NOAA Awards $8.79M Cloud Hosting Contract to SAIC for Software Development and Hosting Systems
Contract Overview
Contract Amount: $8,786,893 ($8.8M)
Contractor: Science Applications International Corporation
Awarding Agency: Department of Commerce
Start Date: 2025-03-01
End Date: 2027-02-28
Contract Duration: 729 days
Daily Burn Rate: $12.1K/day
Competition Type: FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION
Pricing Type: FIRM FIXED PRICE
Sector: IT
Official Description: THIS EFFORT WILL PROVIDE ENTERPRISE-LEVEL CLOUD HOSTING IN THE SUPPORT OF THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION (NOAA), OFFICE OF THE CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER (OCIO), SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT AND HOSTING SYSTEMS BRANCH (SDHS), WEB OPERATIO
Place of Performance
Location: SILVER SPRING, MONTGOMERY County, MARYLAND, 20910
State: Maryland Government Spending
Plain-Language Summary
Department of Commerce obligated $8.8 million to SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION for work described as: THIS EFFORT WILL PROVIDE ENTERPRISE-LEVEL CLOUD HOSTING IN THE SUPPORT OF THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION (NOAA), OFFICE OF THE CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER (OCIO), SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT AND HOSTING SYSTEMS BRANCH (SDHS), WEB OPERATIO Key points: 1. Contract awarded to Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) for enterprise-level cloud hosting. 2. The effort supports NOAA's Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) Software Development and Hosting Systems Branch. 3. This contract falls under the Custom Computer Programming Services NAICS code (541511). 4. The contract has a firm fixed price and a duration of 729 days.
Value Assessment
Rating: good
The contract value of $8.79 million for a 729-day period appears reasonable for enterprise-level cloud hosting services. Benchmarking against similar government cloud hosting contracts would provide a more precise assessment.
Cost Per Unit: N/A
Competition Analysis
Competition Level: full-and-open
The contract was awarded under full and open competition, indicating a competitive bidding process. This method generally leads to better price discovery and value for the government.
Taxpayer Impact: The competitive award process is expected to ensure taxpayer funds are used efficiently for essential NOAA IT infrastructure.
Public Impact
Ensures continued operation of NOAA's critical software development and hosting systems. Supports NOAA's mission by providing reliable cloud infrastructure for web operations. Enhances the stability and performance of NOAA's digital services for the public and internal users.
Waste & Efficiency Indicators
Waste Risk Score: 50 / 10
Warning Flags
- Potential for vendor lock-in if not managed carefully.
- Reliance on a single vendor for critical infrastructure.
Positive Signals
- Awarded through full and open competition.
- Firm fixed price contract provides cost certainty.
- Supports a critical government agency's IT operations.
Sector Analysis
This contract falls within the IT services sector, specifically custom computer programming and cloud hosting. Government spending in this area is substantial, with benchmarks varying widely based on scope and service level agreements.
Small Business Impact
The data indicates that neither small business nor socio-economic set-asides were utilized for this specific award. Further analysis would be needed to determine if opportunities were missed for small businesses in this procurement.
Oversight & Accountability
The contract was awarded by the Department of Commerce to NOAA, indicating established agency oversight. The firm fixed price structure provides a degree of financial accountability.
Related Government Programs
- Custom Computer Programming Services
- Department of Commerce Contracting
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Programs
Risk Flags
- Potential for vendor lock-in.
- Reliance on a single vendor for critical infrastructure.
- Lack of specific performance metrics in provided data.
- No indication of small business participation.
Tags
custom-computer-programming-services, department-of-commerce, md, bpa-call, 1m-plus
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this federal contract paying for?
Department of Commerce awarded $8.8 million to SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION. THIS EFFORT WILL PROVIDE ENTERPRISE-LEVEL CLOUD HOSTING IN THE SUPPORT OF THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION (NOAA), OFFICE OF THE CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER (OCIO), SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT AND HOSTING SYSTEMS BRANCH (SDHS), WEB OPERATIO
Who is the contractor on this award?
The obligated recipient is SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION.
Which agency awarded this contract?
Awarding agency: Department of Commerce (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).
What is the total obligated amount?
The obligated amount is $8.8 million.
What is the period of performance?
Start: 2025-03-01. End: 2027-02-28.
What specific cloud services are included in this contract, and how do they align with NOAA's long-term IT strategy?
The contract specifies enterprise-level cloud hosting to support NOAA's software development and hosting systems, particularly for web operations. While the exact services aren't detailed, the focus on hosting suggests infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) or platform-as-a-service (PaaS) components. Alignment with NOAA's long-term IT strategy would depend on whether this contract supports modernization efforts, migration to cloud-native architectures, or simply sustains existing operations.
What are the key performance indicators (KPIs) and service level agreements (SLAs) associated with this cloud hosting contract to ensure effectiveness?
