SOLICITATION NOTICE
D -- Radar Mosaic Weather Data Services
- Notice Date
- 1/5/2007
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- Contracting Office
- 55 Broadway; Cambridge, MA 02142
- ZIP Code
- 02142
- Solicitation Number
- DTRT57-07-R-20013
- Response Due
- 1/19/2007
- Archive Date
- 4/19/2007
- Description
- This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format prescribed in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 12.6, as supplemented by additional information included in this notice. Solicitation number DTRT57-07-R-20013 is issued as a Request for Proposal (RFP). This solicitation is conducted in accordance with FAR Part 12, Acquisition of Commercial Items, and FAR Part 13.5, Test Program for Certain Commercial Items. This solicitation incorporates provisions and clauses in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-15. The NAICS code is 518210 and the small business size standard is 500 employees. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; a proposal is being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. The proposed action is for services for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source. The authority permitting contracting without providing for full and open competition is Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1, Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center) intends to award a firm fixed price contract to Weather Services International (WSI) Corporation of Andover, Massachusetts on a non-competitive basis to acquire radar mosaic weather data services and the necessary distribution licenses to support the production of weather information for the Federal Aviation Administration?s (FAA) Enhanced Traffic Management System (ETMS). The proposed contract shall commence on February 1, 2007 for a period of performance of up to 4 years and 10 months, consisting of a 10-month base period with 4, 1-year option periods. The Volpe Center requires real-time weather data for the processing, display, and distribution of weather data to designated users via ETMS, as supported by the Volpe Center?s Traffic Flow Management Division. ETMS is an operational FAA system by which the FAA monitors and controls real-time air traffic. A major component of ETMS is its weather overlay and background processing functions that require access to operational weather data. The Contractor shall provide a continuous transmission of the real-time weather data required by ETMS to a central receiving site and a backup receiving site for processing and/or redistribution. Real-time data refers to an immediate report of the weather data allowing only for minor processing and communication delays. The Government shall reserve the right to process the data via ETMS for incorporation into products for Government use and distribution only. It may also be necessary to archive the data within ETMS, and store the data for a limited time at receiving sites to satisfy requirements for accident investigations and product development. The ETMS central receiving site shall be the Volpe Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, or another facility designated by the Volpe Center. The backup receiving site (also known as the ETMS Disaster Recovery Hubsite) shall be the FAA?s William J. Hughes Technical Center (WJHTC) at the Atlantic City International Airport in New Jersey. The Contractor must possess an operational weather data capacity that will meet the weather data delivery requirements identified herein. The Contractor shall also provide the necessary licenses for direct or indirect data distribution, as designated by the Volpe Center. The technical specifications for this procurement are described as follows: The Contractor shall furnish the necessary personnel, material, equipment, services and facilities to provide transmission, maintenance, and operational support of subscribed weather data required by ETMS from the Contractor?s facility to the Volpe Center Hubsite and to the WJHTC backup receiving site. The subscribed real-time U.S. data includes Mosaic Radar Weather Data (Express NOWRAD), San Juan Radar Mosaics, METAR and TAF Text Data (Express METAR/TAF), Echo Tops (Express Echo Tops), Gridded Data (Express HRS Grid Data), NLDN Lightning Detection Data (Express GDS Lightning), and other miscellaneous data including volcano messages. Canadian weather data including Canadian Radar Mosaic (Express Canadian Radar) and Canadian Lightning Data (CLDN Detection) is also required. The following are the minimum requirements for each data type: EXPRESS NOWRAD: 1) the data shall be a minimum of 2 km spatial resolution from all available National Weather Service (NWS) radar sites; 2) the data shall contain 16 levels of radar reflectivity intensity; 3) the data must be on the national scale in a cylindrical equidistant coordinate