GPS Satellite Tracking Collars for Blue Mountain Elk

The State of Oregon, acting through the Department of Fish and Wildlife, has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the procurement of two hundred forty (240) GPS iridium satellite tracking collars for adult Blue Mountain Elk, along with associated data collection services for a three-year period. The primary objective of this project is to identify elk migration patterns, corridors, and provide survival estimates for elk in eastern Oregon. Proposers must deliver the collars by January 1, 2025, with Agency deployment scheduled for February-March 2025. The RFP includes specific technical requirements for the GPS collars, such as minimum battery life, GPS location acquisition and transmission rates, remote drop-off mechanisms, and VHF beacon performance. Evaluation criteria for the proposals are comprehensive, including price (30 points), references (30 points), proposed collar specifications (30 points), and product reliability/performance history (10 points), with a total possible score of 100 points. The proposal submission deadline is July 18, 2024, and the Agency anticipates awarding a single contract with an initial three-year term and potential renewals up to a maximum of four years.

The RFP encourages participation from small businesses certified by the Oregon Certification Office for Business Inclusion and Diversity (COBID) and may require a Certified Disadvantaged Business Outreach Plan from the successful proposer. Proposers must demonstrate steps to provide opportunities for minority-owned, woman-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, and emerging small businesses in potential subcontracting opportunities. The contract may be funded through federal sources, which would incorporate relevant federal contract provisions. Based on the RFP tabulation document, top-scoring proposers included Vectronic Aerospace, Advance Telemetry Systems, and Lotek Wireless Inc., with the Notice of Intent to Award ultimately identifying Lotek Wireless, Inc. as the intended contractor. While specific contract value details are not explicitly stated, the RFP requires proposers to submit comprehensive pricing information, including initial costs, activation fees, data collection subscription fees, and message delivery fees for the three-year term. The Agency reserves the right to adjust deliverables to meet budgetary constraints, indicating flexibility in the final contract scope and value.