Gillnetting and Trapnetting to Remove Lake Trout from Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park.

This announcement serves as the pre-solicitation notice for a gillnetting and trapnetting services Multiple Award Task Order Contract (MATOC) to support the National Park Service, Yellowstone National Park. This contract will be for the purpose of bringing a professional gillnet and trapnet fishing operation and all necessary gear including boat(s), nets, lines, weights, buoys, and crew to Yellowstone National Park to assist biologists with the lake trout suppression effort on Yellowstone Lake. THE SOLICITATION WILL BE SET ASIDE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES ONLY. Offers will NOT be accepted from businesses that are not Small Business Concerns.

The total combined contract capacity under the umbrella contract is valued at $2.5 million dollars. $500,000 for the base year and $500,000 for each option year should the options be exercised. The contract will be for a one year base with four one-year option periods for a total of five years. Up to Three (3) contracts can be awarded under this umbrella contract. For the first year, the Government hereby obligates itself to obtain not less than $2,500.00 in services, and $2,500 for each option year exercised.

Task orders will be awarded on a Lump Sum basis. The minimum order is $2,500 and the maximum order is $2.5 Million. Task orders will generally range between $25,000 to $500,000. Each task order will be competed between the up to three (3) successful offerors. Competition will be based on "Best Value" or Low Price. Each task order will be awarded pursuant to FAR 16.505.

Yellowstone National Park is searching for a professional gillnet and trapnet fishing operation to remove lake trout from Yellowstone Lake. The work is to bolster the existing lake trout suppression program of the National Park Service. The fishery activities must be tailored to remove the non-native lake trout while minimizing mortality of the native Yellowstone cutthroat trout. The offeror would be responsible for providing a captain, crew and boat with deck space capable of handling at least 5,500 lineal feet of gillnet approximately 6 ft tall. Either the same boat or a second boat, including captain and crew, must be equipped to handle setting, lifting, retrieving, and moving deep water trapnets (30-50 ft in height). All travel to and from Yellowstone Lake, operating costs and repairs, licensing and permits associated with the captain, crew and boat will be the responsibility of the offeror. An annual boat permit must be obtained from Yellowstone National Park per boat (cost $20.00).

The NAICS for this acquisition is 114111, with a size standard of $4.0 Million Dollars. Up to Three (3) contracts will be awarded to the most highly qualified offerors. A task order for the initial operation in FY2010 will be used to evaluate the technical approach submission criteria. The evaluation factors in order of importance will be Company Regional Experience, Lake Trout Removal Operations and Methodology, Past Performance, Key Personnel and Safety. When combined, the Technical Proposals will be significantly more important than price. The solicitation will be issued on or about 19 October 2009 and proposals will be due on or about 18 November 2009 and award is anticipated by December 2009.