This is a Sources Sought Notice in preparation for an upcoming procurement, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC) is conducting market research to determine potential sources to conduct cooperative sampling with US Virgin Islands fishers. The project will require developing working relationships with commercial fishers to use low cost methods to gain information regarding the deep-water habitats and the deep-water snapper fishery in the US Virgin Islands.

The Caribbean Fishery Management Council (CFMC) has ranked investigations into this fishery at the highest priority level for deep water research in their region (NOAA Deep-Sea Coral Research and Technology Program, Priority Scoping Workshop for the Southeast Region, 2016-2019). All data collected will be used to provide guidance and management recommendations to the US Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) as well as the CFMC.

The North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code is 541990 – All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services. The small-business size standard for this NAICS code is $19.5m in average annual receipts.

A draft Statement of Work (SOW) is provided for informational purposes only.

Standard brochures will not be considered a sufficient response to this notice. Submitted Capability Statements shall include the following:

General Information: Provide the company name and address, Unique Entity Identifier, Cage Code, type of business under NAICS code 541990 (e.g. Small business, 8(a), veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business, HUBZone small business, small disadvantaged business, and/or women owned small business; or other than small business) as validated via the System for Award Management (SAM), and company point of contact including name, phone number, and e-mail address.

Capabilities: Demonstrate how your firm has the capabilities to meet all requirements in the statement of need.

Documentation Comments: In order to facilitate the exchange of information with industry, provide any comments, questions, or suggestions that pertain to the statement of need included with this notice. Identify any areas that appear ambiguous or otherwise unclear.

Interested vendors are invited to submit an electronic response to this Sources Sought Notice to Kurt Weilbaecher, Contracting Officer, via e-mail at: [email protected] no later than 05:00 p.m. Central on Jul 12, 2024. Capability Statements and documentation comments must be submitted in writing; telephonic inquiries will not receive a response.

This is not a request for technical or price quotations. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this notice or reimburse for costs incurred by interested parties providing the information requested herein.