Airtime and Data for Radio Collar Transmissions

The State of Colorado, Division of Parks and Wildlife, is procuring airtime and data services for radio collar transmissions used in ongoing scientific research. This Notice of Proposed Sole Source procurement seeks vendors capable of providing airtime transmission capabilities, data acquisition, and location recording at specified time intervals for radio collars attached to animals in active studies. The contract will commence as soon as practical and continue through June 30, 2025, with work extending through the end of each fiscal year. Prospective vendors must submit a cover letter signed by an authorized representative that includes company name, address, contact information, and FEIN/SSN, along with a detailed description of the firm's ability to provide services for animals currently wearing collars. The submission deadline is April 18, 2016, with inquiries directed to Maggie Van Cleef at the Department of Natural Resources Purchasing Office in Denver via phone, fax, or email. The State has budgeted approximately $150,000 annually to support these services.

This procurement is designated as a sole source opportunity based on the exclusive relationship between the specific radio collars deployed and their airtime and data providers. CLS America Inc. and Advanced Telemetry Systems (ATS) were identified as the exclusive providers through a prior competitive selection process (RFP PMAA 2015-008), and the $150,000 annual budget will be divided between these two vendors. The sole source justification rests on the fact that radio collars currently active on animals in ongoing scientific studies require continued service exclusively from these vendors, as the collars will remain operational until they naturally fall off or the animals die. No set-aside designations or restrictions specific to disadvantaged enterprises are detailed in the procurement documents. Any prospective vendor must demonstrate the ability to integrate with and service the existing infrastructure of radio collars currently deployed by CLS America Inc. and Advanced Telemetry Systems (ATS).