Operations, Research, and Broad Innovative Technology Services (ORBIT) Request for Information (RFI) and Sources Sought Notice (SSN)

THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. NO PROPOSALS ARE TO BE SUBMITTED IN RESPONSE TO THIS NOTICE.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) Flight Operations Directorate (FOD) is hereby solicitating information from potential sources for the Operations, Research, and Broad Innovative Technology Services (ORBIT) solicitation. NASA JSC is issuing this RFI/SSN as a means of conducting market research to identify parties having an interest in, and the resources to support this requirement. The result of this market research will contribute to determining the type and method of procurement. A draft Statement of Work (dSOW) is in the attachment section for information and planning purposes and to allow industry the opportunity to verify reasonableness and feasibility of the requirement, as well as promote competition.

NASA JSC is seeking capability statements from all interested parties, including all socioeconomic categories of Small Businesses (SB) and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)/Minority Institutions (MI) for the purposes of determining the appropriate level of competition and/or small business subcontracting goals for ORBIT. Vendors are encouraged to demonstrate capabilities as a prime, subcontractor and/or teaming partner. The Government reserves the right to consider a Small Business, Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB), HUBZone, Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB), Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, and Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) business set-aside based on responses received.  

Respondents are requested to provide informed input on realistic and appropriate SB subcontracting and/or participation goals for the specific requirement. This type of feedback supports NASA’s market research and helps ensure the acquisition strategy is aligned with actual industry capability. Industry feedback is requested for:
1.  SB Subcontracting goals;
2.  Barriers that may limit SB participation, such as certifications, unique technical requirements, security needs, specialized tools, or high-risk performance areas and/or
3.  Strategies to increase SB participation, including:
• Breaking requirements into smaller components
• Identifying areas appropriate for subcontracting
• Considering teaming or mentor protégé approaches

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 541512, Computer Systems Design Services, and the corresponding small business size standard is $34 million, calculated in accordance with 13 CFR 121.104.

ORBIT Description:
The proposed ORBIT contract will provide mission engineering, spaceflight-enabling, mission support, and advanced technology services to NASA's Flight Operations Directorate (FOD) at Johnson Space Center (JSC) and its mission partners. It is anticipated that the ORBIT will be a multiple-award Indefinite-Delivery/Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) contract vehicle with Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) task orders. 

This acquisition will establish a follow-on contract vehicle to succeed the Mission Enabling Support Contract MESC-IDIQ contracts, encompassing the legacy and a subset of those requirements including partial scope of MESC-B, which are scheduled to expire on September 30, 2027. The follow- on contract restructures the acquisition strategy to better align functionally related capability areas as part of a single procurement , reduces the contract administration burden on the Government, improves small business participation and competition at the task order level, and provides a more efficient and flexible contracting mechanism for the delivery of the following Functional Area Requirements identified in the dSOW:
•    Functional Area 1 - Mission and Systems Engineering Support
•    Functional Area 2 - Technical Evaluation, Analysis, and Independent Assessment
•    Functional Area 3 Specialized IT and Operations
•    Functional Area 4 - Advanced Mission R&D

No solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on SAM.gov. Interested firms are responsible for monitoring this website for the release of any solicitation or synopsis.

Interested firms having the required capabilities necessary to meet the above requirement described herein should submit a capability statement of no more than 10 pages indicating the ability to perform all aspects of the effort.

Capability Statement:
Interested firms having the required capabilities necessary to meet the above requirement should indicate the ability to perform all aspects of the effort, and include the following information:
1.    Technical - Describe your company's overall skills, experience, and capabilities to perform the work of the ORBIT dSOW. Please identify specific dSOW sections where your company could provide the stated capability by way of Attachment 1 - Vendor Capability Matrix at the end of this announcement. If subcontracting or if a joint venture is anticipated, organizations should address the anticipated administrative and management structure of such arrangements (if this information is known at this time). Also address what elements of work would be performed by the prime or joint venture partners and which elements would be performed by subcontractors.
2.    General –
a.    What additional documents would you like to see on the ORBIT contract website or included in the Technical Library?

b.    What barriers or obstacles do you foresee to potentially bidding on this contract? Can you identify any Government acquisition approaches that would increase the competitiveness of this procurement?
What innovations might you propose in the performance of this contract or contract structure? 

c.    What innovations might you propose in the performance of this contract or contract structure?
3. Company-Specific Information - Responses must include the following:
a.    Company’s name, address, and a point of contact (name, e-mail address, and address)
b.    Unique Entity Identifier number and Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code
c.    Number of years in business 
d.    Size of business
i. Average annual revenue for past three years
ii. Number of employees
iii. Whether the firm is a Large, SB, Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB),   
HUBZone, WOSB, Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB), SDVOSB, 
HBCU/MI, and/or 8a
e.    Ownership, affiliate information (as applicable) including parent company and joint venture partners
f.    If you plan to propose as a prime or as a subcontractor;
g.    A list of contracts covering the past three years with emphasis on work performed for the United States Federal Government. Please provide contract numbers, if your firm was a prime or subcontractor, contract type, dollar value of each procurement, and customer point of contact (address, phone, and email). If work was performed as a subcontractor, please indicate percentage of work/subcontract dollar value. If the contract(s) were IDIQ, please indicate the number of task orders awarded and the total dollar value of those task orders.
h.    Company’s specific capabilities that are relevant to the requirements contemplated above.  It is not sufficient to provide general brochures or generic information. 

This RFI/SSN is for information and planning purposes only and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government, nor will the Government pay for the information submitted in response. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. Respondents deemed fully qualified will be considered in any resultant solicitation for the requirement.

All responses must be submitted electronically via email to the Contracting Officer at contact@example.gov no later than 5:00 PM CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME on October 05, 2026. Please reference “ORBIT Sources Sought” in the subject line of any response.

NASA Clause 1852.215-84, Ombudsman, is applicable. The Center Ombudsman for this acquisition can be found at : https://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/procurement/regs/Procurement-Ombuds-Comp-Advocate-Listing.pdf

If a solicitation is released, then it and any additional documents will be available on Sam.gov. It is the offeror's responsibility to monitor this website for the release of the solicitation and amendments (if any). Potential offerors will be responsible for downloading their own copy of the solicitation and amendments, if any.

NASA intends to publicize a listing of respondents to facilitate teaming arrangements. Should your firm desire not to be included in this listing, clearly indicate this desire in your response.