Airtime and Data Transmissions for Radio Collars

The Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife, operating under the Department of Natural Resources, issued a Notice of Proposed Sole Source procurement for airtime and data transmission services for radio collars used in scientific research across Denver County and Denver City. The procurement seeks vendors capable of providing continuous airtime and data transmission services that enable radio collars attached to animals to transmit location data and time interval information to support ongoing wildlife studies. The contract will commence as soon as practical and extend through the end of the fiscal year, with a total contract term covering a five-year period through June 30, 2020. Qualified respondents must submit a cover letter signed by an authorized representative, vendor contact information, and Federal Employer Identification Number or Social Security Number, along with documentation addressing how the firm can fulfill services for animals currently wearing radio collars. The submission deadline was August 26, 2015, with inquiries directed to Maggie Van Cleef at the Department of Natural Resources Purchasing Office in Denver, Colorado.

This procurement was designated as a sole source justification based on the exclusive nature of airtime and data providers for the specific radio collar equipment previously awarded through competitive selection. The two eligible vendors for this procurement are CLS America Inc. and Vectronic Aerospace, which represent the only available providers capable of supporting the existing equipment and ensuring continuity of the research programs, as animals in ongoing scientific studies are currently wearing collars serviced exclusively by these vendors. The Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife has budgeted approximately $70,000 annually for airtime services, with this budget allocated and split between the two vendors. The sole source justification eliminates open competition, restricting eligibility to these two incumbent vendors who possess the technical capability to service the existing radio collar infrastructure already deployed in active wildlife research programs.