Conservation Biology Institute, Inc.

Conservation Biology Institute, Inc., a non-profit research organization based in Corvallis, Oregon, provides environmental data infrastructure, wildfire and boreal-forest research, and threatened-species habitat restoration to federal natural resource agencies as a prime recipient on federal contracts and grants (98% of recent awards). The vendor operates on a full-and-open basis with no set-aside designations across its footprint.

The organization specializes in scientific research and environmental data platform management serving Interior Department bureaus, the U.S. Forest Service, and the U.S. Geological Survey. Recent contract work includes a $270 thousand purchase order from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (awarded June 2026, completion June 2031) for critical minerals geospatial portal development and operation of the existing Data Basin service, encompassing server and website updates, creation of new portal websites for the Commonwealth of the Mariana Islands and American Samoa, and consolidation of ocean datasets on fishing grounds, recreational areas, shipping lanes, habitat zones, and energy sites to support marine spatial planning; a $100 thousand firm fixed-price purchase order from the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (September 2024, completion October 2026) for continued operation, maintenance, and administration of DataBasin, an online data catalog and marine spatial planning coordination platform; and a $40 thousand purchase order from the U.S. Geological Survey (August 2024, completion October 2025) for wind and fire data research services on wildfires, boreal forests, and chaparral ecosystems. The vendor holds a sole-source designation on the BOEM portal work under FAR 6.302-1, citing Conservation Biology Institute's unique integrated Data Basin services.

Federal grant work centers on wildfire management, habitat restoration, and threatened-species conservation. Conservation Biology Institute acts as prime recipient on cooperative agreements with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Region 8) for habitat enhancement in the Cheyenne Preserve Complex in San Diego County, including invasive weed control and monitoring of the federally threatened Coastal California Gnatcatcher (awards October 2022 through August 2023); San Diego Bay non-native sea lavender mapping and control (October 2021 through September 2023); and Cheyenne Preserve security fencing and weed abatement (August 2021 through August 2023). A September 2023 cooperative agreement from the U.S. Forest Service (Idaho Region) funds assessment of simulated fuel treatment effectiveness, climate change impacts, and wildfire regime change in Southern California montane forests and shrublands, with completion targeted for September 2026. The vendor also serves as sub-recipient on a grant from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (awarded October 2025) for update of the 2016 Southern Sierra Nevada Fisher Conservation Strategy and assessment of fisher population status, genetics, and habitat dynamics.

Customer concentration is broad but tilted toward Interior Department bureaus. The top five agencies by award count account for 65% of awards, led by the Fish and Wildlife Service Region 8 (12 awards), followed by the USGS Office of Acquisitions and Grants (7 awards, $256 thousand combined potential value), Fish and Wildlife Service (7 awards), Forest Service (5 awards), and USGS (5 awards). By dollar value, the ranking shifts: the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management dominates with the $270 thousand portal contract, followed by USGS OAG, a $241 thousand Marine Corps award, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, and Fish and Wildlife Service Region 4. The combined potential value across all 55 awards stands at $1.7 million, though obligated dollars reach $6.3 million, indicating substantial completion of prior-year work. Two awards worth $100 thousand combined reach ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, marking the recompete window. Activity has averaged one to two awards per year over the past five fiscal years, with the organization serving seventeen distinct federal customer agencies. Service Contract Inventory records show minimal SCI-reportable activity — one subcontractor record in FY2024 representing 0.6 FTEs — reflecting the vendor's structure as a primary recipient on small research and infrastructure contracts rather than a large federal service-delivery prime.