1305M323QNFFM0129 FormSF18.pdf

REQUEST FOR QUOTATION

(THIS IS NOT AN ORDER)

THIS RFQ IS IS NOT A SMALL BUSINESS SET-ASIDE

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NF-FM7220-23-02019 1305M323QNFFM0129

WESTERN ACQUISITION DIVISION

CONTRACTS BRANCH

7600 SAND POINT WAY NE, SOU6

SEATTLE WA 98115-6349

AMANDA ROSSITER

AMANDA.ROSSITER@NOAA.GOV

Please See Continuation Page for Line Item Details

206 526-6043 ECOSYSTEMS SURVEYS BR /F/NEC22

NOAA/NMFS 166 WATER STREET

WOODS HOLE

02543-1026MA

AUG 18, 2023

AUG 18, 2023

FM722073

AUG 5,2023

Attachment Page

PAGE 2 OF 70 1305M323QNFFM0129

UNCREWED SURFACE VEHICLE TO SURVEY OFFSHORE WIND AREAS (THE BLOCK ISLAND

WIND FARM)

i) This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6 in conjunction with FAR Subpart 13.5, with as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued.

The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) intends to award one Firm-Fixed Price (FFP) contract for services of an Uncrewed Surface Vehicle to Survey Offshore Wind Areas (the Block Island Wind Farm), as described in the Performance Work Statement. All responsible business sources may submit a quotation which shall be considered by NOAA. The Government intends to select one contractor; however, the Government reserves the right to award no contract at all, depending on the quality of the quotations, the prices submitted, and the availability of funds.

ii) This solicitation is issued as a request for quotation (RFQ). Written quotes for RFQ number 1305M323QNFFM0129 shall be submitted on Standard Form 18.

iii) The solicitation and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition 2023- 04, dated June 2, 2023.

iv) This solicitation is 100% set-aside for small business concerns. The associated NAICS code is 541715. The small business size standard is 1,000 employees.

v) This combined synopsis/solicitation is for purchase of the following commercial services:

BASE PERIOD

CLIN 0001: Period of Performance shall be Time of Award through September 30, 2024; Quantity: 1 Lump Sum (LS); Provide documentation of survey logistics, overview of project supervision, and data collection in support of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC), in accordance with the Statement of Work and Capabilities Requirement (Attachment A) contained herein.

CLIN 0002: Period of Performance shall be Time of Award through September 30, 2024; Quantity: 1 Lump Sum (LS); Custom design, integration, and testing of scientific instruments in support of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC), in accordance with the Statement of Work and Capabilities Requirement (Attachment A) contained herein.

CLIN 0003: Period of Performance shall be Time of Award through September 30, 2024; Quantity: 1 Lump Sum (LS); Mobilization and demobilization of the USV in Woods Hole, MA in support of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC), in accordance with the Statement of Work and Capabilities Requirement (Attachment A) contained herein.

CLIN 0004: Period of Performance shall be Time of Award through September 30, 2024; Quantity: 20 Days (DA); Operations during 20 days of survey (24-hour, over-the horizon operations) in support of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC), in accordance with the Statement of Work and Capabilities Requirement (Attachment A) contained herein.

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vi) Description of requirements is as follows:

1. PERFORMANCE WORK STATMENT/SPECIFICATIONS

The contractor shall furnish the necessary personnel, material, equipment, services and facilities (except as otherwise specified) to perform the following Performance Work Statement/Specifications:

NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION

NORTHEAST FISHERIES SCIENCE CENTER

WOODS HOLE ECOSYSTEMS SURVEYS BRANCH

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

FOR THE

UNCREWED SURFACE VEHICLE TO SURVEY OFFSHORE WIND AREAS

1.0 General

1.1 Background

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC), Ecosystem Survey Branch (ESB) is the fisheries research arm of NOAA Fisheries in the region. The Center develops and conducts fisheries-independent surveys that provide data to fisheries stock assessments and ecosystem monitoring programs. The development of offshore wind areas (OWAs) in the mid-Atlantic and Gulf of Maine regions of the US continental shelf may significantly impact the ability of the NEFSC to collect data in these areas. Mitigating this impact will require the use of novel sampling and monitoring methods in the OWAs.

1.2 Objective

This requirement will support fisheries-independent surveys that provide required data for fisheries assessments and ecosystem monitoring by developing alternative methods to collect fisheries-independent data. This project specifically evaluates the use of an oceanic, autonomous surface vehicle (uncrewed surface vehicle, USV) for collecting data and implementing those data into fisheries management and ecosystem monitoring. In this request, we solicit 20 days of survey time that will be conducted in an existing offshore wind area (the Block Island Wind Farm) and in a wind area that is proposed and/or under construction.

Survey time is defined as 24-hour, over-the-horizon operations. The timing of the survey is flexible. The 20 days shall be continuous with dispensation for fueling and bad weather.

