VMS Data Transmission Services

***NOAA's Acquisition & Grants Office, Western Acquisition Division-Boulder, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), intends to negotiation, on a sole source basis, under authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), with The Woods Hole Group, Inc out of Bourne MA, for vessel monitoring systems data transmission service on various fishing boats.

*** THE SOLE SOURCE DETERMINATION IS BASED ON THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION'S (NOAA) DETERMINATION THAT THE WOODS HOLE TROUP IS THE ONLY SOURCE AVAILABLE TO PROVIDE THE REQUIRED DATA TRANSMISSION SERVICES, BECAUSE NOAA VESSELS USE THEIR VMS.  THE WOODS HOLE GROUP VMS UNITS ARE INSTALLED ON ~160 LONGLINE VESSELS OPERATING IN HAWAII, CALIFORNIA AND AMERICAN SAMOA. THE ER TABLETS REQUIRE CONNECTING, INTERFACING AND SENDING DATA THROUGH THESE VMS UNITS. THERE IS ONLY ONE VMS UNIT PER VESSEL AND IT IS NOT COST EFFECTIVE TO CHANGE VMS UNITS TO ANOTHER VENDOR CAPABLE OF TRANSMITTING DATA.THE PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE WILL BE 01/01/2022 – 12/31/2023 FOR THE BASE WITH 4 OPTION YEARS.

***THIS NOTICE OF INTENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS AND NO SOLICITATION PACKAGE IS AVAILABLE. HOWEVER, FIRMS THAT BELIEVE THEY CAN FULLY MEET THE GOVERNMENT'S REQUIREMENTS MAY SUBMIT SUBSTANTIATING DOCUMENTATION IN WRITING TO THE IDENTIFIED POINT OF CONTACT WITHIN 15 DAYS AFTER PUBLICATION OF THIS SYNOPSIS. SUCH DOCUMENTATION WILL BE EVALUATED SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT TO CONDUCT THIS PROCUREMENT ON A COMPETITIVE BASIS. A DETERMINATION BY THE GOVERNMENT NOT TO CONDUCT A COMPETITIVE PROCUREMENT, BASED UPON RESPONSES TO THIS NOTICE, IS SOLELY WITHIN THE DISCRETION OF THE GOVERNMENT. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE IN RESPONSE TO THIS NOTICE.