***THE SOLE SOURCE DETERMINATION IS BASED ON THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC
ADMINISTRATION'S (NOAA) REQUIREMENT THAT SWAN NET (USA), L.L.C. HAS THE COMPATIBILITY TO EXISTING SYSTEMS OR EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO FULFILL NOAA'S APPLICABLE REQUIREMENTS IN THAT THEY CONSTRUCTED THE MID-WATER TRAWL NET CURRENTLY IN USE BY THE FISHING VESSEL (F/V) PACIFIC EXPLORER IN WHICH THE DESCRIBED SALMON EXCLUDER WILL BE INSTALLED AND ARE THEREFORE UNIQUELY QUALIFIED TO INSTALL THE SALMON EXCLUDER AND TO RESTORE THE TRAWL UPON COMPLETION OF THE TESTING OF THE SALMON EXCLUDER. THE ABILITY TO RESTORE THE NET TO ITS ORIGINAL CONDITION AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THE PROJECT IS OF EXTREME IMPORTANCE TO THE CONTRACTED VESSEL AS THEY WILL RETURN TO COMMERCIAL FISHING AND THE NET RESTORATION IS OF GREAT ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE AND ONLY THE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER CAN GUARANTEE THIS LEVEL OF SERVICE. THE USE OF THIS CONTRACTOR ALSO GREATLY REDUCES THE POTENTIAL TO ADVERSELY AFFECT THE PERFORMANCE OF THE TRAWL NET DURING EXPERIMENTAL WORK TO TEST THE EXCLUDER ON THE CHARTERED VESSEL HELPING ENSURE THE SUCCESS AND GENERAL APPLICABILITY OF THE PROJECT RESULTS. OTHER NET MAKERS COULD CONSTRUCT THE SALMON EXCLUDER, BUT THEY WOULD NOT BE SIMILARLY POSITIONED TO INSTALL AND REPAIR THE TRAWL NET IN WHICH THE EXCLUDER WILL BE INSERTED GIVEN THAT THE NET WAS CREATED BY SWAN NET (USA), L.L.C. MOREOVER, THIS CONTRACTOR HAS PERSONNEL IN DUTCH HARBOR DURING THE TIMEFRAME OF THE WORK TO BE DONE AND WILL BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THE WORK UNDER A VERY TIGHT TIME FRAME.
IN ADDITION, THE CONTRACTOR HAS MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN DESIGNING, MODIFYING, AND BUILDING SALMON EXCLUDERS THAT ARE USED EXTENSIVELY IN THE BERING SEA POLLOCK FISHERY, INCLUDING NEW DESIGNS CURRENTLY BEING TESTED. SWAN NET (USA), L.L.C. HAS ALSO BEEN INVOLVED IN MULTIPLE PROJECTS EVALUATING SALMON EXCLUDER DESIGNS, AND HELPING TO TURN NEW DESIGN IDEAS INTO PRACTICAL, FULL-SCALE EXCLUDERS.
***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.