B08_140M0125Q0027.pdf

Solicitation No. 140M0125Q0027

SYNOPSIS:

PLEASE READ THIS NOTICE CAREFULLY AS IT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY NOTICE

THAT WILL BE ISSUED. This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice.

The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement

(BSEE), on behalf of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), is issuing the combined synopsis/solicitation for the project titled “Vessel and Remotely Operated Vehicles

(ROV) services to Support an Investigation of the Blake Plateau. The estimated period of performance for this requirement is twelve (12) months from date of award.

This procurement is being conducted in accordance with FAR Part 13.5, Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Products and Commercial Services, and FAR Part 12, Acquisition of

Commercial Products and Commercial Services. FAR 13.5 procedures are authorized for use as the estimated value exceeds the simplified acquisition threshold and the requirement meets the definition of a commercial service.

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this requirement is

334511, Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and

Instrument Manufacturing, with a small business size standard of 1,350 employees. This solicitation is being issued on an unrestricted basis.

The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through

Federal Acquisition Circular 2024-04 June 11, 2025.

All potential offerors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM)

(www.sam.gov) at the time of quote submission.

Responses to this solicitation must be submitted electronically via email to

Jennifer.Moreci@bsee.gov no later than the closing date and time referenced in the solicitation.

All email correspondence must reference “Solicitation No. 140M0125Q0027”.

140E0125Q0027

SECTION 1

PRICING

1.1 GENERAL INFORMATION

This acquisition is being conducted in accordance with FAR Part 13.5 – Simplified Acquisition Procedures for Certain Commercial Items and FAR Part 12 – Commercial Items. Under this Request for Quote (RFQ), the United States Department of the Interior (DOI), Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement

(BSEE) on behalf of Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), is issuing this combined synopsis/solicitation for the project titled “Vessel and Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV) services to

Support an Investigation of the Blake Plateau”. The North American Industry Classification System

(NAICS) code for this requirement is 334511 Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and

Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing.

1.2 CONTRACT LINE ITEM/PRICING

The specific details and description of the Contract Line-Item Numbers (CLINs) is described as follows:

CLIN Description

00010 Vessel and Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Services in support of an investigation of the Blake Plateau

The Contractor shall perform all work as outlined in Section 2.0 Statement of work.

$* Not to exceed ceiling

1.2.1 TIME AND MATERIALS CLIN

• This contract is awarded on a Time-and-Materials basis as authorized by FAR 12.207(b). The following payment provisions apply:

o Hourly Rates – The Government shall pay the Contractor for labor performed at the fixed hourly rates specified in Section 1. These rates are inclusive of wages, overhead, G&A, and profit.

o Materials – The Government shall reimburse the Contractor for materials (including travel if authorized) at cost without markup. Materials must be approved in advance by the

Contracting Officer or COR.

o Payment Procedures – Payments shall be made in accordance with FAR 52.232-7, incorporated by reference.

o Ceiling Price – The total payment under this contract shall not exceed the ceiling price without prior written authorization from the Contracting Officer.

• CLIN 00010 is a Time and Materials (T&M) line item with a period of performance from the date of award through 12 months thereafter that includes all costs required for performance, including but not limited to all personnel, facilities, equipment, materials, supplies, and services.

• The effort under CLIN 00010 shall be accomplished in accordance with the Statement of Work in Section 2. This is a Not to Exceed (NTE) CLIN. The contractor exceeds at their own risk.

• To assist the Government in assuring that efficient methods and effective cost controls are being used, the Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) in advance of significant changes (>10%) to labor hours, subcontracts, or material from its proposal, that arise during the performance of the contract

1.3 AUTHORIZED BILLING RATES

The following table contains the authorized supplies and services that may be billed under the task order. All unit prices are fully-loaded (i.e., inclusive of all direct costs, indirect costs, and profit/fee).

Labor Category or Supply

Category

Unit of

Measure Base Period OP1 OP2

Project Manager Hour $TBD* $TBD* $TBD*

Sr. Consultant Hour $TBD* $TBD* $TBD*

Consultant Hour $TBD* $TBD* $TBD*

Jr. Consultant Hour $TBD* $TBD* $TBD*

These are SAMPLE labor categories. The offeror shall provide the labor categories and dollar amounts in the price quotation. The services and supplies contained in table above is for illustrative purposes only and will change based upon the labor categories and supplies quoted in the successful offeror’s quotation.

1.4 AFFORDABILITY STATEMENT

The Government estimates the range for these services to be between $550,000.00 and $600,000.00.

SAMPLE ONLY

SECTION 2.0

STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

Vessel and Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV) services to Support an

Investigation of the Blake Plateau

(NSL MM-24-02)

2.1 BACKGROUND

Marine areas with mineral-rich hard substrates support benthic communities that may differ in their response and recovery from disturbances such as extractive activities. These areas can support diverse communities including some rare species, yet basic ecological information such as faunal composition, population sizes, distribution, and connectivity is lacking. A sufficient understanding of the ecological impacts of mineral extraction is constrained by inadequate observational and baseline data. While a few studies have monitored changes during seafloor mining demonstration activities, they were limited by a lack of knowledge regarding the local and regional seafloor environment prior to commencement of extractive activities (Jones et al. 2018).

