R--AUV Support Services (Data Collection)

The contract pertains to non-personal services for Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) operations to support optical sea scallop surveys under a firm-fixed-price arrangement, with performance scheduled from May 1 to August 31, 2026. The work includes pre-mission preparation, deployment and retrieval of AUVs, seafloor data collection using optical systems, calibration of ABIS payloads, and delivery of formatted scientific data and a comprehensive final report, all tied to specific Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs). Physical delivery of data and reports is required at the NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, under FOB Destination terms, while administrative oversight and contracting operations are managed from Seattle, Washington. The solicitation, issued under NAICS code 541360 by NOAA within the Department of Commerce, has been amended three times, with Amendment 0003 extending the proposal deadline to April 30, 2026, at 4:00 PM Eastern Time. Offerors must submit proposals via email to designated NOAA addresses and include a completed Statement of Work, Past Performance Questionnaire, and RFI Tracker, along with required representations such as Unique Entity Identifier, size status, and socioeconomic certifications, including potential Small Business, WOSB, EDWOSB, SDVOSB, HUBZone, or 8(a) status. Contractors are subject to multiple Federal Acquisition Regulation clauses, including whistleblower protections, prohibitions on confidential nondisclosure agreements, executive compensation reporting, System for Award Management maintenance, protection against contracting with debarred entities, and prohibitions on inverted domestic corporations, all modified by deviations effective January 2026. Technical evaluation prioritizes the offeror’s approach and capability using adjectival ratings, followed by price reasonableness and past performance, with awards made under a best-value trade-off framework, not as lowest price technically acceptable. Invoicing must be submitted electronically through the U.S. Treasury’s Invoice Processing Platform, not WAWF. All personnel must complete mandatory sexual harassment and assault prevention training within 30 business days of award, and subcontractors are bound by the same compliance obligations. Equipment provided by the government, including encrypted hard drives and optical payloads, must be safeguarded and returned. Data outputs must conform to NOAA’s HabCam Survey formats and operational standards, with inspection and acceptance occurring at the delivery location in Woods Hole, MA. The contract includes no option periods, no specified monetary value due