system; 4) the data shall be quality-controlled prior to delivery to ETMS. A high-resolution (NOWRAD PLUS) product shall be available every 5 minutes with automated quality control. A medium-resolution product (NOWRAD) shall be available every 15 minutes with manual quality control; 5) the ground clutter and Anomalous Propagation (AP) shall be suppressed to remove false echoes; 6) the data shall be provided continuously, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week; 7) the data service shall be completely automated and must not require human intervention for delivery. An operations and customer service department shall be available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week for problem resolution; and 8) the Contractor shall have access to a nationwide radar access network, including all operational NWS network radar sites, available warning radar sites, and available NEXRAD radar sites. EXPRESS METAR/TAF: 1) METAR data shall be available for the continental U.S., Hawaii, Alaska, Canada, Mexico and other related areas; 2) METAR data should conform to the Federal Meteorological Handbook Number 1 Surface Aviation Observations (FCM-H1-1994 Washington, D.C. August 1994); 3) TAF data shall be available for the continental U.S., Hawaii, Alaska, Canada, Mexico and other related areas; and 4) TAF data shall conform to the NWS Operations Manual, Part D, Chapter 21 Aviation Terminal Forecasts issued 7-11-94. EXPRESS ECHO TOPS): 1) the data shall be on the national scale; 2) the data shall contain the highest detected echoes above a given location; and 3) the data shall be of 4 m spatial resolution and shall be updated every 10 minutes. EXPRESS HRS GRID DATA: Gridded data is used to create the winds aloft and jet stream graphic products that are available on the ETMS data stream. ETMS employs the NWS operational model data including Rapid Update Cycle (RUC) 40 km, 80 km RUC, Eta, HR 1-degree AVN, and Medium Range Forecast (MRF). The RUC models are on the national scale and mainly cover the continental U.S. This model data allows the ETMS grid to cover the northern hemisphere. EXPRESS GDS LIGHTNING: 1) the data shall be on the national scale; 2) the data shall contain cloud to ground strike data; 3) the data record shall contain the following fields of data: time; latitude; longitude; polarity; and amplitude; 4) the data shall be in near real-time, allowing only for processing and distribution time delays; 5) the data shall cover the contiguous U.S. and adjoining coastal areas; 6) the flash location data shall be accurate to within 10 km or less over the contiguous U.S. and adjoining coastal areas; and 7) the data shall be transmitted continuously, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. EXPRESS CANADIAN RADAR: 1) the data shall be of 2 km spatial resolution and 15-minute temporal resolution; 2) the data shall be of at least 8 km spatial resolution; and 3) the data must be on the national scale. CLDN DETECTION: 1) the data must be on the national scale; 2) the data shall contain cloud to ground strike data; 3) the data record shall contain the following fields of data: time; latitude; longitude; polarity; and amplitude; 4) the data shall be in near real-time, allowing only for processing and distribution time delays; 5) the data shall cover the contiguous U.S. and adjoining coastal areas; and 6) the data shall be transmitted continuously, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. OPTIONAL SERVICES. The Contractor shall also provide optional weather data services including the option for Premium NOWRAD as a replacement for Express NOWRAD, the Collaborative Convective Forecast Product (CCFP), and the National Convective Weather Forecast (NCWF) product. These optional services are described as follows: PREMIUM NOWRAD. The Contractor shall provide the option for Premium NOWRAD as a replacement for Express NOWRAD. Premium NOWRAD is created every 5 minutes using the latest NEXRAD data within the last 15 to 20 minutes. The product is created using the same non-precipitation echoes removal algorithm applied to Express NOWRAD. The 15-minute Express NOWRAD manual quality control edits are applied to the 5-minute Premium NOWRAD without delaying the release of the product. Three weather type contours are applied to the product: rain, snow, and mixed. CCFP. The Contractor shall provide the option for a subscription to the CCFP when this product becomes available. The CCFP is a collaborative product created by the NWS) Aviation Weather Center (AWC) with inputs from meteorologists representing the FAA, the airlines, and the NWS. The minimum requirements for the CCFP are as follows: 1) the data shall be on the national scale; 2) the data shall be available in 2-hour intervals. During Daylight Savings Time, the data shall be available at odd hours (GMT); otherwise, the