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Welcome to Carpe Datum’s weekly newsletter, the Federal Data Prospector, the only publication of its kind dedicated exclusively to data and analytics companies that share our passion for serving the public sector. Our featured items begin with the Department of Agriculture's request for shipping rate data associated with vessels, cargo, and shipping lanes strategic to the export of US agricultural goods.
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Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Marketing Services (AMS), Transportation Economic Division (TED) — Ocean Shipping Data - US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agriculture Marketing Services (AMS), Transportation Economic Division (TED) has a requirement for timely access to creditable and extensive ocean shipping freight rate data which is used in its ongoing market reports and analysis. The contractor must be able to provide continual, impartial access to ocean freight rate data between multiple origin-destination pairs important to the export of US agricultural commodities throughout the year such that TED may track ongoing developments in specifc trade lanes, including the U.S. to Asia and Europe,as well as South America to China.
In other data news, on July 8th, Pacific Sun published an article entitled Big Data Is Watching and Corporate Media Doesn’t Care. In this story, Mischa Geracoulis describes how the U.S. government, in partnership with unregulated Big Tech firms and data brokers, is exploiting Americans’ personal data for surveillance—often without consent, oversight, or legal safeguards. The piece warns that the erosion of privacy rights, normalized through government overreach and corporate complicity, poses a fundamental threat to civil liberties in a rapidly expanding digital surveillance state.
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“After Musk’s call to 'delete' the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), approximately 1,400 staff members were fired in April, emptying out the agency that was once capable of policing Wall Street and Big Tech. Now, with the combined forces of government and Big Tech, and their sharing of database resources, the government can conduct intrusive surveillance on almost anyone, without court oversight or public debate.”
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The Carpe Datum Team
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Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Multiple Award Contract (MAC) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ)
Dept. of Defense
| The anticipated scope of the AMAC includes all unclassified AFRL-funded research and development (R&D) to include basic and applied research, data science and analytics, technology development, digital architecture, modeling and simulation, manufacturing and fabrication, experimentation and testbed development, integration and demonstration, and technology transition to military capabilities. | |
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Auto Insurance Symbol Grouping Data Update
Dept. of Labor
| The primary goal of this acquisition is to obtain a dataset that contains rating symbols and the associated financial data for a sample of automobiles selected by the PPI. The database and financial data must be refreshed on an annual basis to account for changes in symbol ratings for the introduction of new model year automobiles, as well as capture changes to the symbol ratings for automobiles that are three years old or newer. | |
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USDA - FAS Global MRL Database
Dept. of Agriculture
| The contractor shall build (if not pre-existing), deploy, and maintain a database of Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs), disaggregated by commodity, compound/substance, and country or market of destination. The database shall be accessible to USDA users at all times using a web-based portal; and the portal and the underlying information must be available to USDA personnel. | |
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Request for Information (RFI) - Subscription for Equipment Maintenance Database, Support and Services
Dept. of Defense
| The purpose of this acquisition is to procure a subscription suite of database services, including the Biomedical Preventive Maintenance (PM) Database, Cloud Document Storage, Facilities Maintenance Database, Surgical Instrument and Equipment Database, and Tissue and Implant Database. These services are essential for managing and maintaining critical healthcare operations, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards, and supporting the efficient tracking and management of biomedical equipment, surgical instruments, facilities, and tissue/implant inventory. | |
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Automated Solutions (Including Artificial Intelligence) for USPTO
Dept. of Commerce
| Response to questions provided. | |
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Financial Data Subscription
Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board
| Due date extended to July 15, 2025. | |
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Traveler Processing and Vetting Software (TPVS) 2.0
Dept. of Homeland Security
| Industry day confirmed for July 15, 2025. | |
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USSOUTHCOM J2 EDA IDIQ
Dept. of Defense
| Response date extended to July 21, 2025. | |
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Sole Source Award Contract to Poplicus Incorporated, DBA as Govini, for Data Mining Software as a Service
Dept. of Defense