This study will continue interagency analysis of an historic deep-sea mining test site on the Blake Plateau

(BP) in the U.S. Atlantic Ocean. Geological and mineral assessments on the BP began in the 1960s, leading to manganese nodule prospecting and extraction equipment testing activities by Deepsea Ventures, Inc. (DV) in 1970. In addition, there were dedicated geologic and resource assessments in the early 1980s by the USGS and partners. There is semi-quantitative information of nodule/pavement abundance, geochemical data, and other associated records obtained from DV and other published sources. DV published documentation about the systems they developed and utilized. The USGS also has seismic reflection data, deep tow camera images, samples (hundreds of pounds of nodules and sediments), and other associated records. This historical context provides a unique time series of seafloor disturbances, enabling assessment of disturbance recovery across a range of substrates and habitat types.

BOEM, USGS, and NOAA have been collaborating and planning for this joint study since 2018. On June

29, 2019 NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer performed a systematic multibeam survey surrounding the

“Deepsea Ventures Site.” This initial mapping effort enabled a return visit by the Okeanos Explorer in

2019 to conduct an 8-hour exploratory Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) dive guided by USGS and

BOEM input. The dive documented evidence of past activities including a “patio block” marker installed by the USGS and apparent seafloor disturbances from equipment consistent with the types of seafloor mining equipment thought to have been used in the 1960’s (see https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/okeanos/explorations/ex1907/logs/nov7/nov7.html ). This information was documented during a USGS-archival research visit to The Mariners’ Museum in Newport News, VA, where copies were made of historical documents detailing the site’s coordinates and historic activities.

USGS has recovered important data from internal USGS records (e.g., tow camera imagery of the seafloor) about their 1980’s fieldwork at the site and is reviewing this data.

In 2022, USGS, BOEM, and NOAA scientists contracted Ocean Infinity America to conduct a high-resolution mapping survey of the seafloor within the 50 km2 study area using a Hugin 6000 AUV (see https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/22seabed-mining/welcome.html). The survey identified widespread sea floor disturbance throughout the study area and many of the patio markers deployed by the USGS. These results are being used to develop a precise, cost-effective sampling plan for collecting in-situ samples using an ROV. We are seeking the services of a vessel and remotely operated vehicle to implement this plan.

2.2 OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study is to provide an ROV and vessel to collect and provide needed data to support on investigation of the Blake Plateau.

Specific objectives shall include:

1. Use a ROV to conduct targeted in-situ sampling on the sea floor and collected ancillary environmental data. (Able to operate at depths of up to 1,000 meters).

2. Deliver all collected data with appropriate metadata to the government project team.

2.3. SCOPE OF WORK

Vessel and ROV operations will be conducted within an approximately 20 km x 20 km area on the

Blake Plateau that was the site of historic mining activities. The contractor will collaborate and work closely with government scientists to coordinate the planning operation of the survey, collecting and processing samples and data. Targeted in-situ collection is needed of geological and biological data at locations in both the disturbed areas and control areas. It is expected that 11-days on site with a remote underwater vehicle (ROV) will be required to complete this work.

More specific methods and analyses planned are as follows:

Geological Components Seafloor collections: Samples of rocks, including crusts, nodules, pavements, and other lithologies hosting critical minerals, will be collected within the targeted areas.

Seafloor Morphology: High-resolution imagery and mapping over target environments will be used to quantify levels of disturbance from anthropogenic and natural sources and to provide information on the physical environment of undisturbed areas.

Biological Components Environmental Characterization: Water mass characterization (e.g., depth, temperature, dissolved oxygen, nutrients, particulate organic matter) will be conducted around targeted areas. Targeted collection of dominant megafaunal invertebrates (e.g., crustaceans, echinoderms, sponges) and sediment environments.

Population Ecology and Connectivity: Collection of eDNA water samples so that population genetics may be used to address connectivity among these systems and the adjacent seafloor.

Vessel Area, Timing and Duration of Operation

• This survey will be conducted on the Blake Plateau at a site located approximately 225 kilometers transit from Charleston, South Carolina.

• Project dates are approximately April to July 2026. Estimated sea days are 13 days comprising 1 day mobilization and 1 day demobilization, 2 days of transit and 11 days on site (up to 24-hour

ROV operations and 24-hour ship operations). The offeror needs to have crew and assets including a mission ready ROV available throughout this time period. Some scheduling flexibility is needed should the precise cruise dates need to change due to unsafe or unfavorable weather conditions. The offeror needs to clearly communicate such changes as far in advance as possible.

Offeror shall provide a vessel at their own financial risk and liability. Contractor would need to accommodate integration of and provide berthing space (including all usual associated costs such as meals) for up to 7 additional government science party members chosen by the government. The government science party would be in charge of mission science decision making such as guiding specific geographic site survey and target, selection and time spent at sites, type of instrumentation to deploy on ROVs, and similar scientific need-related decisions. The government science team will also be in charge of processing, handling, analysis and storage of all samples collected during the cruise. All vessel operations and safety at sea would be the responsibility of the ship operator. Scientific support for analysis of samples or data is not being requested as part of this contract.

Desired Vehicle Capabilities

The following capabilities are desired for the ROV that is needed to conduct this survey:

• Able to operate at depths of up to 1,000 meters.

