Compact Portable Acoustic Command Systems for the National Data Buoy Center at Stennis Space Center, MS

The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Eastern Acquisition Division – Kansas City office intends to award, on a sole source basis, under the authority of FAR 13.106(b)(1), with EdgeOne LLC in West Wareham, MA a purchase order for two portable acoustic command systems (P/N 0011624) for the National Data Buoy Center at Stennis Space Center, MS.

The Government intends to utilize the authority under the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 13.106(b)(1), Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services will satisfy agency requirements, unless, as a result of this announcement, acceptable responses to this notice are received and a determination is made by the Government to issue a competitive solicitation. The Government intends to award a purchase order to EdgeOne LLC.

Sole Source Justification:

TheEdgeOne 8242XS acoustic releases contain proprietary hardware and firmware. Included in this proprietary firmware are specific command structures to activate the release, to get ranging information, and provide tilt information. The deck set to communicate with these releases must have the same proprietary firmware that can send the release and ranging commands and receive the responses from the acoustic release. Essentially the acoustic release and the deck set must communicate in the same acoustic frequency and use the same proprietary command/response firmware to communicate with each other.

EdgeOne has designed two command deck sets to communicate with their 8242XS releases that the NDBC uses. There is the fully size 8011M deck set with a 67-meter transducer cable and the new PACS portable lightweight unit with a 20-meter transducer cable (formerly an AMD200). The NDBC uses the 8011M deck sets for most applications in the field, but the smaller portable unit with a shorter transducer cable is easier to use at the NDBC Stennis location for laboratory and pre-shipment functional tests of the releases because it is much easier to move around to different locations for testing multiple releases in one test period.

In September of 2022, EdgeOne introduced a new set of release codes to work with the newest 8242XS releases. The three portable deck sets (former model AMD200) that the NDBC used for in-house testing were over 20 years old and could not be updated with the latest firmware to accommodate the new release codes. The NDBC is purchasing two of the new model PACS deck sets to replace these older units.

This special notice is not a request for competitive offerors and no solicitation package is available. However, firms that believe they can provide this supply may submit substantiating documentation in writing within fifteen business days of this notice. Responses can be sent via e-mail to Abigail.green@noaa.gov. Documentation will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct this procurement on a competitive basis. A determination by the Government not to conduct a competitive procurement, based upon response to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice. If no documentation is received, award will be made directly to EdgeOne LLC.

DOC, Eastern Acquisition Division requires that all contractors doing business with this office be registered with the System for Award Management (SAM). No award can be made to a company not registered in SAM. Contractors active in SAM have a unique entity identifier (UEI) that is used to do business with the federal government. The Government has moved to a free new, non-proprietary identifier that will have to be requested in, and assigned by, the System for Award Management (SAM.gov). You can register and access the site by going to www.sam.gov.