1.3 Scope of Work

This is a Non-Personal Service contract; the contractor shall provide all plant, trained labor, equipment, materials, USV supervision, transportation, permits, insurance, and data quality control necessary to provide for a 20-day survey using an uncrewed surface vehicle for the NMFS/NEFSC Woods Hole Ecosystem Survey Branch. Performance under this contract known as “Work”. Contractor shall be fully knowledgeable of all contract requirements and shall ensure Work is accomplished in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract in a manner that will promote and maintain a safe environment.

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The contractor shall be responsible for all logistical components of conducting 20 days of survey with a USV in multiple offshore wind areas. These components include:

● Provide documentation of survey logistics, overview of project supervision, and data collection.

● Custom design, integration, and testing of scientific instruments

● Mobilization and demobilization of the USV in Woods Hole, MA

● Operations during 20 days of survey (24-hour, over-the-horizon operations) see Attachment A for Capability Requirements

● Data transfer to NEFSC

1.1.1 The operator shall be a fully trained and authorized employee of the company that manufactures and distributes the USV and shall be fully knowledgeable of all contract requirements. Contractor shall at all times ensure work is accomplished in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract in a safe and professional manner.

1.1.2 Special Qualifications and Permits. Contractor shall ensure all required skill sets, and permits are obtained and maintained for performance under this contract.

1.1.3 Quality Control. Quality Control is the responsibility of the Contractor. In the event that data are transmitted to shore, the contractor shall provide these data to the government so that the quality of the data can be established during the survey.

2.0 Safety, Security, Fire Protection, Environmental Controls, Conservation of Utilities, and Compliance with Laws and Regulations.

3.1 Safety Requirements. Contractor shall take all necessary precautions to meet proper safety standards, and regulations of all local, state and federal codes and regulations.

3.0 Government Responsibilities:

4.1 Government Furnished Property, Materials, Equipment and Services (GFP/M/E/S). The government will provide overall scientific guidance for the surveys, such as survey design, trackline waypoints in a digital format amenable to the USV, survey timing, and survey location. The government shall provide encrypted portable hard drives (certified by NEFSC IT) for data transfer from the USV. The Government shall provide up to two Konsgberg WBT tubes, and at least two of these ES38-18DK, ES70-18CDK, ES120-18CDK, and ES200- 7C transducers. The Government shall provide services of the NEFSC’s R/V Gloria Michelle in the case of an emergency situation with the USV.

4.0 Contractor Responsibilities.

5.1 Contractor Furnished Property, Materials, Equipment and Services (GFP/M/E/S). Contractor shall provide all plant, trained labor, equipment, materials, supervision, transportation, permits, insurance, and quality control necessary to achieve the quality performance standards of the Work in this contract. Scientific instrumentation provided by the contractor includes a multibeam system that is capable of simultaneously collecting water column and seabed data, having swath and volumetric configurations, and data output in a format (e.g., netCDF4) that is available for reading by custom Python and Matlab computer software; and an ADCP with integrated single-beam echosounder, preferably the Nortek Signature500 or equivalent.

5.1.1 Contractor shall immediately notify the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) if discrepancies are discovered between the existing property conditions and those noted on the SOW.

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5.1.2. Contractor shall notify the COR immediately when it is discovered that the deliverable schedule will not be met to work together to revise the schedule as necessary. Contractor shall communicate with the CO and revise the schedule as necessary. Contractor shall not deviate from schedule without prior approval from the

CO.

5.1.3 Contractor shall maintain an adequate workforce trained to safely and satisfactorily perform under this contract.

5.1.4 Contractor shall ensure all employees and subcontractors are fully trained and have a full understanding of the statement of work task requirements; government will not provide instruction or oversight.

5.1.5 Contractor shall ensure all Contractor employees, and all associated subcontractor(s) are experienced in the type of work involved and familiar with the specifications of this contract. Contractor is responsible for damage to any Government equipment and supplies caused by Contractor personnel.

5.0 Specific Tasks.

Contractor shall be fully knowledgeable and skilled in the scientific disciplines required to successfully fulfill this requirement. Contractor shall perform the following tasks and provide the following deliverables:

Task 1 Description (CLIN 0001): Provide any documentation necessary for the development of a survey design, such as digital formats for transect waypoints, scientific communication with the USV, and data processing.

Survey data results shall be provided via Government furnished hard drives (reference section 6.3) to include documentation on data formats.

Task 1 (CLIN 0001) Deliverable: Documentation in electronic form (preferable) or, if approved by COR, in hard copy form. Documentation to include data acquisition and processing reports, data formats, and overall “post-survey” report describing operational and methodological details, successes, and limitations or issues encountered during the surveys. Method of delivery via e-mail or memory stick. Required no later than: December 31, 2023

Task 2 Description (CLIN 0002): Integrate government furnished scientific instrumentation as described in Section 4.3 into the USV and test and validate the performance of these instruments.

