USCG Response Boat - Small Demonstrator

The U.S. Coast Guard is seeking demonstrator boats through a Pre-solicitation Notice for the Response Boat - Small (RB-S) Demonstrator project under solicitation number 70Z02326R93250001. The procurement requires boats equipped with gasoline outboard engines, watertight hull components meeting ISO 12216 standards, and a specific seating configuration of five seats including four shock-mitigating seats in the cabin and one on the aft deck. Contractors must provide a dedicated technician on-site during the three-month demonstration period and meet stringent watertightness requirements, with hull components, hatches, decks, and watertight bulkheads required to meet watertightness degree 1, while doors, cabins, windows, and consoles must meet a minimum watertightness degree 2. The evaluation will favor proposals that closely align with the specified technical requirements, with significant deviations from specifications likely to reduce competitiveness. The Coast Guard anticipates receiving proposals in November 2025, completing review during the holiday period, and making contract awards in early 2026.

This opportunity is designated as a Total Small Business set-aside under NAICS code 336612 (Boat Building), with no incumbent contractors identified in the documentation. The Coast Guard expects to award four separate demonstrator contracts, indicating a total of four boats will be procured through this solicitation. Each selected contractor must deliver their demonstrator boat within a firm 90-day requirement from the contract award date. The demonstration period will span three months with approximately 240 operating hours of testing and evaluation. Updated question and answer documents were published on September 17, September 19, and September 30, 2025, with the most recent responses providing clarifications on technical specifications and procurement timeline expectations.