PROFILING FLOATS

The Government intends to acquire commercially available product using FAR Part 12 and Part 15, Contracting by Negotiation. Basic instruments: (1) Provide profiling floats that are deployment-ready (calibrated, assembled, ballasted, weighed and tested), are equipped with CTDs as specified below, and posses Service Argos telemetry/position fix capability. Optional Items: (1): Provide profiling floats that are deployment-ready (calibrated, assembled, ballasted, weighed and tested), are equipped with CTDs as specified below, but capable of a minimum gross fractional volume change of 1.15% sufficient to allow cycling between the surface and 2000-dbar pressure over the entire global (ice-free) ocean. (2): Provide profiling floats that are deployment-ready (calibrated, assembled, ballasted, weighed and tested), with CTDs as specified below except capable of sampling temperature, salinity, and pressure continuously throughout their ascent, then reducing those data by bin averaging. These floats shall determine position by GPS before transmitting those data to shore via Iridium. Basic Instrument Specifications/Requirements: (1) Floats must be capable of a minimum gross fractional volume change of 1% to allow cycling between the surface and 2000-dbar pressure over nearly all of the global (ice-free) ocean. (2) Floats must be able to park for predetermined 5-15 day periods at a different predetermined subsurface pressure than their profiling pressure ("park and profile" capability). (3) Float CTDs must be capable of sampling temperature, salinity, and pressure at a minimum of 70 predetermined pressures during their ascent, and upon ascent, floats must transmit those data to shore and determining float position via Service Argos (or Iridium/GPS). (4) Floats must have sufficient energy in their standard configuration to perform the above functions for a period of 4 years with a duty cycle of 10 days. (5) Floats must have demonstrated performance, with examples of deployed instruments successfully performing the above functions for 4 years with a 10-day duty cycle. (6) Floats must be light enough (<35 kg) to ensure that deployments from a variety of platforms including volunteer observing ships (VOS) are feasible. (7) Floats must be delivered to Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) (the contractor shall pay for the delivery) in boxes sufficiently sturdy to protect the floats prior to deployment, while in transit, and onboard ship or aircraft. Defective floats (at no fault of the Government) will be returned to the contractor at the contractor's expense. (8) Float boxes must be built to accommodate stacked loading and moveable with a forklift or pallet jack, and be suitable for export to most countries (e.g. all wood components of appropriately treated plywood). (9) Float CTDs must have average initial measurement accuracies of +/-0.002 C in temperature, +/-0.005 PSS-78 in salinity, and +/-3 dbar in pressure. (10) Float CTDs must have demonstrated reliability and stability of +/-0.01 C in temperature, +/-0.02 PSS-78 in salinity, and +/-6 dbar in pressure over multi-year missions. (11) Float CTDs must use a system that ensures temperature and conductivity measurements are made within the same controlled volume of water. (12) Floats (and accompanying instrumentation, including CTDs) must pass PMEL tests for performance to the satisfaction of PMEL personnel, or be replaced/repaired by the contractor at the contractor's expense (including shipping costs in both directions) and arrive at PMEL within 2 months of notification to the contractor by PMEL of a problem and availability of float for shipping from PMEL. (13) Contractor shall provide PMEL with any unusual tools required for float modification or repair, as well as initial training (PMEL personnel may travel to a Contactor's facility at PMEL expense for this purpose) and provide subsequent advice for PMEL personnel in float testing and repair as requested by PMEL. Desirable But Not Essential Instrument Features: (1) Floats capable of a minimum gross fractional volume change of 1.15%, sufficient to allow profiling between the surface and 2000 dbar, over the entire global (ice-free) ocean. (2) Floats with CTDs capable of sampling temperature, salinity, and pressure continuously throughout their ascent, then reducing those data by bin averaging. These floats shall determine position by GPS before transmitting those data to shore via Iridium. (3) Floats with sufficient energy in their standard configuration to perform the above functions for more than 4 years with a duty cycle of 10 days. (4) Floats capable of self-activation upon deployment. (5) Floats certifiable for air shipments (domestic and international). The resulting contract will be a firm fixed-price, Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract with one base year period and options for three additional one-year periods. The minimum order amount for the basic instrument will be 25 floats per year and the maximum order 100 floats per year. The period of performance will begin on date of contract award. A Request for Proposal (RFP) solicitation will be available on or about February 13, 2009, through this website. No paper copies of the solicitation will be issued. No telephone, facsimile, or written requests will be accepted. It is incumbent upon interested parties to register at the solicitation's site for notification and to review the site frequently for any updates/amendments to any and all documents. Technical questions regarding this solicitation should be addressed to Sharon.S.Kent@noaa.gov. This requirement is advertised as full and open competition. All responsible, responsive sources may submit an offer which will be considered by the Agency.