Task 2 Deliverable (CLIN 0002): Report on validation of instrument integration. Method of delivery via e-mail.

15 day prior to the start of the survey.

Task 3 Description (CLIN 0003): Transport the USV to the NEFSC dock in Woods Hole, MA and deploy into the water at the NEFSC dock. Test and validate all systems are functional in the water before beginning survey operations. Deploy and retrieve the USV at the NEFSC dock. Transport the USV offsite at the end of survey operations.

Task 3 Deliverable (CLIN 0003): The successful mobilization and demobilization of the USV. Required no later than September 30, 2024.

Task 4 Description (CLIN 0004): Conduct survey operations under the scientific direction of government personnel.

Maintain safe operations in close proximity to fixed structures such as wind turbines and amongst mobile vessel traffic such as turbine service/support vessels, recreational fishing boats and watercraft, and commercial fishing operations. Refueling operations dockside. See Attachment A for Capability Requirements

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Task 4 Deliverable (CLIN 0004): The successful completion of the surveys. Required no more than 15 days after the completion of the survey.

Task 0005 Description: Data transfer; Method of delivery via portable hard drives.

Task 0005 Deliverable: Required no later than September 30, 2024.

Performance Requirements Summary

The Performance Requirements Summary (PRS) plays an integral role in the administration of the task order. In addition to any applicable inspection clauses or other related terms and conditions contained in this contract, the PRS shall serve as a primary tool for inspection and acceptance of services as facilitated by the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). Evaluation of the Contractor’s overall performance shall be in accordance with the performance standards set forth in this PRS, and will be conducted by the COR. The PRS constitutes a material aspect of the contract and will not be changed or otherwise modified without prior written approval of the Contracting Officer.

The PRS establishes key elements of Contractor performance that represent “mission essential” service requirements, which are identified in the table below in the “Service Output” column. The “Performance Objective” column represents the standard against which Contractor performance will be measured in relation to accomplishment of the corresponding service output. The performance objective or “standard” describes the minimum acceptable level of service by the Contractor for satisfactory performance. The “Acceptable Quality Level (AQL)” column displays the maximum allowable deviation from the performance objective, which, if exceeded, evokes the negative incentive specified in the table below.

Service Output Performance

Objective Acceptable Quality Level

(AQL)

Incentive/ Disincentive

Provide documentation for the development of a survey design, such as transect waypoints, scientific communication with the USV, and data processing.

Documentation is accurate and complete.

+/- 10 days of request Meets AQL: Timely payment, potential for exercising option periods.

Fails to meet AQL:

Withholding of invoice until rectified, negative past performance rating, may not be considered for future work

Integrate government furnished scientific instrumentation.

Instruments configured in USV as described in Task 1 and they acquire quality data.

≥ 6 dB Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for the acoustic data.

Meets AQL: Timely payment, potential for exercising option periods.

Fails to meet AQL:

Withholding of invoice until rectified, negative past performance rating, may not be considered for future work

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Transport the USV to and from the NEFSC dock in Woods Hole, MA and deploy and recover into/out of the water at the NEFSC dock.

Safely deploy and recover the USV

Minimal damage to the USV and NEFSC facilities.

Meets AQL: Timely payment, potential for exercising option periods.

Fails to meet AQL:

Withholding of invoice until rectified, negative past performance rating, may not be considered for future work

Conduct survey operations under the scientific direction of government personnel.

Maintain safe operations in close proximity to fixed structures such as wind turbines and amongst mobile vessel traffic such as turbine service/support vessels, recreational fishing boats and watercraft, and commercial fishing operations

≤ 5% error rate Meets AQL: Timely payment, potential for exercising option periods.

Fails to meet AQL:

Withholding of invoice until rectified, negative past performance rating, may not be considered for future work

Transfer data to the NEFSC

Transfer data via government furnished hard drives

+/- 5 days of request Meets AQL: Timely payment, potential for exercising option periods.

Fails to meet AQL:

Withholding of invoice until rectified, negative past performance rating, may not be considered for future work

PAGE 8 OF 70 1305M323QNFFM0129

ATTACHEMENT A

Capability Requirements

Uncrewed Surface Vehicle (USV) for

Offshore Wind Area (OWA) Acoustic Surveys

1. Overview

Conduct surveys of OWAs using an uncrewed surface vehicle (USV) that has the capabilities to work in an autonomous mode to execute survey instructions while remotely supervised. Keys for survey operations are:

● USV Speed – The USV must be capable of maintaining a consistent survey speed. Expected survey speeds will be 6-10 kts.

● USV Endurance – The USV must be capable of data collection and operations at survey speeds for 5-7 days to minimize recovery and deployments for refueling or data transfer.

● Communications – Reliable communications links are required for command and control of the USV and to monitor data collection. Both line-of-sight and over-the-horizon communications are required.

● Maritime safety – The USV must broadcast its presence to mariners. It must have the capability of detecting other vessels and deconflicting meeting and crossing situations in accordance with prevailing law.

