Underwater Drone

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Office of Acquisitions and Grants is seeking to procure five autonomous underwater/surface vehicles (aquatic drones) and one comprehensive command and control system for delivery to Richmond, Virginia. The vehicles must meet specific salient characteristics including compact dimensions (2.75" diameter x 38" length), weight under 6.75 lbs, capability to collect Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth (CTD) measurements, operation at speeds up to 10 knots with a 5-mile surface range, and 36-hour continuous battery life across temperatures from 0-30°C. The solicitation (140G0126Q0019) requires offerors to be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) and to demonstrate technical compliance with all specified performance characteristics. Award will be made to the responsible offeror submitting the lowest-priced quotation that receives an "acceptable" rating for technical compliance, with evaluation based on technical merit and price. The solicitation was issued on December 16, 2025, with written quotes due by December 23, 2025 at 9:00 AM Eastern Standard Time, an anticipated award date of December 22, 2025, and delivery required within 60 days after receipt of order.

This procurement is designated as a 100% Total Small Business set-aside with no incumbent contractor identified. The NAICS code is 334511 (Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing) with a size standard of 1,350 employees. The command and control system includes a communications hub, user interface comparable to a Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, ten spare battery packs, six battery chargers, a lightweight tripod, operational software, and protective transport cases. Contractors must comply with comprehensive requirements including ICT accessibility standards per Revised Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and the FISMA 18-Point Checklist for IT security guidelines, which mandate security controls, personnel vetting, non-disclosure agreements, and adherence to NIST and Department of Interior security standards. The performance of work will occur at the delivery location in Richmond, Virginia, with all quotes to be submitted to rlanderson@usgs.gov.