• Endurance of 12-18 hours with full sensor capabilities operational

• Navigation – USBL with acoustic modem capability or LBL (if rapid transponder deployment and survey-in possible), IMU, and DVL/INS

• Speed – capable of operating in high current (2-3 kt) areas.

• Manipulators and payload sufficient to collect samples including water, sediment push cores, sponges, other megafauna, rocks, manganese nodules and sponges (see section C.3. Scope of work above).

• CTD and imaging capability such as HD,4K video or still photos.

• Capacity to store and preserve samples during cruise.

Desired Ship-Based Sampling Support Capabilities

• Provide related scientific sampling technical support (e.g. survey techs, science/lab space and management, preservation/storage services, etc.) to support government scientists.

• A ship-based CTD with niskin bottles for collecting discrete water samples and data at specific depths.

• Ability for opportunistic shipped based bathymetry (optional).

Desired Data Delivery Requirements.

• Post-dive corrected navigation, including time, position, depth and altitude recorded at least 1 Hz.

• Raw and processed from the ROV and vessel (track lines of the ROV, may include imagery)) data available during cruise to facilitate dive planning. The government already has high resolution bathymetry for the study site.

• Final data products delivered within 30 days of the end of cruise, including all necessary metadata.

2.4 TASKS

2.4.1. Task 1. Draft Survey Plan

The Contractor shall prepare a Draft Survey Plan (DSP) for submittal one (1) day prior to the Post-

Award Meeting. In the draft DFP, the Contractor shall clearly and concisely describe survey responsibilities, any proposed subcontracting arrangements, communication and coordination, record keeping, and scheduling of all tasks, subtasks, meetings, and deliverables. The Contractor shall discuss its procedures for managing the survey, criteria for assuring quality and acceptability of the deliverables, and details regarding the schedule and coordination of this project. The Contractor shall also discuss plans for ensuring successful completion of individual tasks on time, on budget, and of the highest quality. The draft survey plan must describe the area, timing and duration of the survey, scientific payload and data deliverables.

The Contractor’s Project Manager (PM) shall have sufficient authority to serve as the point of contact with BOEM and to provide leadership to the project team. The PM shall coordinate the execution of all tasks in the project and will be responsible for all deliverables, budget control and quality assurance for all products, compliance and adherence with the schedule of the task order, in addition to ensuring that all personnel work cooperatively to achieve the goals of the requirement. This project requires multiple interactions with BOEM to ensure that these research efforts will best meet BOEM’s needs.

2.4.2. Task 2.Final Survey Plan

The contractor shall submit a final survey plan at a date determined during the kickoff meeting. The

Final Survey Plan shall include adjustments and input provided by the government project team.

2.4.3 Task 3. ROV Survey

The contractor shall perform a survey with their vessel and ROV to collect the data and samples described in the section 2.3. Scope of Work.

2.4.4 Task 4. Delivery and Management of Data

Within 30 days of the completion of the survey all data collected from the underwater vehicle and vessel will be delivered. The data delivery shall include a concise report detailing the operations including survey calibration, parameters, operations, and data quality control.

With regard to data, the following specifications must be adhered to:

2.4.4.1. Formatting Requirements. All products generated by this task order shall be submitted in accordance with Section 2.4. BOEM report formatting specifications can be found at http://www.boem.gov/Environmental-Stewardship/Environmental-Studies/Environmental-Studies-

Program-Report-Specifications.aspx.

http://www.boem.gov/Environmental-Stewardship/Environmental-Studies/Environmental-Studies-Program-Report-Specifications.aspx http://www.boem.gov/Environmental-Stewardship/Environmental-Studies/Environmental-Studies-Program-Report-Specifications.aspx

Please see http://www.boem.gov/Environmental-Studies-Program-Report-Specifications/ for

Specifications for Reports, Specifications for Technical Summaries, Specifications for Mission

Statements, Specifications for Machine-Readable Deliverables, and the Federal Register Air Quality

Rule.

2.4.4.2. Access of Digital Reports by Individuals with Disabilities. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (found at 29 U.S.C. 794d) requires access to and use of information by individuals with disabilities. Deliverables such as digital reports (e.g. PDF files) to be placed on the web (either on the agency's web server or the company's), video footage, or other digital data such as CD-ROMs to be distributed, are subject to Section 508 guidelines. Simplified, this means that digital files need to be formatted so that they are "readable" by assistive technology devices such as screen readers.

2.4.4.3. Data Control and Utilization. The Contractor shall ensure all data are processed, stored, and can be made available as needed. The Contractor shall consider and include metadata for all data types and formats. For example, non-geographic metadata could include field and data analysis manuals. For geographic data, the Contractor shall conform to the Content Standards for Digital

Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998) as published on May 1, 2000, by the Federal

Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) or to any format that supersedes it as determined by the FGDC, https://www.fgdc.gov/metadata/csdgm/. Profiles and extensions to the standard that have been endorsed by the FGDC shall be used if they are applicable to the data or data products. The metadata records shall contain any and all elements, including those that are considered optional, wherever applicable to the data or data product. The metadata record shall contain sufficient detail to ensure the data or data product can be fully understood for future use and for posterity. The metadata records shall be delivered free of errors in both content and format as determined by the metadata parser (mp) program developed by the United States Geological Survey or an equivalent. The metadata and records will be subject to review and approval prior to the final acceptance by the

Government.

