Hq, Space and Missile Systems Center, SMC/PK, 155 Discoverer Blvd, Suite 1516, Los Angeles AFB, CA 90245-4692

A -- NATIONAL POLAR-ORBITING OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL SATELLITE SYSTEM (NPOESS) SENSOR PAYLOAD AND ALGORITHIM DEVELOPMENT SOL F04701-96-R-0012 DUE 042597 POC Contracting Officer: William S. Trombetta, (310) 336-4460. Technical Information: LTC Raymond M. Leong, (310) 336-4414 The Government is seeking potential offerors to perform selected sensor payload and algorithm development effort in support of the tri-agency National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS). The program's objective is to develop a single, cost-effective space system capable of providing weather and environmental data for U.S. civil, military and international objectives. The Government's acquisition approach is to award multiple contracts from a single RFP based on full and open competition for sensor/algorithm development. The Government intends to award one or more contracts for each sensor or sensor suite. The five sensor payloads are the Visible/Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), Conical Microwave Imager Sounder (CMIS), Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS), Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) and GPS Occultation Sensor (GPSOS). The Government intends to down-select to a single contract for each sensor or sensor suite at the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) milestone. This down-selection process will require a Call for Improvements (CFI) proposal prior to evaluation and selection for continued NPOESS development and production options. Awards for the first phase of the effort will be on a Firm-Fixed-Price basis. The anticipated award date is 29 July 1997. While the Government intends to downselect at PDR, the Government reserves the right not to down-select and to either extend the parallel development effort to a future downselection milestone (i.e., CDR) or to proceed with a full and open competition if this approach is determined to be in the Government's best interests. Potential foreign sources will not be excluded from participation. Performance of these contracts will, however, require access, handling and storage of information at the Secret level. The Government intends to release a Request for Proposal (RFP) on or about 19 March, 1997. This RFP will be released via the SMC home page on the World Wide Web (http://www.laafb.af.mil/SMC/PK/NPOESS/rfp.htm). Note that the URL is case sensitive and must be entered as shown. The past performance volume of the proposals are required three weeks after RFP release, on 11 April 1997. The technical, management and cost volumes of proposals are due 25 April, 1997 by 1700 EST. All information should be submitted to the attention of the Contracting Officer, William S. Trombetta, NPOESS IPO, E/IP -- Centre Bldg., Suite 1450, 8455 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring MD 20910. An Ombudsman has been appointed to hear concerns from offerors or potential offerors during the proposal development phase of this acquisition. The purpose of the Ombudsman is not to diminish the authority of the Program Manager or the Contracting Officer, but to communicate offeror concerns, issues, disagreements and recommendation to the appropriate government personnel. When requested, the Ombudsman will maintain strict confidentiality as to the source of the concern. The Ombudsman does not participate in the evaluation of proposals or in the source selection process. The Ombudsman, Mr. Les Bordelon, can be reached at (310) 363-3818. All future announcements and updates for this program will be made available on the SMC Home Page. See Note No. 26.***** (0062)

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