Aviation Data Analysis Support

THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY. This is not a solicitation or a request for proposal and no contract will be awarded from this notice. No solicitation or specifications are available at this time. Please monitor www.Beta.SAM.gov, this sources sought notice will not be linked to the solicitation. The Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center) is conducting market research to determine if any Small Business sources have the current relevant qualifications, experience, personnel, and capability to perform the work described herein under a program entitled - Aircraft Performance Assessment Subject Matter Expert. The primary NAICS code for this sources sought notice is 541330, Engineering Consulting Services. The ability to quantify and mitigate aviation environmental effects such as aircraft noise and emissions is crucial to the success of aviation as a mode of transportation. Volpe Center has provided technical expertise and support to the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Office of Environment and Energy (AEE) for several decades in the area of aircraft noise measurement, analysis and modeling and has initiated similar efforts in the fields of aircraft emissions and ambient air quality modeling. Also, the Volpe Center has supported the FAA in analyzing aviation data to provide a thorough assessment of the environmental effects of aircraft. The Volpe Center is seeking an expert analyst on aircraft performance who is qualified to support UAS data collection and processing. A main goal of the current effort is to advance the available aviation environmental impact tools and expand the corresponding aviation performance and environmental impact databases. The Volpe Center is seeking a subject matter expert (SME) analyst on aircraft performance and aviation data analysis who is qualified to lead the integration of UAS into the NAS and research the development of the environmental impact tools and databases needed to evaluate the effects of this integration. Therefore, the Volpe Center is seeking qualified potential contractors to provide the following aircraft performance assessment subject matter expert support required under this potential work: Task 1: Aviation Modeling Support Task 1A. Aircraft performance modeling support The Volpe Center is supporting FAA's continuing development and enhancement of the Aviation Environmental Design Tool (AEDT). Part of this development will include the expansion of EUROCONTROL's Base of Aircraft Data family 4 (BADA4) to include user defined profiles to enhance AEDT's capabilities of high fidelity aircraft performance modeling. In addition to the fixed-wing performance modeling improvements due to the incorporation of BADA4, FAA is also examining the benefits of moving away from the current mode-based helicopter performance model to a physics-based performance model. The Contractor subject matter expert shall support this aircraft performance modeling task by performing the following sub-tasks: Assist with the development of user-defined aircraft performance profiles using BADA4; Assist with the development of helicopter physics-based performance modeling; and Attend weekly AEDT teleconferences. The deliverable for this task will be Monthly Status Reports and Quarterly Aviation Data Analysis Reports, including summaries of each weekly teleconference. Task 1B. Modeling Sensitivities support The Contractor analyst shall evaluate modifications to the AEDT model by conducting sensitivities studies on changes made to new versions of the model by the developers. The contractor shall also support modeling sensitivity studies conducted by Volpe staff. The sensitivity studies may include fuel consumption, emissions, and noise analyses. The deliverable for this task will be Monthly Status Reports and Quarterly Aviation Data Analysis Reports, specifically discussion of aircraft environmental modeling sensitivity. Task 1C. Noise modeling algorithms support The Contractor analyst shall support aviation noise modeling algorithm development. Changes and improvements to the underlying aircraft performance models will change the resultant noise modeling. Any changes which will affect the noise modeling results must be understood and documented before they are implemented in AEDT. The Contractor analyst shall work with Volpe staff to ensure scientifically accurate noise modeling algorithms which interface with the advanced performance models are implemented in AEDT. The deliverable for this task will be Monthly Status Reports and Quarterly Aviation Data Analysis Reports, specifically discussion of noise modeling algorithm development addressed during that cycle. Task 1D. National Parks modeling support The Volpe Center supports the National Parks Service (NPS) and FAA by providing aviation environmental modeling services to individual Parks and the Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division of the NPS. The Contractor analyst shall support the Volpe Center by providing aviation environmental modeling expertise on National Parks issues, including integrating much of the data gathered through aircraft noise measurements into the AEDT. The deliverable for this task will be Monthly Status Reports and Quarterly Aviation Data Analysis Reports, specifically discussion of modeling performed for NPS issues. Task 2: Aircraft Noise and Performance Data (ANP) Verification and Validation (V&V) support The Volpe Center is supporting FAA's work on expanding and updating the AEDT aircraft noise and performance database. Much of this work is focused on assisting FAA with the review of Aircraft Noise and Performance (ANP) data for specific aircraft submitted for inclusion in AEDT. The Contractor analyst shall support Volpe staff in the analysis and review of ANP data submittals, and assist with the review documentation. The Contractor analyst shall provide support in developing ANP testing and data reports on selected aircraft data submittals conducted by Volpe staff and others. The format of the testing results will be in AEDT SQL backup files (.bak) and MS Excel spreadsheets uploaded to the Volpe Center CDE. Testing results will be included in the Monthly Status Reports and Quarterly Aviation Data Analysis Reports. Task 3: Helicopter Dose Response support The Volpe Center is supporting FAA's work plan for making improvements to various aspects of accounting for helicopter noise dose exposure by communities, including source definitions, effects on communities and modeling of noise due to helicopter operations. The Contractor analyst shall provide expert knowledge in the modeling of helicopter noise, using experience with operations in the NAS to inform the data analysis process. As a part of Task 3 support, the Contractor analyst shall attend up to six (6) meetings within the continental US, each up to two (2) days in duration. The deliverable for this task will be Monthly Status Reports and Quarterly Aviation Data Analysis Reports, specifically summaries of helicopter noise dose topics discussed at weekly meetings with Volpe Center staff and two-day meetings described above. Please respond to the following questions by X August 2020. Failure to address any of these questions will result in your firm not being considered as part of this market research. Can you briefly discuss your approach to providing the support required in Tasks 1, 2, and 3 above? Briefly, identify past experience which demonstrates that your firm is qualified to perform work under the three (3) support tasks identified above. Please include points of contact and telephone numbers. Does your firm qualify to compete under a total small business set-aside under NAICS 541330, Engineering Consulting Services, and if a total small business set-aside is conducted will your firm compete? Is your firm registered in System for Award Management (SAM)? You must be registered in SAM to do business with the government. Please make sure your Reps and Certs are up to date in SAM. https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/ INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS. Please address the three (3) support requirements and how they will be achieved, the 4 questions listed above and your qualifications to perform this work in your response. Your responses should be limited to five (5) pages in total and should be emailed into the Volpe Center. No hard copies will be accepted for this Sources Sought Notification. All inquiries on this Sources Sought Notification should be emailed to David Berger at contact@example.gov. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS. This is for planning purposes only and is a market research tool to determine availability and capability of potential Small Business Sources. This is not a solicitation and in no way obligates the Government to award any contract. Additionally, any response to this sources sought notice is not a request to be added to a prospective bidders list or to receive a copy of any forthcoming solicitation. Please monitor www.Beta.SAM.gov for any modifications, changes and/or solicitation regarding this Sources Sought Notification. The Government will not reimburse responders for the cost of the submittals. Statements of Capability, your response, should be sent David Berger, Contracting Officer and Small Business Specialist by email only to contact@example.gov.