V -- Layberth Services

The Military Sealift Command (MSC) is seeking to procure layberth services for a fleet comprising three Large Medium Speed Roll On Roll Off (LMSR) ships and one Fast Sealift Ship (FSS) over a five-year term, beginning in 2005, including a base period and four one-year options plus a fifth option period. The layberth locations for the LMSR ships are limited to the U.S. Atlantic coast, no further north than Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, while the FSS layberth is restricted to the Gulf of Mexico region or adjacent waters. The contract will be divided into four separate lots corresponding to the vessels, with timing of layberth services determined post-award based on MSC's requirements and contractor capabilities. In line with this, the FSS lot is designated as a small business set-aside under NAICS code 488310, with a size standard of $21.5 million in annual receipts. The solicitation was expected to be issued around February 1, 2005, with proposals due by March 17, 2005, and contract award anticipated by August 2005. Interested contractors are encouraged to register on the MSC website to receive notification of contract opportunities. The contracting office overseeing this procurement is located in Norfolk, VA, with David G. Julian serving as the contracting officer. This acquisition underscores MSC's focus on ensuring timely and flexible layberth services to support the operational readiness of its sealift fleet within specified geographic areas, leveraging small business participation in the FSS segment.