King crab tracking with saildrone unmanned surface vehicles (USV)

***NOAA'S ACQUISITION & GRANTS OFFICE, WESTERN ACQUISITION DIVISION-BOULDER, NATIIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE (NMFS) ALASKA FISHERIES SCIENCE CENTER (AFSC) INTENDS TO NEGOTIATE, ON A SOLE SOURCE BASIS, UNDER AUTHORITY OF FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), WITH SAILDRONE, INC OUT OF ALAMEDA, CA FOR KING CRAB TRACKING WITH UNMANNED SURFACE VEHICLES (USV).

***THE SOLE SOURCE DETERMINATION IS BASED ON THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION'S (NOAA) REQUIREMENT THAT SAILDRONE IS THE SOLE PROVIDER OF THIS SERVICE. THE ALASKA FISHERIES SCIENCE CENTER (AFSC) HAS A COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BERING SEA FISHERIES RESEARCH FOUNDATION (BSFRF), A NON-PROFIT INDUSTRY GROUP REPRESENTING COMMERCIAL FISHING INTERESTS. IN 2019, AFSC BEGAN A COLLABORATIVE PROJECT WITH BSFRF TO TRACK RED KING CRAB WITH ACOUSTIC TAGS USING SAILDRONE'S UNMANNED SURFACE VEHICLES (USVS) EQUIPPED WITH ACOUSTIC RECEIVERS. CONTINUING TO USE SAILDRONE AS A VENDOR IN 2021 WILL LEVERAGE PREVIOUS TESTING THAT SOLVED ISSUES RELATED TO INTEGRATION OF THE ACOUSTIC RECEIVER INTO THE DRONES, RANGE TESTS, AND DATA DELIVERY MECHANISMS. BEGINNING WITH A NEW USV VENDOR WOULD REQUIRE ADDITIONAL TIME AND RESOURCES TO ENSURE THEY COULD PERFORM THIS MISSION CRITICAL WORK AND DELIVER ACCURATE DATA. A CHANGE IN VENDOR AT THIS POINT IN THE RESEARCH WOULD JEOPARDIZE THE INTEGRITY OF AFSC’S MISSION. THE PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE WILL BE 01/01/2021 THROUGH 12/31/2021.

***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.