B -- Health Assessment of Right Whales

The Department of Commerce, through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), plans to negotiate a single source purchase order with the Ocean Alliance/Whale Conservation Institute located in Lincoln, MA. This procurement, conducted under the authority of federal statutes and regulations allowing for non-competitive acquisitions, aims to advance research on right whale health. Specifically, the contract involves developing a health assessment protocol that enables global comparisons of the health status of right whale populations, assessing their disease susceptibility and causes of mortality. The work includes recording, examining, measuring, collecting tissue samples, and conducting necropsies on stranded right whales. This acquisition will follow simplified acquisition procedures as outlined in the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Part 13 and relevant Federal Acquisition Circulars. Justification for the sole-source procurement is documented on file under the reference number NFFK-6-00518cap. The contract is managed by NOAA's office based in Silver Spring, MD, with point of contact support provided by designated NOAA officials. The project supports vital conservation and scientific efforts to better understand and protect endangered right whale populations through comprehensive health evaluations.