data shall be available at even hours (GMT); 3) the data shall be provided during the months that it is generated by the AWC (March through September); 4) the data shall be provided in separate messages for 2, 4, and 6-hour forecasts; 5) the data shall be provided in text format as described in the document, Collaborative Convective Forecast Product - Product Description Document. This document is in PDF format and can be viewed at http://aviationweather.gov/products/ccfp/docs/pdd-ccfp.pdf; and 6) the data shall be transmitted continuously, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. NCWF. NCWF is a 1-hour forecast product created by the NWS AWC. The Contractor shall provide the NCWF at 5-minute intervals. The minimum requirements for the NCWF are as follows: 1) the data shall be on the national scale; 2) the data shall be in near real time, allowing for processing and distribution time delays; 3) the data shall cover the contiguous U.S. and adjoining coastal areas; 4) the data shall be transmitted continuously, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week; and 5) the data shall be provided as created by the AWC in BUFR format. EQUIPMENT AND OPERATIONAL SUPPORT. The Contractor shall provide the necessary equipment and operational support services to support the transmission of the weather data from the Contractor?s facility to the ETMS receiving sites. The prevailing primary means of transmitting weather data is by satellite communication. The Contractor shall transmit the data to the ETMS receiving sites via reliable, redundant, robust, independent and non-internet communication links, including the option for transmission using Internet Protocol over the Internet. Weather data shall be transmitted to both the Volpe Center Hubsite and the WJHTC backup site using both land-based and satellite communication technologies. T-1 LANDLINES. One of the communication links must be a land-based communication line of at least a T1 circuit. The Contractor shall provide the end-to-end connection from the Contractor?s facility to both of the ETMS processing facilities via compatible routers. WJHTC LEASED SATELLITE RECEIVER. The WJHTC shall be set up as an alternate site to receive weather data. The Contractor shall provide a satellite receiver to receive weather data, in addition to the T-1 landline connection described above. WJHTC ENGINEERING AND SUPPORT. The Contractor shall provide engineering and operational support services for receiving weather data at the WJHTC ETMS Disaster Recovery Hubsite. EQUIPMENT CONFIGURATION AND DATA FORMAT. The Contractor shall make provisions for both weather data transmissions to interface with the ETMS firewall as the point of demarcation. The weather data transmissions shall be supported by an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) and backup generator power at the Contractor?s facility. The Contractor shall also make provisions for UPS and generator power supports for the router at the ETMS receiving sites, if requested. The land-based transmissions and the High Capacity Satellite Network (HCSN) backup transmissions shall be completely independent of each other. The data transmissions to both ETMS receiving sites shall also be completely independent of each other. Data provided by the Contractor shall be compatible with existing ETMS receiving satellite dishes, receivers, routers and data ingest software. The receiving equipment must interface with the ETMS Aviation Weather Network (AWN). In either case, the ingested data must be compatible with existing ETMS AWN product generation software. The Contractor shall provide the weather data in a digital stream for direct input into the ETMS AWN for processing and display. Radar weather data must be in a format compatible with the existing ETMS display program that was written to process run length encoding format. DATA DISTRIBUTION LICENSES. The Contractor shall provide distribution licenses for all of the required weather data except for lightning data. This shall include distribution licenses for radar weather data for all ETMS sites, as designated by the Volpe Center. Activation of additional ETMS sites by the Volpe Center as recipients of weather data at any time during the life of the contract shall be allowable. The total number of sites that can receive radar data at any time is limited to the number of sites identified in the contract line items that provide for data distribution, but cannot be less than 10. An ETMS remote site that requires a license agreement with the Contractor to receive the Contractor?s weather data is defined as: 1) Any commercial ETMS user/remote site with a direct weather data feed from the primary ETMS Hubsite; 2) Any non-DOT/FAA ETMS user/remote site with a direct ETMS weather feed from the primary ETMS Hubsite; or 3) Any DOT/FAA ETMS user/remote site with