RENEWAL OF FUGRO MARINESTAR DGNSS SATELLITE POSITIONING DATA SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE

***NOAA'S ACQUISITION & GRANTS OFFICE, EASTERN ACQUISITION DIVISION-NORFOLK, OFFICE OF MARINE AND AVIATION OPERATIONS (OMAO), MARINE OPERATIONS CENTER (MOS) UNCREWED SYSTEMS OPERATION CENTER INTENDS TO NEGOTIATE, ON A SOLE SOURCE BASIS, UNDER AUTHORITY OF FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), WITH FUGRO USA MARINE INC. OUT OF HOUSTON, TX TO RENEW FUGRO MARINESTAR DGNSS SATELLITE POSITIONING DATA SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE FOR SEPTENTRIO RECEIVERS.

***THE SOLE SOURCE DETERMINATION IS BASED ON THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION'S (NOAA) REQUIREMENT THAT FUGRO USA MARINE INC. IS THE SOLE PROVIDER OF THE MARINESTAR DGNSS SATELLITE POSITIONING DATA SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE FOR SEPTENTRIO RECEIVERS.

UMSD CURRENTLY OPERATES TWO DRIX UNCREWED SYSTEMS WITH INSTALLED SEPTENTRIO RECEIVERS; SEPTENTRIO RECEIVER SN 023-3269337 ON THE USV DRIX-23 AND ON THE SEPTENTRIO RECEIVER SN 023-3079050 ON THE USV DRIX-12.  THE DATA PROVIDED VIA THE RECEIVERS REQUIRES PRECISE POINT POSITIONING VIA A DIFFERENTIAL GLOBAL NAVIGATION SATELLITE SYSTEM (DGNSS) TO BE ACCURATELY CHARTABLE.

FUGRO IS THE SOLE VENDOR OF THE DIFFERENTIAL GLOBAL NAVIGATION SATELLITE SYSTEM CORRECTION SERVICE (MARINESTAR) WITH COMPLETE NATIONAL COVERAGE IN THE UNITED STATES AND THE BIGGEST ADVANTAGE FOR USING MARINESTAR IS THAT THE PURCHASED LICENSE KEY ENABLES THE BUILT-IN DECODING OF THE GNSS POSITIONING INFORMATION IN THE GNSS DATA FEED FROM THE SATELLITE WITHOUT ANY ADDITIONAL RECEIVERS OR DECODERS OR EQUIPMENT. THE OTHER SOLUTIONS THAT YOU IDENTIFIED WILL INCUR THE COST OF THE EQUIPMENT PURCHASE, EQUIPMENT INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION TO WORK IN OUR ENVIRONMENT, AND LICENSING TO ENABLE THE DECODING OF THE GNSS POSITIONING INFORMATION IN THE DATA FEED. WITH THE LIMITED REAL ESTATE ON THE DRIX, THIS MAY PROVE IMPOSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY IF ADDITIONAL GNSS ANTENNAS/RECEIVERS ARE NEEDED.

OTHER VENDORS WOULD REQUIRE MULTIPLE, AREA SPECIFIC SUBSCRIPTIONS TO GAIN COMPARABLE COVERAGE AT UNREASONABLE COST TO THE GOVERNMENT AND WOULD REQUIRE MULTIPLE SUBSCRIPTIONS DEPENDING ON THE AREA OF OPERATIONS, WHICH ARE NOT ALWAYS KNOWN IN A TIMELY MANNER AND CAN CHANGE DEPENDING ON WEATHER EVENTS, AND OPERATIONAL NEEDS.  OTHER VENDORS WOULD REQUIRE THE PURCHASE OF ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT TO UTILIZE THEIR SOFTWARE AT ADDITIONAL EXPENSE TO THE GOVERNMENT.  OTHER POTENTIAL VENDORS ARE UNABLE TO PROVIDE THE ACCURACY AND COVERAGE NEEDED IN THE OFFSHORE ENVIRONMENT TO HIGH QUALITY DATA FOR NAVIGATIONAL CHARTS.  THIS SOFTWARE CORRECTION SERVICE IS A REQUIREMENT FOR THE ACCURATE CREATION OF NOAA NAVIGATIONAL CHARTS.

MARKET RESEARCH WAS CONDUCTED FOR A DGNSS PROVIDER WITH NATIONAL COVERAGE. FUGRO IS THE ONLY PROVIDER WITH NATIONAL COVERAGE AND HAS NO AUTHORIZED PARTNERS/ RESELLERS. 

WIDE AREA AUGMENTATION SYSTEM (WAAS) PROVIDES A DGNSS, BUT IT IS PRIMARILY USED FOR AIRCRAFT (NEAR AIRPORTS) AND DOES NOT PROVIDE THE COVERAGE OR ACCURACY NEEDED FOR NAVIGATIONAL CHARTING.

ATLAS GNSS PROVIDES GLOBAL CORRECTION SERVICES, BUT WITH HORIZONTAL ACCURACY ONLY, NOT INCLUDING THE VERTICAL ACCURACY REQUIRED FOR ACCURATE CHARTING.

***THIS NOTICE OF INTENT 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 IN WRITING TO THE IDENTIFIED POINT OF CONTACT WITHIN 15 DAYS AFTER PUBLICATION OF THIS SYNOPSIS. SUCH 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.