145025-26-0034JRW POINT OF CONTACT: JAMIE ROSALES U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE/NOAA WESTERN ACQUISITION DIVISION 325 BROADWAY, SOU6 BOULDER, CO 80305 PHONE: 303-578-6951 EMAIL: JAMIE.ROSALES@NOAA.GOV ***THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION'S (NOAA) ACQUISITION & GRANTS OFFICE, WESTERN ACQUISITION DIVISION-BOULDER, OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH (OAR), GREAT LAKES ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LABORATORY (GLERL), INTENDS TO NEGOTIATE AND AWARD A PURCHASE ORDER, ON A SOLE SOURCE BASIS, UNDER AUTHORITY OF RFO 12.102(a), WITH AUBURN UNIVERSITY FOR SERVICE, NON-PERSONAL FOR PHOTOPIGMENT ANALYSIS TO BE PERFORMED AT HUNTSVILLE, AL. NO SET ASIDE IS TO BE USED FOR THIS SOLE SOURCE REQUIREMENT. THE ASSOCIATED NAICS CODE IS 541990. ***THE SOLE SOURCE DETERMINATION IS BASED ON NOAA'S REQUIREMENT THAT AUBURN UNIVERSITY IS THE ONLY VENDOR THAT PROVIDES SERVICES FOR PHOTOPIGMENT ANALYSIS. AUBURN UNIVERSITY IS THE ONLY LABORATORY SOURCE THAT HAS THE EQUIPMENT, RESOURCES, AND ABILITIES TO PERFORM THIS WORK AS OUTLINED ABOVE. PHOTOPIGMENT ANALYSIS IS VERY SPECIALIZED AND ONLY A HANDFUL OF LABS ACTIVELY DETERMINE CONCENTRATIONS. THE AUBURN UNIVERSITY RESEARCH TEAM EXAMINES PHOTOPIGMENTS, ESPECIALLY CYANOBACTERIA PHOTOPIGMENTS, IN LAKE SYSTEMS AROUND THE WORLD. RESEARCH FOCAL AREAS INCLUDE PALEOLIMNOLOGY AND POPULATION DYNAMICS. IT IS CRITICAL TO KEEP THE ANALYSIS AND EXPERIMENTS CONSISTENT AND THIS CAN ONLY BE DONE USING THE SAME PROCESS BY AUBURN UNIVERSITY, AS THEY ARE SPECIALIZED FOR FRESHWATER PIGMENT ANALYSIS. VENDOR HAS CONFIRMED THEY ARE THE SOLE SOURCE. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: SEPTEMBER 28, 2026 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 27, 2027. ***THIS PRESOLICITATION NOTICE 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 OR A REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IN WRITING TO THE IDENTIFIED POINT OF CONTACT WITHIN 15 DAYS AFTER PUBLICATION OF THIS PRE-SOLICITATION NOTICE. SUCH REQUESTS AND 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.