The U.S. Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is issuing a Notice of Intent to award a sole-source contract to SonTek for the maintenance and calibration of Castaway CTD units. This contract, anticipated to cover one base year and four option years, is justified as SonTek is the sole authorized calibration facility capable of servicing these specialized units, which cannot be maintained by any other distributors. Interested parties who believe they can meet the specified requirements are invited to submit documentation to NOAA, but there will be no competitive solicitation posted. The notice remains open for submissions from December 10, 2024, until December 25, 2024. All submissions must include detailed capability statements to determine eligibility for potential procurement. This announcement illustrates NOAA's commitment to ensuring proper maintenance of critical oceanographic equipment while maintaining compliance with federal procurement regulations.
The NOAA Office of Coast Survey (OCS) is seeking a maintenance contract for the annual calibration of its CastAway CTD (Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth) units, which are vital for accurate nautical chart updates. The contract will be held with Sontek, the only authorized calibration facility, and must cover all current Castaway units owned by OCS, Navigation Services Division (NSD), and Navigation Response Branch (NRB), including provisions for four optional renewal years. Each unit is to be calibrated yearly, with a requirement for technical support and timely return of units post-calibration within 30 days. Should any unit be irreparably damaged, a replacement will need to be incorporated into the contract at an agreed cost. The project does not require additional security clearances, as the contractor will not handle sensitive government data. This maintenance contract is essential for ensuring the reliability of instruments used in environmental monitoring critical to maritime navigation and safety.