Lebanon Dam PIT Interrogation System Maintenance & Data Management

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Portland District (NWP) intends to negotiate and award a firm fixed-price (FFP) contract with Biomark to perform routine operation, maintenance, and data management of a newly installed Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) Interrogation System on Lebanon Dam, Oregon.  The contract will support meeting the requirements under the Biological Opinion (BiOp) on the Continued Operation and Maintenance of the Willamette River Basin Project under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and Court Injunction Case 3:18-cv-00437-HZ by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Portland District (NWP). 

The period of performance for the base CLINS begins May 24, 2024, and ends April 30, 2025. The period of performance for the optional CLINS, if awarded, begins May 1, 2025, and ends April 30, 2026.

PIT interrogation system capabilities include PIT antennas that are installed on structures and span large main stem river channels The PIT Interrogation System and related equipment was custom-built by Biomark to meet the unique challenges of this study area and is not commercially available. 

Biomark will perform both routine and nonroutine maintenance of the PIT interrogation system installed at Lebanon Dam as described in the attached Draft Performance Work Statement.

Data consistency and continuity are critical for fish passage and survival research on long-term population trends in the basin.  Additionally, the Court Injunction Case under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and Court Injunction Case 3:18-cv-00437-HZ requires the continued operation of the PIT interrogation system.  Any gaps or shift in data collection protocols would preclude the comparison of data from year to year. This would result in many small datasets rather than one continuous dataset and USACE would be out of compliance with the Court Injunction.  The Government has determined this contract to be of critical importance to the continued monitoring and studies as required by the court injunction.

All service and supplies must be compatible in all aspects (form, fit, and function) with existing PIT interrogation system presently installed at Lebanon Dam. The current system is designed, fabricated, installed, and monitored by Biomark. Maintenance or repair must use Biomark’s products and expertise as they are a full-service vendor who’s detection antennas are unique and their designs proprietary. Given the system elements are proprietary, maintenance services of the above instruments performed by third parties will void all warranties, only the original manufacturer can meet this requirement.

No other Contractor can provide the services Biomark currently provides to ensure data consistency and continuity of services and meeting the Court Injunction requirements.

Currently, a solicitation does not exist. 

THIS NOTICE IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS OR QUOTATIONS.

Interested concerns must show clear and convincing evidence that competition of this requirement would be advantageous to the Government by submitting a capability statement demonstrating ability to conduct the work. If no affirmative written responses are received by 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on 18 March 2024 an award will be made without further notice. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed requirement is solely within the discretion of the Government. Electronic responses and questions shall be submitted via email to the contracting point of contact listed below. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is not responsible for any costs incurred by responding to this notice.

*No Phone Inquiries, please.

Capability Statement Submission Requirements

1.  Point of Contact name, email address and phone number, CAGE code and Unique Entity ID (UEI) number (if available).

2.  If the organization is a small business, please state the category of small business, such as 8(a), HUBZone (Historically Underutilized Business Zone), SDVOSB/VOSB (Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business/Veteran-Owned Small Business, WOSB (Women-Owned Small Business).

3.  Statement of capabilities detailing the interested party’s

• Years of experience and brief description reviewing and downloading PIT tag data from Biomark IS1001 PIT interrogation systems and uploading the data to the PTAGIS website (https://www.ptagis.org).
• Years of experience and brief description operating, maintaining, tuning, and optimizing Biomark IS1001 PIT interrogation systems.
• Site safety and health officer that meets the requirements of the EM 385-1-1.

Send responses by email, labeled as “W9127N24Q0023 – Lebanon Dam PIT Interrogation System Maintenance” in the subject line to the following:

Antwain.R.Burks@usace.army.mil and Patrick.P.Collins@usace.army.mil