B--Study Fleet Admin Support

This contract, titled Study Fleet Administration Support for the NEFSC, is a firm-fixed-price award issued by NOAA under the Department of Commerce as a total small business set-aside under FAR 19.5, with the NAICS code 541990. It aims to centralize administrative support for approximately 40 vessel participants previously managed under individual agreements by providing comprehensive off-site services including participant onboarding, reimbursement processing, compliance monitoring, and data management. The contractor must operate remotely with personnel available during Eastern Time business hours, utilizing a Government-approved digital workspace such as Google Drive to maintain all records, including signed participant agreements, data waiver forms, vessel information templates, and an approved reimbursement schedule. Payment processing is governed by CLIN 0002, a government-established not-to-exceed reimbursement line item, and a separate firm-fixed-price administration line item, with all invoices submitted through the Invoice Processing Portal (IPP) and subject to Government approval before disbursement. Reimbursements must be completed within 30 calendar days after receiving complete documentation, and performance is evaluated against strict quality standards: 95% accuracy for participant onboarding, payment processing, and recordkeeping, and 99% for participant coordination and reporting. The contractor is required to comply with privacy requirements under FAR 52.240-93, safeguarding personally identifiable information (PII) through mandatory NDAs and secure digital protocols, with the Government retaining the right to remove personnel for security concerns. No physical delivery, packaging, or military standards apply; all work is digital and administrative. Evaluation will be based on best-value trade-off, accounting for price and non-price factors without being LPTA, and offerors must certify as small businesses under NAICS 541990 without requiring additional socioeconomic representations. Quarterly reporting, retention of records for audit purposes, and adherence to Service Contract Labor Standards are mandatory, with no on-site presence or travel required. The deadline for responses is July 27, 2026, and the award will be made to offerors demonstrating technical competence, financial responsibility, and ability to meet all administrative and compliance obligations.