Solicitation
Hydrosphere, Biosphere, & Geophysics (HBG) Support Services II - Final Request for Proposal (FRFP)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
AI summaryNASA Goddard Space Flight Center's final request for proposals 80GSFC27R0015 (amended October 22, 2026 (passed)) is for science research and data support to its Hydrosphere, Biosphere, and Geophysics laboratories in Greenbelt, Maryland. The cover letter says it is a small business set-aside, but SAM.gov does not state a set-aside. The award is a hybrid indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ: a contract where orders are placed over time) contract with cost-plus-fixed-fee (CPFF) and firm-fixed-price (FFP) task orders, with a five-year ordering period. More in the summary
A newer version of this notice was posted Oct 26, 2026. See the latest version.
AI summary Beta
Summary of the version posted Oct 22, 2026. The notice was amended Oct 26, 2026. Check what else changed on SAM.gov. This summary may miss requirements: 18 of 30 attachments weren't read (Exhibits GPM 1A-1C .xlsx, Exhibits GPM 2-10.xlsx and 16 more). Check the attachments on SAM.gov.
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's final request for proposals 80GSFC27R0015 (amended October 22, 2026 (passed)) is for science research and data support to its Hydrosphere, Biosphere, and Geophysics laboratories in Greenbelt, Maryland. The cover letter says it is a small business set-aside, but SAM.gov does not state a set-aside. The award is a hybrid indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ: a contract where orders are placed over time) contract with cost-plus-fixed-fee (CPFF) and firm-fixed-price (FFP) task orders, with a five-year ordering period.
Who can bid
- Small business under NAICS 541715 (size standard 1,000): the cover letter says NASA will run this as a small business set-aside, but SAM.gov does not state a set-aside
- A Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code matching the corporate address submitted with the proposal
- For the prime's past performance to be evaluated, a recent contract with an average annual cost/fee incurred of at least $8,164,248
How to submit: Upload to NASA's Enterprise File Sharing and Sync Box (EFSS Box), a FedRAMP Moderate certified platform, at the Box link given in Amendment 1. What to include is under Full summary below. Check the solicitation's instructions on SAM.gov.
Things to watch (8)
- Serious: Set-aside differs between SAM.gov and the cover letter. SAM.gov says no set-aside is stated, while the notice text and cover letter say it is a small business set-aside; ask the contracting officer which governs before relying on either.
- Serious: Past performance must show $8,164,248 a year. References only count if they reach an average annual cost/fee of $8,164,248 for the prime; many small businesses will need a larger teaming partner or subcontractor to qualify.
- Worth checking: Tell the Contracting Officer 48 hours before submitting. Offerors should send notice of intent to submit at least 48 hours ahead and, if new to the NASA upload box, a test file at least 5 days ahead.
Show all 8Show fewer
- Worth checking: Questions due 14 calendar days after release. Written questions go to the Contracting Officer within 14 calendar days after the Final RFP was released at 2PM EST; the exact date is not given in the text read.
- Worth checking: References must send questionnaires by December 4, 2026. Past Performance Questionnaires go straight from your references to NASA, so you depend on them acting by the same day offers are due.
- Worth checking: Cost exhibits must be Excel files with working formulas. The pricing exhibits come as PDFs and must be rebuilt in Excel with live formulas, which takes extra time.
- Worth checking: Amendment 0001 must be acknowledged. An offer can be rejected if the acknowledgment of the amendment is not received before the response due date and time.
- Minor: Phase-in runs under a separate procurement. A 30-day phase-in before the contract effective date is bought separately, and the total FFP Phase-In price is part of the cost evaluation.
Read from the notice and 12 attachments. 18 of 30 not read. Show which files.
