SOURCES SOUGHT
B -- Maintenance of the North Atlantic Right Whale Photo-Identification Catalog Services for NMFS - Draft Statement of Work
- Notice Date
- 4/3/2018
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541715
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology)
- Contracting Office
- Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Eastern Acquisition Division - Norfolk, Norfolk Federal Building, 200 Granby Street, Norfolk, Virginia, 23510, United States
- ZIP Code
- 23510
- Solicitation Number
- EA133F-18-RFI-0005
- Archive Date
- 4/25/2018
- Point of Contact
- Roberta Smith, Phone: 757-441-6528, Jana Kolb, Phone: 757-441-3344
- E-Mail Address
-
roberta.h.smith@noaa.gov, Jana.Kolb@noaa.gov
(roberta.h.smith@noaa.gov, Jana.Kolb@noaa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- This Request for Information (RFI) and Sources Sought is for Planning Purposes Only The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of the RFI notice or to otherwise pay for the information solicited. Your response to this RFI will be treated as information only. It shall not be used as a quote. This request is issued for the purpose of exchanging information to improve the understanding of industry capabilities, thereby allowing potential offerors to judge whether or how they can satisfy the Government's requirements, and enhancing the Government's ability to obtain services, at reasonable cost and price, and increase efficiency in proposal preparation, proposal evaluation, negotiation, and contract award. The Eastern Region Acquisition Division (ERAD) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Norfolk, VA is soliciting information, on behalf of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for Maintenance of the North Atlantic Right Whale Photo-Identification Catalog Services. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this requirement 541715, with a size standard of 1000 Employees. This RFI/Sources Sought will be used solely for market research and does not constitute a solicitation. Scope The management of North Atlantic right whales has been a topic of concern for several years. The need for an ability to manage and archive information and provide it in a timely manner continues to be extremely important. The Contractor shall manage and maintain all aspects of the North Atlantic Right Whale Catalog. This includes: Maintaining and curating the photo-identification Catalog; maintaining to the right whale scarring database; continued reporting of Anthropogenic Injury Case Studies; continued near real-time matching for biopsy efforts, entangled, injured, sick or dead right whales; maintaining the genetic / catalog database comparison, including correcting and matching as necessary; and maintaining the health assessment database. Background NEFSC is one of several agencies that have responsibilities and informational needs related to implementation of the right whale recovery plan. In 1992, NMFS released the Final Recovery Plan for the Northern Right Whale and convened a workshop on the science and management of the right whale in the western North Atlantic. The workshop proceedings document included specific prioritized recommendations for the implementation of the recovery plan. Within the actions identified, the photo-identification catalog was identified as an essential infrastructure element. In 1994, an external review of NEFSC-supported right whale research reiterated the recommendation of high priority for continuation of the photo-identification catalog. A series of workshops on right whales sponsored by the International Whaling Commission and/or NMFS in 1998, 1999, and 2000 recommended various research tasks and analyses for which the photo-identification Catalog has been a critical resource, in addition to simply maintaining the catalog itself as a critical component of the research infrastructure. In May of 2005, NMFS published Recovery Plan for the North Atlantic Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis), Revision. One specified recovery task singles out the catalog as a priority item, and a substantial number of other recovery tasks depends on the database for success, including one specifically identifying the scarring database. At the time of the MMC panel review (2006), catalog management included linking photo-identifications to biopsies and health assessments; and "the provision of real-time data on individual whale identities for researchers engaged in biopsy darting or tagging; information on identity and health assessment of stranded, injured, or entangled right whales; and responses to requests for data to be used in many types of scientific and management analyses" as well as photo-identification matching. The North Atlantic right whale catalog is the premier example, internationally, of a catalog of photographically identified large whales. It currently includes over 200,000 photographs dating back to 1935, and approximately 300 institutions and individuals have contributed to the Catalog. Almost every individual member of the species of North Atlantic right whale is identified, and has a substantial sighting history. The Catalog's data sharing protocols are exemplars used by other catalogs, and data from the Catalog are used by multiple organizations. The Catalog remains the primary data source used for NMFS' management of anthropogenic impacts on North Atlantic right whales. The current catalog is currently maintained by the Right Whale Research Project of the New England Aquarium in Boston. The DOC/NOAA is seeking the following information: The Government requests capability statements from all businesses who qualify under North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 541715 (Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology), which has a corresponding business size standard of 1,000 Employees. Company size status for the NAICS Code stated above (small business concern per 13 CFR, educational institution, federal, local or state entity, commercial entity, nonprofit organization, etc.); and socio-economic status for NAICS Code stated above (8(a), hubzone, small disadvantaged business, service-disabled/veteran owned, women owned, etc.). The interested Contractor response should include how the Contractor could furnish the necessary personnel, materials, equipment, services and facilities (except as otherwise specified), to provide the services as provided in Attached Draft Statement of Work. Note: This RFI is being issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute an Invitation for Bids (IFB), a Request for Proposals (RFP), a Request for Quotations (RFQ) or an indication that the Government will contract for any of the items and/or services contained in this notice. All information received in response to this notice that is marked Proprietary will be handled accordingly. Responses to this notice will not be returned. In submitting a response, you are solely responsible and accountable for all of the expenses associated with your response. The response date for this Request for Information is April 10, 2018 at 12:00 P.M. All responses to this RFI may be submitted via e-mail to Roberta Smith, Contract Specialist, at roberta.h.smith@noaa.gov. The electronic copy of your response must be in ".pdf format" and readable by the Adobe Acrobat Reader. Questions pertaining to this notice may be emailed to the roberta.h.smith@noaa.gov.
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