Pages from AFSC Saildrone Exception to Fair Opportunity -Redacted.pdf

Version 1.0

Source Selection Information – see FAR 2.101 and 3.104

JUSTIFICATION FOR AN EXCEPTION TO FAIR OPPORTUNITY

FOR AN ORDER EXCEEDING THE SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION THRESHOLD

(AUTHORITY: FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i))

Forecasting and Advanced Acquisition Planning System (FAAPS) Number: 64024

1. Agency and contracting activity. Department of Commerce, NOAA Acquisition and Grants Office (AGO), Western Acquisition Division (WAD) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Alaska Fisheries Science Center.

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

This is a justification for an exception to fair opportunity for a new order under the NOAA Professional and Technical Support services Fisheries Domain Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity multiple award contract. (ProTech Fisheries). This will be a firm-fixed price order to Saildrone under contract 1305M418DNFFK0006.

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

The AFSC is seeking to use unmanned surface vehicle technology to mitigate the impacts of the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic on NOAA’s ability to manage the abundance of walleye pollock in the eastern Bering Sea (EBS). The EBS pollock fishery is the Nation’s largest fishery and the pandemic has disrupted NOAA’s ability to collect scientific information to support management of US fisheries in an unprecedented fashion. NOAA’s field operations have been suspended, ships have been recalled to port, travel restrictions are in place, workplaces have been closed, and there are significant safety concerns associated with field operations, particularly in remote areas of Alaska. There is significant operational uncertainty: NOAA’s upcoming vessel-based surveys are likely to be substantially delayed, curtailed, or cancelled altogether. AFSC aims to use unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) instrumented with scientific echosounders to survey the abundance of walleye pollock to mitigate the potential loss of information from NOAA’s ship-based fish abundance surveys. The work will allow NOAA fisheries to meet its core mission of environmental stewardship by providing fisheries-independent survey data to support management of the Nation’s largest fishery during a national emergency when such information may not be available by other means. This will also be an important step towards demonstrating the use of unmanned vehicles to directly support fisheries management.

The surveys are scheduled to occur between June and September, 2020. In order to allow for planning and post-survey analysis, the period of performance will be one year from date of award, with no option periods , which is consistent with the funding profiles the center has submitted in its request for approval of the project.

4. Authority and supporting rationale. The contracting officer has determined the circumstances of the acquisition meet the following statutory exception under FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i) as supported below:

Only one awardee is capable - FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(B) – Only one awardee is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services ordered are unique or highly specialized. USVs are emerging advanced survey