B--Intent to Sole-Source Orca Basin Brine Pools
Overview
Buyer
Place of Performance
NAICS
PSC
Set Aside
Original Source
Timeline
Qualification Details
Fit reasons
- NAICS alignment with historical contract wins in similar service areas.
- Scope strongly matches core technical capabilities and delivery model.
Risks
- Past performance thresholds may require one additional teaming partner.
- Potential clarification needed on staffing minimums before bid/no-bid.
Next steps
Validate eligibility requirements, assign capture owner, and schedule partner outreach to confirm teaming strategy before submission planning.
Quick Summary
The U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), on behalf of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), has issued a Special Notice announcing its intent to award a firm-fixed-price, sole-source contract to The University of Mississippi. This contract is for specialized geophysical, geological, and geochemical data acquisition in the Orca Basin on the Gulf of America Outer Continental Shelf. This action is justified under FAR 6.103-1, citing "Only One Responsible Source." Capability statements from other responsible sources are due by June 10, 2026, 12:00 PM EST.
Scope of Work
The contract requires a deep-water, AUV-led and ROV seafloor and subseafloor survey, along with seafloor and brine/water-column sampling. Key activities include:
- High-resolution AUV geophysical mapping (multibeam bathymetry, backscatter, sidescan mosaics, subbottom profiling) to characterize brine pool morphology.
- Design, mobilization, cruise planning, operational execution, in-situ QC, post-processing, and delivery of preliminary and final data products compliant with NOAA SOMP and HSSD specifications.
- Target identification for geological or geochemical sampling using AUV geophysical anomalies.
- Seafloor geological sampling and laboratory analysis (XRD, SEM/EDS, ICP-MS/OES, lithologic descriptions).
- Water-column and brine sampling and laboratory analysis for critical mineral indicators.
- Delivery of raw and processed data, integrated maps, interpretive summaries, sample catalogs, analytical results, and a final report on critical mineral potential.
Contract & Justification
- Type: Firm-Fixed-Price, Sole-Source
- NAICS Code: 541360 Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services
- Size Standard: $28.5 million
- Justification: The University of Mississippi is deemed the only responsible source due to their specialized capabilities, continuation of prior work under Cooperative Agreement M23AC00006, unique deepwater AUV/ROV operational capability, critical-mineral expertise, and prior field experience in the Orca Basin.
Submission Instructions
This is not a request for competitive proposals. However, responsible sources may submit a capability statement demonstrating their ability to meet the Government's requirements with clear, compelling, and verifiable documentation. Submissions must be sent via email to Christina_Mohamed@doi.ios.gov by June 10, 2026, 12:00 PM EST.
Additional Information
The Government reserves the right to decide whether to compete based on submitted capability statements. If no responses are received, the sole-source award will proceed as intended.