REQUEST FOR INFORMATION U.S. Department of Commerce, National Technical Information Service located at 5285 Port Royal Road, Room 1006, Springfield, VA 22151. REQUEST FOR INFORMATION. POC Mr. Walter A. Finch. The National Technical Information Service (NTIS), an agency at the Department of Commerce, Technology Administration, is looking for a joint venture with one or more partners to publish and distribute, in printed format, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Ocean Services U.S. Coast Pilot series of nautical books. The business opportunities described in this notice require investments by prospective partners and provide revenue sharing opportunities. NTIS enters into joint venture partnerships in accordance with the authority granted to NTIS in the National Technical Information Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 3704b) and in accordance with the guidelines published in the June 13, 1989 issue of the Federal Register. Joint ventures do not involve procurements using government funds. Responses are required to be postmarked by June 26, 2000, sent to Walter A. Finch at above address. Offerors shall include three hard copies of their proposals. NOAA has been producing this series of coast pilot manuals for over 130 years. The National Technical Information Service is seeking a partner for a joint venture to add value to, publish and distribute the U.S. Coast Pilot series of nautical books. The Coast Pilot covers a wide variety of information important to navigators of U.S. coastal and intracoastal waters, and the waters of the Great Lakes. Most of this content cannot be shown graphically on the standard nautical charts and may not be readily available elsewhere. The subjects in the Coast Pilot include, but are not limited to, channel descriptions, anchorages, bridge and cable clearances, currents, tide and water levels, prominent features, pilotage, towage, weather, ice conditions, wharf descriptions, dangers, routes, traffic separation schemes, small-craft facilities, and Federal regulations applicableto navigation. It is envisioned that the company(ies) will take NOAA's content and create a value added product: add content, e.g. environmental information affecting navigation, photographs and graphics to aid marine navigation; create new document layout; etc. Each volume in the series must be updated regularly (usually annually) to provide current information for safe navigation in accordance with amendments and changes issued on an ongoing basis through the U.S. Coast Guard Local Notices to mariners and the National Imagery and Mapping Agency Notices to Mariners. NTIS is seeking a solution that will provide the ability to accomplish these tasks. If you have any questions, please send them via an e-mail to eorr@ntis.fedworld.gov FAX (703) 605-6742. WEB: NIST Contracts Homepage, http://www.nist.gov/admin/od/contract/contract.htm. E-MAIL: Eulene Orr, Product Manager, eorr@ntis.fedworld.gov. Posted 05/26/00 (W-SN459278).

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