Evaluations, Assessments and Support Services (EASS)

1. Purpose:  

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center (LaRC) is seeking information from potential sources for the follow-on procurement of the “Evaluations, Assessments, Studies, Services, and Support 3” contract (80LARC20D0007).  LaRC is issuing this Request for Information (RFI)/Sources Sought as a means of engaging with industry and conducting market research to identify potential sources having interest, surveying current vendor capabilities within  the marketplace/industry to support the requirement, and soliciting input helpful to foster competition. NASA will leverage the results of the market research to finalize the requirements and to form the most suitable competitive approach to meet the Agency’s needs, including identifying the capabilities of small businesses to meet the EASS requirements.  

NASA LaRC is seeking capability statements from all interested parties, including all socioeconomic categories of small businesses and Historically Black Colleges and Universities or Minority Institutions, for the anticipated solicitation. The Government reserves the right to consider a set aside in accordance with FAR Part 19 based on responses received from Small Businesses, 8(a) Small Businesses, Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SD-VOSB), Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Businesses (EDWOSB) or Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) small business concern.   

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 541715, Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology), with a size standard of 1,000 employees.  

2. Scope: 

NASA LaRC is seeking information regarding industry capabilities to meet the EASS contract requirements in support of the Science Office for Mission Assessments (SOMA) located at NASA Langley Research Center. SOMA is responsible for the management and oversight of evaluations, assessments, and analyses for the NASA Headquarters Science Mission Directorate (SMD). Reference the draft solicitation documents included with this RFI/Sources Sought for more details.  Below is a summary of required services: 

• Evaluations: Proposal/Phase A Report evaluations are conducted in accordance with the NASA Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (NFS) Companion Guide (CG) 1872, Acquisition of Investigations.  Evaluations for multiple solicitations may overlap, which will require staffing of a large number (approximately 200) of evaluation panel positions simultaneously. Panels will be principally made up of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), many of whom will be occasional or part-time independent contractors and some of whom may be non-U.S. Persons. See the draft PWS for more details regarding evaluation of task orders.  

• Assessments: Assessments are typically independent reviews of missions/investigations and programs that evaluate progress at major milestones in accordance with specified procedures (e.g., NASA Policy Requirement (NPR) 7123.1, NASA Systems Engineering Processes and Requirements; NPR 7120.5, NASA Space Flight Program and Program Management Requirements; NASA Special Publication NASA/SP-20230001306, NASA Standing Review Board Handbook). Assessments include analyzing technical, management, cost, schedule, and other aspects of SMD missions/investigations and programs, as well as other NASA missions/investigations and programs.  

• Support Services: The contractor will be required to provide analyses associated with assessments and proposal/Phase A report evaluations. This includes analyzing scientific, technical, management, schedule, cost, and other aspects of SMD missions/investigations and programs, as well as other NASA missions/investigations and programs, logistics, facilities, and information support necessary to perform evaluations, assessments, and analyses as required by individual task orders. 

3. Requested Information – Not to Exceed 10 Pages 

The capability package should include:  

Contractor Information: 

• Name and address of firm 

• Point(s) of contact name, title, phone number, and email address 

• Whether you intend to submit an offer, and if so, as a prime or subcontractor 

• Size of business concern (large, small business category if applicable) that intends to submit a proposal, applicable NAICS, and date the size designation is good through 

• Affiliate information to include parent company, joint venture partners, potential teaming partners, prime contractor (if potential sub), or subcontractors (if potential prime). 

• List of relevant experience by identifying contract numbers, technical description/scope, contract type, dollar value of each procurement, and point of contact with email, physical address and phone number, and the role your company played. 

• Although not a commitment or requirement, please specify whether your firm intends to propose as a prime or subcontractor. 

Technical Capabilities:  

• Overview of your company's overall experience and capabilities to perform the work described in the draft PWS, specifically for PWS Sections 3.0, Proposal/Phase A Report Evaluations, and PWS 4.0, Assessments. Please provide specific examples, contract numbers, technical description, and indicate whether you performed as a prime or subcontractor.  

• If your firm will rely on subcontractors, independent contractors, and/or joint venture partners, describe your firm’s capabilities to seamlessly manage other entities and provide a matrix of your firm’s capabilities matched with the PWS requirements.    

