Vessel Charter - Commercial Fishing Vessel Bottom Trawl in western North Atlantic

The Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC), has a requirement to charter two commercial fishing vessels in support of a study to evaluate the catch rates of trawls equipped with cable Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) to trawls without the cable TED installed. Each cruise leg will take place in the continental waters of the western North Atlantic including Southern New England, Georges Bank, and mid-Atlantic regions in water depths ranging from 5-200 fathoms. The NEFSC intends to issue a Request for Quotations (RFQ) for a firm, fixed price purchase for a total of 16 sea-days. Due to the need for two (2) vessels, more than one award may result from this solicitationt. The RFQ will be issued on or about June 28, 2017, in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 13 via the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) website http://www.fedbizopps.gov. The RFQ number is EE133-F-17-RQ-0553; hard copies of the RFQ will not be issued. It is incumbent upon the contractors to monitor the FedBizOpps site for RFQ release and all subsequent amendments. The anticipated award date will be on or about July 14. 2017. This acquisition will be awarded as a firm -fixed price order under Simplified Acquisition Procedures, FAR Part 13. All responsible sources may submit a quote which shall be considered by the agency. To be eligible for award, vendors must obtain a DUNS number (this may be done by calling 1-800-333-0505) and be registered with the System for Award Management (SAM) www.Sam.gov.

The RFQ documents and incorporates provisions and clauses that are in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-95, effective January 13, 2017.

The proposed award is 100% set aside for small business concerns. The NAICS code is 488390 with a size standard of $38.5M. All responsible small businesses may submit an offer, which will be considered.

Copies of the solicitation will only be posted on FedBizOpps. Please submit all questions regarding this solicitation in writing via email to: susan.henderson@noaa.gov or fax to 508-495-2004. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted.