KA'ULA ISLET SURVEY RESEARCH VESSEL

The State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife Kauaʻi Branch, is soliciting bids for a research vessel to support scientific surveys at Kaʻula Islet. The contract requires a minimum of two separate trips between late 2026 and summer 2027, with each trip consisting of three to four on-site working days plus transit time. The vessel will transport six to seven research staff and cargo from Kauaʻi to facilitate UAV-based visual and mapping surveys, the deployment and retrieval of scientific equipment, and invertebrate collection. Bids must be comprehensive, covering all costs for fuel, crew, food, staging, standby, and operations. The selected contractor must maintain up-to-date U.S. Coast Guard safety inspections and current hull, ballast water, and rat inspections. Required onboard equipment includes a Vessel Monitoring System and long-range communications capable of reaching Oahu and Kauaʻi. Bidders must be compliant with Hawaii Compliance Express (HCE) at the time of award and provide necessary tax clearance certificates and general excise tax licenses. Offers must be submitted electronically via the HIePRO system by 2:00 PM HST on September 1, 2026. The contract is governed by the AG-008 103D General Conditions, which establish the legal framework for independent contractor status, indemnification, and payment procedures based on original invoices.