All Season Buoys

The United States Coast Guard is conducting market research to identify commercial manufacturers of All-Weather Navigational Buoys capable of eliminating seasonal buoy changes in the Great Lakes and other continental U.S. locations subject to extreme cold weather conditions. Interested vendors must submit product literature, specifications, testing data, published price lists, and statements demonstrating compliance with specified criteria by April 15, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. EST to the designated Coast Guard contacts. The required buoy specifications include a maximum length of 15 feet and maximum weight of 3,000 pounds, with hulls constructed from impact-resistant plastic or resin, corrosive-resistant or coated internal steel mooring structures, and unsinkable inner cores. Operationally, buoys must maintain signal strength in 4+ knot currents, achieve a visual range of 1.4 nautical miles, and have a radar cross section exceeding 50 square meters. Responses must include company name, address, Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), point of contact information, business size classification, and evidence of navigational buoy manufacturing and supply experience.

This is a non-set-aside procurement opportunity with no incumbent contractor identified in the notice. The anticipated contract vehicle is a single Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) agreement with fixed-price delivery orders, expected to commence on or about September 1, 2026, with a base year plus four option years. The procurement is classified under NAICS code 326199 (All Other Plastic Products Manufacturing) with a small business size standard of 750 employees, and falls under PSC code 2050 for Buoys. No specific dollar amount or quantity is disclosed in this market research notice, as the government is currently evaluating the commercial availability and viability of sources before issuing a formal solicitation. This is exploratory market research only and does not constitute a binding obligation on the government to issue a solicitation.