Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service, Procurement Operations Branch, MS2500, 381 Elden Street, Herndon, Virginia 20170-4817

A -- FLOWER GARDEN BANKS AERIAL SURVEY SOL RFQ-16135 DUE 072399 POC Dotty Quinn, Contracting Officer, (703) 787-1365 This notice is a combined synopsis/request for quotation in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 13. This announcement constitutes the only request; quotations are being requested and a written Request for Quotations will not be issued. This acquisition is a 100% set aside for Small Business. The Government estimates the cost of $20,000 to $28,000. This RFQ is based on funds not being currently available. Award will be made only if funds are available for this project. PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE NOTICE CAREFULLY AS IT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY NOTICE THAT WILL BE ISSUED. STUDY: The study will observe coral spawns released from the reefs at the Flower Garden Banks on September 3, 1999, and again on September 5, 1999, via aircraft remote sensing. The observations will detect the presence of coral spawn in the surface water surrounding satellite-tracked surface drifters deployed in the spawns. The objective is to differentiate between the water containing the spawn and the adjacent spawn-free waterin order to assess how well the drifters stay with the spawn. METHOD OF OBSERVATIONS: The observations will be made aboard a U. S. Coast Guard HU-25 Falcon patrol aircraft based in Corpus Christi, Texas. The aircraft will fly at an altitude of 10,000 feet and at a cruising ground speed of 200 to 230 knots. Two flights per day will be conducted over a five-day interval beginning September 3, 1999 and ending September 7, 1999. The observations will be made in the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum using a high-resolution, fast sampling, multi-filter digital camera with some kind of post processing of the digital images to enhance the contrast between spawn-bearing and spawn-free surface water. Auxiliary data will be available. The aircraft will simultaneously observe with its side looking radar (SLAR) and with infrared and ultraviolet, film-based (non-digital) cameras. In addition, a sample of spawn-bearing and spawn-free surface water will be provided for laboratory examination to determine the optical properties of the target spawn. This additional data may help with the post-processing of the digital images. The aircraft will be guided each day by updated, satellite-determined locations of the drifters and a special, on-board radio direction finder tuned to the frequency of the drifters" transmitters. SERVICES: Provide five full days of on-site observations, making two flights per day from the U. S. Coast Guard Air Station at Corpus Christi, Texas with roughly 1.5 hours of observation time per flight. The contractor must provide the equipment and one operator who will fly on the aircraft and operate the equipment. All travel, transport, and subsistence arrangements must be made by the contractor. The contractor will produce digital images using image processing software to maximize the contrast between spawn-bearing and spawn-free water. The images must be geographically located and time and date stamped. The contractor shall use the auxiliary data mentioned above to the full extent that it can help in the image processing. The contractor shall determine the reflectivity, absorptivity, and fluorescence of the spawn-bearing and spawn-free water samples. All the auxiliary data will be provided to the contractor at no expense to the contract. The contractor must construct an instrument mounting platform that will fit over the aircraft's "drop hatch", which measures three feet in length, two feet in width, and is four to six inches thick. The platform must accommodate additionally the antenna of a government-provided radio direction finder. The antenna measures five inches by five inches at the base and is 21 inches long. The aircraft can supply electricity at 120 Volts AC and up to 300 Watts of power, however, the electricity is likely to be noisy. The instrument platform shall be test-fitted on the aircraft sufficiently in advance of the flights to allow for any needed modifications. The contractor shall pay for all the transportation and modification costs of the instrument platform. All equipment shall beU. S. Coast Guard certified for safety and approved for on-board use prior to the flights. Directing the flights over the target area, deploying and tracking the drifters, and collecting and express shipping the water samples to the contractor's facilities shall be the exclusive responsibility of the government. The contractor shall have no responsibility to perform these functions or pay for the costs incurred. Nor shall the contractor be responsible for the operation of the aircraft or for any operating costs of the aircraft including fuel. DELIVERABLES: Items to be delivered at the end of the contract are the "navigated" digital images in some common computer image format (e.g. JPEG or TIFF) and