scientific research flights in the Northeast Corridor (NEC) region to conduct the NEC air Quality and Greenhouse Gas study in the summer of 2023.

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. The U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA/ARL NOAA's Air Resources Laboratory (ARL) requires a vendor to conduct scientific research flights in the Northeast Corridor (NEC) region to conduct the NEC air Quality and Greenhouse Gas study in the summer of 2023. Background To support the NOAA's AEROMMA field campaign to measure urban emissions that impact air quality and climate, the NOAA Air Resources Lab (ARL) will deploy a fully instrumented research aircraft in the Northeast Corridor (NEC) region from Washington, DC to New York City (NYC) to conduct the NEC Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas (NEC-AQ-GHG) study in summer 2023. An airborne instrument package will measure short-lived air pollutants and greenhouse gasses emitted from Baltimore/Washington, NYC as well as Philadelphia. Data from the research flights will be used to characterize the meteorology and chemistry leading to air pollution events and emissions of GHGs from these urban areas. The NEC-AQ-GHG study will provide the scientific basis for effective air quality and climate policies. No Federal Government personnel from ARL, or any other federal agency, will physically be on any of these flights. Federal personnel from ARL will solely be involved in only any pre- and post-flight activities for setting up and calibrating on-board Government furnished instrumentation as well as in downloading data and inspecting all such instrumentation to ensure that it continues to work properly after a flight has completed.. Tasks to be performed or required items NOAA's Air Resources Laboratory (ARL) requires a vendor to conduct scientific research flights in the Baltimore-Washington, Philadelphia, and New York City/Long Island Sound regions in summer 2023 to measure concentrations of short- and long-lived trace pollutants in the atmosphere, with important scientific objectives including: - To characterize spatial and temporal patterns of ozone and precursors during ozone exceedance events along with pre-exceedance conditions with a tie to key monitoring sites. - To characterize spatial and temporal patterns of meteorological conditions (e.g., low-level jets, land-sea breeze, mixing heights, etc.) during ozone events. - To investigate emission of NOx, CO, CH4, and VOCs from these urban areas and compare them to emission inventories. The NEC-AQ-GHG 2023 study will require 52 hours and approximately 13 science flights. We will choose flight plans in coordination with other airborne platforms and participating agencies. The measurements from these flights will augment data from other airborne platforms and ground monitoring sites along the NEC from the Washington, DC to NYC area. Each flight will last about 4 hours, and we expect to fly about 4-5 missions out of MD/CT plus ferry flights. Emissions of air pollutants and GHGs can be calculated based on the mass balance approach as well as enhancement ratios among the air pollutants. The successful vendor must be capable of supplying an aircraft with a minimum instrument payload of approximately 500 pounds, an effective range of approximately 600 nm, and an endurance of approximately 4 hours, with one pilot and one scientist (a non-federal employee, e.g., a scientist from University of Maryland) aboard. Federal employees from NOAA ARL may help with the pre-flight preparation and post-flight tasks while the aircraft is on ground. The vendor must measure and report all relevant wind, meteorological, and aircraft attitude (roll, pitch, yaw, altitude, true airspeed, ground speed, position) parameters. Position, attitude, and velocity measurements should be made with differential GPS techniques. ARL staff will be responsible for integrating the instrument payload into the aircraft, with technical and engineering support from the vendor, as needed. To the extent practicable, all measurements should be calibrated with NIST-traceable instruments and techniques. Most significantly, the successful vendor must supply an inlet system, certified by the Federal Aviation Administration, to direct ambient air to the chemical measurement systems via manifold tubing, or similar. The preferred location of this inlet is at and well ahead of the nose of the aircraft, to allow the sampling of air parcels uninfluenced by turbulence or aircraft engine exhaust. Deliverables The vendor will conduct approximately 13 research flights (~4 hours each flight, totaling 52 flight hours) from the Washington, DC and Baltimore area to the New York City and Long Island Sound area during the summer of 2023. The flight crew will help ARL scientists to collect meteorological and chemical data during those flights to evaluate emission inventories of GHGs and air pollutants from urban areas and will deliver to ARL data sets containing all measured platform parameters (meteorology, winds, 3-dimensional aircraft position and attitude, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds). Period of performance: From May 1, 2023 to April 30, 2024. Interested persons may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirement or submit proposals. All proposals received within five days after the date of publication of this synopsis will be considered by the Government. Evidence must be provided of the ability to provide the required service. The announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. A contract will be issued in accordance with the simplified acquisition procedures authorized. The associated NAICS Code is 541715. Offers will be evaluated based on proven technical capabilities, past performance, availability, price, and the factors set forth above. An award will be made to the entity who can meet the specific requirements and is of the best value to the Government considering other related factors and price on an all or none basis. This will be a firm fixed-price purchase order, with payment terms of Net 30. No other additional contractual terms and conditions are applicable. In order to comply with the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996, ALL Vendors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) All proposals are required to be received in the contracting office no later than 12:00 pm, EST, on Monday, April 17, 2023. Reference Request for Quotation (RFQ) Number NR-MAC200-23-00510 in your quotation. All proposals must be submitted via electronics means (e-mail) to contact@example.gov. The anticipated award date is on or around April 20, 2023. Questions pertaining to this special notice must be submitted in writing to Barbara Shifflett, Contracting Officer.