***NOAA'S ACQUISITION & GRANTS OFFICE, WESTERN ACQUISITION DIVISION-BOULDER, NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE (NMFS), SOUTHWEST FISHERIES SCIENCE CENTER (SWFSC) INTENDS TO NEGOTIATE, ON A SOLE SOURCE BASIS, UNDER AUTHORITY OF FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), WITH BIOMARK, LLC OUT OF BOISE, ID FOR BIOMARK PASSIVE INTEGRATED TRANSPONDER (PIT) TAGS AND HPR LITE READERS.

***THE SOLE SOURCE DETERMINATION IS BASED ON THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION'S (NOAA) REQUIREMENT THAT BIOMARK IS THE SOLE PROVIDER AND MANUFACTURER OF THE 10MM STERILE SYRINGE PIT TAG AND HPR LITE READER FOR INTERNAL MARKING OF SEA TURTLES IDENTIFICATION. SWFSC MANAGES SEA TURTLE RESEARCH PROJECTS AROUND THE WORLD AND THESE TAGS ALLOW NOAA TO INDIVIDUALLY MARK TURTLES FOR RESEARCH PURPOSES. THESE ARE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF TAG THAN THE EXTERNALLY APPLIED FLIPPER TAGS, AND INSTEAD ARE INSERTED SUBCUTANEOUSLY FOR LIFETIME RETENTION ON INDIVIDUAL TURTLES. FURTHERMORE, THIS SUPPLIER IS THE ONLY MANUFACTURER OF THE 10MM SIZE TAG STIPULATED BY NOAA’s PERMIT. ADDITIONALLY, THE HPR LITE UNIVERSAL SCANNERS ARE ONLY MANUFACTURED BY BIOMARK. THESE SCANNERS ARE UNIVERSAL SCANNERS SO THEY CAN READ PIT TAGS USED ACROSS ALL PROJECTS AND COLLABORATORS. THE BIOMARK HPR LITE PIT TAG READER READS INDIVIDUALLY CODED ID TAGS USED TO MARK INDIVIDUAL SEA TURTLES. THIS IS THE TYPE OF READER/SCANNERS USED TO READ THE PIT IDENTIFICATION TAGS.

THE UNIVERSAL PIT TAG READERS ARE MANUFACTURED ONLY BY BIOMARK AND CAN READ THEIR OWN PIT TAGS AND ALSO PIT TAGS FROM OTHER MANUFACTURERS. THIS UNIVERSAL READING ABILITY IS ESSENTIAL FOR OUR PROJECTS WHICH HAVE COLLABORATORS IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS AND WITH DIFFERENT AFFILIATIONS THAT USE A VARIETY OF PIT TAGS.

THE 10MM PIT TAGS ARE A SMALLER SIZE SPECIFICALLY REQUIRED BY PERMIT GUIDELINES FOR THE TAGGING OF SMALLER SIZED ANIMALS. BIOMARK IS THE ONLY MANUFACTURER OF PIT TAGS IN THIS 10MM SIZE.

MARKET RESEARCH WAS CONDUCTED BY THE MARINE MAMMAL AND TURTLE DIVISION AT THE SWFSC TO IDENTIFY OTHER SOURCES AND EVALUATE THE AVAILABILITY OF THE MARKET PLACE. NO OTHER SUITABLE VENDORS WERE FOUND. AVID, A DIFFERENT PIT TAG MANUFACTURER, WAS CONSULTED BUT THEY DO NOT MANUFACTURE THAT SMALL OF A SIZE TAG.

BIOMARK IS THE SOLE MANUFACTURER AND PROVIDER OF THESE PIT TAGS AND HPR LITE READERS AND THEY DO NOT HAVE ANY AUTHORIZED RESELLERS/PARTNERS WHO CAN PROVIDE THEM.

***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.