Notice of Intent to negotiate sole source contract to Wendy Hiestand

Description: The posting states that the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC), and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) intend to negotiate on a sole-source basis with Wendy Hiestand, F/V Orca, under FAR 12.102(a). The requirement is for non-personal services providing labor, equipment, and materials for longline fishing surveys to capture, harvest, and tag sharks off the Florida Keys and in the northeast Gulf of America, including deployment and monitoring of an acoustic array. The notice calls for 24 days at sea between September 30, 2026 and September 29, 2028 and is not a request for competitive proposals, although firms may submit written substantiating documentation within 15 days of publication for a competition determination.