This is a request for information only and does not constitute a commitment, implied or otherwise, that a procurement action will be issued or awarded. This is not a solicitation. This is not a Request for Quote (RFQ), Invitation for Bid (IFB), Request for Proposal (RFP), Request for Application (RFA) or announcement of a solicitation, and does not assume the Government will award a contract or proceed with any of the above solicitation efforts in the near future. No entitlement to payment of direct or indirect cost or charges by the Government will arise as a result of the submission of information. All information considered proprietary shall be marked accordingly, and properly identified proprietary information will be safeguarded in accordance with federal regulations. The Government shall not be liable for or suffer any consequential damages for improperly identified proprietary information. The purpose of this announcement is solely to gather information from the marketplace, and any responses received will neither be considered an offer by the responding party nor returned to the responding party. No telephone inquiries will be accepted, and requests for solicitation packages will not be honored at this time since no solicitation has been prepared.

Synopsis: Sources Sought

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC), has a requirement for a vessel charter and crew to conduct marine mammal and seabird survey using visual transects during daylight hours off the coasts of California, Oregon and Washington. Additional operations will include biopsy sampling from the vessel and via small boat, deployment and retrieval of hydrophones suspended from small hand-held spar buoys, deployment of camera drones, and oceanographic profiles.

Option years may include other marine mammal surveys and/or fish resource surveys. Observations during fish resource surveys will include pelagic fish trawls, and active acoustic sampling in addition to oceanographic profiles and plankton tows. The data collected will be used to inform assessments of various stocks of marine mammals and pelagic fishes.

The research vessel will be for 120 days of at-sea work between 15 July and 15 December 2024. This requirement also includes options for as many as 60 days of at-sea work during calendar years 2025, 2026, and 2027.

The minimum specifications for the vessel are:

1. Overall vessel length of at least 170-feet.
2. Continuous horsepower output from main engine of at least 900 hp.
3. Maintain a cruising speed of at least 10 kt.
4. 13-15 bunks, mattresses, bedding and towels in dedicated staterooms for scientists.
5. 600 square feet or more of dedicated laboratory space with 110/115 v power.
6. Access to the flying bridge for marine mammal and bird observations. Minimum standing eye-level height of 33 feet above the sea surface; 300 square feet of covered observation space; venturi or wind dam along entire front bulwarks and extending along the port and starboard sides; provision to attach stands for 25-power binoculars supplied by government; wireway to connect observer equipment to inside data logging computers.

***DRAFT STATEMENT OF WORK ATTACHED***

INFORMATION REQUESTED:

The Government is requesting that all interested vendors provide information regarding their experience and capability to provide a qualified crew and eligible vessel.

NOAA may utilize the responses to this Sources Sought to conduct additional market research. Information obtained from this Sources Sought, and the subsequent communication with the vendors, if any, may be utilized to assist NOAA in developing a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) or Request for Quote (RFQ).

In addition to addressing technical capabilities, responses must include the following:

• Name and address of firm
• Size of business (e.g. small, small disadvantaged business, woman owned, etc.)
• Average annual revenue for the past 3 years and number of employees
• Ownership
• Number of years in business
• Affiliate information
• Parent company, joint venture partners, potential teaming partners, prime contractor (if potential subcontractor) or subcontractors (if potential prime contractor)
• Point of contact - address and phone number

SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS:

Telephone responses are NOT solicited and will not be accepted. No solicitation exists at this time. This synopsis is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to award a contract, nor will the Government pay for the solicited information.

Please submit your response to the attention of the Contracting Specialist, Amanda Rossiter (Amanda.Rossiter@noaa.gov) no later than November 1, 2023 at 2:00 p.m., Pacific Time. Each response shall be no more than 15 single-sided, single-spaced pages (excluding the cover page), and each page shall be separately numbered, and shall be in .pdf format.

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