B--UMESC LOON STUDY B

The contract pertains to the Loon Study B project, a time-limited environmental survey effort under the U.S. Department of the Interior’s U.S. Geological Survey, aimed at assessing the presence or absence of loons across 27 designated lake territories in Minnesota. The period of performance runs from May 20, 2026, to August 19, 2026, during which the contractor must conduct weekly field surveys, utilizing appropriate watercraft, safety equipment, and navigation tools to meet logistical demands across remote areas. Work must adhere to wildlife disturbance-minimization protocols and comply with applicable labor standards, including prevailing wage requirements under the Service Contract Labor Standards and minimum wage mandates from Executive Order 14026, along with paid sick leave provisions under Executive Order 13706. The contract is structured as a Firm-Fixed Price agreement under FAR Part 12 for commercial items and FAR Part 13 for simplified acquisition procedures, with pricing based on a cost-per-survey model for 297 mandatory surveys and up to 20 optional surveys. Evaluation of proposals prioritizes technical merit over price, with equal weighting given to personnel qualifications and staffing, data management and reporting quality, logistical availability and equipment, and past performance—all of which are significantly more important than cost. The contractor must demonstrate over ten years of experience in wildlife surveys, with specific expertise in loon or waterbird monitoring in lake systems similar to those in the upper Midwest, along with verifiable success in timely, accurate reporting and safety compliance. Wage determinations for 18 Minnesota counties are specified and must guide labor payments, while required certifications include UEI and CAGE code submissions, small business status, and compliance with federal ethics, whistleblower protections, and supply chain security restrictions including prohibitions on ByteDance-covered applications and Kaspersky Lab equipment. Invoicing must be done exclusively through the Internet Payment Platform, and all deliverables will be inspected and accepted at the USGS Upper Midwest Environmental Science Center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The government will award based on a trade-off analysis, favoring proposals with superior technical merit even if they incur a higher price, provided the cost is reasonable.