Notice of Intent- Professional Conservation Services for USS Monitor

NOTICE OF INTENT TO NEGOTIATE A SOLE SOURCE CONTRACTThis is a notice of intent to negotiate a sole source contract pursuant to the authority of 41 U.S.C.1901 as implemented by Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 13.501. The Government intends to negotiate a five year time-and-materials contract with The Mariners’ Museum (TMM) for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), for professional conservation services to conduct ongoing conservation and preservation of artifacts from the USS Monitor Civil War Ironclad. The Monitor artifact conservation requires initial stability treatments for smaller artifacts and ongoing treatment for larger artifacts to establish monitoring, storage, and preservation care regimens. TMM possess the largest body of institutional knowledge related to the Monitor artifact collection and maintains a formal artifact collections database. The artifacts within the USS Monitor

National Marine Sanctuary Artifact Collection are extremely fragile and vulnerable to irreparable damage and destabilization if the artifacts were to be moved from their current location at TMM. TMM also contains the Batten Conservation Laboratory Complex, which was specifically built to conserve the Monitor Collection, and a 40/5 ton overhead crane, which handles and maneuvers large artifacts, including a 20-ton steam engine and Dahlgren guns and carriages. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this requirement is 541690, Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services, and the business size standard for this NAICS code is $15 Million.Responses to this notice must be provided within fourteen (14) calendar days from the date of this notice. Vendors who believe they can meet this requirement are required to submit in writing an affirmative response demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of the requirement.  All written responses must include a written narrative statement of capability, including detailed technical information demonstrating their ability to meet the requirement.  The response must be sufficient to permit agency analysis to establish a bona fide capability to meet the requirement.  Failure to submit such documentation will result in the Government proceeding as previously stated.  A determination by the Government not to open the requirement to competition based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Affirmative written responses must be received no later than 4:00 P.M. Eastern Standard time, on December 20, 2019.  The responses may be submitted via e-mail to Kasey Whitfield, Contract Specialist, at Kasey.Whitfield@noaa.gov.