This is a notice of intent to issue a sole-source contract to Amirix Systems Inc, 211 Horseshoe Lake Dr, Halifax NS, B3S0B9. The Government intends to award this contract on or about June 10, 2009. This procurement is being conducted under the authority of 41 U.S.C. 253(c)(1) only one responsible source, which applies when supplies required by the agency are only available from one responsible source and no other type of supplies will satisfy agency needs. BACKGROUND NOAA Fisheries Service is dedicated to protecting and preserving our nation's living marine resources and their habitat through scientific research, management and enforcement. In 2000, NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service established the Maine Field Station in Orono, ME to have more direct involvement in the conservation of the living marine resources in Maine, particularly Atlantic salmon. NOAA Fisheries Service shares jurisdiction of Atlantic salmon with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) at the federal level. Within Maine, NOAA Fisheries Service primarily focuses on fish in the estuarine and marine environment, while the Maine Department of Marine Resources and USFWS focus on the freshwater life stages. NOAA Fisheries Service also works closely with other federal agencies (particularly the U.S. Geological Survey), the University of Maine System and a wide range of state, academic, public and private partners. For years scientists have struggled to understand the decline and slow recovery of Atlantic salmon, a once abundant and highly prized game and food fish native to New England rivers. Biologists agree that poor marine survival is affecting salmon in the U.S. and Canada, but specific causes are difficult to determine in the ocean. Small acoustic tags and associated technology may provide some answers. Thirty of 150 Atlantic salmon smolts tagged by NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) in Maine's Penobscot River and released in Brewer, Maine in mid-May have crossed a line of underwater receivers off Halifax, Nova Scotia, the first fish to be tracked using the new global Ocean Tracking Network. The acoustic transmitters or tags, which are about the size of the silver eraser holder on a pencil, were surgically implanted in May in salmon smolts that were each six to seven inches in length. Each tag has a unique identification code that transmits an ultrasonic signal every few seconds. To detect these tags locally, NEFSC maintains a network of more than 80 acoustic receivers that extend from Brewer, on the Penobscot River near Bangor, into the Gulf of Maine. When a fish swims near a receiver, its identity and the time of detection is recorded by the receiver. Once data is downloaded for the season, biologists can learn which route each fish took, how long it took to get to the Gulf of Maine and most importantly, which fish survived and where fish that did not exit the Penobscot River may have died. This information can help uncover the causes of mortality. REQUIREMENTS The Contractor shall provide research equipment necessary to continue monitoring migrating fish species in coastal waters in Maine. The Contractor shall provide equipment which will work interchangeably with existing gear, data analysis software, and Access database systems that are currently owned and used by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center. This equipment will be required to work with the existing infrastructure of equipment and software systems. In addition; this equipment will be used collaboratively with Canadian scientists in Department of Fisheries and Oceans and Atlantic Salmon Federation, and the University of Maine Orono/USGS as part of an integrated international monitoring system providing additional rationale for standardization. Transmitters included in this requirement are the only equipment that can be detected by an array of 130 receivers that exist as a part of existing telemetry infrastructure. This ultrasonic array has been in place seasonally since 1996 and since 2007 some portions of the array within the Gulf of Maine are in the water continuously. These units will be networked with international research efforts as part of the global Ocean Tracking Network. To utilize this network NOAA needs transmitters annually that are detectable by the existing network. Implanting these transmitters allows researchers to understand mortality, behavior and movement of Atlantic salmon smolts each year and compare between years. The VR2W receivers that are a part of this order will be used to replace units that are in need of repair or lost during deployment and to add to overall capability. These receivers allow researchers to monitor transmitter tagged fish from fixed locations for several months without the constant supervision that is required by other receivers that are used to track transmitters. REPORTS, DATA, DELIVERABLES The Contractor shall provide: 1) 10 each - VR2W Coded Acoustic Receivers (69 KHz) with Bluetooth Code Map -110 Delivery to be on or before July 29th 2009 2) 400 each - V9-6L-A69-1303 Min&Max delay times (30 to 70 seconds; nominal 50 seconds Estimated tag life of 67 days. Delivery to be on or before May 1, 2010 to maximize battery life RESPONSES TO THIS NOTICE Offerors who believe they can meet this requirement are required to submit in writing an affirmative response demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of the requirements set forth. All written responses must include a written narrative statement of capability, including detailed technical information demonstrating the ability to meet the above requirements. The response must be sufficient to permit the agency to perform analysis to establish a bona fide capability to meet the requirements. Failure to submit such documentation will result in the Government proceeding as stated above. A determination by the Government not to open the requirement to competition based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Affirmative written responses must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. local time, June 8, 2009 All responses to this synopsis may be submitted via e-mail to Timothy Wampler, Contracting Specialist, at
contact@example.gov, with a hard copy to the U. S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Eastern Region Acquisition Division, 200 Granby Street, Suite 815, Norfolk, VA 23510.
