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INDUSTRY

ProTech is NOAA’s mandatory-use Program for Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services. It is mandatory for other Department of Commerce Bureaus (where applicable), and aims to provide an industrial base to partner with NOAA to become the environmental intelligence capability of our nation.

Acquisition Strategy

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (ProTech) is a suite of Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) multiple award contracts, organized into four Domains: Satellite, Fisheries, Oceans, and Weather. Awards will be based on full and open competition with reserves for small business at the IDIQ level. Awards will be based on full and open competition with reserves for small business at the IDIQ level. Existing contracts will have a logical transition to the ProTech contracts, in order to serve mission requirements.

  • Use of FAR Part 15 procedures, Contracting by Negotiation
  • Each ProTech domain IDIQ contract has a two-year base period of performance, and three one-year option periods of performance, for a total term of five-years if all options are exercised
  • The ceiling for all task orders is capped at $3,000,000,000 across all five domains
  • Task Order awards will be in accordance with FAR Part 19 requirements, Small Business Programs
  • Task Orders will be issued on a Firm Fixed Price (FFP), Cost Reimbursable, Time and Material (T&M) or Labor Hour basis.


Selection Process

A solicitation will be drafted for each Domain. Evaluation factors and rating schemes are determined by client organizations.

  • Proposal evaluations and awards by Domain: Offerors will have to demonstrate capability by Domain; but do not have to cover an entire Domain
  • Competitive Range: Efficient and effective number that will permit competition among the most highly-rated proposals
  • Sufficient number of contracts: The number of awards will be driven by the mix of firms, sufficiency for effective task order competition, socio-economic needs, the need to reach specialized and niche talent, and the need to provide comprehensive service across an entire Domain


Small Business

The Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 allows for reserving contract awards for small business under a full and open competition. A Contracting Officer may award an IDIQ contract to a small business, even if there are higher rated large businesses. The intent is to make awards to each socio-economic category of small business (HUBZone, SDVOSB, WOSB, etc.) in each Domain. The number of awards to small business will be determined by the quality of proposals received, the capability to meet NOAA’s requirements, and the need to achieve Department of Commerce socio-economic goals. The Domains and applicable NAICS codes and related small business size standards are set forth below:

ProTech NAICS Code Determination
Domain NAICS Code Size Standard
Satellite 541712* 1,000 Employees
Fisheries 541990 $15M
Weather 541330 $15M
Oceans 541620 $15M
*As of October 2017, NAICS code 541712 will split into two separate codes: 541713 Research and Development in Nanotechnology and 541715 Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology). The ProTech Satellite Domain IDIQ was solicited in August 2016 and awarded in June 2017 under code 541712 and it will remain applicable to the Satellite Domain for the life of the contract.

Industry Days

NOAA held an Industry Day to inform interested vendors of the ProTech Acquisition Strategy for the program as a whole. See References below for details. The News & Events page provides details on past and upcoming Industry Days for the individual ProTech Domains.

References