SPECIAL NOTICE
B -- NOTICE OF INTENT TO PROCURE ON SOLE SOURCE BASIS
- Notice Date
- 1/14/2016
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- NAICS
- 541690
— Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Western Region Acquisition Division, 7600 Sand Point Way, Northeast, Seattle, Washington, 98115-6349
- ZIP Code
- 98115-6349
- Solicitation Number
- WAD-NFFP7100-16-00750
- Archive Date
- 2/13/2016
- Point of Contact
- Maria L Mendoza, Phone: (206)526-6671
- E-Mail Address
-
Maria.L.Mendoza@noaa.gov
(Maria.L.Mendoza@noaa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- NOAA's Acquisition & Grants Office, Western Acquisition Division-Boulder, intends to negotiate, on a sole source basis, under authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), with Biowaves Inc. to set up the NWFSC's two towed acoustic array systems array systems on the R/V Bell M. Shimada, and provide staff trained to use these arrays to acoustically as well as visually detect marine animals during a 21 day vessel survey off the Oregon, Washington, and California that begins 20 February 2016. The Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce (DOC), is a government agency charged with the mission of stewardship for living marine resources. The NWFSC provides scientific and technical support to NMFS for the management, conservation, and wise use of the Northwest region's marine and anadromous resources. Limited information is available on the winter distribution of endangered southern resident killer whales. A small amount of observational data suggests that the whales use the coastal waters of Washington, Oregon, California, and British Columbia during the winter months. Additional location data are needed to inform Recovery Plan data gaps and risk factors as well as inform Critical Habitat designation. The NWFSC has a critical need for ongoing continuity in the collection of this type of acoustic data. These data will be key to meeting mission critical requirements and mandates in the Southern Resident Killer Whale Recovery Plan under the ESA, and particular to meet our imminent Critical Habitat Designation revision deadline in 2016. Bio-Waves designed and custom-built the twin towed hydrophone arrays that the NWFSC has used on all its cetacean surveys since 2004. In 2012, a new array was designed and built with Bio-Waves staff involvement and this array was used on the 2013 survey cruise by Bio-Waves staff. In addition, the cetacean acoustical tracking system associated with these arrays requires a very high degree of skill to operate. Only the Bio-Wave's staff has the skills to effectively operate this system to track whales, particularly killer whales. Bio-Waves has trained their staff to specifically know how to use this acoustic tracking system and they have done so for all seven of our previous cruises from 2004-2015. It is critical that this system is fully operational from the time the survey effort begins, i.e., as soon as the ship leaves the harbor and that data are collected in a manner consistent with prior year data sets as well as NMFS standards for this type of data. Consequently, a highly skilled staff knowledgeable in the operation of the system is required. Similarly, a significant level of technical expertise is required to operate the array and monitor the tracking system in order to successfully "locate" the killer whales to collect the data required. In addition, very specialized skills are required to be to use the array to acoustically track whales without inadvertently losing them. The ability to be fully operational on all these aspects from day one is extremely critical given the limited number of sea days we have. Finally, in the event that the there is some type of system failure the Bio-Waves team has the expertise to repair the system. This notice represents the only official notice. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals and no solicitation package is available. It is the Government's belief that only Biowaves Inc. can seamlessly continue the work under this contract. However, firms that believe they can provide the services required in this project that fully meet the Government's requirements may submit substantiating documentation in writing to the identified point of contact within 15 days of publication of this synopsis. Such documentation will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct this procurement on a competitive basis. A determination by the Government not to conduct a competitive procurement, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the government. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice. Questions concerning this announcement must be emailed to Maria Mendoza at maria.l.mendoza@noaa.gov or faxed at (206)527-7513. This is a simplified acquisition.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/DOC/NOAA/WASC/WAD-NFFP7100-16-00750/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: SEATTLE, Washington, United States
- Record
- SN03992219-W 20160116/160115083223-bfa9f3eb96e088dd6aaac46f82dfc1a9 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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