| The Washington Headquarters Services, Acquisition Directorate (WHS/AD)...intends to award a sole source Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract to Poplicus Incorporated (doing business as (dba) Govini) for a continued, at-scale Data-Mining Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform that includes direct data access via licensing and expert data analytic services. The IDIQ serves as a contract vehicle to license the SaaS platform data, sustain current reform efforts, and procure the analytic capabilities needed to support the DoD’s business operations. | |
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Access to multiple Babel Street online applications. | |
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Notice of Intent to Sole-Source Analytical Program
Dept. of Homeland Security
| Vendor shall provide MIFC PAC timely and translated data and intelligence focused analysis tools. This work will provide an in depth overview of company structure and a situational awareness for newly revealed information in ongoing investigations. | |
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Combined Sources Sought Notice and Notice of Intent to Sole Source: Pitchbook Platform Subscription
Dept. of Commerce
| The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) CHIPS Research and Development (R&D) Office requires continued access to the Pitchbook venture capital and private equity market analysis tool platform which delivers data, research, and technology covering private capital markets, including venture capital, private equity, and mergers and acquisitions transactions. | |
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Real Estate Market Research Database J&A and Award Notice
Dept. of Housing and Urban Development
| HUD requires a comprehensive research database to support the review of Map Appraisals, rent comparability studies, and development of real estate market intelligence. HUD staff will utilize the data to evaluate loan and mortgage insurance applications. | |
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BlackSky signs Gen-3 early access agreement with existing Gen-2 customer in support of Ukraine
International Defense Agency
| Gen-3 satellites generate rapid-revisit, time diverse 35-centimeter imagery that enables automated identification and classification of a wider library of vehicles, aircraft, vessels and other objects of military interest, enhancing the value of BlackSky’s current Gen-2 dawn-to-dusk dynamic monitoring services. | |
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Maxar Nabs $205M in International Contracts for Defense and Intel Capabilities
International Defense Agency
| The services the company are providing include satellite imagery, and analytics such as object and change detection, which are part of Maxar’s new artificial intelligence-enabled Sentry solution for predictive intelligence, Linders said in an interview. | |
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Smarter Searching: NASA AI Makes Science Data Easier to Find | Without a common language for describing data, finding relevant Earth science datasets would be like trying to locate a needle in a haystack, blindfolded. That’s why NASA created the Global Change Master Directory (GCMD), a standardized vocabulary that helps scientists tag their datasets in a consistent and searchable way. But as science evolves, so does the challenge of keeping metadata organized and discoverable. To meet that challenge, NASA’s Office of Data Science and Informatics (ODSI) at the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama, developed the GCMD Keyword Recommender (GKR): a smart tool designed to help data providers and curators assign the right keywords, automatically. | |
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Transcom pursues AI to enhance patient movement ops and mass casualty response | MIT Lincoln Laboratory researchers are developing and demonstrating bespoke artificial intelligence and machine learning assets to enhance U.S. Transportation Command’s capacity to perform in contemporary operations, and ultimately prepare for future conflicts. | |
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ICE Is Using A New Facial Recognition App To Identify People, Leaked Emails Show | Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is using a new mobile phone app that can identify someone based on their fingerprints or face by simply pointing a smartphone camera at them, according to internal ICE emails viewed by 404 Media. The underlying system used for the facial recognition component of the app is ordinarily used when people enter or exit the U.S. Now, that system is being used inside the U.S. by ICE to identify people in the field. | |
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ICE Is Searching a Massive Insurance and Medical Bill Database to Find Deportation Targets | The news shows how ICE continues to try to leverage whatever data it is able to access or purchase as part of its deportation mission. The news also highlights the existence of the database, called ISO ClaimSearch, that many members of the public have likely never heard of, nor understand they may be included in. Traditionally ISO ClaimSearch is used by insurers to identify people committing fraud or police to recover stolen vehicles. Now, that database is being repurposed as a deportation tool. | |
