The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are inviting small businesses to submit bids for a potential $8 billion professional services contract focusing on satellite programs. NOAA said in a Sam.gov notice to issue the solicitation that initial bids for the deal dubbed as ProTech 2.0 Satellite Domain are scheduled by January 6.

In 2017, 23 firms were given version 1.0 of that contract, with both unconstrained and small business tracks. This generation of ProTech Satellite Domain deals is reserved exclusively for small businesses. NOAA’s Professional Scientific and Technical Services (ProTech) deals are the agency’s and other Commerce Department agencies’ mandatory-use mechanism for acquiring that support and cultivating an industry base of partners.

Returning to the ProTech 2.0 Satellite Domain, we emphasize the word “initial” because NOAA uses a two-phased application submission and evaluation phase. Phase one will concentrate on administrative and technical experience, with those that pass this stage moving on to phase two, which will demand more information on the skills organizations believe they can provide.

Companies selected to participate in phase 2 will also be required to self-score.

The awardees will next collaborate with NOAA to run the agency’s National Environment Satellite, Data, and Information Service, which connects users to data provided by environmental satellites on climate, weather, and ocean occurrences.

The following are some of NOAA’s specific responsibilities:

• Providing environmental data products. Through the National Weather Service, NOAA provides information about the state of the seas and the atmosphere to its customers and partners, like weather warnings and forecasts. Climate, ecosystems, and commerce are all covered by NOAA’s information services.
• Assisting with environmental stewardship. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is a steward of the United States’ coastal and marine habitats. NOAA supervises the usage of these habitats in collaboration with tribal, federal, state, local, and international agencies, regulating fisheries and marine sanctuaries while also safeguarding threatened and endangered marine species.
• Carrying out Applied Scientific Research. NOAA is designed to provide a reliable source of scientific data in the four areas of national and global relevance mentioned above: ecosystems, climate, weather, and water, and commerce and transportation.

The following are NOAA’s five primary functions:

• Instruments and data gathering networks are used to monitor and observe Earth systems.
• Research and data analysis are used to better understand and describe Earth processes.
• Analyzing and forecasting the evolution of these systems through time.
• Providing important information to the public and partner organizations through engaging, consulting, and informing them.
• Environmental resource stewardship.