Flash Brief: Regional Ocean Partnerships Reauthorization Act of 2026
Classification: INFO
Event Type: Legislation
Issued: 2026
Affected Market: Marine Science & Environmental Services
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TL;DR
The Regional Ocean Partnerships Reauthorization Act of 2026 extends federal funding and program authority for collaborative ocean research and coastal management initiatives across multiple regional partnerships. This legislation sustains multi-year contracting pipelines for environmental monitoring, oceanographic data collection, and marine science services primarily through NOAA and DOC, with cross-agency collaboration from EPA, DOI, USGS, and Navy. Contractors holding positions on OASIS+, POLARIS, GSA (General Services Administration) MAS, and SeaPort-NxG should immediately review their capture pipelines for affected agencies and prepare for recompete cycles and new task order releases tied to continued appropriations. This is a program continuation event—not a new market—but it confirms budget stability and signals upcoming solicitation activity in FY2027-2031.
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Key Points
- What happened: Congress introduced legislation to reauthorize the Regional Ocean Partnership program, which coordinates ocean research, coastal management, and environmental monitoring across regional consortia (Gulf of Mexico, Long Island Sound, Pacific, etc.). The bill extends program authority and appropriations, ensuring continuity for existing contracts and creating new task order opportunities.
- Who is affected: Prime contractors and subcontractors in NAICS 541330 (Engineering Services), 541360 (Geophysical Surveying), 541370 (Surveying and Mapping), 541620 (Environmental Consulting), 541690 (Scientific Consulting), 541712 (R&D in Physical Sciences), and 541990 (All Other Professional Services). Agencies include NOAA, DOC, EPA, DOI, USGS, and Navy. Contract vehicles: OASIS+, POLARIS, GSA MAS, SeaPort-NxG.
- What the timeline is: Legislative introduction in 2026 with anticipated passage and appropriations for FY2027-2031. Expect solicitation releases within 90-180 days of enactment as agencies obligate funds. Recompete cycles for existing IDIQs and BPAs will accelerate in Q3-Q4 FY2026 and Q1 FY2027.
- What contractors should do NOW: Audit your pipeline for NOAA, DOC, EPA, DOI, USGS, and Navy opportunities tagged to ocean research, coastal management, or environmental monitoring. Cross-reference your contract vehicle access (OASIS+, POLARIS, GSA MAS, SeaPort-NxG) and ensure your capability statements reflect regional ocean partnership experience. Activate saved searches in SAM.gov (System for Award Management) for affected NAICS codes and agencies. Notify BD, capture, and proposal teams to prioritize this segment in Q1-Q2 FY2027 planning.
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Who Is Affected
Market Segments:
Environmental Services, Marine Science, Oceanographic Research, Coastal Management, Environmental Monitoring, Scientific Research and Development, Data Collection and Analysis, Environmental Consulting.
NAICS Codes:
- 541330 — Engineering Services
- 541360 — Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services
- 541370 — Surveying and Mapping (except Geophysical) Services
- 541620 — Environmental Consulting Services
- 541690 — Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services
- 541712 — Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology)
- 541990 — All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
- 927110 — Space Research and Technology (for satellite-based ocean monitoring)
Agencies:
NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), DOC (Department of Commerce), EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), DOI (Department of the Interior), USGS (U.S. Geological Survey), Navy (Naval Oceanographic Office, Office of Naval Research).
Contract Vehicles:
OASIS+ (environmental and scientific services), POLARIS (NOAA-specific), GSA MAS (Schedule 541 and 899), SeaPort-NxG (Navy oceanographic and marine science).
Compliance Surfaces:
FAR (Federal Acquisition Regulation) (Federal Acquisition Regulation), NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act), NIST 800-171 (NIST Special Publication 800-171) (for CUI (Controlled Unclassified Information) handling in research data). Contractors must ensure compliance with environmental data handling protocols and cybersecurity requirements for oceanographic datasets. See our CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification) Compliance Guide (/insights/cmmc-compliance-guide) and CUI-Safe CRM Guide (/insights/cui-safe-crm-guide) for operational readiness.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does this legislation create new contracting opportunities or extend existing programs?
