ESD Nortek Echosounders

***THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION’S (NOAA) ACQUISITION & GRANTS OFFICE (AGO), WESTERN ACQUISITION DIVISION-SEATTLE (WAD), NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE (NMFS, INTENDS TO NEGOTIATE, ON A SOLE SOURCE BASIS, UNDER AUTHORITY OF FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), WITH NORTEKUSA, INC LOCATED IN BOSTON, MA FOR NORTEK ECHOSOUNDERS TO BE DELIVERED TO LA JOLLA, CA.

***THE SOLE SOURCE DETERMINATION IS BASED ON NOAA’S REQUIREMENT THAT NORTEKUSA, INC IS THE ONLY VENDOR THAT MANUFACTURES AND DISTRIBUTES THIS NORTEK ECHOSOUNDERS. THIS PARTICULAR BRAND NAME IS ESSENTIAL TO THE REQUIREMENT AND SIMILAR PRODUCTS DO NOT MEET OR CANNOT BE MODIFIED TO MEET AGENCY NEEDS. THE ECOSYSTEM SCIENCE DIVISION (ESD) OF THE NOAA FISHERIES HAS DEVELOPED A GLIDER-BASED PROGRAM TO ASSESS THE STATUS AND TRENDS OF ZOOPLANKTON AND FISH IN THE SOUTHERN OCEAN AND IN WATERS OF THE U.S. EEZ USING ACTIVE ACOUSTICS. THIS AUTONOMOUS SAMPLING PROGRAM HAS REPLACED STANDARD SHIP-BASED NET AND ACOUSTIC SURVEYS. ALL DIMENSIONS, CABLING, ROUTING AND CONTROL PROGRAMS WITHIN THE GLIDERS CAN ONLY BE USED WITH THESE NORTEK ECHOSOUNDERS. ADDITIONALLY, MANY PERSON YEARS OF EFFORT BY ESD SCIENTISTS AND TECHNICIANS HAS BEEN EXPENDED DEVELOPING THE DATA PROCESSING SYSTEMS TO PROPERLY ANALYZE THE DATA. AS THE DATA FROM THESE SYSTEMS IS USED FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF MARINE RESOURCES, AND CHANGES TO INSTRUMENT TYPES REQUIRES SUBSTANTIAL EFFORT TO ENSURE THAT THE OUTPUT IS COMPATIBLE WITH OTHER SYSTEMS. NORTEKUSA, INC DOES NOT HAVE ANY AUTHORIZED RESELLERS.

DELIVERY WITHIN 120 DAYS FROM DATE OF AWARD.

***THIS NOTICE OF INTENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE QUOTES AND NO SOLICITATION PACKAGE IS AVAILABLE. HOWEVER, FIRMS THAT BELIEVE THEY CAN FULLY MEET THE GOVERNMENT'S REQUIREMENTS MAY SUBMIT SUBSTANTIATING DOCUMENTATION IN WRITING TO THE IDENTIFIED POINT OF CONTACT WITHIN 15 DAYS AFTER PUBLICATION OF THIS SYNOPSIS. SUCH DOCUMENTATION WILL BE EVALUATED SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT TO CONDUCT THIS PROCUREMENT ON A COMPETITIVE BASIS. A DETERMINATION BY THE GOVERNMENT NOT TO CONDUCT A COMPETITIVE PROCUREMENT, BASED UPON RESPONSES TO THIS NOTICE, IS SOLELY WITHIN THE DISCRETION OF THE GOVERNMENT. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE IN RESPONSE TO THIS NOTICE.