a direct feed from the primary ETMS Hubsite that is more than 2 miles from the primary ETMS Hubsite. Distribution licenses for the following weather data types are required to provide for the redistribution of this data from the operational ETMS to additional ETMS sites: 1) Distribution licenses for Express/Premium NOWRAD, Express METAR/TAF, Express Echo Tops, and Express HRS Grid Data (including 1-degree AVN Model data and 40 km RUC Model data) to a maximum of 200 ETMS remote sites; 2) Distribution license for Express Canadian Radar to a maximum of 10 CCSD commercial users; and 3) Distribution license for Express Canadian Radar to a maximum of 20 NAV Canada ETMS sites. ETMS also requires licenses for the following optional redistributions of this data: 1) Option to increase the redistribution of Express/Premium NOWRAD, Express METAR/TAF, Express Echo Tops, and Express HRS Grid Data from a maximum of 200 ETMS remote sites to an unlimited number of ETMS remote sites; 2) Option for the redistribution of Express/Premium NOWRAD, Express METAR/TAF, Express Echo Tops, and Express HRS Grid Data to a maximum of 200 WSD sites; 3) Option to increase the redistribution of Express/Premium NOWRAD, Express METAR/TAF, Express Echo Tops, and Express HRS Grid Data from a maximum of 200 WSD sites to an unlimited number of WSD sites; and 4) Option for the redistribution of Express Canadian Radar to an unlimited number of non-Canadian ETMS sites. ETMS requires licenses for the redistribution of the CCFP and the NCWF with Express or Premium NOWRAD (if these optional services are exercised), as follows: 1) Option for the redistribution of CCFP and NCWF to a maximum of 200 ETMS remote sites; 2) Option to increase the redistribution of CCFP and NCWF from a maximum of 200 ETMS remote sites to an unlimited number of ETMS remote sites; 3) Optional redistribution of CCFP and NCWF to a maximum of 200 WSD sites; and 4) Option to increase the redistribution of CCFP and NCWF from a maximum of 200 WSD sites to an unlimited number of WSD sites. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS. All subscribed data must be available at the receiving sites 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Availability means that the data available to the Contractor is transmitted to the receiving site within the update interval 99.99% of the time. A failure of communication links or major system failure resulting in no data being received at the receiving site is referred to as a system outage. System outages shall occur for no more than a total of 96 hours on an annual basis. Of this time, no more than 24 cumulative hours of outage (scheduled or unscheduled) shall occur during any 30-day period. Credits to the Volpe Center against monthly recurring charges shall be granted as follows for each period of system outage of 96 hours, logged from the beginning of the contract period, or system outage that exceeds the 24 cumulative hours per previous 30-day allowance. Periods of system outage shall be figured to the nearest 1-hour increment. The Contractor shall notify the COTR and the CO of any significant changes in the system. This notification shall include scheduled maintenance or communication outages as well as major sensor upgrades. Planned maintenance or communication outages shall be announced at least 2 days in advance. Major upgrades or changes, including data formats or data protocols require a minimum of 90 days notice. Unplanned changes shall be announced as soon as they become apparent to the Contractor. The Offeror?s written proposal shall include firm fixed pricing for the following contract line items (CLINs): 0001 BASE PERIOD: 0001AA Transmission, maintenance and operational support of Express NOWRAD, Express METAR/TAF, Express ECHO TOPS, AND Express HRS GRID DATA (Not Separately Priced (NSP)). 0001AAA: Contractor?s facility to the Volpe Center $_________; 0001AAB: Contractor?s facility to the WJHTC $_________; 0001AB EXPRESS GDS LIGHTNING (NSP). 0001ABA: Contractor?s facility to the Volpe Center $_________; 0001ABB: Contractor?s facility to the WJHTC $_________; 0001AC EXPRESS CANADIAN RADAR (NSP). 0001ACA: Contractor?s facility to the Volpe Center $_________; 0001ACB: Contractor?s facility to the WJHTC $_________; 0001AD CANADIAN LIGHTNING (NSP). 0001ADA: Contractor?s facility to the Volpe Center $_________; 0001ADB: Contractor?s facility to the WJHTC $_________; 0001AE EQUIPMENT (NSP). 0001AEA: T-1 landline (Contractor?s facility to the Volpe Center) $_________; 0001AEB: T-1 landline (Contractor?s facility to the WJHTC) $_________; 0001AEC: WJHTC leased satellite receiver $_________; 0001AF DATA DISTRIBUTION LICENSES (NSP). 