NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE -USCG MUSEAM

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NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE

U.S. COAST GUARD NATIONAL MUSEUM DESIGN AND PRODUCTION PROJECT

• Document Type: Notice of Intent to Sole Source


• Notice Number: CGSS26-COCO41-017


• Posted Date: 19 Aug 2026


• Response Date: 01 September 202


• NAICS Code: 712110 — Museums


• Contracting Office Address:
  
  Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/United States Coast Guard (USCG

Deputy Commandant for Systems (DCS)/ Office of Contracting & Procurement (C&P)

Headquarters Contract Division 4 (CG-HCA-COCO-41

Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE, Washington, DC 20593

1. Disclaimer and General Notice

This publication constitutes a Notice of Intent to Sole Source in accordance with FAR 5.201 and FAR 5.203. The United States Coast Guard (USCG) hereby announces its intent to solicit and negotiate a sole source Task Order with a single source under the authority described below.

THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS. No formal solicitation package is available. However, in accordance with FAR 5.207, any interested vendor that believes it can meet the Government's requirement may submit a capability statement, which shall be considered by the agency.

2. Proposed Sole Source Contractor

The USCG intends to award this Task Order on a sole source basis to the incumbent contractor:

• Company Name: Design & Production, Inc. (D&P)


• Address: 7110 Rainwater Pl, Lorton, VA 22079

3. Statutory and Regulatory Authority

This task order acquisition is conducted under the authority of the Multiple-Award Schedule / Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Contract procedures. Specifically, the exception to fair opportunity is exercised pursuant to:

• FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(B): "Only one awardee is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services in the interest of economy and efficiency are a logical follow-on to an order already issued under the contract, provided that all awardees were given a fair opportunity to be considered for the original order."

The initial design and preparatory phases (CLINs 1–6) were competitively awarded to Design & Production, Inc. (D&P) under IDIQ Contract No. 70Z02322D09230001. This resulting Task Order 004 represents the logical continuation, finalization, and physical execution of the highly proprietary 100% design package compiled by D&P.

4. Description of the Requirement

The USCG has a requirement to complete the final development phase for the National Coast Guard Museum (NCGM), located at 1 Waterfront Park, New London, CT 06320. This project will transition the project from design to full physical realization.

The scope of Task Order 004 consists of two core components:

1. Fabrication, Transportation, and Installation of CLINs 1–6 (Previously Designed): Comprehensive fabrication of all custom casework, artifact mounts, museum-grade graphics, gallery lighting systems, and integrated interactive audiovisual/security technologies.


2. Pricing and Execution of CLIN 0007 (Optional Bid Items - New Work): Completing specialized fabrication, custom exhibit structures, dimensional lettering, interactive displays, and model cases that could not be accurately priced until prior design CLINs reached substantial completion.

Key Project Deliverables:

• Exhibit Casework & Artifact Mounting: Custom-fabricated casework and mounts for thousands of historical artifacts.


• HH-65 Helicopter Interactive: Transporting, modifying, and suspending a full-size/partial HH-65 Helicopter within the flight deck exhibit space on Deck 02, including structural modifications for visitor interactive access.


• Segmented Lobby Bas-Relief Sculpture: Designing, fabrication, and segmented installation of a major commercial-grade lobby sculpture, meeting interior wall/ceiling safety and fire codes (2018 International Building Code § 803).


• Case Security Hardware: Final engineering and installation of advanced physical security systems on seventy (70) high-value archival cases.


• Gallery Lighting & Site Integration: Comprehensive electrical work, signal cabling, and precision-focusing of lighting in main galleries and STEM learning spaces prior to public opening.


• Media Software & Image Licensing: Full production of interactive software, research and licensing of archival video/images, and incorporation of Section 508-compliant open captioning.

Period of Performance:

• Base Period: Date of award through September 30, 2026 (Focus on material procurement, design finalization, and initial shop fabrication).


• Option Period 1: October 1, 2026, through August 4, 2027 (Focus on transportation, final site assembly, installation, integration, and closeout).

5. Justification for Sole Source (Why Only One Source Can Fulfill the Requirement)

Design & Production, Inc. (D&P) is the only contractor capable of fulfilling this requirement without the Government experiencing unacceptable delays, extensive duplication of costs, and severe technical risks. The justifications for this determination are as follows:

1. incumbency and Continuity of Design (Logical Follow-On):
   
   D&P is the "Designer of Record" and compiled the 100% Final Design Submission (dated March 24, 2026). They hold the native intellectual property, digital layouts, scale models, and structural engineering math models for the entire NCGM exhibit package. Introducing a new contractor at this stage would require a complete re-review of thousands of design sheets, which would invalidate current work schedules.


2. Avoidance of Substantial Duplication of Costs:
   
   Awarding to any other contractor would require them to reverse-engineer D&P's proprietary layouts, recreate digital artwork templates (Final Digital Artwork), and modify existing structural plans to suit their specific fabrication shop methods. It is estimated that a competitive transition would cost the Government several hundred thousand dollars in redundant design coordination fees and double-engineering costs.


3. Prevention of Project Delay:
   
   The physical museum building construction is on a strict path toward completion. D&P has established coordination protocols with the base building architect, structural engineers, and HVAC teams regarding floor and wall anchoring layouts (crucial to avoid drilling into in-floor heating elements). Re-soliciting this work would cause an estimated 9 to 12-month delay, missing the scheduled grand opening.


4. Single Point of Liability and Warranty Integration:
   
   D&P's design includes highly intricate dependencies, such as custom structural tolerances for suspending the multi-ton HH-65 Helicopter. By holding D&P sole-source responsible for both the design and fabrication, the Government ensures seamless warranty coverage and prevents disputes where a fabricator blames design flaws, or vice versa.

6. Responses and Submission Instructions

This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. However, interested parties who believe they possess the specialized capabilities, equipment, and resources to successfully execute the entire scope of work described herein may submit a capability statement.

Capability statements must be submitted in writing and must include:

1. Company Name, Address, UEI number, Cage Code, and Point of Contact.


2. Business size status (e.g., Large, Small, SDVOSB, 8(a), WOSB) under NAICS 712110.


3. Demonstrated past performance executing museum exhibit fabrication of similar complexity and scale (specifically detailing experience with large physical artifact suspension, museum security casework, and multi-media integration).


4. A detailed technical narrative outlining how the organization would acquire, review, and execute the existing 100% design of record without causing schedule delays or duplicating design costs.

Contacts for Submissions:

All responses must be submitted electronically via email to the following points of contact no later than the Response Date specified above:

• Contracting Specialist Domingo Cruz, domingo.cruz2@uscg.mil

A determination by the Government not to complete this proposed contract based on responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct competitive procurement in the future.

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