SSP 26_001.pdf

USM SSP 26_001 Notice of Proposed Sole Source Purchase of InnovaSea.

http://www.ms.gov/dfa/contract_bid_search/Bid

RFx: 3140004320

Comments/objections will be received as required per Section 31-7-13 (C) of the Mississippi Code until

8:00 a.m. (Central Time) on August 19, 2025.

Any person or entity that objects and proposes that the commodity listed is not sole source and can be provided by another person or entity shall submit a written notice to:

Jacob Cochran

Director of Procurement & Contracts 118 College Dr. Box 5003 Hattiesburg, MS 39406 bids@usm.edu

Phone: 601-266-4131

Subject Line must read "Sole Source Objection USM SSP 26_001"

The notice shall contain a detailed explanation of why the commodity is not a sole source procurement.

Appropriate documentation shall also be submitted if applicable.

If after a review of the submitted notice and documents, USM determines that the commodity in the proposed sole source request can be provided by another person or entity, then USM will withdraw the sole source request publication from the procurement portal website and submit the procurement of the commodity to an advertised competitive bid or selection process.

If USM determines after review that there is only one (1) source for the required commodity, then USM will appeal to the Public Procurement Review Board. USM will have the burden of proving that the commodity is only provided by one (1) source.

Run Dates: 7/31, 8/7

The University of Southern Mississippi

Notice of Proposed Sole Source Purchase

SSP 26_001

The University of Southern Mississippi anticipates purchasing the item(s) listed below as a sole source purchase. Anyone objecting to this purchase shall follow the procedures outlined below.

1. Description of the commodity that USM is seeking to procure:

Transponders and Receivers compatible with the most recent updates to track fishes.

2. Explanation of why the commodity is the only one that meets the needs of the agency:

This technology ensures that we are able to detect presence/absence of telemetered species in our waters as well as those from collaborators outside of our system. Other companies do sell technology similar to InnovaSea’s but none of their competitors sell technology that is both backward and forward compatible with the investment in technology currently made. Furthermore, no other competitor has come close to the quality or data precision that we have seen.

3. Explanation of why the source is the only source is the only person or entity that can provide the required commodity:

InnovaSea is the premier company in passive acoustic telemetry devices for tracking of aquatic organisms. Their reputation for customer service and product quality has positioned them as the top producer of such equipment. All of USM’s current infrastructure for tracking fishes using passive acoustic technology as well as our collaborators across the Gulf use their technology, meaning that when our study organisms move into different systems we are able to track those movements (and vice versa) to ensure that we are addressing the concerns of the state and federal sponsors of out telemetry projects.

4. Explanation of why the amount to be expended for the commodity is reasonable:

The prices are reasonable as the company has not meaningfully raised their prices in the more than a decade that we have been purchasing equipment from them.

They have also been forward thinking with the advances in their technology and have hosted many workshops training students and staff in the use of their equipment at professional meetings. Their customer service is prompt and cloud-based storage options ensure that data is maintained and secure.

5. Efforts that the agency went through to obtain the best possible price for the commodity:

We have contacted other competitors to see if their transmitters and receivers are compatible with the most recent updates as well as to determine if they have similar capabilities in cloud storage as to what InnovaSea currently offers… none of them do.

Advertisement Schedule Date

1st scheduled 7/31/25

2nd scheduled 8/7/25

Any person or entity that objects and proposes that the commodity listed is not sole source and can be provided by another person or entity shall submit a written notice by August 19, 2025, 8:00 AM CST, to:

Jacob Cochran

Director of Procurement & Contracts

Jacob.Cochran@usm.edu

Subject Line must read "Sole Source Objection 25_001"

The notice shall contain a detailed explanation of why the commodity is not a sole source procurement. Appropriate documentation shall also be submitted if applicable.

If after a review of the submitted notice and documents, USM determines that the commodity in the proposed sole source request can be provided by another person or entity, then USM will withdraw the sole source request publication from the procurement portal website and submit the procurement of the commodity to an advertised competitive bid or selection process.

If USM determines after review that there is only one (1) source for the required commodity, then

USM will appeal to the Public Procurement Review Board. USM will have the burden of proving that the commodity is only provided by one (1) source.