Single Source Determination_Biomark_2026_FINAL_Redacted.pdf

This is a Single Source Determination document using Simplified Acquisition Procedures (SAP) for a federal contract action under the simplified acquisition threshold (FAR 6.302-1).

The contracting activity is the Department of Commerce, NOAA, NMFS, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Protected Species Division, Marine Turtle Biology and Assessment Program. The contract number is 140071-26-0011. The agency requires Biomark PIT (Passive Integrated Transponders) tags and scanners for sea turtle population assessments throughout the Pacific Island Region, with an expected delivery date before April 15, 2026. These tags and scanners are essential tools for mark-recapture studies and have been the industry standard for decades. Without tagging data, NMFS cannot meet its mandates under the Endangered Species Act (1973) and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (2007).

The justification for single source procurement is documented under "Other - Only one source is capable." Biomark is identified as the leading industry standard for PIT tags in sea turtle research and is currently the only manufacturer providing sterile PIT tags in the required size with the appropriate needle gauge as mandated by NMFS and USFWS research permits. Market research confirmed that competing companies (Avidid, Unified Information Devices, Inc., Vodaiq) do not have comparable products meeting agency standards. The technical/requirements representative certification was signed by Jan Willem Staman, Biological Science Technician, on January 22, 2026. The contracting officer, FISHER.STEPHANIE.SUE.1093971724, completed the final determination on February 19, 2026, affirming that only one source is reasonably available.