Operation, Maintenance, and Repair of Motor Vessel Independence (M/V Independence Support)

This contract is for the operation, maintenance, and repair of the Motor Vessel INDEPENDENCE, owned by the Naval Facilities Command Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center (NAVFAC EXWC), and is critical to supporting the Department of Defense’s research, development, testing, and evaluation of undersea surveillance, acoustic arrays, cable systems, and related technologies. The vessel, typically berthed at Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme, California, is the primary platform for offshore missions requiring specialized marine support, including oceanographic surveys, environmental data collection, naval exercises, and remotely operated vehicle (ROV) operations. The contractor is responsible for providing a fully credentialed crew, engineering services across multiple disciplines, logistical support, and ensuring continuous mission readiness through predictive, preventive, and corrective maintenance. The scope includes managing expendables, lubricants, and Government Furnished Equipment (GFE), with strict accountability for proper use, storage, and return of all GFE items. All operations must adhere to strict U.S. Coast Guard, American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), and NAVFAC EXWC verification standards, and the vessel must be maintained to satisfy 46 CFR requirements, including regular dry-docking. The contract is structured as a Total Small Business Set-Aside under FAR 19.5 with a NAICS code of 488390, limiting eligibility to small businesses. Critical security requirements mandate that the contractor holds a Top Secret Facility Clearance and that eight of the eleven crew members, along with the Security Officer, possess active Top Secret security clearances with SCI eligibility, resulting from a Tier 5 background investigation. All key personnel, including the Master, Chief Engineer, and deck officers, must meet stringent U.S. Coast Guard credentialing standards, including open-ocean master credentials, Radar Observer (Unlimited), GMDSS, STCW, and Life Boatman endorsements, plus certifications in firefighting, CPR, and Basic Life Support. Monthly financial reporting is required by the 15th of each month, detailing labor and other direct costs expended and remaining balances on each task order. The contractor must coordinate directly with the Contracting Officer’s Representative and maintain continuous access control, including after-hours watch-standing and logkeeping. Operations are primarily conducted along the Pacific coast from California to Washington but may expand to other domestic or foreign areas as directed. The solicitation, numbered N3943026R4001, had its response deadline extended to July 17, 2