***NOAA'S ACQUISITION & GRANTS OFFICE, WESTERN ACQUISITION DIVISION-BOULDER, NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES, CONSERVATION BIOLOGY DIVISION, INTENDS TO NEGOTIATE, ON A SOLE SOURCE BASIS, UNDER AUTHORITY OF FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), WITH GTSEEK FOR GENOTYPING SERVICES FOR CHINOOK SALMON TISSUE SAMPLES.

***THE SOLE SOURCE DETERMINATION IS BASED ON THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION'S (NOAA) REQUIREMENT THAT GTSEEK IS THE SOLE SOURCE FOR CHINOOK SALMON TISSUE SAMPLES. THIS GENOTYPING DATA MUST USE DNA SEQUENCING PRIMERS AND PROBES THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO CHINOOK SALMON AND REQUIRE KNOWLEDGE OF THE STOICHIOMETRY AND ANALYSIS PARAMETERS FOR THIS GENETIC MARKER PANEL (ALSO CALLED “CHINOOK 299 PANEL”) WIDELY USED THROUGHOUT THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. MOREOVER, ALTHOUGH GT-SEQ IS WIDELY USED AND HAS BECOME FUNDAMENTAL TO CHINOOK SALMON GENETIC RESEARCH, THERE ARE STILL NO COMMERCIAL VENDORS OTHER THAN GTSEEK THAT PROVIDE THIS EXACT SERVICE. ALSO COMMONLY KNOWN AS AMPLICON SEQUENCING, GT SEEK IS THE ONLY KNOWN SOURCE THAT WILL ACCEPT TISSUE SAMPLES AND RETURN DNA SEQUENCES, MUCH LESS PROCESSED DATA AND STANDARDIZED CHINOOK SALMON GENOTYPES THAT CAN BE SUBMITTED TO STANDARDIZED REGIONAL DATABASES.

***THIS NOTICE OF INTENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS AND NO SOLICITATION PACKAGE IS AVAILABLE. HOWEVER, FIRMS THAT BELIEVE THEY CAN FULLY MEET THE GOVERNMENT'S REQUIREMENTS MAY SUBMIT SUBSTANTIATING DOCUMENTATION IN WRITING TO THE IDENTIFIED POINT OF CONTACT WITHIN 15 DAYS AFTER PUBLICATION OF THIS SYNOPSIS. SUCH DOCUMENTATION WILL BE EVALUATED SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT TO CONDUCT THIS PROCUREMENT ON A COMPETITIVE BASIS. A DETERMINATION BY THE GOVERNMENT NOT TO CONDUCT A COMPETITIVE PROCUREMENT, BASED UPON RESPONSES TO THIS NOTICE, IS SOLELY WITHIN THE DISCRETION OF THE GOVERNMENT. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE IN RESPONSE TO THIS NOTICE.