7G--eifo caribou GPS iridium radiocollars 20

The Bureau of Land Management's Eastern Interior Field Office is seeking to procure 29 Vertex Lite 3D Iridium GPS radio collars specifically manufactured by Vectronic Aerospace for tracking caribou in Alaska. This sole source procurement supports cooperative monitoring efforts with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and Yukon Department of Environment to study Fortymile caribou distribution and range as part of federal subsistence obligations under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. The collars must include advanced features such as VHF beacons, mortality and temperature sensors, GPS location recording capabilities, daily satellite data transmission, and reliable operation in temperatures down to -40 degrees Celsius, while maintaining compatibility with existing equipment used by project cooperators. The contract will be awarded based on the Contracting Officer's evaluation of price fairness and reasonableness under a firm-fixed price arrangement. Critical dates include a question deadline of September 17, 2025 at 1200 noon Alaska Time and an offer due date of September 19, 2025 at 1700 Alaska Time.

This procurement is designated as a 100% small business set-aside under NAICS code 334220 with a size standard of 1,250 employees, utilizing FAR Part 13 Simplified Acquisition Procedures. Vectronic Aerospace has been identified as the primary supplier, with recent similar collar purchases from other manufacturers like Lotek and Telonics ranging from $1,365 to $1,400 per unit, suggesting a total contract value of approximately $39,565 to $40,600 for the 29 collars required. The contract includes delivery scheduled for November 7, 2025 to the BLM Alaska Fairbanks District Office, with Vectronic Aerospace covering shipping costs as part of their manufacturing and delivery responsibilities. Performance will occur through direct shipment from the manufacturer to Claire Montgomerie at the BLM Eastern Interior Field Office, with the collars being programmable via the Iridium satellite network and transmitting data to a centralized Vectronic website accessible to all project cooperators.