AUV Support Services (Data Collection)

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is soliciting non-personal services for autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) support and data collection to conduct fisheries-independent surveys of Atlantic sea scallops in the Mid-Atlantic Bight. The contractor must acquire a minimum of 200 nautical miles of optical AUV survey data using Tethys-class Long Range AUVs integrated with NOAA's Autonomous Benthic Imaging System (ABIS) optical payloads during the performance period of May 1, 2026 through August 31, 2026. Key qualifications include documented experience conducting Atlantic sea scallop surveys using the ABIS system with the specified AUV platforms, autonomous navigation capabilities, sustained survey speeds of 1-2 knots, mission endurance of 5 days or longer per battery charge, seabed proximity stability of 2 meters or less, and operation depth capacity to 200 meters. Evaluation will be based on technical approach and capability assessments, past performance questionnaires, and price quotes submitted as firm-fixed-price offerings. The revised deadline for proposal submission is April 30, 2026 at 4:00 PM Eastern Time, with all survey data required to be delivered by July 17, 2026 and final documentation and reports due by August 31, 2026.

This solicitation (1305M326Q0135) is designated as a Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) set-aside with the small business size standard of $28.5 million under NAICS code 541360. No incumbent contractor is identified in the solicitation materials. The contract consists of four contract line item numbers covering pre-mission preparation and AUV integration, mission execution and data acquisition, data delivery, and documentation with final reporting. NOAA will provide overall scientific guidance, survey design, waypoints, encrypted portable hard drives for data transfer, and up to two ABIS optical payloads, while the contractor assumes responsibility for equipment loss during the survey. The contract will be administered by the Western Acquisitions Division (WAD-SAP) in Seattle, Washington, with Contracting Officer Jenna L. Taulman, and performance will take place primarily in the Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf region with deployment and recovery capability required from ship-based or dockside facilities.