B-- BOEM Study-Sand, sediments and critical minerals

This contract, issued under solicitation number 140M0126Q0031 by the Department of the Interior’s Acquisition Management Division on behalf of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), is a 100% Total Small Business Set-Aside for commercial services under NAICS code 541360, targeting geophysical surveying and mapping services to identify, characterize, and document offshore sand, sediment, and potential critical mineral resources along the Outer Continental Shelf off Southwest Florida, specifically in federal waters adjacent to Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee, and Collier Counties. The work encompasses the development of a reconnaissance-level investigation plan aligned with the USGS Science Data Lifecycle Model, acquisition of approximately 300 line-miles of geophysical survey data, and collection of 75 vibracore and/or rotary boring samples with a minimum 80% recovery rate, followed by laboratory analysis of those samples for critical mineral content. The contractor must process and interpret all collected data, delineate potential borrow areas, conduct preliminary volumetric evaluations, and deliver comprehensive final reports and digital data packages formatted for ingestion into the Marine Minerals Information System (MMIS). All deliverables must adhere to strict quality standards, including accuracy, clarity, consistency with requirements, editability by the Government, and accessibility through assistive technologies, with video content required to be closed captioned. Performance will take place offshore in Southwest Florida and at the contractor’s location, with a two-year period of performance beginning at award. The contract is structured as a Time-and-Materials (T&M) vehicle with a Not-to-Exceed (NTE) ceiling price, under which labor is compensated at fixed, fully-loaded hourly rates inclusive of wages, overhead, general and administrative costs, and profit, while materials and authorized travel are reimbursed at direct cost without markup. Invoices must be submitted monthly in arrears through the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Invoice Processing Platform (IPP), and all payments are governed by the Prompt Payment Act. The contractor is required to submit quarterly progress reports, a draft summary report, and a final summary report electronically to the Contracting Officer’s Representative and other designated government personnel, with advance notification mandated for any significant changes exceeding 10% to labor hours, subcontractors, or materials. Key personnel must be qualified and replacements must match the experience of those being replaced, with extended vacancies beyond 30 days potentially resulting in negative CPARs ratings. The solicitation is governed