Invertebrate Identification

***NOAA'S ACQUISITION & GRANTS OFFICE, WESTERN ACQUISITION DIVISION-BOULDER, , NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE (NMFS), INTENDS TO NEGOTIATE, ON A SOLE SOURCE BASIS, UNDER AUTHORITY OF FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), WITH CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OUT OF SAN FRANCISO, CALIFORNA FOR INVERTEBRATE IDENTIFICATION TO BE PERFORMED IN ALASKAN MARINE WATERS.

***THE SOLE SOURCE DETERMINATION IS BASED ON THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION'S (NOAA) REQUIREMENT THAT CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES IS THE ONLY VENDOR THAT HAS ONE OF THE LARGEST NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUMS IN THE USA. THEY HAVE EXTENSIVE HOLDINGS OF THE ALASKAN INTEREBRATES FOR COMPARISON WITH NEW VOUCHERED SPECIMENS AND HAVE INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED TAXONOMIC EXPERTS ON PREMISES FOR CONSULTATION. THEY PROVID EXPERT IDENTIFICATION AND CURATION OF ALASKAN INTERTEBRATES THAT THEY HAVE OBTAINED WITH THE NMFS BOTTOM TRAWL SURVEYS. IN THE PREVIOUS CONTRACTS THEY HAVE COLLECTED OVER 2000 SPECIMENS OVER EIGHT YEARS. OTHER INSTITUTIONS DO NOT HAVE THE EXTENSIVE COLLECTIONS OF ALASKAN INVERTEBRATES NOR THE EXPERTISE TO IDENTIFY SPECIMENS ADEQUATLEY. THEY WILL IDENTIFY THE SPECIMENS TO THE LOWEST POSSIBLE TAXON AND CURATE THEM WITHIN AN INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED SYSTEMATIC COLLECTION. ONCE ARCHIVED IN THE COLLECTION SPECIMENS WILL BE BY LOAN TO RESEARCHERS AROUND THE WORLD.

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: 08/28/2023 TO 08/27/2028.

***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.