Notice of Intent to Sole Source: Eklutna Glacier Data and Access

The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Engineer Research and Development Center – Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (ERDC-CRREL) requires an accurately measured, in-situ collection of field observations, consisting of a comprehensive long-term time-series of co-located glacial watershed parameters. These empirical field observations shall include quantitative measurements from instrumentation related to hydrology, weather, and glacial snow-ice ablation changes from Eklutna Glacier in Alaska, USA.  Services will also include in-person remote field guidance at the remote measurement site on Eklutna Glacier.

ERDC-CRREL intends to award a purchase order on a sole source basis to Alaska Pacific University in accordance with FAR 13.106-1(b)(1).

Market research indicates that Alaska Pacific University (APU) is the only source for this requirement because it is the sole operator of the remote measurement sites on Eklutna Glacier and is the holder of historical measurements. The Eklutna Glacier and Watershed long-term monitoring program is managed and maintained by researchers at APU in Anchorage, Alaska. APU has been operating and maintaining a comprehensive field measurement collection program on Eklutna Glacier since 2008. This program encompasses routine annual glacier mass-balance measurements, along with the operation and upkeep of in-situ weather station equipment on the glacier and hydrologic instrumentation within the watershed. This has enabled APU to maintain complete records from 2008 through present. The university is the sole source of these comprehensive historic environmental observations and sole operator of annual field measurement campaigns on Eklutna Glacier. To effectively validate output of the model under development by CRREL researchers, APU’s Eklutna Glacier information will provide an evaluation component that is critical to model functional accuracy. Additionally, access to the glacier is required to obtain similar observations for the current 2025 field season, which will be obtained via APU pre-installed monitoring equipment on the glacier and via manual field instruments.

This is a notice of intent to sole source synopsis, not a solicitation or a request for competitive quotations.  This is not a set-aside of any kind.  Any interested party that believes they should be considered as capable of fulfilling this requirement should submit a capability statement of their related products or services to be reviewed for technical content.  Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement.  A determination by the Government not to compete the contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government    All submissions will be considered, however there is no guarantee that submissions in response to this notice will in any way alter the Government’s acquisition strategy.

Please provide responses to this notice no later than the time listed above in this notice, to: Rhoda.A.Lewis@usace.army.mil

Telephone responses will not be accepted.