CCS-Sat_Tag-Sole_Source_Justification_Final_FE_Redacted_1.pdf

Version 4.0

SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION

FOR AN ACTION EXCEEDING THE SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION THRESHOLD

USING SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURES FOR CERTAIN COMMERCIAL ITEMS

AUTHORITY: 41 U.S.C. 1901 using SAP up to $7.5M as authorized by FAR 13.500(a) and implemented by FAR 13.501(a)

Requisition #143021-25-0045 / Requirements-25-4210

1. Agency and contracting activity. Department of Commerce, NOAA Acquisition and Grants

Office (AGO), and National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries, Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC)

2. Nature and/or description of the action being approved.

This is a Sole Source justification for a new requirement, which is a follow-on to Purchase Order 1305M322PNFFM0280. The Government intends to negotiate a stand-alone, firm fixed price contract with Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies (CCS) for services in support of advancing satellite tag technology for large whales.

3. Description of supplies or services required to meet the agency’s needs (including the total estimated value).

NOAA Fisheries, NEFSC has a requirement for a contractor to facilitate the deployment and testing of the new miniaturized “blubber” tag on large whale species in Gulf of Maine and nearby waters, to evaluate tag robustness and performance. Health follow-up studies will be conducted to assess the potential impacts (or lack thereof) of these tags on individual whales. Finally, a highly-qualified team of experts will conduct training on satellite tag deployment best practices, to increase the pool of trained and permitted scientists available to conduct this work.

The services required are highly specific to the deployment of the newest technology in satellite telemetry devices on large whale species (fin whales and humpback whales) in the western North Atlantic, to assess tag performance and any potential health impacts related to tag deployments.

This requirement will advance NOAA Fisheries’ need to develop satellite tagging capacity for protected species through: 1) the deployment of new miniaturized satellite telemetry tag developed by Wildlife Computers and appropriate for large whale use, to test their performance and durability; 2) follow-up studies over multiple weeks-months on tagged whales to evaluate the potential health impacts or lack thereof for these new devices; 3) executing a training program for a team of qualified individuals to conduct satellite tag deployments, which will be conducted by the CCS team of highly-experienced and federally-authorized experts, to increase NOAA Fisheries’ capacity to conduct this work.

The total estimated cost for the base period of work is estimated at . The period of performance for the base contract is 12 months from a start date of September 30, 2025. There are no option periods associated with this contract.

4. Statutory authority permitting the sole source (including brand name) acquisition.

41 U.S.C. 1901, using SAP up to $7.5M as authorized by FAR 13.500(a) and implemented by FAR 13.501(a).

Requisition 143061-25-0045

5. Demonstration that the proposed contractor’s unique qualifications or the nature of the acquisition requires use of the authority cited. The contracting officer has determined the following circumstances justify the use of a sole source as supported below:

Only one source – The work described here involves several requirements for which the Center for Coastal Studies (CCS) is uniquely qualified. Research involving the deployment of implantable satellite telemetry devices is highly sensitive in nature, and requires extensive expertise with the precise placement of the satellite tag so that the tag antenna is in an optimal position for data transmission when the animal is at the surface to breathe. In addition, the placement of the tag must be accurate such that it minimizes disturbance to the whale and targets the appropriate area on the body. This is only possible with a field team that has extensive experience with the practice of safely approaching large whales at close ranges via small boats, as well as handling the equipment required for the tag deployment. CCS has over two decades of experience working with and deploying satellite telemetry devices on multiple species of large whales in the Gulf of Maine region. CCS staff have previously led satellite tagging research projects and have co-authored a paper on best practices for satellite tag deployments. They are experienced at the close vessel approaches required for tagging and regularly conduct close approaches to whales for other purposes, most notably disentanglement of large whales.

Furthermore, this project requires the collection of detailed follow-up data for weeks to months post-tagging, to evaluate the impact of the tag on the animal and the process of wound healing, to assist NMFS with assessing the tag performance and potential health impacts for the chosen tag design. The documentation of accurate health data requires familiarity with the process of medical evaluation of tag impacts that has been previously documented in the literature, and CCS has been a leader in this field. Working with veterinarians, CCS staff have developed and executed detailed health monitoring protocols that are required for this study, and the lead Principal Investigator (PI) for their research has conducted extensive health monitoring work following prior satellite tag studies on humpback whales (Robbins et al 2013). Critically they also hold the federal permits required under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee to conduct these specific activities.

In addition, CCS owns and operates several research vessels out of a port (Provincetown, MA) that are in close proximity to where aggregations of large whales gather for foraging activity during the priority research period which is critical to the success of the project which will allow them to take advantage of short, intermittent weather windows to conduct the research, and regularly access the animals throughout the study period. This allows CCS to have regular and predictable access to the study species, which is required for the health monitoring studies that depend on regular resighting of tagged individuals. In addition to boat-based work, CCS staff conduct regular aerial surveys at these times, and this would allow for rapid responsiveness to these species when they are present.

Finally, this requirement also includes training scientists on the best practices for satellite tag deployment, which requires staff who are highly trained and skilled in this work. CCS has developed and conducted expert training on high-risk activities, such as large whale disentanglement, and therefore they are uniquely qualified to develop and execute such a program for the deployment of satellite telemetry devices, which includes many of the same procedures for approaching and working with large whales in close proximity.

Requisition 143061-25-0045

There is no other entity capable of providing this full suite of services, with the temporal and spatial coverage, field expertise, platform suitability, federal permit authorization, and regular access to the target study species as CCS.

6. Description of efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as practicable, including whether a notice was or will be publicized as required by FAR Subpart 5.2 and, if not, which exception under FAR 5.202 applies.

In accordance with FAR 5.203(a), a notice of intent to sole source will be posted to SAM.gov for a period of 15 days.

7. Determination by the contracting officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable.

The Contracting Officer determines that the anticipated price will be fair and reasonable based on price analysis conducted in accordance with FAR 13.106-3(a)(2). Prior to award of the proposed contract, price information will be obtained from the contractor and a price analysis will be performed and documented to sufficiently determine if the price of the proposed acquisition is fair and reasonable. In the event that a determination of fair and reasonable price cannot be made, a contract will not be awarded.

8. Description of the market research conducted (see Part 10) and the results or a statement of the reason market research was not conducted.

Market research was conducted by evaluating marine research programs that conduct on-water research on marine mammals, to assess whether they 1) have demonstrated expertise in satellite telemetry tag deployment on large whales, 2) have expertise in developing and/or executing detailed health monitoring programs for large whales, 3) have demonstrated expertise in developing training programs for high-risk activities, 4) hold federal permits for conducting satellite tag deployment activities, and 5) are situated such that they could regularly locate and access the target species throughout the study period to conduct the necessary work. Market research included a review of published literature, web investigation of marine research programs, and verbal discussion with NMFS and other experts about project requirements and expertise within the field. It was determined that no entity apart from CCS exists within the region that could fulfill all aspects of this requirement.

9. Any other facts supporting the use of a sole source (including brand name), such as:

All supporting facts have been documented herein.

10. List of the sources that expressed a written interest in the acquisition.

As of date of document signature, no other sources have been identified. Any responses received will be taken into consideration.