FGDC Imagery for the Nation RFI Released

A Request for Information (RFI) to industry has been issued to gain additional information on the potential costs and benefits of different approaches to meet the goals of the Imagery for the Nation (IFTN) initiative.  The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) has led the development of the RFI, acting on behalf of the FGDC Executive Committee.

A presolicitation notice, No.: ACR-2010-01, has been posted and is available through FedBizOpps.gov at the following address:

https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=5686bd9200cb1729a7fcd44b855f30bd&tab=core&_cview=0

Responses are due by August 16, 2010.  The IFTN RFI is a sources sought announcement to conduct market research only. This announcement is being issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute an Invitation for Bids (IFB), a Request for Proposals (RFP), a Request for Quotations (RFQ) or an indication that the Government will contract for any of the items and/or services contained in this notice.

The goal of the IFTN initiative is to provide a sustainable and flexible nation-wide imagery program to meet the needs of government at all levels.  With input from many stakeholders and partners, the IFTN initiative has been refined by the FGDC Steering Committee and Executive Committee, and earned the support and endorsement of a number of key professional and advisory groups, including: the National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC), ACSM, ASPRS, AAG, CaGIS, GITA, GIS Certification Institute, IAAO, NSGIC, UCGIS, and URISA.

The IFTN initiative will take advantage of existing programs that acquire imagery for Federal purposes.  These programs include the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) and a joint effort between NGA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to conduct the Urban Area Imagery Partnership (UAIP).  IFTN will coordinate these efforts with state, tribal, regional and local government imagery programs to provided standardized and comprehensive national coverage. Federal guidelines, established in OMB Circular A-16, identify orthoimagery as a data theme of national significance and include it in a list of core sets of  digital spatial information that require development, maintenance, and dissemination.  

For additional information on the IFTN initiative, visit http://www.fgdc.gov/iftn