This is a reauthorization, meaning it extends and funds existing Regional Ocean Partnership programs rather than creating net-new initiatives. However, reauthorization often triggers recompete cycles for expiring IDIQs, new task order releases under existing vehicles, and expanded scopes of work as agencies refresh their acquisition strategies. Contractors should treat this as a pipeline refresh event—existing incumbents will defend, and challengers should prepare to compete on updated technical approaches and past performance. The legislation also signals stable funding through FY2031, reducing program risk and making long-term teaming and subcontracting arrangements more viable.
Q: Which contract vehicles are most likely to see new task orders?
POLARIS (NOAA's enterprise-wide IDIQ (Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity)) and SeaPort-NxG (Navy's oceanographic services vehicle) are the primary vehicles for ocean research and marine science. OASIS+ will see environmental consulting and R&D task orders, particularly for cross-agency partnerships involving EPA, DOI, and USGS. GSA MAS (Schedules 541 and 899) will support smaller-scale data collection, monitoring equipment, and professional services. Contractors should verify their vehicle access and ensure their capability statements are current. If you lack access to POLARIS or SeaPort-NxG, prioritize teaming with primes who hold those vehicles. For guidance on federal contracting strategy, see our Winning Federal Contracts Guide (/insights/winning-federal-contracts).
Q: What technical capabilities are most competitive under this legislation?
Agencies prioritize integrated ocean observing systems (sensors, buoys, autonomous underwater vehicles), geospatial data analytics (GIS, remote sensing, satellite integration), climate modeling and forecasting, coastal resilience planning, and stakeholder engagement (state/local coordination, tribal consultation). Contractors with demonstrated experience in multi-agency collaboration and regional partnership governance will have a competitive edge. Proposal teams should emphasize past performance in NOAA, EPA, or Navy ocean programs, as well as familiarity with NEPA compliance and environmental data management. Technical approaches should highlight interoperability, data sharing, and scalable monitoring architectures.
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Definitions
- Regional Ocean Partnership (ROP): A federally recognized collaborative body that coordinates ocean research, coastal management, and environmental monitoring across multiple states and federal agencies within a defined geographic region (e.g., Gulf of Mexico Alliance, Northeast Regional Ocean Council). ROPs facilitate data sharing, joint planning, and multi-stakeholder engagement to address regional ocean priorities.
- POLARIS: NOAA's enterprise-wide Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract vehicle for scientific, engineering, and technical services. POLARIS supports oceanographic research, environmental monitoring, fisheries management, and climate science across NOAA's line offices.
- SeaPort-NxG: The U.S. Navy's next-generation IDIQ contract vehicle for engineering, technical, and programmatic support services related to naval systems, oceanographic research, and maritime operations. SeaPort-NxG is the successor to SeaPort-e and supports the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) and related Navy activities.
- NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act): Federal law requiring agencies to assess the environmental impacts of proposed actions, including research projects, infrastructure development, and policy decisions. NEPA compliance involves environmental impact statements (EIS), environmental assessments (EA), and public consultation processes.
- NIST 800-171: Cybersecurity standard for protecting Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) in non-federal systems. Contractors handling oceanographic data, research findings, or sensitive environmental information must implement NIST 800-171 controls and demonstrate compliance in proposals and contract performance.
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Intelligence Response
Cabrillo Signals War Room detected this legislative event through continuous monitoring of congressional activity, agency budget justifications, and policy announcements. The platform automatically tagged affected NAICS codes, agencies, and contract vehicles, then cross-referenced your firm's existing pipeline and capability profile to generate this briefing. This is how Cabrillo operationalizes real-time intelligence: the moment a reauthorization bill is introduced, the War Room identifies which of your opportunities are affected, which agencies will release solicitations, and which contract vehicles will see increased activity.
Cabrillo Signals Match Engine is now rescoring your opportunity pipeline based on this event. If you have open opportunities tagged to NOAA, DOC, EPA, DOI, USGS, or Navy under affected NAICS codes, the Match Engine has automatically elevated their priority scores and flagged them for capture team review. If you have saved searches in Cabrillo Signals Intelligence Hub for ocean research, environmental monitoring, or coastal management, you will receive alerts when follow-on solicitations appear on SAM.gov. The Intelligence Hub tracks agency spending patterns, contract vehicle utilization, and incumbent performance, giving you early warning when recompete cycles begin.
- Cabrillo Signals War Room: Already delivered this briefing. Ensure your BD and capture teams have access to War Room alerts and configure notification preferences for legislative events affecting your core NAICS codes and agencies.
