***NOAA's Acquisition & Grants Office, Western Acquisition Division-Boulder, Global Monitoring Laboratory (GML), intends to negotiation, on a sole source basis, under authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), with the University of the South Pacific (USP), to prepare and launch 26-30 ozonesondes per year and send acquired data to NOAA/GML after each ozonesonde flight.

***The sole source determination is based on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) requirement that the University of the South Pacific (USP) has an established research collaboration with GML and has been successfully coordinating and supporting this GML research site since 1998. Since 1998, NOAA has provided supplies and training at the University of the South Pacific where they have been launching 2-4 ozonesondes per month. Dr. Matakite Maata is the primary collaborator at USP with NOAA. He continues working as a USP faculty in the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences Department, and has arranged and trained several graduate students over the past 20 years. We also collaborate with Dr. Francis Mani within the same USP Department. Finding a private firm or person to carry out these scientific launches would be extremely difficult if not impossible since ozonesonde balloon research is a unique scientific operation that is not done by any private firm or person. There is essentially no possible local organization or group that would have the scientific interest and location for setting up and provide a secure location for the NOAA receiving station equipment, storing ozonesondes and balloons, antenna and cables, and 6 high pressure helium tanks (each weight about 120 lbs.). To meet NOAA’s scientific program requirements GML must maintain this valuable long-term measurement time series. The continued scientific collaboration with USP will ensure this requirement is met. Base Period of Performance from April 1, 2021 through March 31, 2022, with 4 option years.

***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.