D--SPECIAL NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD TO A SOLE SOURCE
Overview
Buyer
Place of Performance
NAICS
PSC
Set Aside
Original Source
Timeline
Qualification Details
Fit reasons
- NAICS alignment with historical contract wins in similar service areas.
- Scope strongly matches core technical capabilities and delivery model.
Risks
- Past performance thresholds may require one additional teaming partner.
- Potential clarification needed on staffing minimums before bid/no-bid.
Next steps
Validate eligibility requirements, assign capture owner, and schedule partner outreach to confirm teaming strategy before submission planning.
Quick Summary
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, intends to award a firm fixed-price contract to Vectronics Aerospace, Inc. for proprietary continuous satellite data transmission services for GPS-enabled wildlife collars currently deployed on the Porcupine Caribou Herd (PCH). This is a Special Notice of Intent to Award to a Sole Source, not a request for competitive proposals. Interested parties must respond by May 30, 2026, demonstrating clear evidence that competition would be advantageous to the Government.
Scope of Requirement
The requirement is for continuous satellite airtime and data hosting services for existing GPS wildlife collars. These services are critical for monitoring herd movements, calving success, and habitat use through real-time GPS locations, mortality alerts, and activity data. The contract will include a base year plus four (4) option years.
Sole Source Justification
This acquisition is being pursued as a sole source under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13.106-1(b) due to the proprietary nature of the services. Market research indicates that Vectronic Aerospace's collars utilize proprietary firmware and communication protocols, making them incompatible with other airtime platforms. Switching vendors would necessitate physically recapturing and recollaring caribou, which is deemed cost-prohibitive, logistically infeasible, and poses unacceptable risks to wildlife. Only Vectronic Aerospace Inc., as the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), can provide the required two-way Iridium/Globalstar airtime, remote configuration, and access to their exclusive Wildlife API and data management platform.
Contract Details
- Type: Firm Fixed-Price
- Duration: Base year + 4 option years
- Set-Aside: None (Sole Source Intent)
- Product Service Code: DH01 (Support Services Focused On Local Database Instances)
- Agency: Department of the Interior, US Fish and Wildlife Service
Response & Contact Information
This notice is not a solicitation. Any response from interested parties must clearly demonstrate the capability to meet the requirement and show that competition would be advantageous to the Government. Information received will be considered solely for determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. No reimbursement for providing capability information will be provided.
- Response Due: May 30, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time
- Point of Contact: Melissa Niemi (melissa_niemi@fws.gov)
- Reference: Notice of Intent number 41ea08f947e54f1d9d475cdd89248c77 in all correspondence.