Sole Source Justification 143041-26-0066_Redacted.pdf

Version 2.0

SINGLE SOURCE DETERMINATION USING

SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION PROCEDURES (SAP)

FOR AN ACTION NOT EXCEEDING THE SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION THRESHOLD

(AUTHORITY: 41 U.S.C. 1901 and FAR Part 12.102(a))

Purchase Request Number 143041-26-0066

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

(AGO) and National Marine Fisheries Service, Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC)

2. Description of supplies/services required to meet agency needs (including estimated value).

The NWFSC Fish Ecology (FE) Division requires the skills of a senior C++ Programmer that has experience coding the custom NOAA-built Comprehensive Passage (COMPASS) model. The model predicts effects of alternative dam and reservoir operations on juvenile salmon and steelhead survival and passage through the Columbia River hydropower system. It is an essential backbone for ongoing Pacific salmon life cycle modeling, supports decisions about hydropower operations and salmon and steelhead management, and is fundamental for responding to ongoing Columbia River hydropower system litigation and for producing fast and reliable responses to queries by the West Coast Regional Office when conducting permitting and other ESA actions. Specifically, the contracted programmer will complete development of a graphical user interface, improve model speed and efficiency, conduct routing maintenance, develop an adult salmon passage module, expand the model to include travel time and survival in tributaries, and provide products requested by the West Coast Region.

. Delivery schedule: Sub-tasks detailed in the statement of work are considered separate billable deliverables that will be delivered in formats consistent with NOAA-NWFSC requirements incrementally as they are completed.

Invoices will be issued upon product delivery and payment terms are 30 days. The period of performance for this contract is 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2029.

3. Identification of the single source or the brand name to be solicited.

Valinor Labs, LLC

4. Supporting rationale. Only one source or brand name is reasonably available as detailed below:

□ Compatibility to existing systems or equipment - The required service must be compatible in all aspects (form, fit, and function) with existing systems or equipment, and the source is uniquely qualified to meet the requirement.

We need a skilled C++ programmer with demonstrated experience using the language with the COMPASS model. COMPASS is an extremely well-developed and complex model that is written in C++ (a fast language that requires specialized training) and used to make near-

Requisition 143041-26-0066 term decisions to support management actions. The model operates in conjunction with Cloud data systems and it would be an enormous undertaking to reprogram the model using another programming language; this major change would prevent us from addressing urgent ongoing management questions.

□ Other - Only one source is capable

We need a skilled C++ programmer with ecological knowledge that can work independently and is willing to work part-time because we lack time to mentor a less experienced programmer or to provide oversight for full-time work. Valinor Labs was contracted to work on COMPASS from 9/1/2024 – 8/30/2026, and we are very pleased with their work to improve its utility. Principal programmer was an original and long-time developer of COMPASS and its precursors, and is intimately familiar with the ecological concepts associated with its application, as well as its nuances and idiosyncrasies. He is extremely skilled in C++ and has over 30 years of experience as a programmer. He is capable of completing tasks efficiently without needing to learn about the model and its applications, and prefers part-time work.

5. Market Research.

Salaries for C++ programmers can vary widely depending on several factors including geography, skill level, and specialized experience. Seattle, WA, is known for its robust tech industry, which generally offers competitive salaries with companies like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta that pay 15-20% more than the national average. An internet search found that senior software developers with 20+ years of experience in Seattle can make from

$185,000 to $240,000 or more in salary absent other aspects of a compensation package.

Salaries for government contractors tend to be well above $200,000 because additional compensation such as bonuses or stock options typically provided by tech companies are not included. In Seattle, a GS-15 Step 10 is used as a benchmark floor for government contractors at this level (e.g. Boeing, Blue Origin, Lockheed Martin, Pacific Northwest

National Laboratory).

Additionally, adding fisheries or ecological experience and a willingness to work part time raises the rate needed to secure strong talent.

Resources consulted included prompts to Gemini and internet searches (see the four URLs).

Prompts to Gemini: “I need to conduct market research on the range of salary and compensation packages reasonable for a skilled C++ computer programmer with 20+ years of experience living in Seattle Washington. Provide resources for me to check, as well as estimated ranges. What salaries are typical for government contractors in Seattle whose primary job is to do computer programming in C++?”

https://www.levels.fyi/t/software-engineer/locations/greater-seattle-area?city=11527 https://6figr.com/us/salary/software-engineer--seattle--tl https://h1bsalaries.fyi/results?employer=Google&job title=Software+Engineer&city=Seattle& year=2025 https://builtin.com/salaries/us/seattle-wa/senior-software-developer