0001AFA: License for the redistribution of CLIN 0001AA with Express or Premium NOWRAD to a maximum of 200 ETMS remote sites $_________; 0001AFB: License for the redistribution of CLIN 0001AC to a maximum of 10 commercial CCSD users $_________; 0001AFC: License for the redistribution of CLIN 0001AC to a maximum of 20 NAV Canada ETMS sites $_________; 0001AG OPTIONAL DATA DISTRIBUTION LICENSES (NSP): 0001AGA: Option to increase the redistribution of CLIN 0001AA with Express or Premium NOWRAD from a maximum of 200 ETMS remote sites to an unlimited number of ETMS remote sites $_________; 0001AGB: Option for the redistribution of CLIN 0001AA with Express or Premium NOWRAD to a maximum of 200 WSD sites $_________; 0001AGC: Option to increase the redistribution of CLIN 0001AA with Express or Premium NOWRAD from a maximum of 200 WSD sites to an unlimited number of WSD sites $_________; 0001AGD: Option for the redistribution of CLIN 0001AC to an unlimited number of non-Canadian ETMS sites $_________;; 0001AH: Optional upgrade to Premium NOWRAD $_________; 0001AI: Optional subscription to Collaborative Convective Forecast Product $_________; 0001AJ: Optional subscription to National Convective Weather Forecast (NCWF) $_________; 0001AK: Optional redistribution of CLINs 0001AI and 0001AJ with Express/Premium NOWRAD to a maximum of 200 ETMS remote sites (if optional CLINs 0001AI and 0001AJ are exercised) $_________; 0001AL: Optional redistribution of CLINs 0001AI and 0001AJ with Express/Premium NOWRAD to an unlimited number of ETMS remote sites (if optional CLINs 0001AI and 0001AJ are exercised) $_________; 0001AM: Optional redistribution of CLINs 0001AI and 0001AJ with Express/Premium NOWRAD to a maximum of 200 WSD sites (if optional CLINs 0001AI and 0001AJ are exercised) $_________; 0001AN: Optional redistribution of CLINs 0001AI and 0001AJ with Express/Premium NOWRAD to an unlimited number of WSD sites (if optional CLINs 0001AI and 0001AJ are exercised) $_________; For option years 1-4, the proposal shall include pricing for the same services as required in CLINs 0001-0001AN above (the written proposal must include detailed pricing by CLIN). 0002 OPTION YEAR 1 $_______; 0003 OPTION YEAR 2 $_______; 0004 OPTION YEAR 3 $_______; 0005 OPTION YEAR 4 $_______; GRAND TOTAL (CLINs 0001-0005AN) $_______. The proposal shall include the price per month (by CLIN) for each year, the total price per year (by CLIN), and total firm fixed price for years 1-5. Solicitation provision FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors ? Commercial Items (SEP 2006) is hereby incorporated by reference. The proposal must include a copy of the standard commercial warranty in accordance with FAR Clause 52.212-1(b)(5), Terms of any Express Warranty. The proposal must include a copy of the provision at FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications ? Commercial Items (NOV 2006), completed in accordance with the instructions contained in the provision. FAR Clause 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions ? Commercial Items (SEP 2005) is incorporated by reference. FAR Clause 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders ? Commercial Items (Nov 2006) is incorporated by reference; additional clauses cited in this clause that apply to this acquisition are 1, 9, 14, 16, 17, 30, and 31. FAR Clauses 52.217-8, Option to Extend Services (NOV 1999), and FAR 52.217-9, Option to Extend the term of the Contract (MAR 2000) are also incorporated by reference. The full text of the FAR provisions and clauses identified in this notice may be accessed electronically at http://www.acqnet.gov/far. The offer is due to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, Attn: Alison Shedd, RTV-6D2, 55 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02142 no later than 2:00 pm EST on January 19, 2007. Interested firms must submit in writing clear and convincing evidence of their qualifications and/or capabilities to perform the services identified herein. The Government will not pay for any information received. The following notice is provided for informational purposes for Minority, Women-owned, and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs). The Department of Transportation (DOT) Short-Term Lending Program (STLP) offers working capital financing in the form of lines of credit to finance accounts receivable for transportation-related contracts. Maximum line of credit is $750,000.00 with interest at the prime rate, as published daily in the Wall Street Journal, plus 1.75 percent. For further information, call (800) 532-1169, or access the following URL: http://osdbuweb.dot.gov/. Any document(s) related to this procurement will be available on the Internet; these documents will be available on a WWW server that can be accessed using a web browser. Telephone requests will not be honored. For information concerning this acquisition, contact the contracting official identified as the point of contact for this notice.
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