R--Marine Mammal Hotline Service

Questions & Answers / Clarifications

This document provides responses to vendor questions regarding Solicitation 1305M325Q0082 for Marine Mammal Hotline Service. These responses may govern or alter solicitation requirements.

• Incumbent Contract: The previous contract for these services was 1305M323PNFFO0531, awarded to Beborgem Enterprises Incorporated. Services have been provided since 2023.
• Estimated Contract Value: The estimated contract value is less than $350,000, which is below the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT).
• Pricing Format: Bidders must quote a price per month for each contract period (base year, option years). The service is firm-fixed-price and billed monthly, regardless of call volume.
• Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs): PPQs are not required. However, vendors lacking relevant past performance history may receive a "Neutral" rating, which could be considered less favorably than higher-rated past performance.
• Period of Performance: The anticipated start date is April 1, 2026. The contractual period of performance will be bilaterally agreed upon signature of the purchase order.
• Award Date: The anticipated award date is before April 1, 2026.
• SCA Wage Determination: SCA Wage Determinations apply. Offerors must use the contractor's place of business (based on SAM registration) to find the applicable wage determination for their state and county. The rate referenced in FAR 52.222-42 is for information only and not a wage determination.

These clarifications provide specific details on contract value, pricing, past performance, and wage determinations, which bidders must consider when preparing their proposals. The responses do not appear to alter the submission deadline or core requirements but provide essential guidance.

Amendment / Modification

This amendment (0001) to the solicitation serves two primary purposes:

• It provides answers to inquiries that were received from potential bidders.

• It extends the due date for quotes by 24 hours, moving the deadline to March 11, 2026.

• The document references an attachment titled "1305M32600082 Questions and Answers" which contains the responses to inquiries.

• Clause 52.222-49 (Service Contract Labor Standards-Place of Performance Unknown) has been incorporated. This clause addresses the Service Contract Labor Standards statute and the process for obtaining wage determinations for potential places of performance, specifically mentioning Texas Counties of Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and Williamson. Offerors are advised that wage determinations may be requested for additional places of performance if asked in writing by March 9, 2026.

• The list of attachments has been revised. The updated list includes:

  • Attachment 1: PWS Marine Mammal Hotline Service.docx
  • Attachment 2: Past-Performance-Questionnaire
  • Attachment 3: Marine Mammal Hotline Services Answering Script
  • Attachment 4: 1305M32600082 Questions and Answers.docx

• The proposal submission deadline has been extended by 24 hours to March 11, 2026.

• The period of performance remains unchanged: 04/01/2026 to 03/31/2027.

• All other terms and conditions from the original solicitation remain the same.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is a Past Performance Questionnaire designed to gather feedback from individuals who have experience with an Offeror or Major Subcontractor on a previous relevant contract. The feedback is intended to assist NOAA in establishing the performance history for the Contractor.

• Section I: Solicitation Data - Contains information about the proposed effort, including Solicitation Number (1305M326Q0082), Project/Requirement (Marine Mammal Hotline Service), Customer/Agency (DOC/NOAA), and Project/Requirement Description (24/7 Marine Mammal Hotline Answering Services).
• Section II: Current or Historical Contract Information - To be filled out by the Offeror, detailing the contractor's information, contract number, type, value, period of performance, and project description. It also includes fields for the Assessor to verify the Offeror's provided data and add comments.
• Section III: Assessor Information - To be filled out by the Assessor, including their name, title, phone number/email, and their role and period of involvement in the contract.
• Section IV: Overall Performance Rating - The Assessor provides an overall performance rating (Exceptional, Very Good, Satisfactory, Marginal, Unsatisfactory, or N/A) based on various performance aspects, with space for additional comments.

