B08_Attach_A_J_A.pdf

SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION FOR ACQUISITION UNDER THE

SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION THRESHOLD

PURCHASE REQUEST 0040600378

1. Contracting Agency and Activity. The Department of the futerior, United States Geological Survey (USGS), plans to acquire a se1vice contract on a sole source basis. This document sets forth the justification and approval required by FAR 13 .106-1 (b )(1).

2. Nature of Action Being Approved New contract to Saildrone fuc., for data provision se1v1ces.

3. Description of Supplies or Services. Saildrone fuc. will provide the USGS Great Lakes Science Center with data about fish densities, limnological variables, and meteorological variables collected using Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) in the Great Lakes. fu the Base Year contract, Saildrone will operate two USVs for 56 days each in Lake Erie and Lake Michigan/Huron respectively. Four additional Option Years are requested with mission details to be detennined.

4. Estimated Dollar Value. USGS Great Lakes Science Center is requesting the following se1v1ces:

• Mission Days with USV

• Launch and Retrieval

• Shipping

• Travel

• Calibration

The total value of this requirement is (Base+ 4 Option Years).

5. Statutory Authority. The proposed action may be awarded on a sole source basis under the authority of FAR 13 .106-1 (b )(1) - only one source reasonably available.

6. Rationale Supporting Use of Citation in No. 5. Saildrone fuc. owns and operates a fleet of wind-powered, unmanned sailboats ( called "Saildrones") that cany environmental sensors and fisheries echosounders. Saildrone fuc. offers the data collected using their USV s as a se1vice to clients. USGS has invested in the total amount of in previously contracts with Saildrone providing data about fish densities and environmental characteristics for Lakes Michigan and Huron under order no. 140G0220P0278, and Lake Superior under order no.

140G0221P0275. Data collected in these previous contracts are being used to suppo1i fisheries assessment and research into whether the use of silent USV s can improve the accuracy and precision of fish abundance estimates. The continued data collection se1vices provided by Sail drone fuc. 's unique wind powered USV s are required to ensure data equivalency between the two prior years of study and future work. Therefore, the se1vices of Saildrone fuc. are required to guarantee the continuity of datasets across years.

SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION FOR ACQUISITION UNDER THE

SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION THRESHOLD

PURCHASE REQUEST 0040600378

7. Other Information. None.

8. The Efforts to Identify Additional Sources Including the Market Research Conducted.

Market research indicates there are other vendors providing similar service, however, acquiring the service from a new vendor would set USGS back two years in its scientific endeavors, and likely result in reputational damage among external partners (eight Great Lakes states, multiple tribes, and the Province of Ontario) that are relying on USGS to deliver high-quality fisheries assessment data and science.

The Contracting Officer issued a sources sought posted on SAM.gov four business days seeking vendors capable of providing USV service. There were two interest parties responded to the sources sought posting, however, none of the service providers has the capability of conducting high-duration fisheries data collection operation with quiet platforms. It was determined that they did not meet the government’s minimum needs.

9. Future Plans to Permit Competition. Future requirements for same or similar services will undergo market research and be competed to the maximum extent practical.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) considers employee signatures to be Personal Protected Information, and therefore all employee signatures have been redacted. By posting this document, the Contracting Officer attests all appropriate signatures have been obtained.