Sonar Underwater Drone BIA Off. of Justice Service

The Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Office of Justice Services is seeking to procure specialized underwater drone equipment through Solicitation No. 140A1625Q0025. The procurement involves acquiring three OceanBotics SRV-8 underwater robotic vehicles, complete with Oculus M750d Multibeam Sonar Systems, DVL navigation solutions, robotic grabbers, spare batteries, and thruster spare kits, each with a five-year extended warranty. The solicitation will be evaluated on a lowest-price, technically acceptable basis, with quotes due by April 4, 2025, at 2:00 pm Eastern Time. Interested vendors must submit comprehensive company information and a signed Indian Economic Enterprise Representation Form. The procurement falls under NAICS code 334511 for Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing, with a small business size standard of 1,350 employees.

The contract is exclusively set aside for Indian Small Business Economic Enterprises (ISBEEs), targeting Native American businesses with a direct preference for vendors capable of providing compatible equipment. The equipment will be distributed across four BIA OJS Missing and Murdered Unit (MMU) regional offices located in Billings, MT; Rapid City, SD; Albuquerque, NM; and Muskogee, OK, with each region receiving a slightly different configuration of underwater drone systems. The contract anticipates a firm-fixed-price purchase order with delivery expected within 90 days of order receipt. RJE Oceanbiotics has previously expressed interest and currently provides equipment to the agency, having sold a similar drone to the BIA in 2022. The total procurement will involve 3-4 units across different line items, with a comprehensive equipment package designed to support underwater investigation and evidence collection capabilities for the agency's regional units.