58--MT-FWS-GRIZZLY BEAR-BEAR RADIO COLLARS

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service intends to award a firm fixed price sole source contract to Telonics, Inc. for the purchase and refurbishment of GPS radio collars used to monitor grizzly bear movements in the Cabinet, Purcell, and Selkirk Mountains across Montana, Idaho, and Washington. This action is justified under FAR subpart 13.106-1(b)(1)(i) and (ii) as a sole source procurement below the Simplified Acquisition Threshold, with Telonics being the exclusive manufacturer of the existing collars and the only entity capable of refurbishing them while maintaining compatibility with current data collection systems, proprietary software, and Iridium-based telemetry infrastructure. The use of refurbished units ensures continuity in long-term monitoring efforts critical to the recovery of threatened grizzly bear populations, while also realizing significant cost savings of $665 per collar compared to new procurement and avoiding $1,000 in new software integration costs that would result from switching vendors. The contract includes option years to extend operational support, and all performance activities will occur in the Northern Rockies region, with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Communications Branch in Falls Church, VA, serving as the contracting office. No competitive solicitation is being conducted; however, any interested party may submit a written Statement of Capabilities via email before June 29, 2026, demonstrating clear and convincing evidence that competition would be advantageous to the government, with submissions limited to Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF attachments sent to carter_duke@ios.doi.gov. The procurement falls under NAICS code 334220 and PSC 5895, and while no formal contract clauses, evaluation factors, or detailed pricing structures are included in the notice, the justification rests firmly on technical exclusivity, system compatibility, and the established reliability of Telonics’ equipment and service history.