- Amendment 1_HBG II_Solicitation 80GSFC27R0015.pdf (read)
- HBG II Hybrid FRFP_Solicitation_80GSFC27R0015_Rev 1.pdf (read)
- HBG II_Hybrid FRFP Solicitation_80GSFC27R0015_10-20.pdf (read)
- HBG II Hybrid FRFP Cover Letter_Rev 1.pdf (read)
- HBG II Hybrid FRFP Cover Letter.pdf (read)
- Attachment A - HBG2_SOW_v3.2.pdf (read)
- Enclosure 1 - Contract Historical Data.pdf (read)
- Enclosure 2 - GPM Specified Non-Mgmt DL-PDs.pdf (read)
- Enclosure 3 - QASP Cost-Type Contract.pdf (read)
- Enclosure 4 - Sample SH Plan.pdf (read)
- Exhibit 11 - PastPerfQues._Rev. 1.pdf (read)
- Attachment B - Matrix.pdf (read)
- Exhibits GPM 1A-1C .xlsx: not read (the AI doesn't read this file type yet): open it on SAM.gov
- Exhibits GPM 2-10.xlsx: not read (the AI doesn't read this file type yet): open it on SAM.gov
- Attachment D - Safety and Health Plan.pdf: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
- Attachment E - Security IT DRD.pdf: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
- Attachment E.1-Attachment NASA C-SCRM Plan.pdf: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
- Attachment F - Requirements Statements List..pdf: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
- Attachment G - Contract Historical Data.pdf: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
- Attachment H - Govt Property List.pdf: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
- Attachment I - IAGP LIST.pdf: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
- Attachment J.1 - OCI.pdf: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
- Attachment J.2 - OCI-Plan (DRD)..pdf: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
- Attachment K - CPIC DRD.pdf: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
- Attachment K.1 - Attachment CPIC DRD Template.pdf: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
- Attachment L - CITAR.pdf: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
- Attachment M - CAIRIA DRD.pdf: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
- Exhibit 11 - PastPerfQues_.pdf: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
- Attachment C - Financial MGMT Report.pdf: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
- Attachment L.1 - CITAR Report Template.xlsx: not read (the AI doesn't read this file type yet): open it on SAM.gov
Full summary
What they want
- Science research support across five Earth Sciences laboratories (Cryospheric Sciences, Ocean Ecology, Hydrological Sciences, Biospheric Sciences, Geodesy and Geophysics) and the Terrestrial Information Systems Laboratory
- Six support areas in the statement of work: Science, Computing, Instrumentation Development, Calibration and Validation, Field Campaigns, and Scientific Communications
- Computing: science data processing operations, plus data product archiving and distribution
- Calibration and validation: satellite instrument performance analysis, calibration laboratory support and specialized laboratory support
- Field campaigns: planning and execution, in situ and airborne data collection, and data archival and quality control
- Scientific communications: journal articles and reports, outreach and education programs, and maintaining public project web sites
- Work set by task orders, priced from the labor rates, indirect rates and fee or profit percentages in Attachment B
- Work onsite at NASA Goddard and offsite at the contractor's facilities and locations named on task orders
- Contract type
- Hybrid indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract with cost-plus-fixed-fee (CPFF) and firm-fixed-price (FFP) task orders
- Period of performance
- Five-year ordering period from the contract effective date. Award is anticipated in April 2027, with a 30-day phase-in beginning May 2027 and a June 2027 contract effective date.
- Place of performance
- Greenbelt, MD, USA. The contract will be performed onsite at NASA GSFC, offsite at the contractor's facilities and at locations identified on individual task orders.
- Estimated value
- Contract minimum of $5,000,000 and maximum of $419.2M in total orders over the effective period (Section B clause GSFC 52.216-96)
- How they'll choose
- Three factors: Mission Suitability, Cost and Past Performance. Only Mission Suitability is numerically scored. Cost is significantly less important than Mission Suitability and Past Performance combined; Cost is less important than Mission Suitability but more important than Past Performance.
- Offers due
- December 4, 2026, 2:00 PM Eastern (from the version posted Oct 22, 2026; amended since)
- How to submit
- Upload to NASA's Enterprise File Sharing and Sync Box (EFSS Box), a FedRAMP Moderate certified platform, at the Box link given in Amendment 1
What they'll judge offers on
- Mission Suitability: the only factor given a numeric score; its subfactors were not read here
- Cost: the Government Pricing Model costs and the Attachment B rates are checked for reasonableness and cost realism, and the total FFP Phase-In price is also presented to the Source Selection Authority
- Past Performance: recent and relevant contracts of the prime and its significant subcontractors, judged on a confidence scale from Very High to Very Low, with Neutral if no record
What to include when you submit
- Tell Contracting Officer Cassandra K. Moore (cassandra.k.moore@nasa.gov, copy michelle.r.padfield@nasa.gov) at least 48 hours before the intended submission date that you will submit
- Firms new to the EFSS Box should send a test file to the Contracting Officer no less than 5 days before the response due date
- Files must be searchable (no scans except native-format items like signature pages), with no hidden formulas, locks, passwords or links to data outside the files; one .zip file is encouraged
- Name each file with a sequence number, a label for its contents and the offeror name (and subcontractor name if any), using only letters, numbers, dashes and single spaces; no "/" characters; each file under 150GB
- Subcontractors may send their required proposal information separately, but it must arrive by the response due date and time
- The Cost Volume must include the cost exhibits completed in Microsoft Excel with working cell formulas
- Have a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code that matches the corporate address submitted with the proposal
- Ask your past performance references to send their Past Performance Questionnaires (Exhibit 11) straight to the Contracting Officer before the response due date
- Past performance references must be recent (ongoing, or completed less than 5 years before the RFP was issued) and a prime's reference must show an average annual cost/fee incurred of at least $8,164,248; a significant subcontractor's reference must show at least 10% of the part it will perform
- Acknowledge Amendment 0001 before the response due date (by SF 30 items 8 and 15, on the offer, or by letter or email citing the solicitation and amendment numbers)
- After uploading, email the Contracting Officer a list of all file names submitted (requested, not required); uploading at least 24 hours early is encouraged
Not in the notice text
- The middle of the solicitation PDF (Sections C through L and the start of Section M, including the Mission Suitability subfactors, the proposal volumes and page limits) was not read here; check the PDF on SAM.gov.