● Emergency procedures – The USV must have redundant safety measures, for example stopping motion and beginning secondary signaling in the event of communication loss.

● Deployment and Recovery – A system to deploy and recover the USV from dockside facilities in a safe and efficient manner.

2. Operational and Technical Requirements

2.1. NOAA requires a model of a commercially available system that has been produced and routinely operated (NOAA Readiness Level 9 per NAO 216-105B) in at least one of the required scenarios (hydrographic and/or fisheries acoustic survey), as immediate implementation into operational scenarios is expected. The vendor must have produced at least three (3) USVs of the same model that have entered operational use. A multibeam and a split-beam fisheries echosounder must have been successfully integrated with the vehicle.

2.2. Required commercial system - vendor must provide one USV, with outfitting, necessary modifications, and accessories as specified in this statement of requirements.

2.3. USV shall include a placard within the hull indicating model and hull number.

2.4. OWA surveys will require the USV to execute pre-programmed survey instructions and require the

USV to operate over-the-horizon from a shore-based facility, so the USV must have satellite communications that permit command and control and data monitoring from the host ship or a shore-based facility.

2.5. The USV shall be capable of safe maneuvering within 20 m of fixed structures, such as wind turbines.

2.6. The USV shall be capable of safe maneuvering amongst mobile vessels such as support/supply vessels, recreational fishing boats and watercraft, and commercial fishing operations.

2.7. The USV shall be capable of measuring calibrated acoustic backscatter at 38, 70, 120, and 200 kHz using split-beam scientific echosounders equivalent to those used on NOAA ships.

2.8. The echo-sounder transducers shall be mounted at a depth of greater than 1.5 meters to reduce the influence of acoustic attenuation by near-surface bubbles.

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2.9. USV Operational Thresholds - Operational thresholds include considerations for endurance and the operational environment.

2.9.1. Endurance:

11 kts - 40 hr minimum acceptable 7 kts - 160 hr endurance minimum

2.9.2. Survey Operational Tempo (including launch and recovery, maintenance): > 4500 linear nautical miles for 30 days

2.9.3. Transit speed: greater than 12 kts

2.9.4. Survey speed capabilities:

12 kts in calm water 11 kts in sea state 3 6-8 kts in sea state 4 The actual survey speed will be determined before each survey and will be estimated based on required coverage and power supply capabilities.

2.9.5. Survey Operations Visibility Thresholds: Capable of surveying during periods of reduced/minimal visibility, category 1 (per WMO Table 4300: Horizontal visibility)

2.10. The USV must be able to be reconfigured for additional shipping after initial delivery and deployment.

2.11. USV Modes of Operation: The USV system shall be capable of operating and transitioning between, at a minimum, two distinct modes:

2.11.1. Remote: The USV system is being controlled by a remote operator.

2.11.2. Supervised Autonomous Control: The USV system executes preplanned missions and governs its own actions with the capability to accept operator intervention to update a planned or executed action.

2.12. USV Situational Awareness – The USV system shall be capable of gathering comprehensive situational awareness information of the operational environment (outside the vehicle) and vehicle health / status (inside the vehicle). The situational awareness system shall:

2.12.1. Provide information for integration with the mission autonomy system.

2.12.2. Include a basic GNSS and heading navigation system capable of guiding the vessel if the survey navigation system is unavailable.

2.12.3. Include a camera system that provides a 360-degree view from the exterior of the USV.

2.12.4. The system shall be capable of imaging objects ahead of the USV (vessels, buoys, marine mammals, floating debris) and providing actionable information to the USV operator.

2.12.5. Provide Radar, AIS, and two-way marine VHF radio communication to detect and respond to the presence of other vessels.

2.12.6. Through sensor fusion from 2.10.3 and 2.10.4, the system must achieve compliance with

Rule 5 [“Lookout by sight and sound”] set forth in COLREGS (Also known in the US as “The Amalgamated International & U.S. Navigation Rules”).

2.12.7. Provide information from critical mechanical components of the USV.

2.12.8. Provide information for remote supervision.

2.13. USV Autonomy – The USV system shall achieve advanced levels of autonomy and shall include:

2.13.1. A collision and grounding avoidance system to detect, report, and avoid hazards above and below the USV waterline during all operational conditions with resultant maneuvers and indicators that are compliant with international maritime regulations (e.g. 72 COLREGS, rules 11-19).

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2.13.2. It is desired to have the system capable of executing mission maneuvers based on situational awareness information, previously achieved mission objectives and data coverage, or the potential to add this functionality with a software upgrade.

2.13.3. The capability of simulating autonomous behaviors for observation and troubleshooting.

2.13.4. The capability of supporting integration of additional, government-developed autonomous behaviors.

2.14. USV Command and Control Interface – The USV system shall include a command and control interface that:

2.14.1. Provides a physical controller that can wirelessly give manual control direction to the USV from a human operator, able to be used in any location at the dockside facility. This controller must connect directly to the USV via a dedicated communications channel with an option for connection via other network systems.

