eDNA Autosampler - Sources Sought

THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUNCEMENT.  IT IS NOT A SOLICITATION, NOR DOES IT GUARANTEE A SOLICITATION WILL BE ISSUED.  REQUESTS FOR A SOLICITATION WILL NOT RECEIVE A RESPONSE.

Any information submitted in response to this Sources Sought Announcement is strictly voluntary.  The Government will neither award a contract solely based on this notice, nor pay for any information submitted by respondents.  This notice is a request by the Government to collect information from interested vendors for the purpose of market research.  Failing to provide a response to this announcement will not prohibit/exclude an interested vendor from participating in a future solicitation.

Background:

NOAA Fisheries, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Pelagic Research Program is purchasing two environmental eDNA autosamplers. These eDNA autosamplers are single units that are capable of collecting and filtering multiple water samples, at various intake rates and self-preservation. They can be operated by a single person on NOAA Ships, chartered vessels and small boats or attached to a variety of gear for accurate spatial sampling. They also avoid many of the contamination issues associated with current water filtering methods.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) methodology is realized as a cost-effective and logistically-simple research tool. PIFSC currently uses it to estimate fish abundance and to identify invasive and protected species, such as Pearl Harbor octocorals and the mystery cetaceans at Cross Seamount. The current method of collecting eDNA samples at sea (Niskin bottles on CTD rosettes) is laborious, time-consuming, sensitive to contamination issues, and cannot be performed from small boats. Further, it can result in spatial and temporal mismatches with other gear used during pelagic surveys. Autosamplers overcome these issues by filtering in-situ and, when attached to a glider, net, or hydrophone array, they collect more water at target depths across larger distances which is more appropriate for pelagic survey designs. Built in sensors collect continuous environmental data allowing precisely coupled biological-physical data that will power species distribution and next-generation ecosystem models. Purchasing autosamplers is a cost- and labor-effective way to streamline current operations, improve surveys, has a very high rate of return (ROI), will be a valuable cross-divisional resource, and will rapidly become standard survey equipment.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:

The environmental DNA (eDNA) autosamplers shall be:

- rated to a maximum depth >1000 m in seawater

- capable of long-term deployment (>24 hours)

- multi-filter system capable of a minimum of 3 filters

- filter agnostic; able to use a variety of membrane materials and pore sizes

- ability to be sterilized at sea (e.g., bleach, UV light)

- ability to flush the sample inlet/intake

- programable to filter seawater at different rates

- programable to filter seawater using individual cartridges at pre-determined depths  

  and/or times

- integrated sensors for depth, temperature, salinity, and potentially, dissolved oxygen

- capable of attaching to towed nets and hydrophone arrays.

- 3 extra 47 mm filter modules

- 3 extra 90 mm filter modules

North American Industry Classification Code (NAICS):  334516 with a size standard of 1,000 employees.

Interested vendors are requested to provide the following information in response to this Sources Sought Announcement:

1). A statement that you believe your firm has the capability to meet all above stated requirements. 

2). A specification sheet for the proposed equipment

3). Your firm's UEI #

4). Your firm's SBA certified small business concern status.  Specifically identify if your firm is HUBZone-certified, Service Disabled Veteran Owned, or in the SBA’s 8(a) program, etc.  If your firm is not small, please state that it is a large business.

5.) Country of origin of equipment
 

The information provided in response to this announcement is limited to five pages or less.  All information shall be provided free of charge to the Government.  The Government will not return any data provided in response to this announcement. 
 

This request for information does not constitute a commitment, implied or otherwise, that a procurement action will be issued. 

The Government shall not be liable for or suffer any consequential damages for proprietary information not properly identified.  Proprietary information will be safeguarded in accordance with the applicable Government regulations.

Responses shall be provided to Contracting Officer, Stephanie Garnett via email at Stephanie.M.Garnett@noaa.gov no later than 10:00 AM (Hawaii Time) on August 22, 2025.