APEX Electrofisher Unit for Boat

The State of Utah Division of Purchasing has issued a Notice of Intent to Award a Contract Without Engaging in a Standard Procurement Process for an APEX Electrofisher Unit for Boat, posted on May 8, 2026, with a due date of May 15, 2026. The Division of Wildlife Resources is procuring a Smith-Root APEX control box system with specialized components designed to integrate with existing wiring on a 16-foot aluminum boat used for fisheries sampling on Utah reservoirs in the Northeastern region. The equipment specifications include an electrofisher control box with 7,200W continuous AC output and 24,000W peak capacity, voltage range of 0-1200VDC and 0-240VAC in 1V increments, frequency adjustability from 1-1,000Hz, multiple output waveforms, data logging capabilities with USB 2.0 download functionality, and a color display unit. Deliverables include the control box, Boom Interconnect Box, 15-foot cathode and anode cables, foot switch, 10-foot input power cable, and instruction manual, with delivery required to 318 North Vernal Avenue, Vernal, Utah 84078 by June 15, 2026 or earlier. The procurement is being conducted as a sole-source award based on the justification that the APEX is the only electrofisher available with built-in scientific data monitoring and recording capabilities that allow biologists to download recorded data via USB for analysis, recording more than 24 hours of GPS data, electrical input and output, warning codes, and performance information for every second of electrofishing operations—capabilities that market research confirmed are not offered on any competing electrofishing equipment.

This sole-source procurement is not subject to standard competitive bidding; however, interested vendors have the opportunity to challenge the sole-source determination during the public notice period by submitting documentation demonstrating that other qualified vendors exist who can provide comparable or equivalent products meeting the specifications. All vendors responding to this notice must certify compliance with Utah Code 63G-27 et seq., specifically certifying that they are not engaged in economic boycotts or boycotts of the State of Israel and will not engage in such boycotts during the contract term. Any vendor submitting proposals must include a Business Confidentiality Claim form and submit both redacted and non-redacted versions of their proposals if seeking to protect trade secrets or commercial financial information under the Utah Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA). The current infrastructure consists of an obsolete Smith-Root electrofishing system on a 16-foot aluminum boat with existing wiring and component-based electrical systems that the APEX unit must integrate with directly, without requiring comprehensive re-wiring. The project budget ceiling is $17,500.00, with funding available through aquatics fleet modernization resources designated for the Northeastern region division.