2.14.2. Supports control and monitoring of multiple USVs in a single instance.

2.14.3. Contains functionality for starting, restarting, and stopping the vehicle engine.

2.14.4. Displays USV position graphically on a plan-view map with a default chart underlay.

2.14.5. The ability to optionally display user-loaded map layers from Geotiff, BAG, ESRI

Shapefiles, and GeoPackages. Radar returns, targets and AIS targets must be displayed as a configurable overlay on the map.

2.14.6. Displays time-series plots of user-selected data streams.

2.14.7. Provides both visual and audible alarms with user-configurable conditions for alarm and reset.

2.14.8. Provides piloting capability through a GUI display.

2.14.9. Provides a templated menu of common survey patterns that may be easily placed/drawn on a map, configured for parameters such as vessel speed, inter-line spacing, line length, as appropriate, and assembled into a larger mission. These survey patterns should include, at a minimum, parallel-transect survey, expanding box search, sliding box search, orbit, and spiral.

2.14.10. Demonstrates reduction of supervisory manpower requirements, requiring only indirect supervision to achieve mission objectives.

2.14.11. Provides interface for third-party software to interact via Robotics Operating System (ROS);

trusted applications may be granted permission to direct vessel behavior.

2.15. Data Logging – The USV and Command and Control Interface shall have comprehensive data logging capability both aboard the vessel and at the operator’s station having the following characteristics:

2.15.1. A User configuration for data fields to be logged, and the log rate of full or decimated intervals by log type.

2.15.2. Use of SI units with the possible exception of geographic coordinates (Latitude and Longitude) and other common maritime units.

2.15.3. Time stamping of all log entries with better than 1-ms precision with clocks synchronized to UTC within 100 ms.

2.15.4. On the USV, the ability to log full 3D position, orientation and speed of the USV, rudder and thrust commands, vehicle state/mode of operation, engine data, camera imagery and all emergency and warning conditions. At the operator station, operator vessel position, speed and heading, telemetered commands, received vehicle state, position, speed and orientation, and received emergency and warning conditions.

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2.15.5. Log files shall have a published format specification and be machine interpretable without proprietary software.

2.15.6. Tools for plotting time-series logs.

2.16. Communications – The system shall include USV and host platform communication infrastructure to support both line-of-sight and over-the-horizon satellite communications for command and control and data monitoring.

2.16.1. Line-of-sight communications shall be achieved up to a range of at least 10 km. Both systems must provide adequate bandwidth to provide telemetry for full situational awareness, vehicle control, and monitoring and control of survey systems at the 10 km range.

2.16.2. Over-the-horizon monitoring shall permit full assessment of vehicle status, including control and monitoring of survey systems and data quality indicators.

2.16.3. Manual vehicle control and systems monitoring must be possible while the USV is alongside a host ship or at the dock.

2.17. Safety

2.17.1. USV supervised autonomous control must include capability to hold station in current or operator-selected location.

2.17.2. USV must have user-selectable behaviors upon communications loss, including at a minimum returning to a specified location or holding station.

2.17.3. Mechanical actuation of engine throttle shall be self-zeroing on loss of electrical power or control signal to the actuator.

2.17.4. USV shall have capability to halt all operations (“kill switch”) through human accessible triggering mechanism while underway.

2.17.5. USV shall have features to maintain system integrity in emergency situations such as bilge pumps, fire suppression and compartmentalization.

2.17.6. USV provides sufficient radar cross section for detection by standard maritime systems at a distance of at least 2 nautical miles.

2.17.7. USV provides lighting and sound signal capability compliant with COLREGS applicable to a vessel of its dimensions.

2.18. Power System and Propulsion

2.18.1. If a fuel-based propulsion and/or power generation system is used, it must be capable of operating with marine diesel fuel.

2.18.2. Clean, pure sine wave AC power and regulated DC power shall be provided for survey systems including a UPS or other battery backup to provide continuous power to all onboard systems for at least 10 minutes. Electrical voltage monitoring shall be provided for all subsystems and charging systems.

2.18.3. During normal operations, USV must be capable of continuously supplying power to all onboard systems for the endurances specified in Section 2.9.1 (Endurance).

2.18.4. Battery-powered operation must enable emergency communication and location alert functionality for at least 1 week upon loss of power generation capability.

2.18.5. Ability to remotely cycle power to individual survey systems including sonars, position, and orientation system, computer(s), with at least eight (8) separately controllable busses shall be provided.

2.18.6. External “shore” power connection must have an IP66 or better external connector and be capable of powering all onboard systems and charging system batteries from a low state.

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2.19. Survey Systems – The USV shall include an integrating survey sensor suite to support seabed and water-column acoustic surveys.

