LOW FREQUENCY (LF) ACOUSTIC MODEMS

This Request for Information (RFI)/Sources Sought notice is for planning purposes only and is issued in accordance with FAR Provision 52.215-3 provided at: https://www.acquisition.gov/far/current/html/52_215.html#wp1144503 No solicitation document exists at this time. Issuance of this notice does not constitute any obligation on the part of the Government to procure these items or to issue a solicitation. In addition, the Government is under no obligation to pay for information submitted in response to this Request for Information (RFI), and responses to this notice cannot be accepted as offers. Any information that the vendor considers proprietary should be clearly marked as such. The applicable NAICS Code is 334513, Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables, which has a corresponding size standard of 750 employees. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Acquisition & Grants Office (AGO), Eastern Acquisition Division (EAD) in Norfolk, Virginia, intends to negotiate, on a sole source basis, under authority of FAR 6.303-2(a) (4), with Teledyne Instruments, Inc. doing business as Teledyne Benthos, located in North Falmouth, MA, to provide and deliver low frequency (LF) directional acoustic modems used by the tsunami detection systems to report changes in the bottom pressure recording to the buoy for transmission back to the shore. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals and no solicitation package is available. Teledyne Benthos is uniquely qualified to provide these acoustic modems to the National Weather Service (NWS), National Data Buoy Center (NDBC). This is the only known commercial source in which can provide these low frequency acoustic modems with command sets that interface through the Benthos 6.9.7 firmware, not the interfacing equipment firmware. Any proposed low frequency directional acoustic modem must be able to communicate with equipment running this firmware version 6.9.7. This is a SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE/REQUEST FOR INFORMATION. It's not a presolicitation notice or Request for Proposal (RFP)/Request for Quote (RFQ). The purpose of this notice is to: (1) Determine if sources are capable of satisfying the agency's requirements exist; and (2) Determine if commercial items suitable to meet the agency's needs are available or could be modified to meet the agency's requirements National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA), Eastern Acquisition Division (EAD), located at 200 Granby Street, Suite 800, Norfolk, VA 23510, is seeking information from potential sources for the National Weather Service (NWS), National Data Buoy Center (NDBC), to identify potential sources capable of providing a multiple year contract to provide and deliver low frequency (LF) directional acoustic modems used by the tsunami detection systems to report changes in the bottom pressure recording to the buoy for transmission back to the shore. This RFI is subject to revision at the sole discretion of the Government. Interested parties are expected to review this notice to become familiar with the requirement. NOAA contemplates award of firm-fixed-price (FFP) contract with a period of performance of one (1) base year with four (4) one (1) year option years (total period of performance is 5 years). Background Information: This procurement supports the deployment and maintenance of tsunami detection buoys in meeting the National Weather Service's mission to protect life and property by providing essential environmental observations used by the NWS warning systems, environmental models, short term forecasts, climate record, and feed several NWS products. In addition, NDBC systems are intrinsic to the NWS' Weather-Ready Nation initiative by providing public and private sector users with real time observations needed to make fast and smart decisions needed to save lives and enhance commerce. The acoustic modems being purchased are an essential link in the tsunami data transmission link. These modems provide an acoustic link between the surface buoy and the recorder deployed on the ocean floor that detects the passage of a tsunami by the change in pressure of the water column over the detector. This allows the real time reporting of data collected at the sea floor back to the buoy for transmission shore side to the warning and modeling centers via satellites. Capability Statement Objectives and Requirements: This request is issued for the purpose understanding of industry capabilities, thereby allowing potential offerors to judge whether or how they can satisfy the Government's requirements, and enhancing the Government's ability to obtain these modems. Companies having capabilities necessary to meet or exceed the stated requirements are invited to provide information to contribute to this RFI including commercial market information and company information. NOAA is soliciting input from both small businesses and other than small businesses (commercial large businesses, universities, non-profits, etc...) that may be interested in this procurement and possess the technical capability to provide low frequency (LF) directional acoustic modems for the next five (5) years and that meets or exceeds the technical specifications of the Teledyne Benthos acoustic modem. The Deep-Ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunami (DART II) systems was designed around the Teledyne Benthos Low Frequency (LF) Directional Acoustic Modem. All of the firmware programming, mechanical design, acoustic dampening, and mooring designs are based on the properties of the Teledyne Benthos Acoustic Modem. The DART data acquisitions systems that interface to the acoustic modem to transmit and receive and decode the acoustic message were programmed using the Benthos command set that is in the Benthos firmware version 6.9.7. This is required because it has the command sets that the interfacing electronics were programmed to interface through. The 6.9.7 is the firmware version the modems must use, not the interfacing equipment firmware. Any proposed low frequency directional acoustic modem must be able to communicate with equipment running that firmware version 6.9.7. NOAA/NWS, NDBC is seeking the following information: a. Name of company, address and DUNS number or CAGE code? b. A point of contact; phone number and e-mail? c. A statement regarding current size of the company under the North American Classification System Code (NAICS) is NAICS Code is 334513, Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables, which has a corresponding size standard of 750 employees, must be the vendor's NAICS listing within the System for Award Management (SAM) for NOAA to verify your size status? d. Type of commercial end product your company provides (i.e., Domestic End Product, Foreign End Product, or Other) and Origin? e. Commercial market information and practices applicable to this item/supply? f. Confirmation that your company can provide commercial Low Frequency (LF) Directional Acoustic Modems that can communicate with equipment running firmware version 6.9.7. Responses to this RFI are due via email to kurt.weilbaecher@noaa.gov no later than April 14, 2017 at 5:00 PM (Eastern Time). Provide all responses in MSWord 2000 (or later version) or Adobe .pdf. Only electronic submissions will be allowed or by the below fax number. Point of Contact is Kurt Weilbaecher, Contract Specialist at (228) 688-2825or kurt.weilbaecher@noaa.gov. Alternate point of contact is Marion Cavanaugh, Contracting Officer, at (757) 441-6647or marion.cavanaugh@noaa.gov. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response to this RFI. The Government reserves the right to use any information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate, including using technical information provided by respondents in any resultant solicitation. At this time no solicitation exists. Therefore, DO NOT REQUEST A COPY OF THE SOLICITATION. After a review of the responses received, a presolicitation notice and solicitation may be published on Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) website, FBO.gov. It is the potential offeror's responsibility to monitor FedBizOpps for release of any future solicitation that may result from this Sources Sought Notice. However, responses to this RFI will not be considered adequate responses to any resultant solicitation.