B08_Brand_Name_Justification_Redacted.pdf

BRAND NAME JUSTIFICATION

1. Contracting Agency and Activity. The Department of the Interior, United States Geological Survey plans to contract by means other than full and open competition. This document sets forth the justification and approval for award of a Maritime Robotics Otter Unscrewed Surface Vessel and associated software on a limited source basis as required by FAR 13.106-1.

2. Nature of Action Being Approved. This is a new order to purchase an Otter Unscrewed Surface Vessel and a one-year software agreement and technical support.

3. Description of Supplies or Services. The Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center (UMESC) has multiple ongoing and new shallow water hydrographic mapping projects, including a topobathy pilot study, vetting technologies for future shallow water surveys, and support for habitat research of imperiled native mussels. Hydrographic and topographic surveys using multibeam sonar, acoustic Doppler current profilers, and lidar are being conducted and require the Maritime Robotics Otter Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) for shallow water bathymetry, river current velocities, and shoreline erosion studies.

4. Estimated Dollar Value.

5. Statutory Authority. The proposed action may be awarded on a sole source basis under the authority FAR 13.106-1.

6. Rationale Supporting Use of Citation in No. 5. The Otter Unscrewed Surface Vessel (USV) is custom equipped with integration kits for all existing UMESC GST sensors: NORBIT iWBMSc multibeam echosounder, SonTek M9 acoustic Doppler current profiler, and Velodyne VLP-16 lidar puck. These sensors are valued at approximately Alternative autonomous/uncrewed surface vessels do not meet the Government’s minimum needs as they only allowed for 1 integrated sensor, which limits the capabilities of the data acquisition for the GST Hydro-3D Mapping Team. Further, purchasing an alternative would require the purchase of additional payloads/sensors as current inventory would not be compatible.

7. Other Information. N/A.

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

Market research was conducted via internet searches and requests for information from vendors.

Further, the manufacturer of the Otter USV stated that there are authorized resellers for the requested items.

9. Actions to Overcome Barriers to Competition. Future requirements will undergo market research for same/similar items. At such time when other resources become available and the equipment has reached its end of useful life, the UMESC will compete the procurement to the maximum extent practicable.