2.19.1. The USV shall be equipped with a multibeam capable of swath and volumetric configurations, and Government furnished Kongsberg fisheries echosounders (reference SOW Section 6.3) with downward facing transducers mounted at a depth of >1.5 m (ES38- 18DK, ES70-18CDK, ES120-18CDK, and ES200-7C), and sufficient EK80 echosounder transceivers (four 4-channel transceivers) to simultaneously operate all transducers in split-beam operation (EK80 WBT-tubes). Transducers must be installed in a protrusion extending >1.5 m from the hull to minimize bubble sweep down.

2.19.2. Fisheries and bathymetric echosounders must be capable of synchronization such that simultaneous data collection is possible without interference.

2.19.3. The USV is to be instrumented with an integrated system for positioning and orientation capable of ≥0.02° heading, roll, and pitch accuracy and 5% RMS real-time heave accuracy. IMU must be rigidly connected to sonar transducers.

2.19.4. USV must provide a system capable of measuring a salinity, temperature and pressure (CTD) profile through the water column to a depth of > 80 m, and transferring this data to the sonar systems during operation.

2.19.5. A continuous surface sound speed sensor must be installed within 10 cm vertically and within 1 m horizontally from the multibeam receiver. This must be capable of reporting values to the multibeam sonar system in real time.

2.19.6. The USV must provide a user interface to allow for remote control of scientific instruments and real-time monitoring of data acquisition from the multibeam and fisheries echosounders.

Ability to remotely configure all system parameters must be possible; this can be through presentation of the manufacturer interface. User interface must permit monitoring of data quality over all communication methods including over the horizon.

2.19.7. USV shall contain user replaceable, redundant to single drive failure, solid state data storage capacity of at least 4 TB, and provide capacity for all internally logged system data per section 2.9 for at least 20 days. High-speed data transfer (>= 1 Gbps) capability must be provided over an IP66 or better wired connection.

2.19.8. Survey system electronics and computers must be physically accessible.

2.20. Warranty and Support

2.20.1. The contractor is responsible for all warranty and support services.

2.20.2. The contractor is responsible for all repairs, maintenance, and parts.

2.20.3. The contractor is responsible for all software and hardware updates.

2.20.4. The contractor is responsible for all technical support.

---End of Performance Work Statement---

vii) Acceptance of all Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs) will take place via email with the COR receiving the deliverables for (CLIN) 0001, 1002 and 0005.

viii) The provision at FAR 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors – Commercial Products and Commercial Services (MAR 2023) and addenda apply to this acquisition.

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ADDENDUM TO FAR 52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS – COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS

AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES

ADDITIONAL QUOTE PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS:

Quotations are due no later than 2:00 PM Eastern Standard Time on August 18, 2023, and shall be submitted via email to the Contract Specialist – Amanda Rossiter (amanda.rossiter@noaa.gov) and the Contracting Officer – Carina Topasna (carina.topasna@noaa.gov)

Offerors shall submit all attachments with complete information which clearly and concisely relates to the evaluation criteria in SOLICITATION PROVISIONS, FAR 52.212-2 EVALUATION – COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES (NOV 2021), specifically addressing the following:

(a) General Instructions

NOTICE TO OFFERORS: Instructions for submitting offers under this solicitation must be followed.

Failure to provide all information may result in the offer being considered non-responsive. Offers that are non-responsive may be excluded from further evaluation and rejected without further notification to the offeror.

(1) The offer must be prepared in two parts: A technical quote and a business/price quote. Each of the parts shall be separate and complete in itself so that evaluation of one may be accomplished independently from evaluation of the other. The technical quote must not contain reference to price; however, adequate information must be contained in the technical quote so that the offeror’s technical approach is sufficiently detailed to provide a clear and concise presentation that addresses all contract requirements and demonstrates a clear understanding of the requirements.

(2) The technical quote should be typed, double-spaced, with one inch margins, using Times New Roman size 11-font or equivalent. The technical quote shall be no more than 20 pages, including all tables and graphics but excluding resumes, index/appendices and past performance references. Picture submissions shall not exceed 20 pages and video submissions should be no more than 10 minutes in duration. There is no size limitation for business/price quotes.

(3) The offeror shall submit:

a. Technical Quote: One (1) copy, electronic required.

b. Business/Price Quote: One (1) copy, electronic required.

Each part shall be clearly marked by title. There is no page limitation for the price quote.

(4) The Government will evaluate quotes in accordance with the provisions set forth in this section and with the evaluation criteria stated below.

(5) The Offerors shall identify and explain any exceptions or deviations taken to any part of the solicitation or conditional assumptions made with respect to the technical requirements of the solicitation. Offerors should note that taking exceptions to the Government’s requirements may indicate an unwillingness or inability to perform the contract, and the quote may be evaluated as such.

(b) Technical Quote Vendors shall submit the following in their technical quote:

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(1) Technical capability of the item offered to meet the Government requirement:

The quote shall demonstrate the offeror´s organization and plan for successfully executing the Performance Work Statement including demonstration of:

Evaluation Factor 1—Uncrewed Surface Vehicle (USV) Characteristics: technical specifications needed to determine the USV’s ability to conduct the survey and ability to meet the requirements of the Statement of Work efficiently and safely is required.

