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. This request is for information purposed only and does not constitute a commitment, implied or otherwise, that a procurement action will be issued or awarded. 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. The Government shall not be liable for or suffer any consequential damages for improperly identified proprietary information. Properly identified proprietary information will be safeguarded in accordance with federal regulations. The purpose of this announcement is solely to gather information from the marketplace, and any responses received will be used to inform potential acquisition strategies and to support a determination about whether or not to set-aside the acquisition. 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.

Project Summary:

The Information Technology Division (ITD) at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) is in need of a flexible vehicle for purchasing Android and iOS tablet computers on an ongoing basis. Due to high field scientist turn-over and a consistent cycle of training sessions, it is very difficult to determine the number of devices required during a given year; in the past this has resulted in the over-purchase of devices and also shortfalls. A flexible means of obtaining smaller batches of these devices on a shorter timeline will simplify the acquisition process, prevent waste, avoid redundant contracting efforts, and decrease overall cost.

A draft Statement of Need (SON) is provided for informational purposes only.

Information Requested:

The Government is requesting that all interested vendors provide information and services necessary to provide the requested information in the SON.

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).

Please include the following:

• Name and address of firm
• Company point of contact – name, phone, and email address
• Size of business (e.g. small, 8(a) program, small disadvantaged business, woman owned, etc.)
• 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) or 8(a) mentor protégé.
• List of customers covering the past five years (highlighting relevant work performed, contract numbers, contract type, and dollar value of each procurement)
• Experiences that are applicable to the scope of the SON
• Point of contact – address and phone number
• Indicate whether your company is likely to offer, should a solicitation arise from this market research.

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 Contract Specialist, Anna Ma (anna.ma@noaa.gov) no later than January 4, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Each response shall be no more than 15, PDF-pages (excluding the cover page).

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