7G--USGS Intent to Award Notice: Satellite Tags(PAT-376D)

The U.S. Geological Survey, under the Department of the Interior, intends to award a sole-source contract for 19 Mark-Report PAT-376D satellite tags from Wildlife Computers, Inc., pursuant to FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), as this is the only commercially available product capable of meeting mandatory technical requirements for tracking Atlantic sturgeon in the Gulf of Maine. The tags must operate reliably in extended darkness and turbid water without solar charging, have a battery life exceeding three months, and weigh no more than 120 grams to comply with biological tagging standards limiting tag burden to 2% of the host’s body mass. All performance criteria are non-negotiable and serve as pass-fail thresholds for acceptance, with no competitive evaluation or weighted scoring applied. The acquisition is administratively managed from the Reston, Virginia office, with Leah Williams serving as the primary point of contact, and solicitations must be submitted via email by 9:00 a.m. EDT on May 19, 2026, with the subject line referencing DOIGFBO260015. The place of performance is designated as Reston, VA, though the equipment will support field research in the Gulf of Maine. No pricing data, contract value, payment details, invoicing instructions, accounting codes, or packaging requirements are provided in the documentation. No contract clauses, representations, certifications, or special provisions beyond the technical and sole-source justification are included, and no Contracting Officer’s Representative or technical inspector is identified. The procurement is justified exclusively on the unique capabilities of the Wildlife Computers PAT-376D model, with no alternative vendors able to meet the specified environmental and biological performance standards.