EFC - Surface Water Modeling Tools

The Idaho Department of Water Resources (IDWR) is seeking a one-time, five-year exemption from competition to procure surface water modeling tools from Centered Consulting International, LLC. The procurement specifically supports the negotiation and implementation of settlement agreements in the Lemhi and Bear River basins, requiring specialized expertise in complex hydrological modeling and analysis. The contract aims to provide professional services for continued work on ongoing river basin settlement processes, with a focus on creating modeling tools that can support intricate water resource negotiations. IDWR has requested a $250,000 contract with a specific vendor they believe has the most appropriate methodology and historical knowledge of the basin-specific issues. The procurement opportunity was posted on December 21, 2023, with a response deadline of December 27, 2023, and suppliers are invited to provide information that may support or contradict the agency's claim that competition would be impractical or disadvantageous. The agency emphasizes the unique geographic challenges and specialized technical requirements that make this a targeted procurement.

No specific set-aside designations or restrictions on responding organizations were explicitly detailed in the documents. The procurement appears open to qualified vendors, with Centered Consulting International, LLC being the preferred vendor due to their existing expertise and familiarity with the Lemhi and Bear River basin settlement processes. The contract value is set at $250,000 for a five-year period, with the procurement focusing on surface water modeling tools that support complex water resource settlement negotiations. No incumbent vendors beyond the proposed Centered Consulting are mentioned, and there are no explicit details about integration requirements with existing technology infrastructure. The procurement is being handled through the Idaho Division of Purchasing, which will review the exemption request and make a discretionary decision about allowing a non-competitive procurement. The agency suggests that the specialized nature of the work, including the remote geographic locations and limited firms with the required expertise, justifies the direct procurement approach.