2.5 MEETINGS, REPORTS AND OTHER DELIVERABLES

The Contractor is responsible for editing and proofreading all material in order to prepare products as error free as possible prior to their delivery to the BOEM. All reports shall be written as non-proprietary, releasable by BOEM to the public either through posting on the BOEM webpage or by other means unless stipulated elsewhere in the contract.

The following deliverables shall be submitted and meetings held in accordance with the schedules specified in Section 2.6.

2.5.1 Post-Award Meeting Agenda and Draft Survey Plan (DSP) (Deliverable 1)

The Contractor shall attend a Post-Award Planning Meeting as soon as possible after contract award but no later than fourteen (14) calendar days after award. The Contractor shall provide a meeting agenda, Draft Survey Plan (DFP) that includes a plan on how all data will collected and managed to the

Contracting Officer (CO) and Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) at least three (3) days before the post-award meeting. The Contractor shall present the draft DSP, including the purpose of the http://www.boem.gov/Environmental-Studies-Program-Report-Specifications/ https://www.fgdc.gov/metadata/csdgm/ project, the scope, roles and responsibilities of the contractor project team, the deliverables, the risks, the assumptions, the planned effort, and a scheduled time frame for completion. No changes to the terms or conditions, deliverables, or schedule of the contract are authorized unless approved by the CO via a modification to the contract. This meeting will be held virtually.

Contractor shall provide to all participants the following documents:

1. Meeting agenda;

2. Draft Survey Plan for QA/QC of data collected, data reduction, and analyses procedures;

and

2.5.2 Post-Award Meeting Summary and Final Survey Plan (FSP) (Deliverable 2)

The Contractor shall prepare and submit a meeting summary detailing the discussions of technical and managerial issues and any mutually agreed-to decisions within two (2) weeks following the meeting.

The Contractor shall adhere to the FSP as reviewed by the government following the post-award meeting.

2.5.3 Final Survey Plan (FSP) (Deliverable 3)

The final survey plan shall include contain all of the items included in Draft Survey Plan (see 2.4.1Task

1) and provide adjustments and additional detail from working closely with the government science team.

2.5.4 Monthly Status Meetings and Summaries (Deliverable 4)

The Contractor shall host via teleconference Progress Meetings monthly with the COR and project team to discuss the status of the project, any issues that have arisen regarding the specific tasks or other requirements in this SOW, quality control, changes in personnel, budget, invoices, deliverables, or schedule for deliverables. These meetings shall allow for efficient communication of any relevant issues and shall ensure that the project is proceeding according to BOEM’s requirement. The Contractor shall be responsible for documenting the call discussion, including all BOEM decisions and action items for the project team. The call notes should not be a verbatim of the call, but instead capture high-level discussions via bullets. A meeting summary and monthly progress email shall be submitted within three

(3) calendar days of each meeting. The meeting summary shall include the following:

2.5.4.1 A summary, by task, of all work performed during the month and overall progress made against the schedule;

2.5.4.2 A summary of any significant technical, schedule, or cost problems encountered during the quarter, including an assessment of their probable effects on meeting contract terms and conditions;

2.5.4.3 A summary of any resolutions agreed to between contractor and BOEM regarding the issues or problems identified;

2.5.4.4 A list of all significant meetings held or other contacts made in connection with the project during the quarter, including a brief summary of the participants and subject, date, location, and outcome of each such contact or meeting; and

2.5.5.5 An updated project schedule, if applicable.

2.5.6 Conduct Field Surveys (Deliverable 5)

The contractor shall complete a ROV survey conducted targeted sampling of the study area within disturbed as well as surrounding undisturbed seafloor to serve as a control. The contractor shall follow the final survey plan (FSP) and collect all data as described in Section 2. All scientific samples will be delivered to the government science team.

2.5.7 Submission of Data and Metadata (Deliverable 6)

The Contractor shall submit all raw and processed data products collected during the survey including bathymetric data, seafloor acoustic backscatter or side scan sonar data, sub-bottom profiler data, digital imagery, environmental sensor data (e.g., turbidity, salinity, fluorescence, magnetometer data). Each data product will be supplied with metadata sufficient to describe data collection and post-processing steps.

The BOEM and designated reviewers, shall have at least (30) days to review the Data and Metadata.

The Contractor shall address all corrections, comments, and recommendations, and resubmit if needed.

Data shall be non-proprietary, releasable by the BOEM to the public either through posting on the BSEE webpage or by other means.

2.6 SCHEDULE AND DISTRIBUTION OF DELIVERABLES AND MEETINGS

The Contractor shall edit and proofread all material in order to prepare error-free products prior to their delivery to BOEM. Deliverable products shall be submitted to the addresses shown in Section 2.7 in accordance with the following schedule.

Item No. Deliverable Due Date Distribution

Post-Award Meeting

Agenda, Draft Survey

Plan(F.4.1)

Within fourteen (14) days of contract award

One (1) digital copy to the

CO, DES, COR, ESP,

USGS, NOAA via email.

2 Post-Award Meeting

Summary (F. 4.1)

Post Award Summary Within two (2) weeks of Post-Award Meeting.

