Atlantic Sturgeon Research Services – York River

Special Notice:  Notice of Intent to Award a Sole-Source Contract

Announcement Number: 3015MF24Q0056

Project Title: Atlantic Sturgeon Research Services – York River

The US Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Office of Protected Resources (OPR), Delegated Procurement Authority intends to negotiate on a sole source basis, under the statutory authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)(i), with Chesapeake Scientific, Williamsburg, VA, to support Atlantic sturgeon research conducted during the adult spawning season that is crucial to NOAA Fisheries’ mission critical work under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The required scope of work will ensure the fieldwork maintains a complete research dataset on these fish to inform NOAA Fisheries’ legal and regulatory requirements under the ESA, including ESA decisions to list the species as endangered and designate critical habitat, as well as complete ESA Section 7 consultations. The North American Industry Classification Code (NAICS) for this acquisition is 541690, Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services with a business size standard of $16.5 million.

Sole Source Justification

Chesapeake Scientific LLC has been actively involved in researching the Atlantic sturgeon since their discovery of spawning stock in 2013 and has been doing fieldwork with NMFS in the York River drainage in Virginia since that time. Dr. Christian Hagar possesses a unique level of technical expertise that is essential for supporting NMFS' Atlantic sturgeon research in the region.

Services include providing highly skilled technicians, access to vessels, and research gear for sampling activities, all of which are crucial for meeting government requirements. There are no known vendors providing this work, however, should another vendor be identified, research for the 2024 spawning season would result in delays and likely additional costs for the government. This could negatively impact the continuity of data collection for the long-term (10 years, plus) dataset on Atlantic sturgeon spawning in the Pamunkey River/York River system, thus impeding conservation and recovery efforts for this endangered species.

Special Notice

This special notice is not a solicitation for competitive quotes, nor will one be posted on Contract Opportunities.  However, if an interested party believes that it is capable of meeting the requirements and be in compliance with the above justification, they may submit substantiating documentation in writing within the open period of this notice.  Responses can be sent via e-mail to natasha.thieman@noaa.gov.  Documentation will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct this procurement on a competitive basis. A determination by the Government not to conduct a competitive procurement, based upon response to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice.

All responsible sources may submit a Capability Statement in accordance with the solicitation, which shall be considered by the agency if received on or before 11:00 AM EDT on August 1, 2024.  The Capability Statement must contain material in sufficient detail to allow NOAA to determine if the party can meet all of the requirements. 

All electronic correspondence shall have the subject line read: 

Announcement Number: 3015MF24Q0056

Project Title: Atlantic Sturgeon Research Services – York River

It is the Offeror’s responsibility to ensure that any submission transmitted to the specified Government representative(s) is received prior to the due date specified herein. 

Offerors are highly encouraged to contact the Government representative(s) specified above prior to the solicitation’s stated time and date for receipt of offers to ensure the Government has received the submission.  Offers received after the date and time specified in this solicitation may be excluded from consideration.   

DOC/NOAA/NMFS requires that all contractors doing business with this agency be registered with the System for Award Management (SAM). Awards cannot be made to a company not registered in SAM. For additional information and to register in SAM, please access the following web site: www.sam.gov. To register, all contractors must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number. A UEI may be acquired free of charge by registering at https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration or by telephone at (866) 606-8220.

The notice will remain open from 7/17/2024 through 8/1/2024.