In the technical proposal, offerors shall provide information and documentation in sufficient detail to clearly identify qualifications to meet the requirements as stated in Attachment A of the Performance Work Statement.

Manufacturer’s names and model numbers shall be stated where applicable. A complete explanation shall be provided where information is unavailable or not applicable. If an offeror proposes to supply equipment for the contract that they do not currently have, they must provide the specifics of the equipment such as the make, model and expected delivery time of the item, in order for the equipment to be considered in the evaluation of their proposal. Schematics and/or drawings of the scientific instrumentation configuration are required.

Evaluation Factor 2—Experience Operating Their USV in and Around Offshore Wind Areas: The offerors shall provide information and documentation as to their ability to autonomously operate their USV in offshore wind areas that have fixed structures such as wind turbines, as well as mobile vessels such as recreational fishing and commercial supply vessels. Documentation on obstacle avoidance procedures and emergency procedures in the case of lost communications and emergency situations is required. Pictures, videos, or on-line media will also be considered in the evaluation.

Offerors proposing more than one USV must submit a separate proposal for each USV.

Evaluation Factor 3—Operational Details: The offerors shall provide information and documentation as to operational details of deploying, recovering, and monitoring of their USV before, during, and after the survey.

Information shall include facilities required, internet communication needs, logistical details, equipment requirements, and personnel requirements. Information shall detail what facilities, internet communications, equipment, and personnel are required from the Government for deploying, recovering, and monitoring their USV before, during, and after the survey.

Evaluation Factor 4–Past Performance: The offer must include specific contract references and clearly address recently completed and related, relevant contracts (both Government and non-Government), subcontracts, and grants. The offeror should include the name of the customer, including contracting agency, address, and phone number; contract number, type of contract, and dollar value; date of contract, period of performance, and place of performance; and a brief description of contract work scope and responsibilities. Attachment 10, Past Performance Questionnaire, is included for your use. Provide questionnaires to all customers under similar or related contracts performed or currently being performed for at least one survey in an offshore wind area. Include any letters or reports of work performance completed provided by a contracting agency on quality of work performed prior to submitting Attachment 10 to customer references. Offerors should note that the Government may make use of past performance data from any available list of customers. It is the offerors responsibility to ensure that past performance questionnaires are completed and timely returned by the offerors’ customers.

Attachment 1 – Past Performance Questionnaire

Offerors shall provide a listing of customers to which Past Performance Questionnaire forms were distributed. The list must contain the firm's names, the representative to whom the form was provided, a telephone number of the contact and an email address. Your customers are requested to complete the Past Performance form and submit the form by fax or email directly to the Contracting Officer noted below.

NOTE: Upon completion of the form, the customer shall return it to:

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DOC, NOAA, Western Acquisition Division by email to:

Contract Specialist – Amanda Rossiter, amanda.rossiter@noaa.gov Contracting Officer – Carina Topasna, carina.topasna@noaa.gov

Please Note: Any Exceptional, Marginal or Unsatisfactory rating assessed by the customer on individual elements or overall rating assigned on the past performance questionnaire, shall include an explanatory narrative to be provided in the remarks block. These narratives need not be lengthy, just adequately detailed to support evidence of the specific ratings noted above. Failure to provide information supporting the assigned rating may result in a lower rating being designated than that assigned by the customer.

Offerors shall make every effort to ensure that forms are received no later than the submission date stated in the solicitation for the quote in order to be considered for evaluation of this factor. Questionnaires submitted directly by the offeror rather than by the customer may not be considered.

If an offeror does not have a history of relevant past performance, or if past performance information is not available, the offeror will receive a neutral past performance rating.

(c) Business/Price Quote Instructions

Business/Price quotes must adhere to the pricing structure established in the Price Schedule.

Any acceptance period entered on the quote form by the offeror shall not be less than forty-five days, which shall apply if no other period is offered.

The person signing the offer must have the authority to commit the offeror to all of the provisions of the quote, fully recognizing that the Government has the right, by terms of the Solicitation, to make an award without discussion if it so elects.

The Government expects that contract(s) will be awarded based upon adequate price competition. However, in order to determine that offered prices are fair and reasonable, the Government reserves the right to request that the offeror to provide price breakdowns to support proposed prices. Information to support unit prices should include, but not be limited to, the following:

(A) Salary/wage information with associated payroll expenses, for personnel to be used in performance of the contract;

(B) Cost for equipment, supplies, and consumable materials;

(C) A breakout of related support costs, such as equipment maintenance, rental, transportation, etc.;

(D) Overhead costs;

(E) General Administrative expenses; and

(F) Profit

NOTICE TO OFFERORS: Instructions for submitting quotations under this request for quote must be followed.

