Buoyless/Ropeless Systems

Disclaimer: This is not a solicitation. This is not a Request for Quote (RFQ), Invitation for Bid (IFB), Request for Proposal (RFP), Request for Application (RFA) or announcement of a solicitation, and does not assume the Government will award a contract or proceed with any of the above solicitation efforts in the near future. This request is for information purposed only and does not constitute a commitment, implied or otherwise, that a procurement action will be issued or awarded. No entitlement to payment of direct or indirect cost or charges by the Government will arise as a result of the submission of information. All information considered proprietary shall be marked accordingly. The Government shall not be liable for or suffer any consequential damages for improperly identified proprietary information. Properly identified proprietary information will be safeguarded in accordance with federal regulations. The purpose of this announcement is solely to gather information from the marketplace, and any responses received will neither be considered an offer by the responding party nor returned to the responding party. No telephone inquiries will be accepted, and requests for solicitation packages will not be honored at this time since no solicitation has been prepared. Synopsis: Sources Sought The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) of the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is conducting market research for the purpose of identifying businesses that have demonstrated capability to provide a commercial buoyless/ropeless solutions for pot and trap fishing gear. The NEFSC Gear Research Team is looking to collaborate with commercial fishermen to evaluate new technologies intended to minimize the potential for marine mammal interactions in pot and trap fisheries. We are looking to purchase multiple types of system types that can be made available to fishermen with the understanding that certain technologies may be suited better for different environments and depths. It is anticipated that different technologies may be utilized to solve this problem such as inflation bags and acoustic releases holding a float and rope at the bottom. Key requirements to Establish Technical Capability: A. SYSTEMS (Deck and Release) REQUIREMENTS DECK SYSTEMS (controller, transducer, and interface (e.g., tablet) : The deck system shall be capable of triggering the underwater acoustic release system and should be capable of controlling and storing acoustic release codes, have gear location marking capability, and data storage of release locations with a time/date stamp and be powered by a 12v power supply or have a battery life of 72 hours run time. Each deck system shall have a touch interface through a supplied screen or a commercially available tablet. Either shall be provided by the awardee. Additionally, the deck system must include a transducer that is capable of communicating with and releasing the underwater acoustic release systems from the controller near the surface from 4 - 200fm in temperatures from 0-30C SST. Portable and boat mounted options are desirable. UNDERWATER ACOUSTIC RELEASE SYSTEMS: The Underwater acoustic release systems are expected to be the first unit in a trawl (series) of pots/traps and will be tied to the remaining pots/traps within the fishing operation. These systems must include all ancillary equipment and software that will trigger the release of their system that will allow the fishermen to retrieve their gear. These systems must have: Been previously tested in the commercial pot or trap fishery. Be capable of operating in waters ranging from 0-30C SST. When set and fishing, provide no vertical line in the water that could entangle a whale. Units must have a mechanism (e.g., acoustic release) to trigger the systems so the gear can be retrieved. Must be designed so the system can be reset and redeployed while at sea. Unit must be of a size suitable for use on commercial fishing vessels where deck space and time may be limited. Unit should be similar in size and construction to a commercial lobster trap. Units must be constructed of materials that will withstand constant submersion in salt water, weigh less than 250 lbs, and withstand a drop from 10 feet. The Government is looking for availability to meet a requirement for a minimum of one (1) unit and up to seventy-five (75) units from each vendor during any given year for up to four option years. Other option items the Government may request from the vendor(s) are: Through-hull transducers-permanently installed transducers Dash mounted/ chart plotter controller units Stand-alone gear location marking technology Vendors must have demonstrated previous development and testing of systems which are available on the market. INFORMATION REQUESTED: The Government is requesting that all interested vendors provide information regarding their experience and capability to provide all labor, materials, equipment, supervision and transportation for the delivery of commercial on-demand buoyless/ropeless systems, controllers, and transducers as described above. NOAA may utilize the responses to this Sources Sought to conduct additional market research. Information obtained from this Sources Sought, and the subsequent communication with the vendors, if any, may be utilized to assist NOAA in developing a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) or Request for Quote (RFQ). In addition to addressing technical capabilities, responses must include the following: Name and address of firm Size of business (e.g. small, small disadvantaged business, woman owned, etc.) Average annual revenue for the past 3 years and number of employees Ownership Number of years in business Affiliate information Parent company, joint venture partners, potential teaming partners, prime contractor (if potential subcontractor) or subcontractors (if potential prime contractor) List of customers covering the past five years (highlighting relevant work performed, contract numbers, contract type, and dollar value of each procurement) Point of contact - address and phone number Indicate whether your company is likely to offer, should a solicitation arise from this market research. SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS: Telephone responses are NOT solicited and will not be accepted. No solicitation exists at this time. This synopsis is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to award a contract, nor will the Government pay for the solicited information. Please submit your response to the attention of the Contracting Officer, Ms. Amanda Leal (amanda.leal@noaa.gov) no later than February 7, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. Pacific time. Each response shall be no more than 15 single-sided, single-spaced pages (excluding the cover page), and each page shall be separately numbered, and shall be in .pdf format.