This Pre-Solicitation opportunity from Department Of Commerce was posted on July 27, 2026. The submission period has ended. Browse the details below for market research, or find similar active opportunities.
QPS Software Maintenance FY26
Contract Overview
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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of Coast Survey intends to award a sole-source purchase order to Quality Positioning Services (QPS), Inc. for annual maintenance and support of its proprietary hydrographic software suite, including Fledermaus, Fledermaus FMGT, Fledermaus FM Midwater, QImera, and QINSY, along with associated add-ons. QPS is the exclusive owner and distributor of these tools to the federal government, and no authorized resellers or alternative vendors exist that can provide comparable functionality. These software products are mission-critical for processing and visualizing hydrographic survey data, enabling NOAA to generate high-quality bathymetry and acoustic backscatter datasets essential for nautical charting, ocean mapping, safe navigation, environmental protection, and economic development. The FMGT component is uniquely capable of producing Generic Sensor Format (GSF) files and supports intra-vessel decibel correctors, a feature necessary for single-frequency mosaic creation on vessels equipped with multiple sonars, a capability unavailable in competing software. NOAA currently operates more than 20 licenses across its survey fleet and requires ongoing access to security patches, software updates, feature enhancements, and technical support to maintain operational readiness. The contract period extends from the date of award through September 29, 2027, and is categorized under NAICS code 513210 for software publishers with no set-aside provisions. Market research confirmed no viable alternatives meet NOAA’s technical requirements, justifying the sole-source determination under FAR 6.103-1. This presolicitation notice is not a request for competitive bids, but firms may submit substantiating documentation or requests for additional information by August 11, 2026, to challenge the sole-source justification. All submissions must be in writing and will be reviewed solely to determine whether the procurement should be opened to competition, with the government retaining full discretion over the final procurement strategy. No oral communications will be accepted. The point of contact is Chelsea Vera at Chelsea.Vera@noaa.gov, and performance will primarily occur in Silver Spring, Maryland, with acquisition managed from Norfolk, Virginia.
General Info
Agency
Contract Value
$158,842NAICS
Place of Performance
Silver Spring, MD, 20910, USASet-Aside
Awardee
Award Issued Date
Timeline
Submission Closed
Organization & Contact Information
Full Description
***THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION’S (NOAA) ACQUISITION & GRANTS OFFICE, EASTERN ACQUISITION DIVISION-NORFOLK, ON BEHALF OF NATIONAL OCEAN SERVICE, OFFICE OF COAST SURVEY, INTENDS TO NEGOTIATE AND AWARD A PURCHASE ORDER, ON A SOLE SOURCE BASIS, UNDER AUTHORITY OF RFO FAR 6.103-1, WITH QUALITY POSITIONING SERVICES (QPS), INC. FOR ANNUAL SUPPORT OF BOTH PERPETUAL LICENSES AND SUBSCRIPTION LICENSES OF QPS SOFTWARE PRODUCTS, INCLUDING FLEDERMAUS, FLEDERMAUS FMGT, FLEDERMAUS FM MIDWATER, QIMERA, AND QINSY, AND ADD-ONS.
NO SET ASIDE IS TO BE USED FOR THIS SOLE SOURCE REQUIREMENT. THE ASSOCIATED NAICS CODE IS 513210, SOFTWARE PUBLISHERS.
***THE SOLE SOURCE DETERMINATION IS BASED ON NOAA’S REQUIREMENT THAT QPS IS THE ONLY VENDOR THAT CAN PROVIDE THIS SERVICE.
