19--GFISHER Charter Vessel

The U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Southeast Fisheries Science Center has awarded a contract under solicitation number 1305M326Q0129 for a charter vessel to support the Gulf Fishery Independent Survey of Habitat and Ecosystem Resources (GFISHER) Program. The contract, effective June 1, 2026, with a base period through May 31, 2027, includes 14 Base Sea Days and two days for mobilization and demobilization, with two optional one-year periods extending through May 31, 2029, each adding 24 Optional Sea Days and two additional mobilization/demobilization days. All performance occurs aboard the contracted vessel, with acceptance taking place on board upon completion of each sea day. The vessel must comply with U.S. Coast Guard regulations under 46 CFR Part 28, including safety, lifesaving, and firefighting equipment standards, and must pass a pre-departure inspection conducted no earlier than two weeks prior to each charter year. The NAICS code 483114 applies, and the procurement is structured under FAR Part 12 as a commercial service, with a firm fixed-price payment structure requiring electronic invoicing via the Treasury’s Invoice Processing Platform. The contract includes mandatory clauses related to small business set-asides, restrictions on subcontracting (capped at 50% of total costs for services), whistleblower protections, and prohibitions on contracting with inverted domestic corporations or entities using prohibited telecommunications equipment. Offerors were required to demonstrate technical capability through a detailed questionnaire covering vessel design, scientific accommodations, and the commercial fishing and research experience of the crew and captains, along with past performance documentation in the form of a completed questionnaire. Proposals were evaluated on three factors—technical capability, past performance, and price—on a trade-off basis, not lowest price technically acceptable, to determine best value. All submissions were required in two separate electronic parts: a technical quote limited to 60 pages and a business/price quote with no page limit, using acceptable file formats such as PDF, Word, JPEG, PNG, MP4, or AVI. The contracting officer is Carina Topasna of NOAA’s Western Acquisition Division in Seattle, with invoices to be submitted to the Treasury’s IPP system, and no use of WAWF. No contract value has been disclosed, and all pricing details remain unlisted in