The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is soliciting offers to design and build new survey vessels that the agency plans to use on data collection efforts in coastal, continental shelf and deep ocean settings.
NOAA plans to procure up to four Class B ships of the same design to add to its fleet of research and survey ships and aircraft managed and operated by the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations, according to a request for proposals posted Thursday on SAM.gov.
The firm-fixed-price, single-award contract will provide for two ocean survey vessels and include options for another two.
The ships must be capable of accommodating 48 people and ferrying, deploying and retrieving equipment for conducting nautical charting and seafloor surveys. The design must also feature EPA Tier IV diesel engines, emissions controls and other technologies that align with the net-zero emission target of the agency for its fleet by 2050.
Responses to the RFP are due Aug. 16 and NOAA anticipates a contract award by 2023.
