Swan - winter marine bird survey

The National Park Service, Alaska Region, seeks vessel charter services to support winter marine bird surveys in Cook Inlet and Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, with quotes due August 17, 2026. This is a 100% small business set-aside under simplified acquisition procedures with firm-fixed-price evaluation.

Place of performance is the coastal region of western Cook Inlet and Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Survey operations occur over 5 to 7 days in November, January, and March, totaling 15 to 18 days annually. Period of performance runs September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2029, comprising a base year and two option years.

The contractor must provide a U.S. Coast Guard–certified vessel of at least 65 feet in length, capable of maintaining at least 6 knots cruising speed, equipped with radar, GPS, depth sounder, EPIRB, two VHF radios, and immersion suits. The vessel must deploy a 3-meter beam trawl, acoustic transducers, and CTD casts for oceanographic data collection and accommodate up to 10 NPS scientists and collaborators. The captain must hold a U.S. Coast Guard license and possess at least three years of experience operating similar-sized vessels in Cook Inlet and the Alaska Peninsula outer coast. The contractor provides all equipment, materials, fuels, meals, lodging, and labor. Pricing is on a daily rate basis.

The contractor must obtain marine and general public liability insurance with minimum limits of $100,000 per person, $500,000 per occurrence, and $1,000,000 property damage. Current vessel photographs and a vessel survey no more than two years old must accompany the quote. Offerors must be actively registered in SAM at quote submission. Evaluation factors are vessel suitability, captain experience and license, past performance, and price on a best value basis. The NAICS code is 483114, Coastal and Great Lakes Passenger Transportation, with a 550-employee size standard.