SBES Data Discovery and Interoperability Awards
Overview
Buyer
Place of Performance
NAICS
PSC
Set Aside
Original Source
Timeline
Qualification Details
Fit reasons
- NAICS alignment with historical contract wins in similar service areas.
- Scope strongly matches core technical capabilities and delivery model.
Risks
- Past performance thresholds may require one additional teaming partner.
- Potential clarification needed on staffing minimums before bid/no-bid.
Next steps
Validate eligibility requirements, assign capture owner, and schedule partner outreach to confirm teaming strategy before submission planning.
Quick Summary
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), specifically the Western Acquisition Division (WAD) and Weather Program Office (WPO), has issued a Sources Sought Notice for market research purposes. They are seeking sources capable of providing an existing, data-rich Social, Behavioral, and Economic Science (SBES) framework optimized for data discovery and interoperability studies. This framework will be used to administer competitive subcontracts to academic researchers. Responses are due by June 30, 2026, at 3:00 PM Mountain Time.
Scope of Work
The requirement is for a contractor who already possesses, licenses, or maintains an operational SBES framework and database. The Government will not fund the baseline development or creation of a new framework. The contractor will solicit, review, and administer targeted subcontracts to academic researchers. These subcontractors will undertake concrete interoperability activities, including:
- Metadata alignment
- Open-source tooling development
- Dataset integration proofs-of-concept
- Interoperability readiness assessments
These activities aim to improve the discoverability and usability of SBES datasets for integration with meteorological and hydrological systems, supporting NOAA's Weather Ready Nation (WRN) initiative. The contractor will also be responsible for designing the subcontract solicitation process, developing review criteria, providing technical evaluations, monitoring progress, and synthesizing outputs.
Contract & Timeline
- Type: Sources Sought (Market Research)
- Anticipated Contract Type: Firm-Fixed-Price
- Anticipated Period of Performance: Two (2) years (single base period), starting on or before September 18, 2026.
- NAICS Code: 541720, Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities ($28.0M size standard)
- Set-Aside: None specified (for market research)
- Response Due: June 30, 2026, 3:00 PM Mountain Time
- Published: June 18, 2026
Submission Requirements
Companies interested in responding must provide a capability narrative explicitly addressing:
- Proof of Existing Framework: Technical description, name, or citation of an existing, operational SBES framework and database.
- Administration Capability: Brief summary of experience managing academic research partnerships or subcontracts.
Responses must be submitted via the provided Google Portal Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfIX3VdXwlGoZspmD0o730AYS0B57wYr54XMHR6Qj4DibYfeA/viewform?usp=header.
Additional Notes
This is a Sources Sought Notice for market research only and does not constitute a Request for Proposal or Quotation. The Government will not pay for information provided and is not obligated to award a contract. Respondents must be registered in SAM. Failure to submit sufficient detailed information may influence competition and set-aside decisions. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in responses.