OMAO Contract Mariner Support Services

The contract issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO) focuses on providing technical support, software licensing, and training for the maintenance and operation of the CargoMax™ Stability and Loading Software and associated HECSALV/HECSTAB ship models. This software is critical to NOAA’s fleet of 15 research and survey vessels, which support various marine activities like fisheries research, nautical charting, and ocean and climate studies. The contractor, Herbert-ABS Software Solutions, holds proprietary rights to these software products, justifying a sole-source procurement under FAR Part 13.5. The contract aims to ensure updated and accurate software tools reflecting vessel configuration changes, stability criteria, and ABS-approved modeling to maintain safety and compliance standards. Key deliverables include perpetual software licenses for shore-side and vessel-specific use, secure software distribution through a role-based access system, and extensive technical support of 500 hours per year accompanying up to five annual on-site visits for training and software assistance. The contract also mandates comprehensive training for shipboard and shoreside personnel, development of new vessel data files especially for ships under construction, and regular updates to Vessel Information Booklets. Performance oversight involves both software development at the contractor’s location in Alameda, CA, and operational validation aboard NOAA vessels or shore facilities. While no pricing or detailed evaluation criteria are provided, the contract is governed by commercial item acquisition rules under FAR and includes mandatory compliance with federal ship stability standards, emphasizing technical accuracy, secure software management, and continuous support to maintain NOAA’s operational fleet readiness.