NOAA Fisheries Alaska Regional Office Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Photo Identification Study Support Services

This solicitation, numbered 1305M326Q0211, is a combined synopsis and Request for Quotation issued under FAR Part 12 for commercial services, specifically for Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Photo Identification Study Support Services on behalf of NOAA Fisheries Alaska Regional Office. The procurement is exclusively set aside for Women-Owned Small Business concerns under NAICS Code 541620 and requires offers to be submitted electronically to Hillary Whitehurst at hillary.whitehurst@noaa.gov by 2:00 PM ET on June 26, 2026. The work entails professional, non-invasive photographic data collection and analysis of Cook Inlet beluga whales during the 2026 field season, with a minimum of 14 field surveys to be conducted on boat and shore-based operations throughout Cook Inlet, Alaska. The base period of performance spans from September 30, 2026, to September 29, 2028, structured as two non-severable 12-month periods: the first dedicated to field data collection and the second to data analysis, reporting, and documentation. An optional extension period from September 30, 2028, to September 29, 2030, is included and will be evaluated as part of the total proposed price. Deliverables include high-quality final reports covering habitat use, survival, reproduction, post-research monitoring, and human interactions, alongside a data sharing plan compliant with NOAA’s Data Sharing Directive. Contractors must hold a valid NOAA research permit authorizing any incidental harassment of marine mammals before commencement of fieldwork and must ensure all personnel complete mandatory NOAA training, including sexual assault and harassment prevention training within 30 business days of assignment, with documentation submitted within 10 days of completion. Proposals must be submitted in three distinct volumes: Volume 1 includes business information, representations, certifications, UEI, and teaming arrangement details; Volume 2 contains the technical approach; and Volume 3 is the completed Attachment 2 Pricing Schedule in unsecured Excel format. Evaluation will prioritize corporate experience, technical approach, and past performance, with non-price factors considered significantly more important than price. Price will be assessed for reasonableness and alignment with the technical approach, with unbalanced pricing or misaligned cost structures potentially rendering an offer unacceptable. The Contracting Officer’s Representative will serve as the technical liaison, responsible for inspecting and accepting all deliverables