NOAA2014-1_Amendment_0001.pdf

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods:

(a) By completing items 8 and 15, and returning or (c) By separate letter or telegram which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment your desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by telegram or letter, provided each telegram or letter makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor is not, is required to sign this document and return copies to the issuing office.

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT 1. CONTRACT ID CODE

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NO. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE 4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NO. 5. PROJECT NO. (If applicable)

7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 6) CODE

STANDARD FORM 30 (REV. 10-83)

Prescribed by GSA FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

FACILITY CODE

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION

NO.

9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers is extended, is not extended.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If required) copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted;

13. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO MODIFICATION OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS.

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

CHECK ONE A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT ORDER NO.

IN ITEM 10A.

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc.) SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER (Specify type of modification and authority)

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

15C. DATE SIGNED

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print)

16C. DATE SIGNED

16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

PAGE OF PAGES

6. ISSUED BY CODE

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (No., street, county, State and ZIP Code) (X)

CODE

15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

(Signature of person authorized to sign)

16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

(Signature of Contracting Officer)

NSN 7540-01-152-8070

Previous edition unusable

AJ830023

(a) The purpose of this amendment is as follows:

(1) Responding to Questions and Answers received; and

(2) Limit the period the government will respond to questions received.

(b) The government has received several good questions. A majority of all questions received are being responded to in Question and Answer #1 (Attached). The government intends on posting one more set of questions and answers tentatively January 10, 2014.

(c) In order to permit timely post responses by January 10, 2014, ALL QUESTIONS MUST BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN JANUARY 3, 2014 AT 1:00 PM CENTRAL. After that date and time, NO ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS SHALL BE ACCEPTED.

DOC/NOAA/EAD, 601 EAST 12TH STREET, RM 1756

KANSAS CITY, MO 4106, USA

JOAN CLARKSTON, 816-426-7469

N/A

NOAA2014-1

1 6

12/20/2013

11/13/2013 joan.e.clarkston Typewritten Text Joan Clarkston joan.e.clarkston Typewritten Text Contract Specialist joan.e.clarkston Typewritten Text 20 Dec 2014

Questions and Answers # 1 to NOAA2014-1 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I December 20, 2013

Q. Can a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) be subcontractor to prime Small Business?

A. Yes, SBIR awardees can subcontract out a portion of their work, up to 1/3 of the Phase I and up to ½ of the Phase II; with the provision that, if some of the work is going to a FFRDC, the award may not be conditioned on that subcontract. Other than that, there are no restrictions on who the small business subcontracts to. The small business must of course meet the ownership and size requirements.

Q. Subtopic 8.1.1F: Is micro algae eligible for consideration under this solicitation or does it only apply to macro algae?

A. Both micro and macro algae are eligible.

Q. Subtopic 8.1.1F: It was not clear to me whether the intent of this Subtopic is to address the broader subject of algae and its use, or to address the subject of algae for use in marine aquaculture?

A. The subtopic addresses specifically the subject of algae for use in marine aquaculture.

Q. Subtopic 8.1.1F: Due to the topic mentioning “marine,” we wanted to know if we can propose a topic with freshwater algae projects?

A. Any proposal for Phase 1 must include a marine aquaculture component for consideration. SBIR proposals under this subtopic must demonstrate a strong and direct connection to furthering NOAA's goal of encouraging sustainable marine aquaculture.

Growing freshwater algae for use as a feed ingredient for marine finfish aquaculture is eligible. However, if the Phase 1 proposal uses entirely freshwater species the connection to marine aquaculture is indirect and somewhat tenuous to be eligible, even if the Phase 2 plan includes marine fish.

Q. Subtopic 8.1.1F: If freshwater algae projects are not permitted, would an algae meal (developed initially in freshwater) that can be used for saltwater fish (“marine”) be determined as acceptable?

A. Any proposal must support marine aquaculture development. If the cultured algal

NOAA2014-1 Amendment 0001 20 December 2014 species is freshwater, there must be a strong link to the marine aquaculture sector.

Q. Subtopic 8.1.2N: Is it sufficient for the GNSS based instrument sensor to work in static “or quasi-static” conditions, or should it also work in highly dynamic scenarios as in Buoys? If so, should they have the same accuracy as in the static case?

A. We expect a solution for a static installation. Proposals should indicate the potential for application on a buoy, preferably quantifying accuracy versus wave height using models, bench tests, or field results.

Q. Subtopic 8.1.2N: For the sub-cm accuracy requirement, is that an accuracy requirement on the relative change in position, or is it an accuracy requirement on the absolute position?

A. Relative change in position.

Q. Subtopic: 8.2.1F: Will sample data such as underwater images of live fish and fish catches on vessels be available during Phase I? If there is no data availability, does it mean that intended audience for this topic is research community with both computer and ocean/marine sciences and related resources ?

A. There should be test sets of images from underwater images available

Q. Subtopic: 8.2.1F: If sample data for underwater imagery is available, do they come with with GroundTruth (annotations) for error quantification (i.e., performance evaluation), which is listed as one of the Phase I activities in the solicitation?

