The US Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Eastern Region Acquisition Division, Simplified Acquisition Branch intends to negotiate on a sole source basis with Paroscientific, Inc., 4500 148th Avenue N.E., Redmond, WA 98052, using the procedures in FAR Part 13, to purchase twenty (20) Paroscientific, P/N: 1801-004-0 with SCD No. 7271-272 buffer tube model 410K-272 Digiquartz Transducer with range 0 to 10,000 psia, frequency output, oil filled, installed in shock mount housing with custom length stainless steel buffer tube for the tsunami bottom pressure recorders in support of the Deep-Ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis (DART) program.

The Deep-Ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis (DART) program is a scientific research program developed several years ago by the NOAA Office of Atmospheric Research (OAR) at their Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) facility. The current DART program consists of a network of 39 buoys having bottom pressure sensors on the ocean floor that provide early reporting and warning of tsunamis in the Pacific Ocean and in other oceans. The DART program was declared fully operational in 2003, and full responsibility for the operation of the deployed network of DART buoys was permanently transferred to NDBC in FY2004. Due to the harsh marine conditions and occasional vandalism the NDBC is unable to recover and reuse approximately 5 systems per year. Further, the NDBC must address the replacement of aging sensors and sensors damaged due to pressure vessel failures.

All of the DART electrical, mechanical, and electronic equipment currently used in the DART program and on DART buoys is the result of custom engineering design and fabrication accomplished by PMEL directly, or through sole-source contractors, and much of it is proprietary. During the design process, PMEL integrated several custom manufactured electronics assemblies into the electronic sensor and data acquisition system used on the DART buoys. The buoy electronic assembly is the DART Acoustic Modem/CPU Assembly, which PMEL built, and which consists of several proprietary, custom designed printed circuit boards for controlling the Acoustic Modem and Iridium modem link. Three Dart Benthos Acoustic Modem/CPU Assemblies and one Paroscientific Bottom Pressure Transducer are used on every DART buoy in the present PMEL designed configuration. Two of the Modem/CPU assemblies are used in the DART buoy hull, one for primary data acquisition, and one as a secondary system in case of failure of the primary unit; the third is used in the Bottom Pressure Sensor suite. There are also other custom designed peripheral equipment integral to the operation of the DART buoy, including two Benthos Acoustic Modem Transducers used for wireless acoustic signal communications with the bottom pressure sensor equipment suite, an EdgeTech Acoustic release Module which can be used to release the Bottom Pressure Sensor suite from the mooring for recovery. Data is transmitted back to the NDBC and the tsunami warning centers through the Iridium uplink.

The Bottom Pressure Sensor suite of equipment which includes the third DART Acoustic Modem/CPU Assembly, also contains a very special Paroscientific pressure transducer as the ocean floor or seabed sensor. This is one of the most critical parts of the system because the pressure transducer sits on the ocean floor and monitors the changes in the pressure of the water column above the sensor. The systems then sends pressure data back to the electronics data acquisition units on the buoy via acoustic modems, and changes in the pressure data is the first sign of an approaching tsunami. PMEL selected the Paroscientific Model 410K-252 for use as the DART Bottom Pressure Sensor and it is now integral to the design; no other known sensor meets the design requirements, and Paroscientific is the only vendor who can supply these subassemblies because they are proprietary to the company. The NDBC changed the dilution tube design that interfaces to the sensor to prevent failures of the pressure vessel where the pressure sensor is housed. This change in the dilution tube is reflected in the part number as a model 410K-272. PMEL design proprietary printed circuit boards to interface to the bottom pressure sensor that transform frequency data from this pressure sensor into pressure data that can be incorporated into forecasts and warnings for tsunamis.
The statutory authority for other than full and open competition is FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)(i), Only one responsible source.
The North American Industry Classification Code (NAICS) for this acquisition is 334519, Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing, with a business size standard of 500 employees.

This is not a solicitation for competitive quotes, nor will one be posted on FedBizOpps.

Although a determination by the Government not to compete this proposed requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. However, if any interested party believes that it is capable of meeting the requirements, and in an effort to comply with the requirements outlined in FAR 5.102, a firm may request an electronic copy of the solicitation from the Contract Specialist, Wendy Culbreth ([email protected]).

All electronic correspondence shall have the subject line read: 1305M2-19-00068: Paroscientific Model 410K-LV-305 Digiquartz Pressure Transducer.

All responsible sources may submit a Capability Statement and/or a quote in accordance with the solicitation, which shall be considered by the agency if received on or before 5:00 PM EST on November 3, 2018. The Capability Statement must contain material in sufficient detail to allow NOAA to determine if the party can meet all of the requirements.

The solicitation will remain open from 19 October 2018 - November 3, 2018 (5:00 PM EST).