Procurement of Open Radio Access Network (ORAN) System

Background
The U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is conducting market research to identify potential sources capable of providing a complete Open Radio Access Network (ORAN) solution.
This notice serves as a Request for Information (RFI)/Sources Sought Notice to determine the availability and capability of small and other than small businesses to fulfill the requirements outlined in the Draft Statement of Work (SOW).
The goal is to acquire a fully functional end-to-end ORAN 5G system that integrates with NIST's existing 3GPP compliant 5G core.

Work Details
The required ORAN system shall consist of the following components:
- Open Radio Unit
- Open Distributed Unit
- Open Centralized Unit
- Hardware platforms that support the aforementioned units.
This procurement aims to provide a complete, functional end-to-end ORAN 5G system as detailed in Attachment I: Draft Statement of Work (SOW).

Period of Performance
The geographic location(s) the product will be delivered to or performed at.

Bidder Requirements
Bidders must provide a company summary including their name, address, website, Unique Entity Identifier (if applicable), point of contact information, and size status.
They should also indicate if they have an active registration. Additionally, bidders are encouraged to provide suggestions for improving the Draft SOW, potential evaluation factors for the upcoming solicitation, details on standard commercial pricing, safety programs, compliance with transportation regulations, quality standards experience, operational capabilities regarding remote monitoring of liquid tank levels, and information on existing contract vehicles.

Incumbent Analysis (see Incumbents section for more detail)
The prior awards under contract numbers 1331L522C13350038 and 1331L522C13350037 were both for “OPEN RAN,” with Airspan Networks ($419,759) and John Mezzalingua Associates ($251,983) performing work during 09/26/22–02/28/27. A related award also appears to have been issued to NEC Corporation of America ($12,112) for “OPEN RAN” (09/26/22–10/31/25). These prior efforts appear to align with the current requirement to procure an end-to-end ORAN system (open radio/distributed/centralized units and supporting hardware), suggesting the new procurement may be a continuation or follow-on of earlier ORAN integration and delivery activities.