- Attached but not read: Attachments C, D, E, E.1, F, G, H, I, J.1, J.2, K, K.1, L, L.1 and M, the pricing spreadsheets (Exhibits GPM 1A-1C and GPM 2-10), and parts of the statement of work and Enclosures 2 through 4.
- The set-aside: SAM.gov says none is stated, the notice text and cover letter say small business.
- The calendar date of the question deadline, 14 calendar days after the Final RFP release, is not given.
- Mission Suitability subfactors, their weights, and the page limits for each proposal volume.
- Who the current contractor is; the contract historical data is in Enclosure 1 and Attachment G, which were not read.
Eligibility and how to respond
- No set-aside: any business, large or small, can bid unless the notice says otherwise.
- How to submit, from the AI summary: Upload to NASA's Enterprise File Sharing and Sync Box (EFSS Box), a FedRAMP Moderate certified platform, at the Box link given in Amendment 1. Check it in the notice before you send anything.
Notice details
- Posted
- Oct 22, 2026
- Notice type
- Solicitation
- Office
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
- Product/service code
- AJ11 · General Science and Technology R&D Services; General Science and Technology; Basic Research
- Business type
- Engineering, architecture & research (FedReady's grouping, from NAICS 541715)
- Versions
3 versions have been posted, newest first.
- Oct 26, 2026 · Amendment 0002Due Dec 4, 2026
- Oct 22, 2026 · Amendment 0001 (this version)Due Dec 4, 2026
- Oct 21, 2026 · SolicitationDue Dec 4, 2026
- Attachments
Past awards and competition
Who has won work like this before, the likely incumbent, and what similar contracts paid, from USAspending.gov.
Before you respond
- How to respond to a solicitation (8 steps)
- How to read a government solicitation
- How to price a government contract
Terms on this notice: Solicitation
Full notice text from SAM.gov
UPDATE #1 – Amendment #0001 to the RFP was released on October 22, 2026. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), hereby invites interested parties to review the Final Request for Proposal (FRFP) for the Hydrosphere, Biosphere, and Geophysics (HBG) Support Services II requirement supporting the Earth Sciences Division (ESD) at NASA/GSFC. The principal purpose of this requirement is to provide science research that conceives, develops, and applies space, field-deployed (i.e. airborne and in situ) and laboratory based technologies and observations to address issues of importance to society. These include but are not limited to water resources, land and ocean ecosystems, global and regional sea level change, changes in the Earth’s cryosphere, gravity field, magnetic field, solid Earth, and the terrestrial reference frame. The Statement of Work, Attachment A, describes the scope of the requirement. This contract is for support of a full range of science and research activities across the breadth of the various Laboratories that make up the HBG sub-division: the Cryospheric Sciences, Ocean Ecology, Hydrological Sciences, Biospheric Sciences, and Geodesy and Geophysics Laboratories. This contract is also for support of science, research and computing activities within the Terrestrial Information Systems Laboratory (TISL), also in the ESD. For the purposes of this document and contract the term HBG will be used to encompass all the Laboratories of the HBG sub-division and the TISL. NASA will conduct this acquisition as a small business set-aside. This competitive acquisition was originally contemplated as a Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF), Indefinite-Delivery/Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) contract with the ability to issue CPFF task orders. Following further acquisition planning and assessment of the Government's requirements, the contract structure has been modified. The HBG II Draft Request for Proposal (DRFP) posted on April 8, 2025 was issued as an IDIQ CPFF solicitation. As amended, this competitive acquisition will now result in a HYBRID Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) with the ability to issue Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) AND Firm- Fixed Price (FFP) task orders. The contract will have an effective ordering period of five years from the contract effective date. Interested offerors are encouraged to review the solicitation and all associated attachments for complete details regarding the requirements and proposal submission instructions. Please see the attached cover letter for additional information.