Offerors are instructed to fill out Section II and provide it to the assessor. Offerors must also submit Sections I and II of all completed questionnaires with their proposal by the solicitation closing date. Assessors are requested to email completed questionnaires to madison.vogeler@noaa.gov & jenna.taulman@noaa.gov by the solicitation closing date. This questionnaire is critical for the government's evaluation of past performance.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This solicitation is for non-personal hotline answering services for the National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS) West Coast Region (WCR) Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline and the S.O.S Whale Hotline. The government intends to make an award no later than April 1, 2026.

• Provide all necessary equipment, labor, and materials for hotline answering services.

• Services include the Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline and the S.O.S Whale Hotline.

• Contract type: Firm-fixed-price.

• Period of Performance: Base year (04/01/2026 to 03/31/2027) plus four option years.

• Estimated value: Not explicitly stated, but pricing is requested per month and for 12 months for each period.

• Offers must be submitted by the date specified in the solicitation.

• Key submission requirements include solicitation number, offeror information, UEI, EFT indicator, technical approach, price quote, and past performance questionnaire.

• Evaluation factors, in order of importance, are: Technical Approach and Capability, Price, and Past Performance.

• Offerors must submit questions by Thursday, March 5, 2026, at 1:00 pm Eastern Time to madison.vogeler@noaa.gov and jenna.taulman@noaa.gov. Responses will be provided in an amendment.

• This acquisition is set aside for Small Business.

• NAICS Code: 561421

• Small Business Size Standard: $19.0 M

• The solicitation incorporates FAR clauses 52.212-1, 52.212-2, and 52.212-4 by reference.

• Attachments include: PWS Marine Mammal Hotline Service, Past-Performance-Questionnaire, and Marine Mammal Hotline Services Answering Script.

Statement of Work (SOW) / Performance Work Statement (PWS)

To operate a marine mammal hotline serving as a reliable and educational resource for the public to report stranded and/or entangled marine mammals in California, Oregon, and Washington.

• Provide 24-hour daily hotline services, including holidays.

• Offer unlimited fax, emailing, and phone call/text dispatching.

• Utilize a custom answering protocol provided by the program office, with monthly updates as needed.

• For the WCMMSN: Distinguish between Marine Mammal Protection Act violations and strandings, report violations to the NOAA Fisheries Enforcement Hotline, provide educational messaging, and collect caller information (name, phone, location, species).

• For the SOS-Whale Hotline: Relay entanglement details and contact information to NMFS stranding coordinators in real-time or via voicemail.

• Provide quarterly reports detailing call volume and types.

• Quarterly reports on call volume and types.

• Ensure callers provide necessary information (name, phone, location, species).

• Relay information to the appropriate coordinators.

• Base Period: Estimated April 1, 2026 - March 31, 2027, with four option periods extending to March 31, 2031.

• Place of Performance: Off-site at the contractor's place of business.

• Attend a virtual kick-off meeting within two weeks of award (no travel expenses paid).

• Contractor shall provide all necessary equipment and materials.

• Contractor may be required to sign a Non-disclosure Agreement (NDA) due to potential access to Privacy Information.

• Overtime is not anticipated or authorized without prior contract modification. Travel is not authorized.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is a script for operators of the NOAA Whale Hotline to use when receiving calls about entangled whales. It outlines the questions to ask callers to gather necessary information for reporting and response.

• Answer Phrase: Standard greeting for the hotline.
• Initial Screening Question: Determines if the call is about a whale in distress or entangled.
• Information Gathering Questions: Collects caller's name, contact number, whale type, boat name (if applicable), company, location of the whale, time of last sighting, whale's condition (alive/deceased), sighting distance, direction of travel, weather/sea state, and caller's ability to remain with the whale.
• Closing Instructions: Informs the caller that NOAA fisheries will be contacted and advises on safety precautions, including contacting the U.S. Coast Guard if a vessel safety emergency arises. It also requests documentation of the entanglement.

This document is an operational script. While not directly related to a solicitation's technical requirements or submission process, it provides insight into the data collection and initial response procedures for whale entanglement incidents, which may be relevant context for understanding the operational environment of related government services.