Notice of Intent to Sole Source

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), under the Department of Commerce, has published a Notice of Intent to Sole Source for grooming services related to the NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada's Bow Thruster Controls and Human-Machine Interface (HMI). The procurement is being conducted under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(1) and is directed toward Tees White Gill of Cleveland, United Kingdom. NOAA's Marine Operations Center, Acquisition, Accountability, and Analysis Branch issued this notice on December 19, 2025. The sole source determination is justified based on Tees White Gill's status as the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) for the bow thruster system, which possesses unique technical knowledge and expertise necessary to complete the required grooming service.

The primary objective of this procurement is to obtain specialized grooming and update services for the ship's bow thruster and HMI system to resolve guidance and tracking issues. While this is a sole source procurement announcement, interested contractors have ten days from the publication date to submit written substantiating documentation demonstrating their capability to provide grooming services that fully meet the Government's requirements; oral communications will not be accepted. Contractors must provide concrete evidence of their qualifications and ability to deliver equivalent services to compete for a potential competitive procurement. The Government retains sole discretion in determining whether to conduct the procurement competitively based on submitted responses. This opportunity is classified under NAICS 336611 (Ship Building and Repairing) and PSC J020 (Maint/Repair/Rebuild of Equipment—Ship and Marine Equipment).