Failure to provide all information to aid in the evaluation may be considered non-responsive. Offers that are non-responsive may be excluded from further evaluation and rejected without further notification to the offeror.

1. Quotes shall be fully executed and returned on the Standard Form (SF) 18 and any acknowledgements of solicitation amendments on the SF 30.

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2. Submit quotations to the office specified in this solicitation at or before the time specified in the solicitation.

Email quotes are required and should be sent to Amanda Rossiter, amanda.rossiter@noaa.gov and Carina Topasna, carina.topasna@noaa.gov. Electronic/email quotes should be compatible with Microsoft Suite or Adobe. Due to size limitations placed on the NOAA email system, volumes of quotations may have to be sent in separate emails.

3. At a minimum the contractor shall provide the following information:

a) Point of contact name, telephone, and E-mail address.

b) Unique Entity Identifier

c) Acknowledgement of registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) database

d) Identification of Authorized Negotiators, including name, telephone, facsimile and E-mail address

e) Certification that Representations and Certifications have been executed by an individual authorized to legally bind the offering firm.

Offerors are responsible for submitting quotations, and any revisions, so as to reach the office identified in Block 5a of the SF-18 by the time specified in the solicitation.

The Government will not be responsible for any failure attributable to the transmission or receipt of the electronic information, including the missing of any deadlines that may be established by the process. It is the offeror’s responsibility to confirm receipt of any transmitted information.

PLEASE NOTE: Offeror(s) MUST submit pricing for each blank line item in the schedule. Failure to offer in this manner may result in the quotation’s rejection.

FAR 52.252-1 SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998)

This solicitation incorporates one or more solicitation provisions by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. The offeror is cautioned that the listed provisions may include blocks that must be completed by the offeror and submitted with its quotation or offer. In lieu of submitting the full text of those provisions, the offeror may identify the provision by paragraph identifier and provide the appropriate information with its quotation or offer. Also, the full text of a solicitation provision may be accessed electronically at this/these address(es):

FAR: https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far CAR: https://www.acquisition.gov/car

(End of Provision)

PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE:

FAR 52.204-7 SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT (OCT 2018)

FAR 52.204-16 COMMERCIAL AND GOVERNMENT ENTITY CODE REPORTING (AUG 2020)

FAR 52.204-21 BASIC SAFEGUARDING OF COVERED CONTRACTOR INFORMATION SYSTEMS

(NOV 2021)

CAR 1352.242-70 POST AWARD CONFERENCE (APR 2010)

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PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY FULL TEXT:

FAR 52.204-24 REPRESENTATION REGARDING CERTAIN TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND

VIDEO SURVEILLANCE SERVICES OR EQUIPMENT (NOV 2021)

The Offeror shall not complete the representation at paragraph (d)(1) of this provision if the Offeror has represented that it "does not provide covered telecommunications equipment or services as a part of its offered products or services to the Government in the performance of any contract, subcontract, or other contractual instrument" in paragraph (c)(1) in the provision at 52.204-26, Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services—Representation, or in paragraph (v)(2)(i) of the provision at 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Products or Commercial Services. The Offeror shall not complete the representation in paragraph (d)(2) of this provision if the Offeror has represented that it "does not use covered telecommunications equipment or services, or any equipment, system, or service that uses covered telecommunications equipment or services" in paragraph (c)(2) of the provision at 52.204-26, or in paragraph (v)(2)(ii) of the provision at 52.212-3.

(a) Definitions. As used in this provision—

Backhaul, covered telecommunications equipment or services, critical technology, interconnection arrangements, reasonable inquiry, roaming, and substantial or essential component have the meanings provided in the clause 52.204-25, Prohibition on Contracting for Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment.

(b) Prohibition. (1) Section 889(a)(1)(A) of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal

Year 2019 (Pub. L. 115-232) prohibits the head of an executive agency on or after August 13, 2019, from procuring or obtaining, or extending or renewing a contract to procure or obtain, any equipment, system, or service that uses covered telecommunications equipment or services as a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology as part of any system. Nothing in the prohibition shall be construed to—

(i) Prohibit the head of an executive agency from procuring with an entity to provide a service that connects to the facilities of a third-party, such as backhaul, roaming, or interconnection arrangements; or

(ii) Cover telecommunications equipment that cannot route or redirect user data traffic or cannot permit visibility into any user data or packets that such equipment transmits or otherwise handles.

(2) Section 889(a)(1)(B) of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019

(Pub. L. 115-232) prohibits the head of an executive agency on or after August 13, 2020, from entering into a contract or extending or renewing a contract with an entity that uses any equipment, system, or service that uses covered telecommunications equipment or services as a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology as part of any system. This prohibition applies to the use of covered telecommunications equipment or services, regardless of whether that use is in performance of work under a Federal contract. Nothing in the prohibition shall be construed to—

(i) Prohibit the head of an executive agency from procuring with an entity to provide a service that…