FY 26 USAFA Herbarium Digitization Project

SOURCES SOUGHT:

THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR QUOTATION; THIS NOTICE IS FOR INFORMATION AND PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY.

This notice does not constitute a commitment by the Government. All information submitted in response to this announcement is voluntary and the Government will not pay for information requested nor will it compensate any respondent for any cost incurred in developing the information provided to the Government.  

The Sources Sought number is FY26_USAFA_Herbarium_Digitization_Project and shall be used to reference any written responses to this sources sought.  

The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) anticipates a requirement that is being considered under a small business set-aside program. The North American Industry Classification Systems (NAICS) Code proposed is 518210. The size standard for NAICS is $40M.

This requirement is for digitization service for USAFA Department of Biology Herbarium. Digitizing the herbarium specimens makes irreplaceable plant collections globally accessible, preserves fragile physical specimens by reducing handling, and enables large-scale data analysis for biodiversity research, conservation, and education, allowing scientists and the public to virtually access our plant specimens to answer a number of scientific questions. 

The government intends to solicit a firm-fixed price contract.

Delivery is FOB Destination to USAF Academy, CO 88040.

SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS/REQUIREMENT SPECIFICATIONS:  

At a minimum, the contractor performing the requirement must meet the following specifications:

1. General & Scope:

   
   

   • Provide a complete, end-to-end digitization solution for approximately 1,800-2,400 herbarium specimens housed in approximately 600 folders.

   • Create high-quality, research-ready digital surrogates paired with structured, searchable metadata to enhance discovery and accessibility.

2. Collection Handling & Preparation:

   
   

   • Implement a barcoding system to digitally track the collection at a minimum of two levels: individual specimen and the folder housing the specimen.

   • Ensure the collection is returned in the exact same condition and arrangement as it was received.

   • Employ trained technicians who will wear gloves at all times, maintain clean workstations, and are knowledgeable in handling fragile archival materials.

3. Digitization Equipment & Image Quality:

   
   

   • Utilize photographic-based imaging systems (e.g., tabletop setups with digital cameras). The use of sheet-fed scanners is prohibited.

   • Employ equipment capable of achieving, and calibrated to meet or exceed, Federal Agencies Digitization Guidelines Initiative (FADGI) 4-star image quality metrics.

   • Validate equipment calibration daily using standard color and resolution targets (e.g., X-Rite Digital SG ColorChecker, ISA Device Level Target).

   • The imaging system must support custom metadata tagging during the digitization process to note characteristics such as condition concerns or to denote folder separations.

4. Digitization Process & Workflow:

   
   

   • Digitize each specimen one at a time to ensure proper handling and image quality.

   • Achieve a minimum reflective resolution of 600 PPI.

   • Provide a team of digitization technicians with demonstrated experience in photography and archival handling.

5. Metadata & Data Transcription:

   
   

   • Provide complete transcription of specimen labels.

   • The resulting data output must be structured and compatible with a future online collection portal.

6. Facility & Security:

   
   

   • Maintain a dedicated, secure digitization studio for the duration of the project.

   • Provide a climate-controlled working and storage environment maintained at approximately 70°F and 50% relative humidity.

   • Possess a general liability insurance policy that covers any risk to the collection while in the vendor's care.

   • Guarantee the security of project data through a recognized information security certification, such as ISO/IEC 27001.

7. Quality Control:

   
   

   • Implement and maintain a Quality Control (QC) plan that includes both automated and manual checks of all digital images.

   • The QC process must check for image quality, cropping accuracy, file naming conventions, and other potential errors, with a clear process for flagging and recapturing insufficient files.

8. Deliverables & File Formats:

   
   

   • Deliver digital files via a secure method, such as a Secure FTP (SFTP) connection, on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.

   • Provide archival files in TIFF format (16-bit uncompressed or 8-bit with LZW compression) with an Adobe RGB 1998 color profile.

   • Provide access and derivative files as needed, such as PDFs and JPEGs.

   • The images created by the vendor will belong to the U.S. Air Force Academy.

In response to this sources sought provide the following capabilities package: 

• Company Name 

• POC/Name and contact information 

• SAM.gov: UEID/CAGE Code and expiration date 

• Socio-economic status 

• Any related specifications/capabilities in providing the requirement and whether your company can provide both the swimsuits and compression shorts

Please note: All contractors doing business with the Federal Government must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database. The website for registration is www.sam.gov. 

Responses may be submitted electronically to the following e-mail addresses: marissa.morris.4@us.af.mil and melinda.lingley@us.af.mil. Telephone responses will not be accepted. 

If more information is needed for this requirement’s salient characteristics, questions are welcome and are to be sent to the above email prior to the closing date. 

RESPONSES ARE DUE NO LATER THAN 25 JUNE 2026 10:00am MST. 

Future information about this acquisition, including the issuance of a quotation and/or applicable amendments, will be issued through sam.gov. Interested parties are responsible for ensuring they have the most up-to-date information regarding this acquisition.