While not explicitly stated in the provided data, effective cloud hosting contracts typically include robust KPIs and SLAs. These would likely cover aspects such as uptime guarantees (e.g., 99.99%), response times for incidents, performance metrics (latency, throughput), security compliance adherence, and disaster recovery capabilities. Monitoring these metrics is crucial for ensuring the contractor meets performance expectations and taxpayer value.
What is the risk of vendor lock-in with SAIC for NOAA's cloud hosting, and what mitigation strategies are in place?
The primary risk of vendor lock-in arises from proprietary technologies or complex integrations that make switching providers difficult and costly. Mitigation strategies could include ensuring adherence to open standards, maintaining data portability, regularly reviewing contract terms for exit clauses, and fostering multi-cloud or hybrid cloud strategies where feasible. NOAA should actively manage this relationship to prevent excessive dependence.
Industry Classification
NAICS: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services › Computer Systems Design and Related Services › Custom Computer Programming Services
Product/Service Code: IT AND TELECOM - INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS › IT AND TELECOM - STORAGE
Competition & Pricing
Extent Competed: FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION
Solicitation Procedures: SUBJECT TO MULTIPLE AWARD FAIR OPPORTUNITY
Solicitation ID: 1305M425Q0037
Pricing Type: FIRM FIXED PRICE (J)
Evaluated Preference: NONE
Contractor Details
Address: 12010, SUNSET HILLS ROAD, RESTON, VA, 20190
Business Categories: Category Business, Corporate Entity Not Tax Exempt, Not Designated a Small Business, Special Designations, U.S.-Owned Business
Financial Breakdown
Contract Ceiling: $9,645,118
Exercised Options: $9,645,118
Current Obligation: $8,786,893
Actual Outlays: $4,619,079
Subaward Activity
Number of Subawards: 5
Total Subaward Amount: $8,624,565
Contract Characteristics
Commercial Item: COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS/SERVICES
Parent Contract
Parent Award PIID: 1305L419ANAAJ0008
IDV Type: BPA
Timeline
Start Date: 2025-03-01
Current End Date: 2027-02-28
Potential End Date: 2027-02-28 00:00:00
Last Modified: 2026-03-30
More Contracts from Science Applications International Corporation
- Task Order to Provide Project Management Support, Transition Support, Engineering and Design Support, Securing the Infrastructure Support and O&M Support for the Department's IT Consolidation Program — $2.1B (Department of State)
- Software Life Cycle Development — $1.4B (General Services Administration)
- Unified Nasa Information Technology Services (unites) — $1.4B (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
- THE Scope of the to IS to Provide Enterprise IT Services for the Usace — $1.1B (General Services Administration)
- This Effort IS for a Follow on Procurement Requirement. the Name of This Procurement IS the Omnibus Multidiscipline Engineering Services (omes) II. the Principal Purpose of This Contract IS to Provide Multidiscipline Engineering Support Services and Related Work to EED, Istd, SED, MSD, Mesa, Jpss, Ssco, and Related Organizations, AS Required, for the Study, Design, Systems Engineering, Development, Fabrication, Integration, Testing, Verification, and Operations of Space Flight, Airborne, and Ground System Hardware and Software, Including Development and Validation of NEW Technologies to Enable Future Space and Science Missions. to This END, the Contractor Shall Provide On/Off-Site Multidiscipline Engineering Services, Pursuant to Task Orders Issued by the Contracting Officer. These Services Shall Include the Personnel, Facilities, and Materials (unless Otherwise Provided by the Government) to Accomplish the Tasks. Travel MAY BE Required by the Contractor to Support Certain Task Orders, These Travel Requirements Will BE Identified on a Task by Task Basis — $1.0B (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
View all Science Applications International Corporation federal contracts →
Other Department of Commerce Contracts
- THE Purpose of This Contract IS to Develop the Ground System That Will Support Noaa S Next Generation Geostationary Satellite Series, Goes-R. This NEW Series of Spacecraft, SET to Begin Launching in 2015, IS Expected to Double the Clarity of Today S Satellite Imagery and Provide AT Least 20 Times More Atmospheric Observations From Space. the Contractor IS to Design, Develop, Test and Implement the Goes-R Ground System. the Ground System Will Capture Data From the Goes-R Satellites, and Process and Distribute the Information to Operational Users — $1.8B (L3harris Technologies, Inc.)
- Engineering Services and Development Leading to the Delivery of the Jpss Common Ground System Instrument and Support — $1.6B (Raytheon Company)
- Enterprise Solutions Framework (ESF) for Multi-Tiered Acquisition Framework for Systems Engineering and Integration - Program Tier Work Order 003 - 2020 Census Technical Integrator — $1.5B (T-Rex Solutions LLC)
- THE Goal of the Decennial Response Integration System (dris) Contract IS to Obtain a Practical Solution to Providing Respondent Assistance and Data Capture for the 2010 Census — $930.7M (Lockheed Martin Services, LLC)
- 2020 Census Questionnaire Assistance (2020 CQA) — $918.3M (Maximus Federal Services, Inc.)