Notice of Intent to Sole Source Iridium Satellite Collars with Video

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has published a Notice of Intent to Sole Source for the procurement of specialized satellite tracking equipment. The agency intends to issue a noncompetitive contract to Lotek Wireless Inc of Newmarket, Ontario, Canada for the purchase of 20 Lotek LITETRACK IR CAM S+ Iridium Satellite collars equipped with video cameras. This procurement falls under NAICS code 334290 (Other Communications Equipment Manufacturing) with a small business size standard of 800 employees. The government contemplates awarding a one-time, firm fixed price commercial purchase order valued at approximately $82,530. The sole source justification cites that these specific collars are the only equipment meeting the agency's unique technical requirements for their wildlife research applications.

The procurement supports the National Wildlife Research Center's Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Project, which requires specialized satellite collars for free-ranging mule deer field research. While this notice is not a request for competitive quotations, the agency will consider responses from all responsible sources to determine whether competitive procurement should be conducted instead. Interested parties must submit their responses by 12:00 PM CST on September 1, 2025, and must ensure their information is detailed, current, accurate, and complete. The government retains sole discretion in determining whether to proceed with the noncompetitive award or initiate a competitive procurement process. The justification emphasizes that the Lotek collars possess unique specifications including specific performance rates, fix rates, life estimates, auxiliary scheduling capabilities, and data acquisition properties that are essential for the research project's success.