Notice of Intent to Sole Source to RVET Operating LLC for Job Fair Participation

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO), using the procedures set forth in RFO Part 12, intends to negotiate on a sole source basis with RVET Operating, LLC. located at 3012 River Reach, Williamsburg, VA 23185 for a firm-fixed price purchase order to have booths at job fairs hosted by RVET Operating. Award is anticipated to occur by November 13, 2026.

OMAO requires wage mariners to crew NOAA’s research and survey vessels alongside the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps. OMAO requires a large variety of a wage mariner workforce, including masters, mates, engineers, deckhands, and stewards. To achieve this, OMAO conducts targeted outreach through a variety of methods, including attendance at national recruiting events such as job and career fairs. OMAO seeks to increase its efforts to reach out to military veterans, to include transitioning or soon to be separated military veterans when pursuing opportunities to fill current OMAO wage mariner requirements. Veterans are often uniquely familiar with work onboard a ship such as one of NOAA’s vessels. OMAO will require a partner who has access to potential employees at their current military service locations, or within the immediate vicinity of Department of Defense installations. 

RVET Operating offers events on military installations, city-based, virtual, and private in-person as part of its services which are unavailable from any other source. RVET Operating is the only company contracted by the US Army’s Human Resources Command and the Department of Labor for veteran hiring. RVET Operating hosts more than 100 job fairs annually and in order to have a booth at an RVET Operating event OMAO must contract with RVET Operating. No other company has the authority to grant booth access to an event operated by RVET Operating. 

The North American Industry Classification System Code (NAICS) is 561311, Employment Placement Agencies which has a size standard of $34M. This requirement will be issued as a small business set-aside. This presolicitation notice does not constitute a solicitation - a Request for Proposal (RFP), Request for Quotation (RFQ), or an Invitation for Bid (IFB) - and it does not restrict the Government in any way regarding its ultimate acquisition approach.  However, if any other interested party believes that it can meet the requirements, it may submit a statement of capabilities, which if timely received, will be considered by NOAA. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government.  Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement in the future.  Evidence must be provided of ability to provide the required services.  The capability statement and any other information furnished must be in writing and must contain material in sufficient detail to allow NOAA to determine if the party can meet all of the requirements.  Capability statements and related materials must be e-mailed to Contract Specialist Elizabeth Eichelberger at Elizabeth.Eichelberger@noaa.gov within 15 days of the posting of this notice.