A -- Ballast Exchange Verification Parameters Expansion

The United States Coast Guard Research & Development Center (R&D Center) intends to negotiate and award a sole-source, fixed price contract to the Smithsonian Institution (SI), Washington, DC to provide services and support for expanding the multi-parameter database designed for ballast water exchange (BWE) verification. The database was developed by the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC), a branch of SI, for the R&D Center and resides at SERC. Under the proposed contract, SERC will conduct training in ballast water constituent sampling and handling according to an established protocol to researchers from partner countries. The protocol was developed for BWE verification by SERC. SERC will assist those partners with laboratory selection, arrangements, and analysis as well as provide information and advice in setting up BWE sampling experiments. Other efforts include convening and participating in a workshop to discuss available dissolved organic matter (DOM) data and its inclusion into a BWE verification database located at SERC. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 541770. Interested parties may identify their interest and capabilities in response to this requirement to the above address. The determination by the Government not to compete the proposed contract based upon response to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct future competitive procurement(s). To be eligible for award, contractors must be registered with the Central Contractor Registration (CCR): www.ccr.dlsc.dla.mil. This notice is for informational purposes for Minority, Women-Owned and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (BDEs): The Department of Transportation (DOT) Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU), has a program to assist minority, women-owned and disadvantaged business enterprises to acquire short term working capital assistance for transportation related contracts. Loans are available under the DOT Short Term Lending Program (STLP) at prime interest rate to provide accounts receivable financing. The maximum line of credit is $500,00.00. For further information and applicable forms concerning STLP, call the OSDBU at (800) 532-1169. For information concerning the acquisition, contact the contracting official listed above. See notes 22 and 26.