15--Underwater Drone

Solicitation 140G0126Q0019 is a small-business set-aside request for quote issued by the Department of the Interior's Office of Acquisition and Grants for the USGS Virginia Water Science Center. The requirement is for the procurement of five autonomous underwater/surface vehicles and one comprehensive command and control system. These vehicles must be capable of conducting Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth (CTD) measurements, operating as a swarm, and collecting data on wave height, bottom type, and current vectors. The associated control system must include a communications hub, user interface, software, and necessary transport and charging accessories. Delivery is required within 60 days after receipt of order on an F.O.B. Destination basis. The contract is awarded based on the Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) method, where offers are first evaluated for technical compliance against salient characteristics before price becomes the sole discriminant. Strict adherence to federal standards is required, including FISMA security protocols, NIST cybersecurity guidelines, and Section 508 ICT accessibility requirements for software. Additionally, the contract prohibits the use of ByteDance applications and unmanned aircraft systems manufactured by covered foreign entities. All invoicing must be processed electronically through the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Invoice Processing Platform.