Operated (CO-CO) or "Data-as-a-Service" (DaaS).

The NWS is seeking information on:

• Hardware Solutions: Commercially available All-in-One (AIO) weather stations and optional snow sensors capable of meeting NWS operational requirements, including specific meteorological parameters, communication options, and compliance with NWS/WMO standards. Information on lifecycle, reliability, supply chain scalability, and pricing is also requested.

• Installation and Operations & Maintenance (O&M) (GO-CO Paradigm): Capabilities for turnkey field services, including installation, preventive maintenance, diagnostic and emergency repair, and communication services across distributed sites. Information on service costing, performance, and risk is required.

• "Data-as-a-Service" (DaaS) Solutions (CO-CO Paradigm): Capabilities to deliver subscription-based surface meteorological data streams, including mesonet infrastructure, parameters, open-data standards, and pricing structures for quality-controlled climatological datasets.

• Contract Structuring, Risk, & Acquisition Planning: Recommendations on contract line items, performance metrics, contract types, transition risk mitigation, and required Government-Furnished Information (GFI).

• Response Deadline: July 13, 2026, at 5:00 PM EST.

• Submission Format: Searchable PDF or Microsoft Word format.

• Page Limit: Capability statements should not exceed twenty-five pages (excluding technical product datasheets/spec sheets).

• Delivery Method: Email to Jennifer.Roesner@noaa.gov and Melissa.Ross@noaa.gov with the subject line: "Sources Sought Response: NWS COOP Modernization - [Your Company Name]".

The NWS is specifically targeting qualified Small Business concerns, including 8(a), HUBZone, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses, and Women-Owned Small Businesses. Responses will influence small business set-aside determinations.

This is a Sources Sought Notice only and not a request for proposals, bids, or quotes. No contract will be awarded directly from this notice. The Government will not pay for any information submitted. This notice is for informational and market research planning purposes only.

Other / Unclassified

This document is the National Weather Service Instruction (NWSI) 10-1302, "Requirements and Standards for NWS Climate Observations," dated November 9, 2023. It supersedes the April 20, 2018 version.

This instruction details the requirements and standards for NWS meteorological climate observations, covering instrument siting, exposure, performance, and output data for air temperature, precipitation, soil temperature, and evaporation rate. It references standards from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and outlines procedures for testing and evaluating observational systems.

Key areas covered include:

• Air Temperature Measurement Standards: Specifies requirements for general and hardened instruments, siting, testing, time constant, and data requirements.
• Precipitation Measurement Requirements: Details standards for manually observed precipitation (rain gauges) and automatically measured precipitation (recording rain gauges), including data requirements and snow measurement standards.
• Soil Temperature Measurement Standards: Outlines requirements for instrument siting, performance, and data collection for soil temperature.
• Pan Evaporation Measurement Standards: Covers siting standards, observation requirements, and associated measurements for pan evaporation.
• Water Temperature and Air Movement Standards: Specifies performance standards for water temperature and 24-hour air movement measurements.

This document is relevant to potential bidders involved in providing or maintaining meteorological observation equipment and systems for the National Weather Service. It outlines the specific technical requirements, performance standards, accuracy levels, and siting criteria that such equipment must meet. Bidders should consult this document to understand the precise specifications for instruments used in climate observations, ensuring their offerings comply with NWS standards for data quality and consistency.