One (1) digital copy to the

USGS, DES, NOAA, ESP,

CO and COR via email.

3 Final Survey Plan Final

Survey Plan (F.4.2)

At least 30 days prior to the field survey.

One (1) digital copy to the

USGS, DES, NOAA, ESP,

CO and COR via email.

4 Monthly Status and

Coordination Meetings and

Summaries (F.4.3)

Monthly via teleconference beginning from award. Summaries shall be submitted within three (3) calendar days of each meeting via email.

One (1) digital copy to the

USGS, NOAA, ESP, DES,

CO and COR via email.

5 Field Survey (F.4.5) To be determined One (1) digital copy to the

CO and COR via email.

6 Delivery of Final Data

(F.4.5)

Within 30 days of completion of field survey.

One (1) digital copy to the

CO and COR via email.

2.7 ADDRESSES FOR DELIVERABLES

Contracting Officer's Representative

[COR]

TBD

Contracting Officer [CO]

BOEM ESP Representative [ESP]

USGS Representative [USGS]

BOEM DES Representative [DES}

2.8 ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA

General quality measures, as set forth below, will be applied to each work product received from the

Contractor under this contract.

• Accuracy - Work Products shall be accurate in presentation, technical content, and adherence to accepted elements of style.

• Clarity - Work Products shall be clear and concise. Any/All diagrams shall be easy to understand and be relevant to the supporting narrative.

• Consistency to Requirements - All work products must satisfy the requirements of this contract.

• File Editing - All text and diagrammatic files shall be editable by the Government.

• Format - Work Products shall be submitted in hard copy (where applicable) and in media mutually agreed upon prior to submission. Hard copy formats shall follow any specified

Directives or Manuals.

• Timeliness - Work Products shall be submitted on or before the due date specified in this contract or submitted in accordance with a later scheduled date determined by the Government.

2.9 QUALITY ASSURANCE

The COR, or designated inspector, will review for completeness the preliminary or draft documentation that the Contractor submits, and may return it to the contractor for correction. Absence of any comments by the COR will not relieve the Contractor of the responsibility for complying with the requirements of this contract. Final approval and acceptance of documentation required herein shall be by letter of approval and acceptance by the COR. The contractor shall not construe any letter of acknowledgement of receipt of material as a waiver of review, or as an acknowledgement that the material is in conformance with this contract. Any approval given during preparation of the documentation, or approval for shipment, shall not guarantee the final acceptance of the completed documentation.

SECTION 3

GENERAL PURCHASE ORDER TERMS AND CONDITIONS

3.1 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance (POP) of the resultant contract is from date of award through twelve Months

(12) months thereafter. The POP shall encompass all tasks from initial planning through BOEM’s final acceptance of all deliverables.

This will be a one-time survey with approximately 11 days at sea, pre-survey planning and post survey data delivery. The survey is not expected to take 12 months; however, additional time may be provided via a contract modification if necessary due to possibilities in the ship not departing on time due to unforeseen circumstances such as hurricanes, storms etc., that could occur at departure time.

3.2 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

All work under this contract shall be performed at the Contractor’s facilities and offshore in the specified area of the Blake Plateau.

3.3 ADMINISTRATIVE POINTS OF CONTACT

The Contracting Officer (CO) for this effort is as follows:

Jennifer Moreci

Phone: 703-787-1218

Email: Jennifer.Moreci@bsee.gov

The Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) for this effort is as follows:

U.S. Department of the Interior

TBD AT TIME OF AWARD

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

Email: @boem.gov

Phone:

Email:

3.4 INVOICING REQUIREMENTS

Invoices shall be submitted monthly in arrears and will be paid in accordance with the Prompt Payment

Act through the Invoicing Processing Platform (IPP), in accordance with the instructions provided in

Section 3.4.1 below.

3.4.1 DOI-AAAP-0028 V04 ELECTRONIC INVOICING AND PAYMENT

REQUIREMENTS—INVOICE PROCESSING PLATFORM (IPP) (FEB 2021)

Payment requests must be submitted electronically through the U. S. Department of the Treasury's

Invoice Processing Platform System (IPP).

"Payment request" means any request for contract financing payment or invoice payment by the

Contractor. To constitute a proper invoice, the payment request must comply with the requirements identified in the applicable Prompt Payment clause included in the contract, or the clause 52.212-4

Contract Terms and Conditions - Commercial Items included in commercial item contracts. The IPP website address is: https://www.ipp.gov.

Under this contract, the following documents are required to be submitted as an attachment to the IPP invoice:

Documentation required by FAR 32.905(b)

Description of the materials and receipts/invoices

All travel receipts documenting actual costs occurred

The Contractor must use the IPP website to register access and use IPP for submitting requests for payment. The Contractor Government Business Point of Contact (as listed in SAM) will receive enrollment instructions via email from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRBSTL) within 3 - 5 business days of the contract award date. Contractor assistance with enrollment can be obtained by contacting the IPP Production Helpdesk via email IPPCustomerSupport@fiscal.treasury.gov or phone

(866) 973-3131.

If the Contractor is unable to comply with the requirement to use IPP for submitting invoices for payment, the Contractor must submit a waiver request in writing to the Contracting Officer with its proposal or quotation.

