Oyster Restoration

NOTICE OF INTENT TO NEGOTIATE A SOLE-SOURCE CONTRACT

The US Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration (NOAA), Eastern Region Acquisition Division, Simplified

Acquisition Branch intends to negotiate on a sole source basis with the Oyster

Recovery Partnership, Annapolis, Maryland, using the procedures in FAR Part

13, to provide Oyster Planting and Monitoring. The National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), NOAA Chesapeake Bay Program Office (NCBO), Annapolis,

Maryland, provides science, service, and stewardship to protect and restore the

Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. In order to accomplish its oyster restoration goals

in ten Chesapeake Bay tributaries by the year 2025, the NCBO works with

partners to conduct studies that determine where new oyster reefs should be

established. After the reefs are established, they are monitored to determine

oyster population density, oyster biomass, presence/absence of multiple oyster

year classes, and shell volume (collectively called "biological metrics), or other

metrics as specified by NOAA.

The Oyster Recovery Partnership (ORP) has performed both components of

this work for the last several years, and possesses the knowledge of the

technical aspects of the work, as well as the process by which the work is

accomplished (understanding of work products, work flow, and respective roles,

including NOAA's role).

It is essential to keep this contractor to ensure continuity of the technical

aspects and the specific gear being used for data collection. This contractor

has already developed computer scripts to perform the necessary analyses; reusing

these scripts builds in efficiency and ensures annual continuity. Continuity

is especially important as the results will be compared against past years'

monitoring results to inform management actions on oyster restoration sites.

ORF serves in the role of general contractor, coordinating work between subcontractors

who perform specific elements of the scope of work. ORP's role is

critical in ensuring that methods, data formatting, and statistical analyses are

comparable and/ or consistent among multiple sub-contractors. This is

necessary to ensure NOAA's final Oyster Reef Monitoring Report is

scientifically valid and cohesive, given that multiple entities collect and analyze

the data.

The North American Industry Classification Code (NAICS) for this acquisition is

813312, Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations, with a business

size standard of $15.0 M. This is not a solicitation for competitive quotes.

However, if any other interested party believes that it can meet the

requirements, it may submit a statement of capabilities, which if timely received,

will be considered by NOAA. A determination by the Government not to

compete this proposed requirement based upon responses to this notice is

solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will

normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to

conduct a competitive procurement. Evidence must be provided of ability to

provide the required services. The capability statement and any other

information furnished must be in writing and must contain material in sufficient

detail to allow NOAA to determine if the party can meet all of the requirements.

Capability statements and related materials must be e-mailed to

joseph.feibel@noaa.gov by 03:00 pm, July 28, 2020.