GLOBAL CRITICAL MINERALS PROJECT SCOPING SERVICES

SOLICITATION NUMBER:          1131PL26R0057

ISSUANCE DATE:                          AUGUST 11, 2026

CLOSING DATE:                            TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2026, 1:00 PM, Arlington, VA Time

This Request for Proposal was prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 12.6 and procedures in Subpart 15.3 as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only RFP being issued.

This solicitation is being issued IAW FAR Part 12. The Government will issue one award resulting from this solicitation to the offeror who is deemed responsible and is determined, based on the evaluation factors and sub factors, to represent the best value to the Government.

This procurement is UNRESTRICTED under NAICS Code 541690, Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services. Award is limited to U.S. Firms or U.S. individuals. Contractor and U.S. subcontractor employees used shall be either U.S. citizens or non-U.S. citizens lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States. Contractor use of subcontractors is limited to less than fifty percent of the proposed price.

THE FOLLOWING ITEMS REPRESENT THE "PROPOSAL PACKAGE" THAT SHOULD BE RETURNED IN RESPONSE TO THIS SOLICITATION (Addendum to FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors – Commercial Items (SEP 2023)).

According to FAR 52-204-7 (b) (1) An Offeror is required to be registered in SAM when submitting an offer or quotation and shall continue to be registered until time of award, during performance, and through final payment of any contract, basic agreement, basic ordering agreement, or blanket purchasing agreement resulting from this solicitation.   All Offerors must be registered and have an active status in the SAM database (www.SAM.gov) in order to be eligible for contract award. Offerors are reminded that failure to properly enroll in the SAM database and provide accurate information shall make an offeror ineligible for award as described in FAR 52.204-7. 

Should you have any questions, please send them to this office not later than 1:00 p.m., Eastern Time (ET) Tuesday, 18th August 2026. Send your questions by email to contractproposals@ustda.gov and tjohnson@ustda.gov . Questions submitted by alternate email addresses will NOT be accepted. No phone calls will be accepted.

Any contract awarded to a Contractor who at the time of award was suspended, debarred, and ineligible for receipt of contract with Government Agencies or is in receipt of a notice of proposed debarment from any Government Agency, is voidable at the option of the Government.

Enclosed are the following sections, which contain all information necessary to respond to this RFP:

1. Section B – SF 1449,

2. Section C – Contract Clauses,

3. Section D – Performance Work Statement, Exhibits and Attachment, and

4. Section E – Instructions to Offerors.