7G--satel. Tags -mark-report PAT-367D, towed

The United States Geological Survey (USGS), through its Office of Acquisitions and Grants within the Department of the Interior, has issued a Special Notice regarding the procurement of 19 MarkReport PAT-376D satellite tags for tracking sturgeon in the Gulf of Maine. This notice serves as an Intent to Award announcement, indicating the agency's plan to purchase specialized satellite tracking equipment from Wildlife Computers through their distributor, Midwest Lake Electrofishing Systems. The procurement is set aside for small businesses and falls under the NAICS code 334511 for Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing. The notice was posted on July 29, 2025, with responses due by August 1, 2025. The USGS is seeking these particular satellite tags due to their unique technical specifications that are not available from other sources.

The Special Notice includes a justification for other than full and open competition, emphasizing the specific technical requirements for satellite tags that can maintain battery charge and detach from fish after extended periods of darkness, capabilities that current solar-powered alternatives cannot provide. Interested vendors who believe they can meet these specialized requirements are instructed to contact Contracting Specialist Jonathan Wyatt at jwyatt@usgs.gov no later than 1:00 PM EST on Thursday, July 31, 2025. The procurement is restricted to small businesses under the Total Small Business set-aside designation. The USGS has indicated its intent to award the contract to Midwest Lake Electrofishing Systems while noting that future similar requirements will be competed to the maximum extent practical. The satellite tags will support the agency's marine research efforts by enabling the tracking and monitoring of sturgeon populations in the Gulf of Maine ecosystem.