copies of a report documenting the camera's imaging capabilities and the image collection and image processing methods used. Ten hard copies and one digital copy of the report in the WordPerfect or Microsoft Word format shall be provided. The digital images shall be delivered on CD-ROMs. Delivery of all these products shall be made on or before February 1, 2000. HOW TO RESPOND: In order to compete for this project, interested parties must demonstrate that they are qualified to perform the work by providing before 4:00 PM, ET, July 23, 1999, a brief Capabilities Statement and Cost Proposal. Capabilities Statement detailing: 1. key personnel (those who would have the primary responsibility for performing and/or managing the project) with their qualifications and specific experience; 2. your organization"s experience with digital optical remote sensing of the ocean from either fixed wing aircraft, helicopters, or balloons. The contractor will have all the remote sensing and image processing equipment and software needed to make the observations; and 3. past performance with specific references (including project identifier/contract number and description, period of performance, dollar amount, client name and current telephone number) for work of this nature that your personnel or organization is currently performing or has completed within the last year. Include any negative references and your rebuttal explaining your side of the story. All references will be checked to validate the information provided. The Cost Proposal must show labor, material, overhead, benefits and other costs to perform the work. Offerors shall submit an original and five copies of Capabilities Statements and Cost Proposal to Ms. Dotty Quinn, Contracting Officer, Minerals Management Service, Procurement Operations Branch, 381 Elden St., MS 2510, Herndon, VA 20170-4817. Your Capabilities Statement will be evaluated based on the following: 1. the skills, abilities, education, professional credentials and experience of proposed key personnel; 2. Equipment; 3. the experience of your organization, including number, size, location of projects, and complexity of similar projects completed by the proposed project team and your organization to determine your potential for success and contract award; and 4. the past performance of your organization, including adherence to schedules and budgets, effectiveness of cost control, the acceptability of previous products delivered, effectiveness of program management, and the offeror's willingness to cooperate with the customer in both routine matters and when confronted by unexpected difficulties. Following review of all Capabilities Statements and Cost Proposals received, an award will be made based on best value. The following provisions Federal Acquisition Regulations clauses are incorporated by reference: FAR 52.211-16, Variation in Quantity (APR 84), 52.213-1, Fast Payment Procedures (FEB 98), 52.213-4, Terms and Conditions-Simplified Acquisitions (APR 98), 52.219-6, Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside (JUL 96), 52.227-14 Rights in Data-General (JUL 87). 52.242-15 Stop-Work Order (AUG 89), 52.252-2 Clauses Incorporated by Reference (FEB 98). In accordance with FAR 39.106 the software shall be certified to be year 2000 compliant. Offerors can retrieve these clauses on the INTERNET at www.gsa.gov/far or obtain a hard copy of the clauses by faxing a request to Ms. Dotty Quinn on (703) 787-1387, or e-mail to dotty.quinn@mms.gov. Questions about this requirement must be in writing and submitted by fax or e-mail. Telephone inquiries are strongly discouraged. All inquiries must include the RFQ number, your full name, organization name, address, phone and fax numbers and be received before July 16, 1999, noon. It is the responsibility of the offeror to ensure the Capabilities Statement and cost proposal are received before the date/time shown above. Small Disadvantaged Business Regulatory Change Notice: The Federal Acquisition Regulation authorizes the use of price and evaluation credits in industries where SDB prime contractors and subcontractors have been underutilized. We ask that you inform your SDB subcontractors that they should contact SBA's Office of Certification and Eligibility at 800-558-0884 to obtain an application, or to log on to SBA/s Website (www.sba.gov.sdb). If you are an SDB prime contractor who is not SBA-certified, we also ask that you apply for certification. Effective October 1, 1998, certified SDB prime contractors were eligible for a price credit when bidding on Federal prime contracts. Effective January 1, 1999, prime contractors who subcontract with SBA-certified or self-certified SDBs are eligible for evaluation credits. Please note that prime contractors may continue to rely on self-certification of their SDB subcontractors through October 1, 1999. For solicitations issued on or after October 2, 1999, prime contractors must use SDB-certified SDB subcontractors in order to be eligible for evaluation credits. Posted 07/12/99 (W-SN352841). (0193)

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