Special Time Charter for Marine Support Vessel

The Department of the Navy Military Sealift Command is seeking a U.S. flagged, Jones Act-compliant vessel to charter as a Maritime Support Vessel for counternarcotics operations in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean. The vessel must be capable of supporting 29 sponsor personnel with surge capacity to 44 personnel for extended periods without resupply and must meet stringent Coast Guard certification requirements. Key qualifications include a minimum transit speed of 10 knots, the ability to launch and recover small boats up to 44 feet long weighing 35,000 pounds in sea state 3 conditions, capacity to refuel partner nation boats, and authorization to carry arms, ammunition, and explosives. The vessel must provide extensive infrastructure including dedicated operations centers with classified capability, secure communications facilities, medical space, weapons and ordnance storage, berthing for 44 personnel, and specialized deck space for unmanned aerial systems and small boat launch/recovery systems. Interested parties must submit responses by 1:00 PM Eastern Standard Time on March 10, 2026, providing company history, complete vessel descriptions, charter rates, fuel consumption data, deck space availability, security clearance status, and subcontracting plans.

This procurement does not use any set-aside designation and no incumbent contractor is identified in the notice. The contract will operate on a Firm Fixed Price basis with reimbursable elements, running for an initial base period from May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027 (365 days), with one optional 11-month extension from May 1, 2027 to March 31, 2028 (336 days). The homeport will be Mayport Naval Base, Florida, and the vessel must be able to commence service within a timeframe specified by the contractor in their proposal. Small business eligibility is based on NAICS code 483111 (Deep Sea Freight Transportation) with an employee size threshold of 1,050 employees. Large businesses are expected to identify subcontracting opportunities in their proposals, and all respondents must disclose their current security clearance status. No specific budget range or award value is disclosed in the sources sought notice.