3rd Generation (3G) Environmental Sample Processor (ESP) Integration and Support Services

This is a sole-source contract award justification for the integration and support of the 3rd Generation Environmental Sample Processor (ESP) with surface plasmon resonance technology onto an Uncrewed Surface Vehicle, managed by NOAA under the Department of Commerce. The acquisition is conducted under FAR 12.102(b) and 41 U.S.C. 1901, as Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) is the exclusive developer and holder of the proprietary 3G ESP-SPR system, with no other responsible source capable of meeting the technical and operational requirements. The contract has a base year and two option years totaling three years of performance, with the official place of performance in Ann Arbor, Michigan, though field deployments will occur in the Great Lakes and Alaska to monitor harmful algal blooms, detect microcystin toxins, and collect environmental DNA. MBARI’s unique technical expertise, institutional knowledge, and control over the system’s design render competition impossible, and any organizational conflict of interest is formally waived under applicable FAR authorities. The contract is firm-fixed-price, and price reasonableness was assessed per FAR 12.204(a), but specific dollar values, line-item details, and cost breakdowns are not provided. The contracting office is located in Seattle, Washington, with point of contact personnel designated for inquiries, and no competitive evaluation factors apply due to the non-competitive nature of the award. No formal contract clauses, packaging specifications, inspection criteria, payment instructions, or solicitation submission requirements are included in the justification, as the focus is solely on establishing the legal and technical basis for sole-source selection under commercial item acquisition rules.