Notice of Intent to Sole Source for IENC Software

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District has published a Special Notice announcing its intent to conduct a sole-source procurement for annual software maintenance and new software acquisition for Inland Electronic Navigational Charts (Inland ENC) software. The procurement covers the period from September 30, 2025 to September 29, 2026, with the current software maintenance expiring on September 29, 2025. The solicitation involves Teledyne CARIS and SevenCs (7Cs) software products, which are specialized tools used for producing and performing quality assurance on Inland ENCs. The Louisville District justifies this sole-source approach under FAR 13.106-1(b), citing the unique nature of the software requirements. The total anticipated contract value is $75,000 and includes various software licenses and subscriptions for both CARIS and 7Cs products.

The purpose of this procurement is to maintain critical software capabilities for the production and quality assurance of Inland Electronic Navigational Charts, which are essential for safe navigation on inland waterways. The Special Notice establishes a response deadline of July 28, 2025, for any interested parties to submit feedback or challenges to the sole-source determination. The Army Corps justifies limiting competition by asserting that Teledyne Geospatial, the parent company of both CARIS and 7Cs, is the only vendor capable of providing these specialized software solutions. No alternative software packages are available on the market that can perform the specific functions required for Inland ENC production and quality assurance. The procurement is being conducted under simplified acquisition procedures, with pricing determined to be fair and reasonable based on commercial rates. Only Teledyne Geospatial appears eligible to participate in this procurement due to the proprietary nature of the software and maintenance requirements.