3.5 CONTRACTOR PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT REPORTING SYSTEM

(Dec 2015)

1) FAR 42.1502 directs all Federal agencies to collect past performance information on contracts.

The Department of the Interior (DOI) has implemented the Contractor Performance Assessment

Reporting System (CPARS) to comply with this regulation. One or more past performance evaluations will be conducted in order to record your contract performance as required by FAR

42.15.

2) The past performance evaluation process is a totally paperless process using CPARS. CPARS is a web-based system that allows for electronic processing of the performance evaluation report.

Once the report is processed, it is available in the Past Performance Information Retrieval

System (PPIRS) for Government use in evaluating past performance as part of a source selection action.

3) We request that you furnish the Contracting Officer (CO) with the name, position title, phone number, and email address for each person designated to have access to your firm's past performance evaluation(s) for the contract no later than 30 days after award. Each person https://www.ipp.gov/ https://www.ipp.gov/ mailto:IPPCustomerSupport@fiscal.treasury.gov https://www.acquisition.gov/sites/default/files/current/far/html/Subpart%2042_15.html https://www.acquisition.gov/sites/default/files/current/far/html/Subpart%2042_15.html https://www.acquisition.gov/sites/default/files/current/far/html/Subpart%2042_15.html granted access will have the ability to provide comments in the Contractor portion of the report and state whether or not the Contractor agrees with the evaluation, before returning the report to the Assessing Official (AO). Information in the report must be protected as source selection sensitive information not releasable to the public.

4) When your Contractor Representative(s) are registered in CPARS, they will receive an automatically generated email with detailed login instructions. Further details, systems requirements, and training information for CPARS is available at https://www.cpars.gov/.

5) Within 60 days after the end of a performance period, the AO will complete an interim or final past performance evaluation, and the report will be accessible at https://www.cpars.gov/.

a) Contractor Representatives may then provide comments in response to the evaluation, or return the evaluation without comment.

b) Your comments should focus on objective facts in the AO's narrative and should provide your views on the causes and ramifications of the assessed performance.

c) All information provided should be reviewed for accuracy prior to submission.

d) If you elect not to provide comments, please acknowledge receipt of the evaluation by indicating "No comment" in the space provided, and then selecting “Accept the Ratings and Close the Evaluation”.

e) Your response is due within 60 calendar days after receipt of the CPAR. On day 15, the evaluation will become available in PPIRS-RC marked as “Pending” with or without comments and whether or not it has been closed.

f) If you do not sign and submit the CPAR within 60 days, it will automatically be returned to the Government and will be annotated: "The report was delivered/received by the contractor on (date). The contractor neither signed nor offered comment in response to this assessment."

6) The following guidelines apply concerning your use of the past performance evaluation:

a) Protect the evaluation as source selection information. After review, transmit the evaluation by completing and submitting the form through CPARS. If for some reason you are unable to view and/or submit the form through CPARS, contact the CO for instructions.

b) Strictly control access to the evaluation within your organization. Ensure the evaluation is never released to persons or entities outside of your control.

c) Prohibit the use of or reference to evaluation data for advertising, promotional material, pre-award surveys, responsibility determinations, production readiness reviews, or other similar purposes.

7) If you wish to discuss a past performance evaluation, you should request a meeting in writing to the CO no later than seven days following your receipt of the evaluation. The meeting will be held in person or via telephone or other means during your 60-day review period.

8) A copy of the completed past performance evaluation will be available in CPARS for your viewing and for Government use supporting source selection actions after it has been finalized.

3.6 DIAR 1452.201-70 AUTHORITIES AND DELEGATIONS (SEP 2011)

(a) The Contracting Officer is the only individual authorized to enter into or terminate this contract, modify any term or condition of this contract, waive any requirement of this contract, or accept nonconforming work.

https://www.cpars.gov/ https://www.cpars.csd.disa.mil/ https://www.cpars.gov/

(b) The Contracting Officer will designate a Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) at time of award.

The COR will be responsible for technical monitoring of the contractor's performance and deliveries. The

COR will be appointed in writing, and a copy of the appointment will be furnished to the Contractor.

Changes to this delegation will be made by written changes to the existing appointment or by issuance of a new appointment.

(c) The COR is not authorized to perform, formally or informally, any of the following actions:

(1) Promise, award, agree to award, or execute any contract, contract modification, or notice of intent that changes or may change this contract;

(2) Waive or agree to modification of the delivery schedule;

(3) Make any final decision on any contract matter subject to the Disputes Clause;

(4) Terminate, for any reason, the Contractor's right to proceed;

(5) Obligate in any way, the payment of money by the Government.

(d) The Contractor shall comply with the written or oral direction of the Contracting Officer or authorized representative(s) acting within the scope and authority of the appointment memorandum. The Contractor need not proceed with direction that it considers to have been issued without proper authority. The

Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer in writing, with as much detail as possible, when the COR has taken an action or has issued direction (written or oral) that the Contractor considers to exceed the

COR's appointment, within 3 days of the occurrence. Unless otherwise provided in this contract, the

Contractor assumes all costs, risks, liabilities, and consequences of performing any work it is directed to perform that falls within any of the categories defined in paragraph (c) prior to receipt of the Contracting

Officer's response issued under paragraph (e) of this clause.

