Department of Commerce, Mountain Administrative Support Center, Procurement Division, MC3, 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80303-3328

A -- DEVELOP SPACE WEATHER MODELS AND DISSEMINATION SYSTEM DUE 120496 POC See Text The Space Environment Center (SEC) of the US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Environmental Research Laboratories and National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), is seeking a highly qualified Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) partner(s) to participate in the development of space weather models and a dissemination system that will provide vendors the output on which to base value-added products. SEC is the national center for civilian space weather services and serves a large number of users world-wide. To improve services and forecasts while at the same time fostering a space weather services industry, SEC is looking to implement a model of the magnetosphere as a routine operational product and to disseminate widely its output. The implementation involves preparing the data for the model, writing the software to run the model and to support displays, default conditions, model validation and error handling, and developing the system to distribute the model output and data. To achieve the efficient and timely commercial exploitation of this model output, SEC proposes to negotiate a CRADA with a private sector firm or firms. The cooperating firms should be willing to locate staff in Boulder, CO or provide funds to support additional SEC efforts or otherwise establish procedures to ensure close cooperation with SEC in Boulder. It is anticipated that the respondent selected to participate in the RADA will actively assist in the development of the software, provide operational support for the finished product for the first 12 months of operation, and will develop value-added products to sell to its own customers based on the model output from SEC. To accomplish this in a timely manner, the chosen firm is expected to devote at lease 4 programmers or appropriate development staff and provide sufficient, capable hardware for development and operational functions. SEC will provide office space for the partner's staff to co-locate in Boulder, devote sufficient staff to develop the design of the system, advise on the model output and displays, oversee all the software development, and provide scientific expertise to assure quality model output. Selection of the CRADA partner or partner(s) is planned for December 15, 1996, and will be made by a panel of Boulder-based scientists, engineers and managers. Execution of an agreement (the CRADA) by the parties is planned for the end of January 1997. Selection criteria will include the experience and capability of the applicant, proposed level and length of commitment to marketing, marketing strategy, product support, ability to locate staff in Boulder for an extended period of time and overall benefit to SEC (perhaps including cash payments, contributions in kind, and royalties, if appropriate). Proposals should provide sufficient information to address the considerations above. This information should also include resumes of key individuals and a detailed statement of how the party proposes to meet all of the obligations. Contact Barbara Poppe (303)497-3992,bpoppe@sec.noaa.gov) on technical issues or Kathy Conlon (303)497-3313,kconlon@sec.noaa.gov) on administrative issues. Written responses are to be submitted to Kathy Conlon, DOC, NOAA, SEC, R/E/SE, 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80303, no later than 3 P.M. MST, December 4, 1996. (0312)

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