The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA), Acquisition and Grants Office (AGO), Eastern Acquisition Division (EAD), is seeking information from potential sources for the National Weather Service (NWS), National Data Buoy Center (NDBC), in support of market research to determine if there are interested sources that are capable of meeting the specified below requirements. For planning purposes, contract award is projected 4QFY2023 with deliverables into FY2028.

The NDBC oversees the Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunami (DART) network, which consists of an array of thirty-nine (39) stations positioned strategically in areas with a history of and/or capability to generate destructive tsunamis.  These DART network systems were originally developed by NOAA as part of the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program (NTHMP), in an effort to maintain and improve the capability for the early detection and real-time reporting of tsunamis in the open ocean.

The current network of DART systems have aged beyond lifecycle design expectations. System components are obsolete and no longer maintainable through refurbishment and repair. Through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), NOAA intends to incorporate modern commercially available systems utilizing the most recent DART technology across the DART network.  This capital investment in modern DART technology will improve data reliability and ensure future sustainability of the network free from existing lifecycle expectations and system obsolescence.

Please see attached "Sources Sought" notice for full details.