(e) The Contracting Officer shall respond in writing within 30 days to any notice made under paragraph

(d) of this clause. A failure of the parties to agree upon the nature of a direction, or upon the contract action to be taken with respect thereto, shall be subject to the provisions of the Disputes clause of this contract.

(f) The Contractor shall provide copies of all correspondence to the Contracting Officer and the COR.

(g) Any action(s) taken by the Contractor, in response to any direction given by any person acting on behalf of the Government or any Government official other than the Contracting Officer or the COR acting within his or her appointment, shall be at the Contractor's risk.

3.7 SECTION 508 OF THE REHABILITATION ACT

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (found at 29 U.S.C. 794d) requires access to and use of information by individuals with disabilities. A deliverable such as electronic reports (ex: PDF files) to be placed on the web (either on the agency's web server of the company's), video footage, or other electronic data such as CD-ROMs to be distributed, are subject to Section 508 guidelines. Simplified, this means that PDF files need to be formatted so that they are "readable" by assistive technology devices such as screen readers. Video footage must be closed captioned. CD-ROMs which contain HTML, PDF, or word processor files must be accessible. The contractor shall comply with the applicable Revised 508 Standards at the time of contract award in accordance with https://www.section508.gov/manage/laws-and-policies.

The contractor shall comply with the applicable Revised 508 Standards at the time of contract award:

https://www.section508.gov/manage/laws-and-policies.

3.8 PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS

3.8.1 KEY PERSONNEL

Certain skilled experienced professional and/or technical personnel are essential for accomplishing the work to be performed. These individuals are defined as “Key Personnel” and are those persons whose resumes were submitted and identified by the contractor as “Key Personnel”. The following individuals are considered to be essential to the work being performed under this purchase order:

NAME POSITION

TO BE COMPLETED AT TIME OF AWARD BASED UPON CONTRACTOR’S PROPOSED

KEY PERSONNEL

3.8.2 SUBSTITUTION OF KEY PERSONNEL

(a) The Contractor agrees to assign those persons identified above and who are necessary to fulfill the requirements of the purchase order as key personnel. No substitutions shall be made except in accordance with this clause.

(b) Personnel considered essential (“key personnel”) to the work performed under the purchase order shall be mutually agreed upon by the contractor and the Government and will be specified in the purchase order. During the first 90 calendar days of the purchase order, the Contractor shall make no substitutions of key personnel unless the substitution is necessitated by illness, death or termination of employment.

Prior to removing, replacing or diverting any of the specified individuals, the Contractor shall promptly notify the CO.

(c) All proposed substitutions shall be submitted to the CO for approval at least 15 calendar days in advance of the proposed effective date (unless substitution is necessitated by sudden illness, death, or termination of employment in which case notice shall be within five (5) calendar days of the effective date) and must provide the information as stated herein.

(d) All requests for substitutions shall be in writing unless otherwise agreed to by the CO and shall include a complete resume for the proposed substitute and any other information required by the CO to permit effective evaluation of the proposed substitution’s qualifications.

https://www.section508.gov/manage/laws-and-policies https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.section508.gov%2Fmanage%2Flaws-and-policies&data=04%7C01%7CRebecca.Kruse%40bsee.gov%7Cb5e81f456e0445595ba708d8a1134279%7C0693b5ba4b184d7b9341f32f400a5494%7C0%7C0%7C637436451378957549%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=ftygWjHqBgopu1gDbO5Vw0XteHPNSw%2BdXA1lWj0lHSM%3D&reserved=0

(e) Requests for substitution of “key personnel” above must also provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances necessitating it and sufficient information for the CO to evaluate the impact of the substitution on purchase order performance.

3.8.3 NON-PERSONAL SERVICES CONTRACT

This is a non-personal services contract, as defined in FAR 37.101. The Contractor personnel rendering the services herein are not to be subject, either by the contract’s terms or by the manner of its administration, to the supervision and control usually prevailing in relationships between the Government and its employees. Contractor personnel shall be subject to the direction of the Contractor’s Project

Manager as described in the section above.

3.9 CONTRACTOR’S QUOTE

The Contractor’s quote is incorporated by reference into the purchase order. Any inconsistencies or in event of a conflict between terms and conditions of the purchase order and the contractor’s quote shall be resolved by giving precedence to the terms and conditions of the purchase order.

3.10 FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION CLAUSES

3.10.1 FAR 52.252-2 CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998)

This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the CO will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at this/these address(es): FAR Clauses: https://www.acquisition.gov/far

CLAUSE TITLE

52.203-18 Prohibition on Contracting with Entities that Require Certain

Internal Confidentiality Agreements or Statements –

Representation (JAN 2017)

52.204-13 System for Award Management Maintenance (Oct 2018)

52.204-18 Commercial and Government Entity Code Maintenance (Aug

2020)

52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions—Commercial Products and

Commercial Services ALT 1-(Nov 2023)

52.227-14 Rights in Data—General (May 2014)

3.10.2 FAR CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY FULL TEXT

3.10.2.1 FAR 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or

Executive Orders—Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Jan 2025) (DEVIATION

FEB 2025)

(a) The Contractor shall comply with the following Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clauses, which are incorporated in this contract by reference, to implement provisions of law or Executive orders applicable to acquisitions of commercial products and commercial services:

https://www.acquisition.gov/far

(1) 52.203-19, Prohibition on Requiring Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements or Statements (Jan

2017) (section 743 of Division E, Title VII, of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations

Act, 2015 (Pub. L. 113-235) and its successor provisions in subsequent appropriations acts (and as extended in continuing resolutions)).

