DAR RFQ 2026 25 Treating Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease.pdf

Division of Aquatic Resources

REQUEST FOR QUOTES

No. DAR RFQ 2026 25

OFFERS

FOR

Treating Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease Lesions in Infected Hawaiian Corals

STATE OF HAWAII

DEPARTMENT OF LAND & NATURAL RESOURCES

WILL BE RECEIVED UP TO 2:00 PM (HST) ON

September 9, 2026

ELECTRONICALLY THROUGH THE STATE OF HAWAII ELECTRONIC

PROCUREMENT SYSTEM (HIePRO)

Laura Jackson, DAR Procurement Officer

STATE OF HAWAII

DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES

DIVISION OF AQUATIC RESOURCES

1151 PUNCHBOWL STREET, ROOM 330

HONOLULU, HAWAII 96813

NOTICE TO OFFERORS

Specifications for Solicitation No. DAR RFQ 2026 25 Treating Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease Lesions in Infected Hawaiian Corals are available for download on the State of Hawaii Electronic Procurement System (HIePRO). All offers are due through electronic submittal on HIePRO by:

Offers are due Date: September 9, 2026

Time: 2:00 PM (HST)

At the time of the Award, Offeror shall be compliant with the State Rules and Regulations through Hawaii Compliance Express (HCE), if not compliant, award shall not be issued. Offeror shall submit the original signed Form OF-1 and OF-2 and any other required documents uploaded to HIePRO.

The award, if awarded, shall be subject to the availability of funds.

Should there be any question on this matter, please contact Laura Jackson or designee, email: laura.a.jackson@hawaii.gov.

SECTION ONE

INTRODUCTION, TERMS AND ACRONYMS, AND KEY DATES

1.1 INTRODUCTION

The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR), is seeking to assess the potential for Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) transmission to Hawaiian coral species and whether established treatments are effective in halting disease progression. SCTLD has caused widespread and devastating impacts to coral populations throughout the Caribbean. The disease is hypothesized to spread through ballast water, creating significant risk for introduction to , where shipping vessel traffic is high, and throughout the Pacific Ocean.

If established, Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease could induce widespread coral mortality and profoundly alter reef persistence and ecosystem function across the osals to evaluate the viability of SCTLD treatments to successfully stop progression of SCTLD lesions in Hawaiian corals. Proposed studies should serve to inform response and mitigation strategies in the event it does transmit to Hawaiian corals.

Determining whether treatments for SCTLD lesions are viable in Hawaiian corals will also serve to establish precedent and aid in the permitting process for administering these treatments in the broader Pacific.

DAR is seeking qualified bidders to conduct Hawaiian coral SCTLD treatment trials and to provide written progress and final reports on the outcomes of this study.

Following are the project overview and requirements, including the objectives, deliverables, etc.

DAR Principal Investigator:

Elizabeth Monaghan elizabeth.a.monaghan@hawaii.gov

1.2 CANCELLATION

This Request for Quotes (RFQ) may be cancelled and any or all offers rejected in whole or in part, without liability to the State, when it is determined to be in the best interest of the State.

1.3 TERMS AND ACRONYMS USED THROUGHOUT THE SOLICITATION

DAR Division of Aquatic Resources DLNR Department of Land and Natural Resources

GC General Conditions issued by the Department of the Attorney General

HIePRO State of Hawaii Electronic Procurement System Procurement Officer The contracting officer for the State of Hawaii, DAR

Procurement Officer RFQ Request for Quotes State State of Hawaii

1.4 RFQ SCHEDULE AND SIGNIFICANT DATES

This followed. All times indicated are Hawaii Standard Time (HST). Any change to the RFQ Schedule and Significant Dates shall be issued by an addendum. The approximate schedule is as follows:

Release of Request for Quotes August 24, 2026 Due Date to Submit Questions August 31, 2026, 2:00 pm

September 4, 2026, 2:00pm September 9, 2026, 2:00 pm

Project Start Date As determined by the Notice to Proceed

1.5 QUESTIONS ON RFQ

The purpose is to provide vendors with an opportunity to submit questions about the procurement and for everyone to benefit from the answers.

All questions shall be submitted through HIePRO by the due date specified in Section 1.4 RFQ Schedule and Significant Dates, as amended.

SECTION TWO

BACKGROUND AND SCOPE OF WORK

2.1 PROJECT OVERVIEW

Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) has decimated coral populations in the Florida Reef Tract and throughout the Caribbean since its discovery offshore of Miami, Florida in 2014. This rapid tissue loss disease, caused by unknown pathogen(s), can result in entire large coral colony death in a matter of days and is of great concern for conserving coral reefs in the Caribbean. At present, SCTLD is found throughout the Caribbean and is a growing potential threat to spread to the Pacific via shipping and vessel traffic through the

Panama Canal. Currently, Pacific jurisdictions are focusing on prevention and preparation for possible introduction.

To determine whether treatment of active SCTLD lesions on Pacific corals is possible, two established SCTLD treatments can effectively stop SCTLD from spreading within infected Hawaiian corals. Results from this study will provide essential information for the development of management and mitigation strategies in the event of an outbreak in

This study can also provide substantive research to be cited during permitting processes associated with administering treatments in Pacific corals if necessary.

