McLane Research Labs Imaging Flow Cytobot (IFCB)

THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION’S (NOAA) ACQUISITION & GRANTS OFFICE, EASTERN ACQUISITION DIVISION-NORFOLK, NATIONAL OCEAN SERVICE (NOS) NATIONAL CENTERS FOR COASTAL OCEAN SCIENCE (NCCOS) MARINE SPATIAL ECOLOGY AND KASITSNA BAY LAB, INTENDS TO NEGOTIATE AND AWARD A PURCHASE ORDER, ON A SOLE SOURCE BASIS, UNDER AUTHORITY OF RFO FAR 6.103-1, WITH MCLANE RESEARCH LABORATORIES INC OUT OF EAST FALMOUTH, MA FOR AN IMAGING FLOW CYTOBOT (IFCB) AND ACCESSORIES. NO SET ASIDE IS TO BE USED FOR THIS SOLE SOURCE REQUIREMENT. THE ASSOCIATED NAICS CODE IS 334516.

THE SOLE SOURCE DETERMINATION IS BASED ON NOAA’S REQUIREMENT THAT MCLANE RESEARCH LABORATORIES IS THE MANUFACTURER AND ONLY DISTRIBUTOR OF THE IMAGING FLOW CYTOBOT (IFCB) IN THE UNITED STATES. THERE ARE NO AUTHORIZED PARTNERS OR RESELLERS. MCLANE LABS IFCB IS A SUBMERSIBLE, FLOW-THROUGH IMAGING SYSTEM FOR THE AUTOMATED, REAL-TIME COLLECTION OF HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGES OF PHYTOPLANKTON AND OTHER PARTICLES IN THE WATER COLUMN.

THE PRIMARY APPLICATION IS CONTINUOUS MONITORING OF COASTAL WATERS FOR HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS (HABS) AND DETAILED ASSESSMENT OF PLANKTON COMMUNITY STRUCTURE TO SUPPORT FEDERAL RESEARCH AND HAB FORECASTING AND MONITORING MANDATES. MCLANE LABS IFCB IS UNIQUE IN ITS ABILITY TO COLLECT NEAR REAL-TIME DATA FOR HAB. MCLANE LABS IS THE ONLY MANUFACTURER OF THIS PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.

WITHOUT THE PURCHASE OF THIS PIECE OF EQUIPMENT, NCCOS HAB FORECASTING WILL BE LIMITED TO INDIVIDUAL PLANKTON SAMPLING AND IDENTIFICATION WHICH WOULD OPERATE AT THREE ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE SLOWER THAN THE IFCB CAN OFFER AND NEGATES THE EFFORT OF NEAR REAL-TIME REPORTING.THE IFCB IS A ROBUST, FIELD-DEPLOYABLE IMAGING FLOWCYTOBOT SYSTEM CAPABLE OF AUTOMATED, CONTINUOUS OPERATION OVER EXTENDED PERIODS IN DIVERSE MARINE ENVIRONMENTS. DELIVERY WITHIN 12 MONTHS FROM DATE OF AWARD

THIS PRESOLICITATION NOTICE IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS AND NO SOLICITATION PACKAGE IS AVAILABLE. HOWEVER, FIRMS THAT BELIEVE THEY CAN FULLY MEET THE GOVERNMENT'S REQUIREMENTS MAY SUBMIT SUBSTANTIATING DOCUMENTATION OR A REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IN WRITING TO THE IDENTIFIED POINT OF CONTACT WITHIN 15 DAYS AFTER PUBLICATION OF THIS PRE-SOLICITATION NOTICE.

SUCH REQUESTS AND 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 RESPONSES TO THIS NOTICE, IS SOLELY WITHIN THE DISCRETION OF THE GOVERNMENT. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE IN RESPONSE TO THIS NOTICE.