• Draft Exhibit B, Data Requirements Document (DRD) EASS 10 - Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCI) Plan: NASA is requesting information from industry regarding potential OCIs arising from the EASS acquisition. Potential offerors are advised that the nature of the work anticipated under the contract may create potential for OCI/Personal Conflicts of Interest (PCIs). Interested firms should indicate their understanding and capabilities associated with the requirements set forth in the draft DRD and are requested to respond to the following questions:  

1. Does the draft DRD clearly communicate the nature and types of potential OCIs and associated requirements allowing the contractor to propose an OCI Plan to meet or exceed the contract requirements? 

1. What type(s) of OCI/PCI issues would your company or potential team identify, if any, should you choose to propose on the solicitation?  

1. What strategies would you anticipate proposing to mitigate the OCI/PCI issues that you identified (if any)? Please provide strategy details, previous examples/experience with other contracts with NASA or other agencies, etc.  

1. Are there any other types of potential OCI issues with the proposed contract that were not identified in this RFI?  

1. Does your company foresee any OCI issues associated with EASS that would cause you to decide not to propose on the potential solicitation? If so, please explain. 

• Ability to meet the DD Form 254, Contract Security Classification Specification requirement to maintain a Facility Clearance at the Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmentalized Information (TS/SCI) level, with no safeguarding required, and performance will require access to classified information at a government or other applicable facilities. NASA will sponsor/pay the appropriate clearance for firms that do not currently have the required clearance but is able to otherwise demonstrate the ability to meet and otherwise qualified (i.e., able to provide/obtain cleared personnel).  

Anticipated Solicitation Requirements: Interested firms are encouraged to provide comments, questions, and recommendations regarding the anticipated solicitation requirements. This includes, but not limited to: 

• Whether this requirement is considered a commercial or commercial-type service, as defined in FAR 2.101, that is customarily used by the general public or nongovernmental entities, or sold or offered competitively in substantial quantities in the commercial marketplace. The previous EASS contract was determined to be non-commercial. 

• Contract Type: NASA contemplates a Single Award Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract with the ability to issue both Cost Plus Fixed-Fee (CPFF) and Firm Fixed Price (FFP) task orders; however, requests industry input to optimize the use of firm-fixed price for future missions/projects.   

• Aspects of the PWS that should be clarified or simplified (without increasing risk/cost), focused on required outcomes, schedule, and enhancing contractor performance.  

• Contract incentives aligned with measurable risk reduction (e.g., reduced cost, time/schedule).  

• Any other recommendations/examples to simplify and expedite proposal preparation for industry and proposal evaluation for the Government focused on reducing acquisition costs and procurement lead time.  If specific examples of prior/current solicitations are available, please provide under a separate document that is not subject to the page limitation.   

4. Submission Requirements:  

Interested firms having the required capabilities necessary to meet the above requirements and otherwise described herein are invited to submit a capability statement that adheres to the following guidelines: 

• No more than 10 pages submitted in PDF format to Lindsey Leso, Contract Specialist, at larc-easss@email.nasa.gov, no later than August 5, 2026.  

• Reference EASS RFI/Sources Sought in the subject line of your response. 

• Respondents will receive a confirmation email after submission.  If you do not receive a response within a few days, please notify our office at the email above. 

• Export controlled information should not be included in RFI responses 

• Capability statements will not be shared publicly and will be used solely for internal NASA planning purposes; however, questions submitted and associated NASA responses will be shared publicly unless  

• The Government will consider input/questions received afterwards but may not have time to fully consider.   

This synopsis is for information and planning purposes only, is not a solicitation, should not be construed as a commitment by the Government, and the Government will not pay for the information submitted in response. Submission of any information in response to this synopsis is purely voluntary.  

The Government will not release the results of its market research and review of capabilities statements. In addition, NASA will attempt to respond to all questions but may not be able to respond to questions received after the due date.    

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 it will be synopsized in 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).  

Firms must ensure responses are properly marked to maintain confidentiality and protect proprietary information that you expect the Government to safeguard. NASA will not affirmatively release any information received in response to this RFI to the public but may use information received in developing the best approach for an acquisition strategy, and therefore such information may be recognizable to the interested party who submitted it. Any information submitted in response to this RFI that is marked as “Confidential Commercial or Financial Information” will be considered as voluntarily submitted in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act.