(2) 52.204-23, Prohibition on Contracting for Hardware, Software, and Services Developed or Provided by Kaspersky Lab Covered Entities (Dec 2023) (Section 1634 of Pub. L. 115-91).

(3) 52.204-25, Prohibition on Contracting for Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance

Services or Equipment. (Nov 2021) (Section 889(a)(1)(A) of Pub. L. 115-232).

(4) 52.209-10, Prohibition on Contracting with Inverted Domestic Corporations (Nov 2015).

(5) 52.232-40, Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Subcontractors (Mar 2023) ( 31 U.S.C.

3903 and 10 U.S.C. 3801).

(6) 52.233-3, Protest After Award (Aug 1996) (31 U.S.C. 3553).

(7) 52.233-4, Applicable Law for Breach of Contract Claim (Oct 2004) (Public Laws 108-77 and 108-

78 ( 19 U.S.C. 3805 note)).

(b) The Contractor shall comply with the FAR clauses in this paragraph (b) that the Contracting Officer has indicated as being incorporated in this contract by reference to implement provisions of law or

Executive orders applicable to acquisitions of commercial products and commercial services:

[Contracting Officer check as appropriate.]

__ (1) 52.203-6, Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government (Jun 2020), with Alternate I (Nov

2021) (41 U.S.C. 4704 and 10 U.S.C. 4655).

__ (2) 52.203-13, Contractor Code of Business Ethics and Conduct (Nov 2021) (41 U.S.C. 3509)).

__ (3) 52.203-15, Whistleblower Protections under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of

2009 (Jun 2010) (Section 1553 of Pub. L. 111-5). (Applies to contracts funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.)

_X_ (4) 52.203-17, Contractor Employee Whistleblower Rights (Nov 2023) ( 41 U.S.C. 4712); this clause does not apply to contracts of DoD, NASA, the Coast Guard, or applicable elements of the intelligence community—see FAR 3.900(a).

_X_ (5) 52.204-10, Reporting Executive Compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards (Jun

2020) (Pub. L. 109-282) ( 31 U.S.C. 6101 note).

__ (6) [Reserved]

_X_ (7) 52.204-14, Service Contract Reporting Requirements (Oct 2016) (Pub. L. 111-117, section 743 of

Div. C).

__ (8) 52.204-15, Service Contract Reporting Requirements for Indefinite-Delivery Contracts (Oct

2016) (Pub. L. 111-117, section 743 of Div. C).

_X_ (9) 52.204-27, Prohibition on a ByteDance Covered Application (Jun 2023) (Section 102 of Division

R of Pub. L. 117-328).

__ (10) 52.204-28, Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act Orders—Federal Supply Schedules, Governmentwide Acquisition Contracts, and Multi-Agency Contracts. (Dec 2023) ( Pub. L. 115–390, title

II).

_X_ (11) (i) 52.204-30, Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act Orders—Prohibition. (Dec

2023) ( Pub. L. 115–390, title II).

__ (ii) Alternate I (Dec 2023) of 52.204-30.

_X_ (12) 52.209-6, Protecting the Government's Interest When Subcontracting With Contractors

Debarred, Suspended, Proposed for Debarment, or Voluntarily Excluded. (Jan 2025)

( 31 U.S.C. 6101 note).

https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.203-19#FAR_52_203_19 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.204-23#FAR_52_204_23 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.204-25#FAR_52_204_25 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.209-10#FAR_52_209_10 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.232-40#FAR_52_232_40 https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title31-section3903&num=0&edition=prelim https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title31-section3903&num=0&edition=prelim https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title10-section3801&num=0&edition=prelim https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.233-3#FAR_52_233_3 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.233-4#FAR_52_233_4 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.203-6#FAR_52_203_6 https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title10-section4655&num=0&edition=prelim https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.203-13#FAR_52_203_13 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.203-15#FAR_52_203_15 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.203-17#FAR_52_203_17 https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title41-section4712&num=0&edition=prelim https://www.acquisition.gov/far/3.900#FAR_3_900 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.204-10#FAR_52_204_10 http://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title31-section6101&num=0&edition=prelim https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.204-14#FAR_52_204_14 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.204-15#FAR_52_204_15 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.204-27#FAR_52_204_27 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.204-28#FAR_52_204_28 https://www.govinfo.gov/link/plaw/115/public/390 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.204-30#FAR_52_204_30 https://www.govinfo.gov/link/plaw/115/public/390 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.204-30#FAR_52_204_30 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.209-6#FAR_52_209_6 https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/31/6101

__ (13) 52.209-9, Updates of Publicly Available Information Regarding Responsibility Matters (Oct

2018) ( 41 U.S.C. 2313).

__ (14) [Reserved].

__ (15) 52.219-3, Notice of HUBZone Set-Aside or Sole-Source Award (Oct 2022) ( 15 U.S.C. 657a).

__ (16) 52.219-4, Notice of Price Evaluation Preference for HUBZone Small Business Concerns (Oct

2022) (if the offeror…