The Naval Research Laboratory plans to issue a solicitation by Oct. 1 for a multi-year research and development contract reserved exclusively for small businesses to support its Space Science Division, according to a presolicitation notice posted on the federal system for contracts.
Scope and structure of the planned award
The lab described the contract vehicle as a cost-plus-fixed-fee, level-of-effort arrangement that would include a one-year base period and four individual option years. Over the life of the contract the Navy estimates about 199,500 labor hours will be required, covering a range of labor categories including identified key personnel.
Work under the contract will support research and development tied to the atmospheres of both the Sun and Earth. The Space Science Division's portfolio includes study of solar activity and its impacts on the ionosphere, upper atmosphere and middle atmosphere, as well as the development of instruments deployed on satellites, rockets and balloons.
- The planned contract is reserved for small businesses.
- Selection will use a best-value tradeoff source selection process rather than a strictly lowest-price approach.
- Interested firms must be registered in SAM.gov to be eligible for award and are encouraged to register as interested parties before the formal solicitation posts.
Key procurement timelines and conditions
The agency's presolicitation notice establishes several procedural points potential bidders should note:
- The formal solicitation had not been released as of the presolicitation posting, and the Navy reserves the right to cancel the acquisition before it is issued.
- Questions and comments on the notice are due by Aug. 25, creating a narrow window for vendors to seek clarifications ahead of the solicitation.
- Because the government does not consider the work to be a commercial requirement, traditional commercial item acquisition procedures will not apply.
| Contract element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Cost-plus-fixed-fee, level-of-effort |
| Duration | 1-year base + 4 option years |
| Estimated labor | 199,500 labor hours |
| Set-aside | Small business exclusive |
The focus on the ionosphere and related atmospheric layers reflects growing attention within defense and civil research communities to how solar phenomena influence satellite operations, navigation, communications and other systems that depend on predictable space-environment conditions.
By reserving the award for small businesses, the Naval Research Laboratory is signaling an intent to channel federal R&D work toward smaller contractors that may provide specialized expertise in instrument development and atmospheric science. The solicitation's procurement approach — a cost-plus-fixed-fee structure with a best-value tradeoff evaluation — is commonly used when technical uncertainty makes defining firm-fixed-price performance difficult and when technical merit is a primary evaluation factor.
Firms interested in the opportunity must ensure their registrations are current in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) to be eligible for an award and to receive formal solicitation materials once posted. The presolicitation notice also advises vendors they can register as interested parties ahead of the formal posting to receive updates.
With questions and comments due by Aug. 25 and a planned solicitation release by Oct. 1, small businesses aiming to compete should use the remaining window to align capabilities, identify key personnel, and prepare for a best-value technical proposal process. The Navy's reservation of the right to cancel before formal solicitation means prospective offerors should monitor SAM.gov closely for any changes.
