Notice of Intent to Award Sole Source

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Data Buoy Center (NDBC), oversees the Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunami (DART) network, which consists of an array of thirty-nine (39) stations positioned strategically in areas with a history of and/or capability to generate destructive tsunamis.

The NDBC DART system is a licensed technology with the following patent related details:

1. Title: System for Reporting High Resolution Ocean Pressures In Near Real Time for the Purposes of Tsunami Monitoring
2. Owner: NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL)
3. Patent Serial Number/Patent Number: 11/133,324

These DART network systems were originally developed by NOAA as part of the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program (NTHMP), in an effort to maintain and improve the capability for the early detection and real-time reporting of tsunamis in the open ocean. The current network of DART systems have aged beyond lifecycle design expectations. System components are obsolete and no longer maintainable through refurbishment and repair. Through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), NOAA intends to incorporate modern commercially available systems utilizing the most recent DART technology across the DART network.  This capital investment in modern DART technology will improve data reliability and ensure future sustainability of the network free from existing lifecycle expectations and system obsolescence.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA), Acquisition and Grants Office (AGO), Eastern Acquisition Division (EAD), intends to negotiate and award a 5-year firm fixed-price contract to Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) for licensed DART technology, under Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) 6.302-1 - Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The anticipated award is projected 4QFY2023 with deliverables into FY2028.

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 334511 (Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing) with a size standard of 1,250 employees.

THIS NOTICE IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS nor a solicitation of offers. However, the Government will consider written responses from all responsible sources received no later than 10:00 AM CST, on December 14, 2022, and shall be directed to Jason Niederwerder at [email protected].

Written responses must include sufficient information to establish capability to fulfill the requirement. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed requirement is solely within the discretion of the Government. The Government will not be responsible for any costs of preparation in response to this announcement.