World Fleet Register Data for USACE Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center

The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Humphreys Engineer Center Support Activity (HECSA) is seeking information from industry to determine the capabilities of industry and determine interested sources for a new requirement. This is a Sources Sought Notice for Market Research purposes only. This is not a request for proposals. The Government will not reimburse for any costs incurred to submit a response to this Sources Sought Notice. The Government reserves the right to reject in whole. or in part, any private sector input as a result of this market survey. The Government is not obligated to inform respondents of the results of this survey.

It is anticipated that a contract will be award using FAR Part 13 - Simplified Acquisition Procedures. Interested sources should respond to the attached questionnaire and submit a Statement of Qualifications to help facilitate the Government's market research. The Government wil analyze all of the responses and determine if this requirement is suitable to do a total or partial set-aside for small businesses.

If the pool of small businesses is insufficient, the Government may elect to solicit this requirement using full and open competitive procedures. The Government does not intend to rank submissions.

Submission requirements: Submissions should not exceed 15 pages with 12 point font, single spaced, using 1 inch margins. The questionnaire, table of contents and cover pages are not included in the page count. Responses should be submitted in PDF format. Response should describe the interested party's capabilities to complete the required services in the attached Performance Work Statement. Oral communications will not be considered.

The Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center (IWR-WCSC, New Orleans, Louisiana) of the capital region office of Institute for Water Resources (IWR-WRC, Alexandria, Virginia) of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) compiles, processes, and analyzes data and information for waterborne transportation and associated trade, and affiliated services involved with the conduct of both domestic and foreign trade critical to the economy of the United States.  The data and information assembled by WCSC and IWR are employed in the engineering and economic evaluation of Federally-sponsored waterway improvements for coastal harbors and deep-draft approach channels and waterways in addition to internal or inland waterway(s) systems. Such improvements include placement of new general navigation features (GNFs) such as channels or vessel maneuvering areas and enhancements to existing features.  Enhancements may include deepening and enlargement of maneuvering areas to accommodate evolving changes in vessel or fleet characteristics and fleet service regime driven by trade and demand for supporting waterborne transport. In the same contexts of evaluation of new GNFs or related enhancements, subject data and information is also routinely employed to inform agency (USACE) decisions for management of operation(s) and maintenance (O&M) within the framework of budgetary and fiscal resource constraints of the agency’s waterborne navigation program.

Part of the information essential to waterway system evaluations includes the specifications of vessels including vessel type, physical dimensions, capacities, and other characteristics, including (but not necessarily limited to) age, powering and immersion. The WCSC employs this data and information to help verify the identity of vessels with linkage of vessel and trade tonnage movements to develop a more complete profile of trade statistics used for decision-making and evaluations of waterway system projects. Analysts at IWR and in the field use described information to conduct economic and engineering evaluations to assess the feasibility and economic return of new construction, physical improvements or enhancements, and O&M initiatives based on transportation cost efficiencies made possible by such measures, such as or including loading and operating vessels more efficiently than would otherwise be possible (without specified improvements or enhancements).