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Smarter Spending: How Data Analytics Is Revolutionizing Public Expenditure Management | In an era defined by rapid technological advancement and data proliferation, public finance is entering a period of transformative change. Among the most promising developments is the integration of data analytics into public expenditure management (PEM). Traditionally, governments have relied on historical data, political judgment, and bureaucratic processes to allocate, monitor, and evaluate public spending. However, these methods are increasingly proving inadequate in a world that demands more efficiency, accountability, and responsiveness. Data analytics offers a paradigm shift—a move from intuition-based to evidence-based decision-making in the public sector. | |
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Inside efforts to capture federal data after ‘the big takedown’ | Days after President Donald Trump took office again in January, thousands of government pages with critical data were taken down as agencies rushed to comply with executive orders targeting diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, as well as what the administration calls “gender ideology.” That day activated a community, said Denice Ross, the government’s former chief data scientist during the Biden administration. She called it “the big takedown,” and since then, she’s been trying to track changes to government data moving forward. | |
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Fraud-Spotting Data Analytics and AI Could Close £6 Billion Black Hole In Government Finances | Keir Starmer’s government could recoup billions of pounds by using digital technology and AI to tackle rampant fraud across Whitehall, a new report by the National Audit Office suggests today. The disclosure comes after the Government was forced to drop plans to abolish the winter fuel allowance and cuts to disabled people, leaving around a £6 billion hole in Rachel Reeves spending plans. | |
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Unpacking the EU’s Digital Services Act Delegated Regulation on Data Access | The delegated act defines how online platforms must share data with vetted researchers and what information they, along with national authorities, must make public to support access requests. As part of the toolbox to unpack online platforms, Article 40 of the DSA sets the rules for data access: authorities can request data under 40(1), and to ‘vetted’ researchers (as defined in Article 40(8), under 40(4)), platforms must give researchers real-time public data under 40(12). | |
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AI is forcing the data industry to consolidate — but that’s not the whole story | “There is a complete reset in how data is managed and flows around the enterprise,” Dhillon said. “If people want to seize the AI imperative, they have to redo their data platforms in a very big way. And this is where I believe you’re seeing all these data acquisitions, because this is the foundation to have a sound AI strategy.” | |
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How AI And OSINT Can Help Rebuild Trust In Media | OSINT is a range of methods of gathering and analyzing publicly available data from sources like social media, websites, news reports and forums, aimed at separating facts from fakes. Here are five ways AI and OSINT can help rebuild trust in online platforms... | |
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Advancing digital investigations and intelligence through ethical, human-assisted AI solutions | A person’s online behavior — where they go, who they interact with and what they’re searching for — is critical to public safety agencies working to protect our borders. This data, lawfully accessed and analyzed during an investigation or mission, can help make life-saving connections in large-scale investigations such as narcotics or human trafficking networks. Yet it is a lot of data and sifting through all of it requires a modernized workflow. Enter artificial intelligence — always in lock step with human oversight. | |
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Opinion: How to Balance Learning Analytics With Data Privacy - Government Technology | The capacity of learning analytics platforms to collect troves of student data makes them both institutional necessities and liabilities. A handful of best practices can help colleges and universities keep them secure. | |
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How Kpler is Revolutionizing Oil Market Data: In-Depth with François Cazor | Today, OGU Host, Rory Johnston, welcomes Francois Cazor onto the pod to discuss the evolution of oil market data, the journey of Kpler from carbon markets to oil analytics, and the impact of real-time data on price formation. They explore how Kpler has flattened information asymmetry in the market, the expanding use cases of their data, and the challenges posed by recent market changes. | |
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From OMB to IRS: Danny Werfel on Making Reform Stick | This week on the GovNavigators Show, former IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel joins us to unpack the Trump administration’s rapid-fire push to modernize the IRS—and what gets lost when speed outruns strategy. Drawing on decades of federal service, including senior roles at OMB and DOJ, Danny reflects on his team’s detailed IRS transformation plan, contrasts it with today’s approach, and raises big questions about transparency, workforce cuts, and cybersecurity risks. | |
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The Federal Data Prospector is curated by Carpe Datum employees, and delivers fresh content about the intersection of the data and analytics industry and the Federal Government for businesses who want to start or grow their public sector practices.
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