QPS IS THE SOLE OWNER AND DISTRIBUTOR OF QPS SOFTWARE PACKAGES, INCLUDING FLEDERMAUS AND QIMERA AND ASSOCIATED ADD-ONS (E.G., FMGT, FM MIDWATER), TO THE GOVERNMENT. THESE PACKAGES ARE AN INDUSTRY STANDARD FOR HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEY DATA PROCESSING AND VISUALIZATION, AND ARE MISSION CRITICAL FOR NOAA’S PRODUCTION OF HIGH-QUALITY BATHYMETRY AND BACKSCATTER DATA TO SATISFY CROSS-ORGANIZATIONAL OCEAN MAPPING REQUIREMENTS (“MAP ONCE, USE MANY TIMES”). QPS’S FMGT COMPONENT IS CURRENTLY ONE OF TWO SOFTWARE PACKAGES CAPABLE OF MEETING NOAA’S REQUIREMENT TO PRODUCE GENERIC SENSOR FORMAT (GSF) FILES USED IN THE CREATION OF ACOUSTIC BACKSCATTER MOSAIC PRODUCTS. HOWEVER, FMGT IS CURRENTLY THE ONLY SOFTWARE THAT ALLOWS FOR INTRA-VESSEL DECIBEL CORRECTORS, FACILITATING SINGLE-FREQUENCY MOSAICS FOR FIELD UNITS WITH MULTIPLE SONARS. NOAA’S HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEY FLEET CURRENTLY HAS MORE THAN 20 LICENSES OF QPS SOFTWARE IN USE, AND HAS A CONTINUED REQUIREMENT TO ACCESS CRITICAL SECURITY PATCHES, SOFTWARE NEW RELEASES AND UPDATES, FEATURE ENHANCEMENTS, AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR THIS MISSION-ESSENTIAL SOFTWARE. NOAA’S OFFICE OF COAST SURVEY (OCS) MANAGES THE PRODUCTION OF NOAA NAUTICAL CHARTS AND ITS NAUTICAL DATA COLLECTION AND INFORMATION PROGRAMS. THIS INTEGRATED SUITE OF PROGRAMS IN HYDROGRAPHY AND CARTOGRAPHY HELPS PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY, SUPPORTS ECONOMIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND PROTECTS THE ENVIRONMENT, IN ADDITION TO THE OVERALL MISSION OF PROMOTING SAFE NAVIGATION. QUALITY POSITIONING SERVICES, INC. (QPS) SOFTWARE IS USED BY THE OFFICE OF COAST SURVEY AND OTHER NOAA HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEY SHIPS AND IS MISSION CRITICAL FOR NOAA’S PRODUCTION OF HIGH-QUALITY BATHYMETRY AND BACKSCATTER DATA TO SATISFY CROSS-ORGANIZATIONAL OCEAN MAPPING REQUIREMENTS (“MAP ONCE, USE MANY TIMES”).
QPS, INC. IS THE SOLE OWNER AND DISTRIBUTOR OF QPS HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEY SOFTWARE PACKAGES, INCLUDING FLEDERMAUS AND QIMERA AND ASSOCIATED ADD-ONS (E.G., FMGT, FM MIDWATER), TO THE GOVERNMENT. QPS, INC DOES NOT HAVE ANY AUTHORIZED PARTNERS OR RESELLERS WHO CAN PROVIDE THESE LICENSES AND SOFTWARE PRODUCTS.
MARKET RESEARCH CONDUCTED FOUND NO ALTERNATIVE SOFTWARE ON THE MARKET THAT MEETS OCS’ REQUIREMENTS.
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: DATE OF AWARD THROUGH 9/29/2027.
***THIS PRESOLICITATION NOTICE IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS AND NO SOLICITATION PACKAGE IS AVAILABLE. HOWEVER, FIRMS THAT BELIEVE THEY CAN FULLY MEET THE GOVERNMENT'S REQUIREMENTS MAY SUBMIT SUBSTANTIATING DOCUMENTATION OR A REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IN WRITING TO THE IDENTIFIED POINT OF CONTACT WITHIN 15 DAYS AFTER PUBLICATION OF THIS PRE-SOLICITATION NOTICE. SUCH REQUESTS AND DOCUMENTATION WILL BE EVALUATED SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT TO CONDUCT THIS PROCUREMENT ON A COMPETITIVE BASIS. A DETERMINATION BY THE GOVERNMENT NOT TO CONDUCT A COMPETITIVE PROCUREMENT, BASED UPON RESPONSES TO THIS NOTICE, IS SOLELY WITHIN THE DISCRETION OF THE GOVERNMENT. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE IN RESPONSE TO THIS NOTICE.
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