2.2 SCOPE OF WORK

SCTLD Treatment Viability in Hawaiian Corals Corals will be delivered to the awarded vendor directly via DAR staff. The SCTLD treatment study will require an extensive flow-through system that does the following:

Mimics natural conditions in which Caribbean corals with active lesions were sampled.

Isolates individual coral fragments to ensure independence among replicates.

Can properly contain administration of amoxicillin paste and Ocean Alchemists

Base2b treatments on Hawaiian corals.

Vendors must be able to document all coral fragments through time to characterize SCTLD lesion progression and whether amoxicillin paste and/or Ocean Alchemists Base2b treatments halt its spread. They must also be capable of sequencing coral fragments and associated lesions (control and treatment) to determine whether treatment results in return of healthy tissue function in infected Hawaiian corals.

Objectives, Tasks, and Project Deliverables:

Objective 1: Conduct antibiotic treatment in disease transmission experiment

Task 1: Establish treatment protocols Task 2: Apply topical amoxicillin treatments Task 3: Collect tissue samples

Deliverables: Amoxicillin application SOP, daily observations/photos, tissue sample collection metadata

Objective 2 expression characterization

Task 1: Molecular library preparation Task 2: Receive sequencing data Task 3: Bioinformatic processing

Deliverables: Molecular sample metadata, sequencing metadata, bioinformatic processing outputs

1. Reporting on project progress

Task 1: Provide reports to DAR on project progress and completion

Deliverables: Quarterly progress reports and final report describing SCTLD treatment viability, diagnostic descriptions, and implications for management

2.3 QUALIFICATION OF OFFERORS AND OFFER REQUIREMENTS

1. Have prior experience like the work specified in Section 2.2 Scope of Work.

2. Offeror shall submit Offeror Form OF-1.

OF-1 is required to be registered with the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. Failure to do so may delay proper execution of the award if awarded.

3. Offeror shall submit Offeror Form OF-2.

Pricing shall be submitted on Offer Form OF-2. The price shall be an all-inclusive cost, including all taxes and fees, to the State. Any unit prices shall be inclusive. Offer shall be Fixed Price.

4. The Offeror shall be compliant through Hawaii Compliance Express (HCE) by the time of award.

2.5 FUNDING, COMPENSATION, PAYMENT, AND PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

2.5.1 Funding is limited to Federal Grant funds and subject to availability.

2.5.2 Payment shall be made upon submission of signed invoices as requested and upon review and acceptance by the State. At the time of invoicing, applicant shall be complia Compliance Express. If not compliant, payments shall not be issued.

2.5.3 The Period of Performance is from the Notice to Proceed (anticipated early October 2026) for twelve months, through approximately September 2027. We anticipate the winning vendor will receive the Hawaiian corals from DAR in February 2027. There is an opportunity for one 6-month No Cost Extension if agreed upon by both parties in writing before the original period of performance expiration.

SECTION THREE

OFFER FORMAT AND CONTENT

3.1

The state right or ability to obtain and sell a product or service, the Offeror shall resolve that question prior to submitting an offer.

3.2 REQUIRED REVIEW FOR OFFER

1. Offeror shall provide DAR with a proposal including:

o Project Summary

Relevant background Details on facility and flow-through system for experiment

Link to website or publication is sufficient Summary of treatment study o Task Description Detail how all task deliverables will be addressed o Project Personnel Brief description of roles within the study of all proposed PIs and staff o Budget and Narrative

Itemized budget and detailed description for the project including all staff, field collection, and experimental costs o Proposed Compensation and Payment Schedule Total amount for budget to not exceed and the frequency of payment o References and Experience Qualifications

In addition to relevant background, provide references from project PIs that demonstrate the necessary experience and qualifications for conducting this study

2. Before submitting an offer, each Offeror must thoroughly and carefully examine this RFQ, any attachments, addendums, and other relevant documents, to ensure Offeror understands the requirements of the RFQ.

Offeror must also become familiar with State, Local, and Federal laws, statutes, ordinances, rules, regulations, and permits that may in any manner affect cost, progress, or performance of the work required.

3. Should Offeror find defects and questionable or objectionable items in the RFQ, Offeror shall notify the Division of Aquatic Resources through HIePRO prior to the deadline to submit questions as stated in Section

1.4 RFQ Schedule and Significant Dates, as amended. This will allow the issuance of any necessary corrections and/or amendments to the RFQ by addendum and mitigate reliance of a defective solicitation and exposure of offer(s) upon which award could not be made.

3.3 OFFER PREPARATION COSTS

Any and all costs incurred by the Offeror in preparing or submitting an offer shall this RFQ. The State shall not reimburse such costs.

3.4 OFFER

Please submit offer uploaded to HIePRO using the attached OFFER FORMS for DAR RFQ 2026 25 and other required information in Section 3.2 by the date listed in Section 1.4 Schedule and Significant Dates, . At the time of the Award, Offeror shall be compliant with the State Rules and Regulations through Hawaii Compliance Express (HCE), if not compliant, award shall not be issued. The award, if awarded, shall be subject to the availability of funds.