A. Some of the test sets will have annotations

Q. Subtopic: 8.2.1F: We can also collect data ourselves through other sources too. In that case, is there going to be list of "commercially important and frequently encountered fish species occurring on the West Coast off California, Oregon, and Alaska and around the Hawaiian Islands". Such list will help greatly in data collection and increase the momentum of the project.

A. Yes a species list can be provided to the awardee.

Q. Subtopic: 8.2.1F: Is there going to be a feedback from NOAA agencies ( e.g. IOOS Regional Associations , Fisheries Science Center, etc.) that may use the proposed system in their work ?

Such collaboration/feedback will help at developing more realistic and usable system.

NOAA2014-1 Amendment 0001

A. We can provide some level of feedback during the Phase I process.

Q: Subtopic 8.4.2 W: The first paragraph of the summary states to develop an affordable sensors. What is construed as affordable, a rough order of magnitude?

A: There are good quality sensors (accelerometers, gyroscopes, etc). that can be purchased COTS for less than $30. So a rough magnitude of affordable would be sensors in the order of around $100 or less.

Q: Subtopic 8.4.2 W: Under Phase 1 Activities and Expected Deliverables, 5th bullet, Repeat Steps 2-4 as required, I assume this refers to proceeding bullets 2 through 4. How is "as required" going to determined? Is this determined by NOAA or the vendor?

A: That reflects a typical design path. In this case, the "as required" means both the government or the vendor. NOAA may require revisions of a prototype, but the vendor, may, on its own, decide on improvements.

Q: Subtopic 8.4.2 W: Under Phase 1 Activities and Expected Deliverables, 4th bullet, Demonstration of proof of concept for the subsystems. Includes physical demonstration and written report, does "subsystems" refer to all 11 items listed in "The sonde will include the following systems:". Are you asking for a working prototype or a bench type demonstration of the individual components. If bench type demonstration, how is buoyancy control and pressure transducer expected to be done? Is the vendor responsible for testing rigs and equipment?

A: We are asking for a working prototype, not a bench prototype. The integration of the different subsystems is, by itself, a complex procedure. Only a working prototype will demonstrate the viability of the design. The vendor will be responsible for testing rigs and equipment, with one exception which relates to the need to access NOAA aircraft for deployment testing.

Q: Subtopic 8.4.2 W: For subsystems 1, 3-8 (GPS, Pressure, Salinity, Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen, Acceleration and Buoyancy) is there an expected accuracy and precision for these measurements?

A: Pressure, acceleration (both linear and angular) are required for position, velocity and acceleration information. The total error in position should be such that the final error when the sonde emerges should be less than a radius of 500m. Salinity, Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen are standard sensors, but we do not currently have accuracy requirements. Buoyancy is a control input to manage the depth of the sonde.

NOAA2014-1 Amendment 0001

Q: Subtopic 8.4.2 W: For subsystem 2 (Communication Link), what type of communication is required?

A: This was left deliberately open, to be decided by the developer, since it involves a tradeoff between versatility and cost. The most versatile would be satellite-based communications, but the cost will be considerably higher. Line-of-sight VHF or OHF communications will involve less expensive transmitters, but will require a listening post within line of sight.

Q: Subtopic 8.4.2 W: The third paragraph mentions field customized. What is customized and why? Do the sensors need to be removeable?

A: There are some surveys in which we may not be interested in certain parameters, for instance, temperature. So, again, there is a tradeoff: how much would the unit cost if the sensors are removable vs. the cost of individual sensors. This is left open to the developer to determine.

Q: Subtopic 8.4.2 W: The third paragraph mentions current observations. Is this referring to the IMU (Initial Management Unit)?

A: By "current" we meant marine currents, not "present". So, the answer to the question, is "yes, since IMU produces the input to the sea current information" (NMFS may be interested in the other parameters as a function of depth, not as a function of horizontal position)

Q: Subtopic 8.4.2 W: The fourth paragraph, #2 project goal states "is capable of surviving the drop from an aircraft". Can this be with a deployed parachute? What is the expected maximum height of the air drop?

A: Yes, this is with a deployed parachute. The maximum height of the air drop would be up to 45,000 ft, the maximum height the Gulfstream aircraft drops sondes into hurricanes. But we typically utilize P3 aircraft which tends to drop between 8,000 and 12,000 ft.

Q: Subtopic 8.4.2 W: The fourth paragraph states "Preferably, the sonde will have dimensions compatible with the current generation of dropsonde systems." What are the current dimensions? Are NOAA, Air Force and Navy the same configuration? Are there any hooks or special latches required?

A: In order to clarify the statement, please note that the sonde will have dimensions compatible with the current generation of dropsonde systems (2.76 inch diameter, 16"

NOAA2014-1 Amendment 0001 length, 400 gm weight). The Air Force aircraft are capable of deploying larger diameter and length sondes. For the purpose of testing only, prototypes of larger dimensions than those of a finished product can be dropped out of the door of a NOAA aircraft.

NOAA2014-1 Amendment 0001