NATIONAL CENTERS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION (NCEI) REGIONAL CLIMATE CENTERS (RCCS)

Regional Climate Center (RCC)

1.0 Purpose

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service’s (NESDIS) National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) is issuing this Sources Sought Notice for Regional Climate Center (RCC) contracts. This notice is for informational and planning purposes only and does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. The Government will not award a contract based on this notice.

This requirement is assigned North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 541990, All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services with a size standard of $19.5 Million.

This notice is intended to determine the market’s capability to provide the services described in the attached Statement of Work (SOW). Responses to this notice will be used to make appropriate acquisition decisions.

2.0 Background

The National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) is the official source for historical and near-real time atmospheric, space weather, climate, coasts, oceanographic, and geophysical environmental data and information. NCEI supports its users through a three-tiered program for environmental services, which includes a Regional Climate Services (RCS) program.

Since 1990, the RCS program has traditionally supported RCCs at public universities within six geographic regions. RCCs produce and deliver environmental data, products, information, and services to serve as a bridge between NCEI and regional user communities. The new RCC contracts will maintain and evolve this program.

3.0 Project Scope

The successful contractor will provide RCC capability to one of the six defined geographic regions of the United States. To be considered, the contractor must have a physical location within the region they propose to serve and must serve all states, territories, and U.S.-affiliated islands within that region.

The RCCs will provide products and services in four broad areas:

• Regional engagement and user needs identification: Engaging with various public and private sector constituencies to understand their climate-related issues and needs.
• Needs prioritization and product and tool provision: Adapting or developing, testing, and sustaining tools, products, and services that meet user requirements.
• Transitioning appropriate tools, products, and services to sustained NCEI operational states: Planning and executing transition projects to develop new or upgraded NCEI operational capabilities.
• Services: Sustaining activities that support the provision of products and services, as well as other NCEI regional and national needs.

The RCC must ensure that their software tool development is platform-independent and well-documented for maximum portability. All work performed under the contract, including source code, will be owned by the Government.

4.0 Response Instructions

Interested parties that believe they can meet the requirements outlined in the SOW should submit a capabilities statement. Do not submit pricing information in response to this Sources Sought. The statement should not exceed 6 pages and address the following:

• Company Information: Name, address, website, point of contact (name, phone number, email), CAGE Code, and Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).
• Business Size and Status: Small business status (e.g. small, 8(a), service-disabled veteran-owned, etc.).
• Technical and Programmatic Capability: Please provide details on your organization's capability to perform the work described in the SOW, specifically addressing the following:
  • Regional Engagement: Engage with diverse regional stakeholders to identify climate-related issues and needs. This includes identifying, understanding, and translating those needs into requirements for data products and services.
  • Product and Tool Development: Develop, test, and sustain tools and data products from satellite and other environmental data sources. Explain your process for ensuring these products meet user requirements and your approach to providing these products and services on a sustained basis.
  • Transition to Operations: Plan and execute transition projects that result in new or upgraded operational software and systems. Describe your methodology for ensuring portability and providing comprehensive documentation for the Government.
  • Data Services: Provide ongoing services that support regional and national climate information needs. This includes your ability to respond to inquiries, collaborate with stakeholder and partners, and avoid duplication of effort.
• Personnel Qualifications: Describe your capability to secure and retain qualified personnel, including a program director with the required educational and experience background.
• Location: Confirm your ability to secure a physical location within one of the six RCC geographic regions defined in the SOW and identify which region(s) you propose to serve. The contractor providing a RCC capability to a region shall be physically located within the region and must serve all states, territories, and U.S.-affiliated islands in the region.  A RCC with unique capabilities may work with other RCCs to meet user needs beyond its immediate region.

Please note: Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking their responses as proprietary, competition sensitive information, or any other type of marking. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this Sources Sought. NOAA will not pay for information received in response to this Sources Sought or compensate any company in any way for responding to this Sources Sought.

The information in this notice is current as of the publication date but is subject to change and is not binding to the Government.

Submission Deadline: 1:00 P.M. Eastern Time on September 24, 2025

Submission Method: Responses should be sent via email to Recarlo.Applewhite@noaa.gov and Audrey.Hogg@noaa.gov with the subject line "SSN-NCEI-RCC-2025".