Vessel for Seafloor Mapping at Rogue Reef

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) to charter a vessel for seafloor mapping surveys at Rogue Reef off Gold Beach, Oregon. The primary objective is to conduct up to 10 days of at-sea surveys between August 22, 2024, and June 30, 2025, with the ideal completion period being August 22 - October 15, 2024. The contractor must provide a vessel, crew, and technical support capable of using a pole-mounted multibeam sonar transducer to acquire high-resolution data on seafloor depth, structure, and backscatter. A secondary goal involves deploying a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) to capture video footage of the seafloor and associated biological communities. Mandatory qualifications include a vessel captain with a minimum of 3 years of professional experience in charter fishing or equivalent services, and the contractor must have at least 3 years of professional experience providing comparable services. The proposal evaluation will be based on project team qualifications, vessel capabilities, and cost, with a total of 100 points available. Proposals are due by August 29, 2024, with ODFW anticipating the award of a single contract following a comprehensive review process.

No specific set-aside designations or restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises were explicitly mentioned in the RFP documents. The contract does not provide information about incumbent vendors or existing infrastructure requirements. While the total contract amount is not definitively stated, the documents reference a not-to-exceed compensation amount, with reimbursement for services performed and essential travel expenses. The pricing proposal requires bidders to submit a comprehensive cost breakdown, including daily survey costs, transit costs, mobilization/demobilization expenses, and potential lay day costs. Contractors must also provide at least three references demonstrating comparable service experience. The contract term is anticipated to run from August 22, 2024, through June 30, 2025, with the potential for up to 10 days of at-sea surveys during this period. The final contract award will be subject to successful negotiation of terms and the contractor's ability to meet all mandatory requirements.