Electronic Monitoring on Fixed Gear Vessels in Groundfish and Halibut Fisheries in Federal Waters Off Alaska

***NOAA'S ACQUISITION & GRANTS OFFICE, WESTERN ACQUISITION DIVISION-BOULDER, NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE (NMFS) ALASKA FISHERIES SCIENCE CENTER (AFSC) FISHERIES MONITORING AND ANALYSIS DIVISION INTENDS TO NEGOTIATE, ON A SOLE SOURCE BASIS, UNDER AUTHORITY OF FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), WITH SALTWATER, INC OUT OF ANCHORAGE, AK TO PROVIDE ELECTONIC MONITORING (EM) OF ~30 COMMERCIAL FISHING VESSELS.

***THE SOLE SOURCE DETERMINATION IS BASED ON THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION'S (NOAA) REQUIREMENT THAT PROVIDES SERVICE, MAINTENANCE, AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR EXISTING ELECTRONIC MONITORING (EM) SYSTEMS ABOARD ~30 COMMERCIAL FISHING VESSELS FROM JANUARY 1, 2022 THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2022. THE EM SYSTEMS ABOARD THESE VESSELS DOCUMENT CATCH DURING COMMERCIAL FISHING ACTIVITIES IN LIEU OF FISHERY OBSERVERS.

SALTWATER INC. DESIGNED, BUILT, INSTALLED, AND MAINTAINED THE EXISTING EM SYSTEMS ABOARD ~30 VESSELS PARTICIPATING IN COMMERCIAL FISHERIES OFF ALASKA. THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR THIS PROCESS WAS THROUGH NON-GOVERNMENTAL GRANT FUNDING FROM THE NATIONAL FISH AND WILDLIFE FOUNDATION. THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE EM PROGRAM IS BEING TRANSFERRED TO NOAA FISHERIES, AS EM IN ALASKA IS NOW A FULLY REGULATED PROGRAM, THE SERVICING OF THE SALTWATER SYSTEMS MUST CONTINUE UNINTERRUPTED AND THERE IS NOT ANOTHER EM PROVIDER WHICH COULD DO THIS WORK. IF A DIFFERENT EM PROVIDER WAS CONTRACTED FOR THIS SERVICE, IT WOULD REQUIRE THAT THE EM SYSTEMS – BOTH HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE – BE FULLY REPLACED RATHER THAN SIMPLY MAINTAINED FOR THE 2022 FISHING YEAR.

WHILE THERE IS ANOTHER EM PROVIDER ACTIVE IN ALASKA, EM SYSTEMS ARE NOT INTERCHANGEABLE AND ARE PROPRIETARY. NOAA FISHERIES NEEDS TO KEEP THESE ~30 VESSELS OPERATING IN THE 2022 FISHING YEAR THROUGH THE USE OF EXISTING EM SYSTEMS, AND THAT NEED CANNOT BE MET BY ANOTHER SERVICE PROVIDER IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN CONTINUITY OF THE MISSION.

***THIS NOTICE OF INTENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS AND NO SOLICITATION PACKAGE IS AVAILABLE. HOWEVER, FIRMS THAT BELIEVE THEY CAN FULLY MEET THE GOVERNMENT'S REQUIREMENTS MAY SUBMIT SUBSTANTIATING DOCUMENTATION IN WRITING TO THE IDENTIFIED POINT OF CONTACT WITHIN 15 DAYS AFTER PUBLICATION OF THIS SYNOPSIS. SUCH 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 RESPONSES TO THIS NOTICE, IS SOLELY WITHIN THE DISCRETION OF THE GOVERNMENT. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE IN RESPONSE TO THIS NOTICE.