Special Notice Acoustic Long Term Recorders

NOTICE OF INTENT TO NEGOTIATE A SINGLE-SOURCE CONTRACT Special Notice: FD-2021-204 NOAA/NMFS/SEFSC In compliance with FAR Subpart 13 coupled with the provisions set forth by FAR Subpart 5.101(a)(1), this Notice is hereby published to inform of the following: The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) intends to negotiate, on a sole source basis, under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), with Ocean Instruments New Zealand of Auckland, New Zealand Using the procedures of FAR Part 13 the requirement is to procure the following: Quantity 4: Soundtrap ST600 STD - Long Term Recorder The applicable Size Standard is North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code 334511, with a Small Business size standard of 1250 employees. The NOAA NMFS uses underwater acoustic recorders to record ocean noise and marine animal vocalizations for the purposes of monitoring their distribution and abundance, while gaining a better understanding of the overall soundscape. This monitoring work includes acoustic recording units on platforms ranging from fixed seafloor packages to drifting buoys, which require a lower profile, lightweight, yet still highly technically capable acoustic recording package. The suitable package must be capable of user-programmable acoustic recording schedules and sampling rates (up to 192 kHz), extended duration autonomous continuous recording for up to 180 days (up to 1 year with duty cycling), and compact robust housing lightweight enough to be deployed from drifting buoys and pressure resistant for moored deployments up to 500 m water depths. Further, it must have high sensitivity and low-self noise to accurately measure ambient soundscapes. Finally, the acoustic recording units must be compatible with existing SoundTrap ST500STD and SoundTrap ST600STD acoustic recorders in SEFSC's inventory for this and other baleen whale acoustic monitoring projects to ensure data can be accurately compared across sites and hardware can be exchanged among sites. The SoundTrap ST600 STD long-term recorders provide up to 180 days of continuous recording at up to 192 kHz sampling rate, or up to 1 year with duty-cycled recording. The SoundTrap ST600STD recorder delivers high performance long-duration recording with the lowest power consumption and super low self-noise in the smallest size, least expensive and most robust option currently on the market for our needs. The SoundTrap ST600STD is compatible with SoundTrap ST500STD and SoundTrap ST600STD recorders. The SEFSC has been deploying 17 autonomous moored passive acoustic recording units in the core habitat of the Rice's whale (aka Gulf of Mexico Bryde's whale) to record whale vocalizations and ocean soundscapes. This is a mission critical project focused on improving ocean noise research and on endangered species distribution and presence. SEFSC requires purchase of (4) SoundTrap ST600STD units for field research projects in 2021. **THIS NOTICE OF INTENT 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 IN WRITING TO THE IDENTIFIED POINT OF CONTACT WITHIN 15 DAYS AFTER PUBLICATION OF THIS SYNOPSIS. SUCH 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. Attachment Single Source Determination