Sole Source - Bio-Mark Pit Tags

Deschutes County, through the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, is pursuing a sole source procurement for 5,000 Biomark Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) APT12 tags to support an ongoing fish monitoring project in the Upper Deschutes Basin. The primary objective is to track migration patterns and localized movements of Spring Chinook Salmon and summer steelhead smolts. These specialized tags must be fully compatible with the existing Biomark PIT tag antenna network, which includes monitoring locations such as Opal Springs Dam, the Selective Water Withdrawal tower, and Pelton Fish Trap. The procurement is time-sensitive, with a requirement that the tags be received by December 31, 2021. The sole source determination is based on the unique and proprietary nature of Biomark's tag coding and interrogation system, which necessitates direct procurement from this specific vendor. The total estimated cost for the procurement is $13,000, and the opportunity was initially posted on November 19, 2021, with a due date of November 29, 2021.

This procurement is specifically designated as a sole source contract with Biomark, the exclusive provider of the required PIT tags compatible with the existing monitoring infrastructure operated by Portland General Electric and Deschutes Valley Water District. No specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises are mentioned in the documentation. The contract appears to be limited to a single vendor due to the specialized technological requirements of the fish monitoring project. The procurement is specifically for the hardware components (PIT tags) needed to continue ongoing scientific research and monitoring of salmon and steelhead populations in the Upper Deschutes Basin. The contract value is relatively modest at $13,000, which suggests a targeted, specific procurement focused on maintaining continuity in existing environmental monitoring efforts. No alternative vendors or competitive bidding process is indicated, as the procurement is justified through a sole source determination based on technological compatibility and proprietary specifications.