WATSON Sources Sought Notice 15JAN25.pdf

Sources Sought Notice Notice # SS-25-WATSON

The U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration (MARAD) is issuing a Sources Sought Notice as a means of conducting market research to identify parties having an interest in and the resources to support a requirement for Ship Manager services to include the following:

• Maintenance

• Repair

• Logistics support

• Activation, operation, deactivation

• Crewing

• Management for vessels of the WATSON Class vessels in the National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF)/Ready Reserve Force (RRF). The RRF is a subset of vessels within MARAD’s NDRF ready to support the rapid worldwide deployment of U.S. military forces. As a key element of the Department of Defense strategic sealift, the RRF primarily supports transport of Army and Marine Corps unit equipment, combat support equipment, and initial resupply during critical surge periods. The RRF also supports emergency response during humanitarian crises and through disaster relief, providing everything from freshwater management and power generation, to housing recovery workers and offering its vessels as command posts.

The WATSON Class consists of the following six vessels to be layberthed on the U.S. East, West or Gulf Coasts:

WATSON-CLASS LMSR

USNS Soderman USNS Charlton USNS Red Cloud USNS Watkins USNS Pomeroy USNS Watson

Three two-ship contracts will be awarded from the solicitation.

The result of this market research will contribute to determining the method of procurement. The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code assigned to this procurement is 483111, Product Service Code (PSC) M1PZ, and small business size standard of 1050 employees.

There is currently no solicitation. This request for capability information does not constitute a request for proposals; submission of any information in response to this market survey is purely voluntary; the government assumes no financial responsibility for any costs incurred.

To be a qualified source, the following mandatory requirements must be met:

• U.S. Citizenship

• Vessel Owner/Operator Experience

• Dedicated Line of Credit of $1,000,000.00

If your organization has the potential capacity to perform Ship Management services, please provide the following information:

1) Company Name, Address, and DUNS Number.

2) Point of Contact, Email Address, and Phone Number.

3) Business Size under the applicable NAICS Code: State your business size, large or small, under the applicable NAICS code. If applicable, provide the socio-economic category.

4) Tailored capability statement: The statement should address the particulars of this effort, with appropriate documentation supporting claims of organizational and staff capability to meet the mandatory requirements listed above. If significant subcontracting or teaming is anticipated to deliver technical capability, organizations should address the administrative and management structure of such arrangements.

5) Any additional feedback or comments.

Based on the responses to this Sources Sought notice/market research, this requirement may be set-aside for small businesses or procured through full and open competition, and multiple awards may be made. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted or acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided to companies regarding their submissions.

Submission Instructions: Interested parties who consider themselves qualified to perform the above-listed services are invited to submit a response to this Sources Sought Notice by January 29, 2025, at 1430. All responses under this Sources Sought Notice must be emailed to robert.mcdermott@dot.gov and scott.j.lewis.ctr@dot.gov.

If you have any questions concerning this opportunity, please contact:

robert.mcdermott@dot.gov and scott.j.lewis.ctr@dot.gov.

mailto:robert.mcdermott@dot.gov mailto:scott.j.lewis.ctr@dot.gov mailto:robert.mcdermott@dot.gov mailto:scott.j.lewis.ctr@dot,gov