SPARE PARTS OF XEOS BRAND BEACONS AND DRAGONFISH BRAND CONNECTORS, CUSTOM CABLES AND ACCESSORY COMPONENTS.

***THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION’S (NOAA) ACQUISITION & GRANTS OFFICE, EASTERN ACQUISITION DIVISION-NORFOLK, NATIONAL OCEAN SERVICE (NOS), CENTER FOR OPERATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PRODUCTS AND SERVICE (CO-OPS) OFFICE, INTENDS TO NEGOTIATE AND AWARD A PURCHASE ORDER, ON A SOLE SOURCE BASIS, UNDER AUTHORITY OF RFO FAR 6.103-1, WITH  FLYNN TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS OUT OF PALM COAST, FL FOR SPARE PARTS OF XEOS BRAND BEACONS AND DRAGONFISH BRAND CONNECTORS, CUSTOM CABLES AND ACCESSORY COMPONENTS.

 NO SET ASIDE IS TO BE USED FOR THIS SOLE SOURCE REQUIREMENT. THE ASSOCIATED NAICS CODE IS 334511.

***THE SOLE SOURCE DETERMINATION IS BASED ON NOAA’S REQUIREMENT THAT FLYNN TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS (FLYNN-TECH) IS THE SOLE, SMALL BUSINESS, AUTHORIZED RESELLER PARTNER OF XEOS BRAND BEACON AND THE EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTOR OF DRAGONFISH COMPONENTS IN THE UNITED STATES. THERE ARE NO OTHER SMALL BUSINESS, AUTHORIZED PARTNERS/RESELLERS OF XEOS AND DRAGONFISH PRODUCTS IN THE UNITED STATES.

THIS PURCHASE OF DRAGONFISH CONNECTORS, CABLE ASSEMBLIES, ACCESSORY COMPONENTS AND XEOS ROVER X IRIDIUM GPS SATELLITE LOCATION BEACONS SPARE PARTS IS TO SUPPORT EMERGENCY RESPONSE CURRENTS REAL-TIME BUOY (CURBY) SYSTEMS CO-OPS MAINTAINS FOR NOAA’S OFFICE OF RESPONSE AND RESTORATION (OR&R) AND MAINTENANCE EFFORTS OF CURBY, ATON AND IATON SYSTEMS WITHIN PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHIC REAL-TIME SYSTEMS (PORTS), INCLUDING PORT EVERGLADES PORTS®, KINGS BAY PORTS®, CHESAPEAKE BAY SOUTH PORTS® AND CHESAPEAKE BAY NORTH PORTS®.

THE CURBY DATA BUOYS ARE DATA COLLECTION PLATFORMS DEVELOPED BY CO-OPS TO COLLECT CURRENTS, WATER QUALITY, WAVE AND METROLOGICAL DATA IN AREAS OF INTEREST WHERE THERE IS NO EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE TO ACCOMMODATE A TRADITIONAL DATA COLLECTION PLATFORM. THE ATON AND IATON SYSTEMS ARE DATA COLLECTION PLATFORMS DEVELOPED BY CO-OPS THAT MOUNT ONTO US COAST GUARD AIDS TO NAVIGATION BUOYS TO MEASURE WATERWAY CURRENTS IN AREAS OF INTEREST IN PORTS® THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES. THE CABLE ASSEMBLIES AND CONNECTORS IN THIS PURCHASE ARE THE STANDARD COMPONENTS UTILIZED IN THE CURBY, ATON, AND IATON SYSTEMS TO CONNECT THE DATALOGGER TO THE SENSORS AND POWER SYSTEMS. THE XEOS ROVER X IRIDIUM GPS SATELLITE LOCATION BEACON IS THE STANDARD LOCATOR BEACON USED BY CO-OPS FOR BUOY APPLICATIONS TO DETECT WHEN A BUOY IS OFF STATION AND RECOVERY EFFORTS ARE NECESSARY.

THE DRAGONFISH CONNECTORS AND CUSTOM CABLES UTILIZING DRAGONFISH CONNECTORS, BELDEN CABLE, AND FALMAT CABLE ARE CRITICAL TO THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE OF THE CURBY, ATON, AND IATON COASTAL OBSERVING SYSTEMS. SIGNIFICANT RESOURCES WERE UTILIZED TO ENSURE THESE COMPONENTS ARE COMPATIBLE WITH THE SENSORS AND EQUIPMENT IN THE OBSERVING SYSTEMS IN WHICH THEY ARE USED IN AND THAT THEY ARE CAPABLE OF WITHSTANDING THE HARSH MARINE ENVIRONMENTS IN WHICH THEY ARE DEPLOYED IN FOR EXTENDED PERIODS WHILE PROVIDING A RELIABLE AND WATERTIGHT CONNECTION. THESE CABLES AND CONNECTORS ARE FULLY COMPATIBLE AND MATEABLE WITH THE SYSTEMS IN CO-OPS’S INVENTORY AND PROVIDE THE BEST PROTECTION AGAINST WATER INTRUSION.

