Sole Source: Echoview Acoustic Data Processing Software Licenses

***The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Acquisition & Grants Office (AGO), Western Acquisition Division – Boulder (WAD), Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC), intends to negotiate, on a sole source basis, under authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), with Echoview Software Pty Ltd located in Hobart, TAS, Australia for Echoview software maintenance and technical support for five (5) perpetual licenses. ***The sole source determination is based on NOAA’s requirement that Echoview Software Pty Ltd is the sole provider that manufactures and distributes Echoview acoustic data processing software. Echoview is the world-wide industry standard for working with and processing acoustic data collected during fisheries acoustics surveys and is cited in NWFSC and NOAA Fisheries national acoustic protocols as the only software tested and accepted for data analysis in integrated acoustic trawl surveys. The NWFSC/FRAM Acoustics Team (FEAT) has used Echoview since 2002 and requires continued maintenance to maintain comparability with historical datasets and international collaborators for producing Pacific hake biomass estimates. Market research determined that alternative software packages lack the required computational power or fail to meet agency needs, and personnel have made significant investments in specialized training and custom scripts compatible only with Echoview. Period of Performance: 8/01/2026 – 7/31/2027 (with two consecutive option years through 06/30/2029) ***This notice of intent 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 in writing to the identified point of contact (Nick Brown, Nicholas.g.brown@noaa.gov) within 5 days after publication of this synopsis. Such 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.