U.S. Department of Commerce/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/OFA/AGFS/AMD -- OFA51, 1305 East West Highway -- Station 7604, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910

C -- HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEYING AND RELATED SUPPORT SERVICES SOL 52-DGNC-9-90051 DUE 051899 POC Greg Smith, 301-713-0823, x118 WEB: click here to view a typical technical specification, http://chartmaker.ncd.noaa.gov/ocs/text/hsd-0.html. E-MAIL: click here to contact the Contracting Office, Gregory.N.Smith@agf.noaa.gov. 1. The Project: NOAA has a requirement for hydrographic surveying services to support nautical charting in the navigable waters from the North Carolina-Virginia border to the Maine-Canada border, including bays and harbors. One three-year indefinite delivery contract, at an estimated $3 million per year, is scheduled for award in FY 2000 with performance of first work order commencing in spring 2000. Work orders under this contract will consist of but are not limited to: 1) acquiring shallow water multibeam sounding data; 2) acquiring side scan sonar data; 3) acquiring vertical beam echosounder data; 4) determining positions and least depths on hazards to navigation; 5) installing, operating, and removing water level (tide) stations; 6) acquiring related supporting data (e.g. water level correctors, velocity of sound in the water column, vessel motion correctors, bottom sediment samples, etc.); 7) processing the data, including tidal tabulation, computation of tidal datums, tidal zoning determination, applying water level, vessel motion, and velocity of sound correctors to determine the true depths, correlating sonar targets, and compiling reports, final smooth sheets, and digital data; and 8) performing quality control during data acquisition and processing; and 9) the delivery of the data, reports, and sheets to NOAA for archival and application to the nautical charts and associated nautical products. All work shall be performed to NOAA specifications and the data provided in NOAA specified formats. See http://chartmaker.ncd.noaa.gov/ocs/text/hsd-0.html for typical technical specifications and a description of the deliverables. The final statement of work will tailor these specifications for each work order issued. A quality control plan will be a contract requirement. Potential vendors are encouraged to review the technical specifications and a description of the deliverables before responding to this announcement. This contract will permit that a Government COTR or observer be present during shipboard operations. If the contractor conducts vessel operations overnight, the contractor will be required to provide meals and accommodations to the Government COTR or observer. 2. Selection Criteria: Firm must provide sufficient surveying vessel(s) and equipment and sufficient technical, supervisory, and administrative personnel to ensure expeditious prosecution of work assignments. Participation by firms qualifying as small, small disadvantaged, and/or women-owned small businesses will be one of the factors of consideration in the selection process. To be considered for selection, a firm must demonstrate surveying experience in the types of surveys stated above and have on payroll at least two hydrographers and a tides/water level specialist. The two hydrographers must each have a minimum of three years experience in hydrographic surveying and demonstrated experience in surveying using shallow water multibeam sonar system, vertical beam echosounder, side scan sonar system and interpreting the data. The tides/water level specialist must have demonstrated experience in measurement of tides and water levels, tidal datums, and tidal zoning and their application to hydrographic surveying. Firms must show the availability of a suitable survey vessel(s) that complies with applicable U.S. Coast Guard, EPA, OSHA, and other federal regulations; data acquisition and processing systems; vertical beam echosounder system(s); shallow water multibeam sonar system(s) capable of detecting contacts measuring 2m x 2m x 1m high; side scan sonar system(s) that can detect a 1m x 1m x 1m target and with the capability to record data digitally; GPS surveying equipment for establishing horizontal control; differential GPS equipment for vessel positioning; water level measurement gauges; and equipment for determining velocity of sound in the water column. Evaluation criteria, in descending order of importance, are: (1) Professional qualifications necessary for satisfactory performance of required services; (2) Specialized experience and technical competence in the type of work required; (3) Capacity to accomplish the work in the required time (personnel and equipment); (4) Past performance on contracts with Government agencies and private industry in terms of cost control, quality of work and compliance with performance schedules; (5) Location in the general geographical area of the project and knowledge of the locality of the project; and (6) Proposed plans to provide meaningful subcontracting opportunities on this project to small, small-disadvantaged, and/or women-owned small business concerns. Evaluation criteria #6 will not apply to small business firms because subcontracting plans are not required from those concerns pursuant to FAR 19.702(b). Responding firms are requested to state whether they are small, small disadvantaged business and/or women-owned small business in block 5 of the SF255. Responding firms are encouraged to use small business concerns in a meaningful manner in the execution of this project. Large business firms should demonstrate their commitment and discuss proposed plans to provide subcontracting opportunities to the small business community in the performance of this project. The Department of Commerce has established goals, expressed in terms of percentages of total planned subcontracting dollars, as follows: 44% to small business firms,, 18% to small disadvantaged business firms, and 8% to women-owned small business firms. Specific abilities and disciplines required on this contract include (but are not limited to): Project Manager, Hydrographer, Tides/Water Level Specialist, Land Surveyor, and GIS Specialist (Geographers/Cartographer/Geospatial Data Analyst). Firms should indicate in Block 10 of their SF255 their experience using a shallow water multibeam survey system and an outline of how the Prime contractor will manage their team to ensure that quality products are delivered to NOAA. For evaluation factor (3) Capacity, a list of key personnel demonstrating their availability for the project considering other commitments and major equipment available for project assignment must be provided along with other pertinent data. The operating specifications of the shallow water multibeam system must be included. 3. Submission: All responsible sources may submit a response for consideration by NOAA. Prime contractors shall respond to this announcement for their teams. Prime contractors shall submit SF-254s for each team member and subcontractor, plus a consolidated SF-255 for the entire team. The SF254s should reflect the overall capacity of each member of the team, whereas the SF255 should reflect only those resources available for this effort. Firms should submit three copies each of SF254 and SF255. The evaluation factors must be addressed in block 10 of the SF 255. Facsimile responses are not authorized. Responses (SF254/255's) are due to the following address no later than 4:00 pm eastern standard time, May 18, 1999: U.S. Department of Commerce/NOAA, National Ocean Service (N/CS3x3), Attn: C. Brian Greenawalt, 1315 East-West Hwy., SSMC#3 Station 6730, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910-3282. See Numbered Notes 24 and 26. Posted 04/01/99 (W-SN315368). (0091)

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