Notice of Intent to Sole Source: NOS/NGS Lidar System Maintenance, System Support, and Licensing

The Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued a Special Notice of Intent to Sole Source a contract with Leica Geosystems Inc. for maintenance, support, and licensing of their Chiroptera-5 topographic-bathymetric lidar system. The notice specifically pertains to a Customer Care Package (CCP) gold level support for the National Ocean Services (NOS) and National Geodetic Survey (NGS) Remote Sensing Division. This system is critical for collecting high-resolution elevation data for shoreline and nearshore bathymetry mapping, with capabilities extending to water depth determination for nautical charts, coral reef habitat mapping, nearshore modeling, and riverbed mapping. The contract falls under NAICS code 811210 for Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance, with a size standard of $34 million. The opportunity is being managed through NOAA's Coastal Mapping Program.

Interested vendors must submit capabilities statements by 12:00 P.M. Eastern Time on March 13, 2025, directly to Kirstin Bryant and Nicole Lawson at NOAA to demonstrate their ability to meet the contract requirements. The proposed contract includes one full year of CCP Gold level support with four additional optional years for hardware and software maintenance, licensing, and support. Contractors must be prepared to provide 24/7 technical service with a 12-hour on-site/remote response capability to the Aircraft Operations Center in Lakeland, FL. Technical issue resolution is expected within 24 hours, with the requirement to provide an equivalent loaner system if immediate resolution is not possible. The maintenance scope covers extensive hardware components of the Chiroptera-5 System, including the sensor head, control systems, peripherals, and PAV100 mount, as well as comprehensive software maintenance for multiple integrated systems and their associated licenses. Vendors must show technical proficiency across these complex technological requirements to be considered for the sole-source contract.