EXTENSIVE MARKET RESEARCH FOLLOWED BY TESTING AND ANALYSIS OF COMPARABLE IRIDIUM BEACONS LED TO THE SELECTION OF THE XEOS ROVER X AS THE BEST-VALUE PRECISE POSITIONING IRIDIUM BEACON FOR MEETING THE NOAA CO-OPS’ REQUIREMENTS. THE XEOS ROVER X BEACON IS AN

INDEPENDENTLY POWERED, SELF-CONTAINED SATELLITE TRANSCEIVER SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO TRACK BUOYS ON THE OCEAN SURFACE. THE ROVER FEATURES INDEPENDENT DUAL GPS AND IRIDIUM PATCH ANTENNAS, SO THAT IN THE EVENT THE BUOY IS FLIPPED OVER, THE UNIT WILL CONTINUE TO RECORD ITS POSITION AND TRANSMIT IT BACK TO CO-OPS. IT IS PACKAGED IN A RUGGEDIZED, UV PROTECTED, MARINE GRADE HOUSING AND EXPLOITS LOW POWER, REAL-TIME IRIDIUM SATELLITE CONSTELLATION AND GPS TO RELIABLY TRANSMIT THE BUOY’S POSITION AUTOMATICALLY OR ON DEMAND AT ANY TIME.

UNDER THE CURRENT CO-OPS OPERATING SYSTEM ANY ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING EQUIPMENT THAT HAS NOT PREVIOUSLY BEEN APPROVED MUST BE SUBJECTED TO A SERIES OF TESTS TO ENSURE THE QUALITY OF THE DATA AND THE DURABILITY OF THE EQUIPMENT FOR THE INTENDED USE. THESE TESTS USUALLY INCLUDE BENCH TESTING USING CONTROLLED CONDITIONS AND PHYSICAL MEASUREMENT, CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENTAL TESTING TO CHECK RELIABILITY UNDER DIFFERENT CONDITIONS, AND LONG- TERM COMPARISON TESTING WITH ACCEPTED EQUIPMENT AT MULTIPLE REAL-WORLD LOCATIONS. THESE TESTS AND THE ANALYSIS OF THE RESULTING DATA TAKE A LARGE AMOUNT OF TIME, MONEY, AND RESOURCES TO CONDUCT.

CO-OPS ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING SYSTEMS ARE DESIGNED TO OPERATE WITH THE COMPONENTS IN THIS PURCHASE. IMPLEMENTING DIFFERENT COMPONENTS WILL RESULT IN COMPATIBILITY ISSUES AND REQUIRE EXTENSIVE SYSTEM INTEGRATION EFFORTS. MODIFICATIONS TO THE PHYSICAL DESIGN OF THE SYSTEMS WOULD ALSO BE NECESSARY TO ACCOMMODATE THE NEW EQUIPMENT, REQUIRING ADDITIONAL FUNDING AND ENGINEERING RESOURCES.

CURRENTLY CO-OPS FIELD PERSONAL AND CONTRACTORS ARE TRAINED IN THE USE AND MAINTENANCE OF THE EQUIPMENT IN THIS PURCHASE. ADDITIONAL COST WILL INCUR FROM HAVING TO TRAIN FIELD PERSONAL AND CONTRACTORS ON THE USE AND MAINTENANCE OF NEW EQUIPMENT.

CO-OPS ALSO HAS THE ABILITY AND EQUIPMENT TO TEST, TROUBLESHOOT, AND REFURBISH THE EQUIPMENT IN THIS PURCHASE. IF NEW EQUIPMENT IS PURCHASED ADDITIONAL PARTS AND EQUIPMENT WILL NEED TO BE PURCHASED TO SUPPORT THE NEW EQUIPMENT. ADDITIONAL TRAINING WILL ALSO BE REQUIRED FOR THOSE TASKED WITH TESTING AND REPAIRING THIS EQUIPMENT.

DELIVERY WITHIN 60-90 DAYS FROM DATE OF AWARD

***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.