Definitive Contract 1305M324C0027

F/V Last Straw LTD has been awarded a $2.77 million firm fixed-price contract by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), under the Fisheries Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, to charter a commercial fishing vessel for the agency's annual West Coast Groundfish Bottom Trawl Survey. This is a total small business set-aside contract with an ultimate completion date of April 30, 2029, representing the exercise of Option Period II. The work will be performed in Seattle, Washington. Under this solicitation, NOAA sought to charter one or more vessels between 65 and 109 feet in length capable of conducting scientific groundfish surveys, including towing specialized trawl gear, accommodating survey staff and equipment, and maintaining cruising speeds of at least 8 knots with the ability to lift codends weighing up to 20,000 pounds.

The contract supports NOAA's fisheries research mission by providing essential marine survey capabilities along the West Coast. The original solicitation, posted in March 2024, was structured as a one-year base period with four one-year option periods, with up to 47 survey days per contract period. Proposals were evaluated based on conformance to solicitation requirements, with award made to the responsible offeror whose proposal was most advantageous to the government. The vessel charter enables NOAA to collect critical biological and ecological data necessary for groundfish stock assessments and marine resource management in the Pacific Northwest region.