Pre-Solicitation Notice: NOAA- Satellite Ocean Color System Vicarious Calibration – Marine Optical BuoY (MOBY) Operations and Maintenance

The NOAA Acquisition and Grants Office intends to award a sole‑source, firm‑fixed‑price contract to the University of Miami to operate and maintain the Marine Optical Buoy (MOBY) – a critical vicarious calibration system for the satellite ocean‑color sensors used by the Joint Polar Satellite System. The effort ensures that MOBY remains metrologically traceable to SI units and supports NOAA’s NESDIS ocean‑color data products. The agency is soliciting capability statements from interested parties to determine whether a competitive procurement is warranted. • Operate and maintain the MOBY platform, including calibration, data collection, and quality assurance. • Provide technical support to ensure metrological traceability to SI units for ocean‑color satellite observations. • Align activities with NOAA’s Joint Polar Satellite System priority 2 ocean‑color requirements and existing NESDIS memoranda of understanding. • Submit capability statements by the response deadline; the government may decide to pursue competition based on these submissions. • No reimbursement for proposal preparation costs; all inquiries directed to the contracting officer.