R--West Coast Region Marine Mammal Hotline Service

Amendment 0001 to Solicitation 1305M326Q0082 provides critical updates for offers related to Marine Mammal Hotline Services. This amendment addresses inquiries, extends the quote due date to March 11, 2026, and incorporates Clause 52.222-49 regarding Service Contract Labor Standards, specifying performance in Texas counties and outlining procedures for wage determinations. The Period of Performance is set from April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027. Additionally, the list of attachments has been revised to include the "1305M326Q0082 Questions and Answers" document. Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment to avoid rejection, with all other terms and conditions remaining unchanged.

The solicitation 1305M325Q0082 for Marine Mammal Hotline Service addresses bidder questions regarding a new requirement, with the previous contract held by Beborgem Enterprises Incorporated since 2023. The estimated contract value is less than $350,000, falling under the Simplified Acquisition Threshold. Bidders must quote a firm-fixed-price per month for each contract period. While Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs) are not mandatory, vendors without relevant history will receive a “Neutral” rating. The anticipated start date for performance is April 1, 2026, with an award decision expected before this date. Service Contract Act (SCA) Wage Determinations apply, and offerors should use their company’s SAM registration address to determine the appropriate wage determination for their place of business, not the administering office in Seattle, WA.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) West Coast Region is seeking a contractor to provide 24-hour marine mammal hotline services for California, Oregon, and Washington. This includes operating the West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network (WCMMSN) and the SOS-Whale Hotline. The contractor will be responsible for discerning between Marine Mammal Protection Act violations and strandings, providing educational messaging, and relaying information to stranding coordinators. Key tasks include attending a kick-off meeting, providing unlimited communication dispatching, using a custom answering protocol, and submitting quarterly reports. The contractor must maintain confidentiality, work off-site, and provide their own equipment. The contract has a base period from April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027, with four optional one-year extensions.

The NOAA Whale Hotline Script outlines the protocol for responding to calls about distressed or entangled large whales. The script guides operators through an initial screening to confirm the call's purpose. If the call concerns a whale in distress, the operator collects crucial information from the caller, including their name, contact number, type of whale, boat name (if applicable), company, exact location of the whale, time of last sighting, whether the whale is still alive, if the caller is still in sighting distance, the whale's last known direction, and current weather/sea conditions. The script also asks if the caller can safely remain with the whale and for how long. The closing statement informs callers that NOAA will relay their report to a fisheries representative and that an authorized responder will contact them. Callers are advised to observe from a distance, avoid self-disentanglement, contact the U.S. Coast Guard for vessel emergencies, and document the entanglement with photos or videos. This script ensures efficient information gathering and appropriate follow-up for whale rescue efforts.

This government solicitation, Reference Number 1305M326Q0082, is a Request for Proposal (RFP) for Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSB) to provide non-personal hotline answering services for the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) West Coast Region (WCR) Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline and the S.O.S Whale Hotline. The contract includes a base year (April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027) and four option years, extending the total possible performance period to March 31, 2031. The acquisition is set aside for WOSB, with a NAICS code of 561421 and a size standard of $19 million. Offers will be evaluated based on Technical Approach and Capability, Price, and Past Performance. The solicitation includes detailed instructions for offerors, various federal acquisition regulations (FAR) and Commerce Acquisition Regulations (CAR) clauses, and specific requirements for contractor conduct, including sexual assault and harassment prevention training, and electronic submission of payment requests.

The document, Attachment 2 to Solicitation Number 1305M326Q0082, is a Past Performance Questionnaire designed by NOAA to assess the performance history of contractors and major subcontractors for the Marine Mammal Hotline Service project. It outlines instructions for both the offeror (contractor) and the assessor (government personnel). The offeror is responsible for completing Section II with current or historical contract information and submitting it with their proposal, along with Sections I and II provided to assessors. The assessor is tasked with verifying Section II, completing Section III (Assessor Information), and Section IV (Overall Performance Rating), then emailing the completed questionnaire to specified NOAA contracting points of contact by the solicitation's closing date. Section I details the solicitation data, including the project description of 24/7 Marine Mammal Hotline Answering Services. Section II collects specific contract details such as contract number, value, period of performance, and termination history. Section III captures the assessor's role and period of involvement in the contract. Section IV provides a detailed rubric for evaluating performance, ranging from “Exceptional” to “Unsatisfactory,” based on criteria like adherence to requirements, quality, timeliness, cost management, and communication. This questionnaire is critical for source selection by providing a standardized method for evaluating past performance.