Opportunity: Notice of Intent to Sole Source

Proposed Vendor: North Carolina State University (NCSU) Synopsis: THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE QUOTES: This is a Notice of Intent to Award a Sole Source purchase order under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13.106- 1(b). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Headquarters Acquisition Division (HQAD) Washington, D.C. intends to award a Sole Source purchase order to NCSU for mathematical modeling, optimization, and high-performance computer support as they are the only source capable of performing such services for the EPA at this time. Nuisance and harmful algae blooms (HABs), and coastal hypoxia caused by excessive nutrient from the landscape have been an on-going concern. These concerns are further enhanced by effects of climate change. EPA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD) is in the process of developing mathematical models for the Great Lakes, the Gulf of Mexico and other coastal systems to address these issues. The work is part of ORD’s Nutrient and Harmful Algal Bloom topic under Safe and Sustainable Water Research. As part of this research, we will develop a general Great Lakes model that link the ecological model with a hydrodynamic model (that has been developed and maintained in the Great Lakes by North America Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA). A model is currently in development for Lake Michigan, and we plan to apply this coupled model to the other Great lakes to address nutrient and eutrophication concerns in the nearshore areas. In addition, we will be using this model and other coastal model to address hypoxia and eutrophication issues in the Gulf of Mexico region including Weeks Bay and Pensacola Bay. This contact will provide EPA’s ORD personnel with the necessary programming/mathematics skills to assist ORD modelers with the development and application of these models to address, HABs climate change impacts and coastal hypoxia. Notwithstanding, any firm who believes it is capable of meeting EPA’s requirement as stated herein may submit a capability statement, by April 18, 2022, at 12pm Eastern Standard Time (EST). Responses to this posting must be in writing and provide clear and convincing evidence that competition would be advantageous to the government. Please send your response to: FedConnect at https://www.fedconnect.net referencing 68HERH22Q0043 and via email burton.frank@epa.gov. A determination not to compete the proposed purchase order based upon the responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the government.