- Cabrillo Signals Intelligence Hub: Activate saved searches for NOAA, DOC, EPA, DOI, USGS, and Navy opportunities under NAICS 541330, 541360, 541370, 541620, 541690, 541712, and 541990. Set alerts for POLARIS, SeaPort-NxG, OASIS+, and GSA MAS task orders. The Intelligence Hub will notify you when new solicitations are posted or when incumbents' contract values change (indicating recompete risk).
- Cabrillo Signals Match Engine: Review rescored opportunities in your pipeline. The Match Engine has elevated priority for ocean research and environmental monitoring opportunities based on this reauthorization. Use the Match Engine's bid/no-bid decision engine to assess which opportunities align with your past performance and teaming strategy.
- Proposal Studio (Proposal OS): Update your win theme library with messaging around regional ocean partnership experience, multi-agency collaboration, and NEPA compliance. Ensure your compliance matrices reflect NIST 800-171 requirements for oceanographic data handling. Use Proposal Studio's AI-powered content generation to draft technical approaches for ocean observing systems and coastal resilience planning.
- Proposal Studio Workflow Tracker: If you are pursuing opportunities under this legislation, activate the 9-gate capture management workflow. Ensure Gate 1 (Opportunity Identification) and Gate 2 (Qualification) are completed for all NOAA, DOC, EPA, DOI, USGS, and Navy opportunities in your pipeline. The Workflow Tracker will route compliance reviews and audit-ready documentation for NEPA and NIST 800-171 requirements.
Notification Chain
- Chief Growth Officer / VP Business Development: Needs immediate visibility into pipeline impact. This reauthorization confirms budget stability for ocean research and environmental monitoring through FY2031, reducing program risk and justifying increased capture investment. CGO should prioritize NOAA, DOC, EPA, DOI, USGS, and Navy opportunities in Q1-Q2 FY2027 planning.
- Capture Managers: Must audit existing opportunities for affected agencies and NAICS codes. Capture teams should verify contract vehicle access (POLARIS, SeaPort-NxG, OASIS+, GSA MAS) and initiate teaming discussions with primes if vehicle access is limited. Capture managers should also review incumbent performance and identify recompete opportunities.
- Proposal Managers: Should update proposal content libraries with regional ocean partnership experience, multi-agency collaboration, and NEPA compliance messaging. Proposal teams must ensure technical approaches reflect current ocean observing technologies and coastal resilience strategies.
- Contracts / Compliance Lead: Must verify NIST 800-171 compliance for oceanographic data handling and ensure NEPA compliance protocols are documented. Contracts teams should review FAR clauses related to environmental services and scientific research.
- Technical Leads / SMEs: Should prepare capability statements and past performance narratives for ocean research, environmental monitoring, and coastal management. Technical leads must stay current on NOAA, EPA, and Navy technical requirements and participate in industry days and agency outreach events.
First 48-Hour Playbook
- Hour 0-4: War Room delivers this briefing. CGO/VP BD reviews pipeline impact and identifies high-priority opportunities. Capture managers pull SAM.gov data for NOAA, DOC, EPA, DOI, USGS, and Navy opportunities under affected NAICS codes. Contracts lead verifies NIST 800-171 and NEPA compliance status.
- Hour 4-12: Capture managers audit contract vehicle access (POLARIS, SeaPort-NxG, OASIS+, GSA MAS) and initiate teaming discussions if vehicle access is limited. Proposal managers update win theme library and compliance matrices in Proposal Studio. Technical leads prepare capability statements and past performance narratives.
- Hour 12-24: BD team activates saved searches in Cabrillo Signals Intelligence Hub for follow-on solicitations. Capture managers schedule internal strategy sessions to prioritize opportunities and assign resources. CGO/VP BD briefs executive leadership on pipeline impact and budget implications.
- Hour 24-48: Capture teams complete Gate 1 (Opportunity Identification) and Gate 2 (Qualification) in Proposal Studio Workflow Tracker for high-priority opportunities. BD team schedules agency outreach calls with NOAA, DOC, EPA, DOI, USGS, and Navy program offices. Contracts lead documents compliance readiness and flags any gaps in NIST 800-171 or NEPA protocols. Proposal managers begin drafting technical approaches for anticipated solicitations in Q1-Q2 FY2027.
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