Vessel for ROV surveys near heceta and nehalem banks

The Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW) is seeking to charter a vessel to support Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) video surveys of seafloor habitats near Heceta and Nehalem Banks. The contract opportunity requires a vessel, crew, and technical support for up to 10 days of at-sea surveys between May 2 and November 15, 2022, with four days targeting the Essential Fish Habitat area at Nehalem Bank in 80 fathoms of water and six days targeting the Rockfish Conservation Area west and north of Heceta Bank in 100-160 fathoms of water. The selected vessel must have specific capabilities to safely deploy, tow, and retrieve the ROV and associated equipment. Proposals will be evaluated based on four scored components: cost sheet (30 points), references (20 points), general qualifications (50 points), and understanding of requested services/project (30 points). The proposal submission deadline is April 19, 2022, at 3:00 PM PDT, with an anticipated contract award by April 25, 2022. The selected contractor must provide a vessel master and crew with appropriate qualifications and demonstrate the vessel's suitability for the specialized marine research work.

The ODFW encourages participation from certified disadvantaged businesses, including minority-owned, woman-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, and emerging small businesses. Offerors must provide information about their certification status, past relationships with certified firms, and potential subcontracting opportunities. The contract requires vendors to complete various certification forms, including an Offeror Information and Certification Sheet, Responsibility Inquiry, and Disclosure Exemption Affidavit. While specific budget details are not fully disclosed, the contract includes provisions for reimbursement of allowable expenses in accordance with the Oregon Travel Policy. The total maximum compensation is not explicitly stated in the provided documents, but the cost sheet allows for daily survey costs, including fuel, food, vessel staffing, and potential additional expenses for transit, equipment mobilization, and lay days. The contract term is expected to run from April 25 through November 15, 2022, with no information provided about potential contract renewals or extensions.