Omega Modeling

***NOAA'S ACQUISITION & GRANTS OFFICE, WESTERN ACQUISITION DIVISION-BOULDER, NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE (NMFS), SOUTHWEST FISHIERIES SCIENCE CENTER (SWFSC), INTENDS TO NEGOTIATE, ON A SOLE SOURCE BASIS, UNDER AUTHORITY OF FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), WITH ICF INTERNATIONAL OUT OF FAIRFAX, VA FOR OMEGA MODEL RISK ASSESSMENT MODELING TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF US MARICULTURE.

***THE SOLE SOURCE DETERMINATION IS BASED ON THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION'S (NOAA) REQUIREMENT THAT ICF INTERNATIONAL IS THE SOLE ENTITY IN THE UNITED STATES THAT CAN MEET AND PROVIDE THE OMEGA MODEL DEVELOPMENT, AS WELL AS THE FOLLOWING TASKS: COMPLETING DEVELOPMENT OF THE MACROALGAE GENETIC IMPACT MODEL AND REVIEWING WITH PROJECT PARTNERS, PROVIDING SCIENTIFIC SUPPORT TO REGIONAL AQUACULTURE COORDINATORS AND AQUACULTURE OPPORTUNITY AREAS, MODEL SUPPORT FOR PLANNED FINFISH AND MICROALGAL FARMS AND DEVELOPMENT OF A RISK ASSESSMENT TEMPLATE AND VISUALIZATION TOOL TO STREAMLINE THE AQUACULTURE RISK ASSESSMENT EVALUATION PROCESS. ICF IS THE ORIGINAL DEVELOPER OF THE OMEGA MODEL FOR NOAA. OMEGA VERSION 1.0 WAS DEVELOPED IN 2012 TO EVALUATE THE RELATIVE RISKS AND BENEFITS OF ALTERNATIVE CULTURE STRATEGIES TO HELP BALANCE AQUACULTURE WITH CONSERVATION GOALS. THE SAME YEAR, ICF ALSO PRODUCED A USER GUIDE CONTAINING MODEL BACKGROUND AND USER INSTRUCTIONS THAT ACCOMPANIES THE ORIGINAL VERSION OF THE MODEL. IN 2018, ICF PRODUCED A SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF THE MODEL AND AN ACCOMPANYING DRAFT REPORT. THE REPORT INCLUDED RECOMMENATIONDS FOR SECENARIO DEVELOPEMNT USING UNCERTAINTY ANALYSIS IN A RISK ASSESSMENT CONTEXT. AS AN ESTENSION OF THIS WORK, ICF, IN COORDINATION WITH NOAA, DEVELOPED AQUACULTURE MODEL SCENARIOS FOR GULF CANDIDATE SPECIES, INCLUDING ALMACO JACK, RED DRUM AND RED SNAPPER. AS PART OF PROJECTS OPERATING FROM 2019 THROUGH 2022, ICF AND NOAA WERE WORKING TO COMPILE SPECIES DATA SETS FOR 15 ADDITIONAL MARINE FISH UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR AQUACULTRE DEVELOPMENT IN THE US AND TO EXPAND MODEL CAPACITY TO ADDRESS ADDITIONAL ESCAPEMENT COMPLEXITIES AND DIFFERENT ORGANISMS. ICF HAS CONDUCTED ALL OMEGA MODEL SCENARIO DEVELOPMENT DONE TO DATE IN THE CONTEXT OF APPLICATIONS TO COMMERCIAL AQUACULTURE. THE WORK RELIES ON THE PARTICULAR EXPERTISE OF THE OMEGA MODEL DEVELOPERS. THIS CONTINUED MODEL DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION BUILDS OFF THE PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS WITH ICF.

***THIS NOTICE OF INTENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS AND NO SOLICITATION PACKAGE IS AVAILABLE. HOWEVER, FIRMS THAT BELIEVE THEY CAN FULLY MEET THE GOVERNMENT'S REQUIREMENTS MAY SUBMIT SUBSTANTIATING DOCUMENTATION IN WRITING TO THE IDENTIFIED POINT OF CONTACT WITHIN 15 DAYS AFTER PUBLICATION OF THIS SYNOPSIS. SUCH DOCUMENTATION WILL BE EVALUATED SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF DETERMINING WHETHER TO CONDUCT THIS PROCUREMENT ON A COMPETITIVE BASIS. A GOVERNMENT DETERMINATION TO NOT CONDUCT A COMPETITIVE PROCUREMENT BASED UPON RESPONSES TO THIS NOTICE IS SOLELY WITHIN THE DISCRETION OF THE GOVERNMENT. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE IN RESPONSE TO THIS NOTICE.