Protected Species Aerial Surveys

COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION Protected Species Aerial Surveys *Amendment 1: Answers to Questions. *Please see attached Slolicitation and Statement of Work for more information. (I) This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice and in accordance with the simplified acquisition procedures authorized in FAR Part 13. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. (II) This solicitation is issued as a request for quotation (RFQ). Submit written quotes on RFQ Number NF-FM7320-22-02984RDS. (III) The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2022-07 (Aug 2022) (Deviation 2021-06) (Sept 2021) (Deviation 2020-11) (Aug 2020) (Deviation 2020-05) (Apr 2020) (Deviation 2017-05) (Sept 2017). (IV) This solicitation is being issued as a total small business set-aside. The associated NAICS code is 541690. The small business size standard is $16.5 Million. (V) This combined solicitation/synopsis is for purchase of the following commercial service. Aerial surveys are required to assess the effects of commercial fishing, vessel traffic, and wind energy development on right whales along the east coast of the United States. Potential effects of these activities include entanglement, collision, and for wind energy development displacement, behavior disruption, and stress (Kraus et al., 2019). Surveys are needed to identify areas of overlap and associated risk with fishing and shipping, and to assess distribution of right whales before, during and after wind energy construction. The results of this work will inform regulations to mitigate impacts of these activities on right whales. (VI) Description of work is as follows: See incorporated Statement of Work for a full explanation of what is needed. (VII) PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Date of award through 5/4/2023. This is a firm fixed price service order. Government personnel will be responsible for the overall scheduling of project activity and will provide the Contractor's liaison / project manager with scheduling information as appropriate. Invoicing shall be upon completion. (VIII) FAR 52.212-1, INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS -- COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES (NOV 2021) applies to this acquisition. NOTICE TO OFFERORS: Instructions for submitting quotations under this request for quote must be followed. Failure to provide all information to aid in the evaluation may be considered non-responsive. Offers that are non-responsive may be excluded from further evaluation and rejected without further notification to the offeror. Enter specific Instructions below 1. Submit quotations to the office specified in this solicitation at or before the time specified in the solicitation. Email quotes are acceptable and can be sent to ryan.stroud@noaa.gov. 2. Contractor shall have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM found at www.SAM.gov in order to provide a quote and be eligible for award. 3. Provide all evaluation criteria in accordance with FAR 52.212-2 in this package. Vendors who do not provide all evaluation criteria will not be accepted. "THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR NON-RECEIPT OF QUOTES. IT IS THE CONTRACTOR'S RESPONSIBILITY TO REQUEST AND RECEIVE A CONFIRMATION OF THE QUOTE RECEIPT AS WELL AS ANY QUESTIONS SUBMITTED ". CAR 1352.215-72 INQUIRIES (APR 2010) OFFERORS MUST SUBMIT ALL QUESTIONS CONCERNING THIS SOLICITATION IN WRITING TO RYAN.STROUD@NOAA.GOV. QUESTIONS ARE TO BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN 12:00 P.M. MDT/MST 8/22/2022. Any responses to questions will be made in writing (preferred via email), without identification of the questioner, and will be included in an amendment to the solicitation. Even if provided in other form, only the question responses included in the amendment to the solicitation will govern performance of the contract. This contract will be awarded using a tradeoff approach. (IX) FAR 52.212-2, EVALUATION - COMMERCIAL ITEMS (OCT 2014), applies to this acquisition. (a) The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers: (1) Technical Capability; (2) Past Performance; and (3) Price; Technical, past performance, and price, when combined, are equally important. (b) Options. The Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. The Government may determine that an offer is unacceptable if the option prices are significantly unbalanced. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s). (c) A written notice of award or acceptance of an offer, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer's specified expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award. (End of provision)