Intent to Sole Source: Enhancing the Integration of Drought Impacts and Risk Communication into Regional and National Drought Early Warning

This is a notice of intent to award a sole-source contract to the University of Colorado Boulder, and is not a request for competitive proposals. The Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Acquisition and Grants Office (AGO), Western Acquisition Division (WAD), and Climate Program Office (CPO) has a requirement for Enhancing the Integration of Drought Impacts and Risk Communication into Regional and National Drought Early Warning. The contractor shall provide the necessary labor and resources to accomplish the following tasks: organize and implement a Workshop on Drought Risk Communication, conduct an assessment of drought impacts, and provide guidance and content to improve National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) communications on drought risk for the U.S. Drought Portal and the regional DEWS networks

WAD intends to issue a sole source, Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) type contract. The period of performance is 19 September 2025 through 18 September 2027 which consists of a single base period (no options). The award will be made using other than full and open competition procedures. Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements in accordance with FAR 13.501(a). This acquisition is conducted under the authority of FAR 13.501(a), sole source acquisitions for commercial items conducted using Simplified Acquisition Procedures (SAP). Per FAR 13.501(a), acquisitions under SAP are exempt from the requirements of FAR Part 6; however, the rationale for this action is consistent with the exception described in FAR 6.302-3(a)(2)(ii), to establish or maintain an essential engineering, research, or development capability to be provided by an educational or other nonprofit institution or a federally funded research and development center. The Government requires highly specialized services in the field of drought which are uniquely available from the University of Colorado Boulder. Its National Hazards Center (NHC) is the National Science Foundation’s designated information clearinghouse for the societal dimensions of hazards and disasters, focused on reducing disaster harm through building connections, translating and sharing information, advancing social science and interdisciplinary knowledge, and training and mentoring. Drought is an extremely complicated hazard that impacts, and is impacted by, other natural hazards such as heat, wildfire, and floods. The University of Colorado Boulder’s NHC has deep knowledge and extensive breadth of subject matter and interdisciplinary expertise in not only drought but multiple hazards, impacts, and social science and physical science expertise as well as mastery in convening complicated dialogues to address complex issues on hazard risk and communication. Having perspectives from hazards beyond drought are valuable because it allows them to bring in successful practices and apply these practices to drought, which is considered one of the most challenging hazards to understand and communicate. Having this broad range of expertise across hazards is also valuable because of the complicated nature of drought as a hazard, and its ability to communicate and understand drought risk in the context of other compounding and cascading hazards such as wildfire and heat and flooding.

This notice is not a request for competitive quotes or proposals and no solicitation will be issued. However, firms that believe they can provide the items as described that fully meet the Government's requirements may submit substantiating documentation in writing to the identified point(s) of contact within 7 days after publication of this notice. Such documentation will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct this procurement on a competitive basis. A determination by the Government not to conduct a competitive procurement, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government.