9280-26-R-RFIN-00010

The University of Southern Mississippi's Gulf Coast Geospatial Center is seeking a sole source procurement of airborne hyperspectral remote sensing data survey services from Galileo Group, specifically targeting coastal and seagrass habitat assessment along the Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida Gulf coasts. The procurement requires a turnkey airborne data collection service with deliverables including OEM-calibrated hyperspectral imaging, navigation and inertial measurement unit (IMU) integration, mission planning, data processing, and analytical products suitable for research and environmental management applications. The mission is critically time-sensitive, with data collection required to begin in early November 2025 to coincide with optimal seagrass growth and water clarity conditions. Galileo Group has been identified as the sole vendor capable of meeting all technical requirements within the required timeframe, possessing a fully mobilized, ready-to-deploy system with current calibration documentation and immediate aircraft availability. The vendor's personnel hold unique technical expertise in coastal and aquatic vegetation mapping, large-scale environmental monitoring, and rapid analytical data product delivery. The notice was advertised on November 3, 2025, with objections to the sole source designation due by November 18, 2025, at 8:00 a.m. Central Time.

The procurement appears to have no specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises. The project is funded entirely by federal funds through the Department of Commerce-NOAA, with a total estimated project cost of $137,832 for Fiscal Year 26 and total available funding of $364,252.00. No incumbent vendors are mentioned beyond Galileo Group, who is being proposed as the sole source provider. The existing infrastructure includes a high-precision hyperspectral imaging sensor with an integrated inertial measurement unit (IMU), airborne control computers, and current OEM calibration. Galileo Group's unique qualifications stem from their operational history, which includes emergency and hazard-response missions such as the BP Gulf oil spill, Space Shuttle Columbia debris search, and post-hurricane surveys. The acquisition has a maximum allowed duration of three years per project, with the current ITS Acquisition Approval effective through October 27, 2025, and project futures expiring on September 29, 2025.