COOPERATIVE RESEARCH BRANCH (CRB) STUDY FLEET PROGRAM –ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION (NOAA)
NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE (NMFS)
NORTHEAST FISHERIES SCIENCE CENTER (NEFSC)

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION FOR NORTHEAST COOPERATIVE RESEARCH BRANCH (CRB) 

STUDY FLEET PROGRAM –ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT

This is a Request for Information (RFI) only and does not constitute a commitment, implied or otherwise, that a procurement action will be issued or awarded. This RFI requests industry input for market research purposes in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Part 10 Procedures. This is not a solicitation, nor does it guarantee a solicitation will be issued. Requests for a solicitation will not receive a response. This is not a request for proposals and it does not obligate the government in any manner.

No entitlement to payment of direct or indirect costs or charges by the Government will arise as a result of the submission of information. All information considered proprietary shall be marked accordingly, and properly identified proprietary information will be safeguarded in accordance with federal regulations. The Government shall not be liable for or suffer any consequential damages for improperly identified proprietary information. The purpose of this announcement is solely to gather information from the marketplace, and any responses received will neither be considered an offer by the responding party nor returned to the responding party. No telephone inquiries will be accepted, and requests for solicitation packages will not be honored at this time since no solicitation has been prepared.

Synopsis: This RFI seeks industry input to assist the Northeast Cooperative Research Branch (CRB) Study Fleet Program in evaluating potential approaches for providing operational and administrative support services.

The Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) is responsible for the collection of detailed commercial fisheries data and is necessary to fulfill the statutory requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.). 

The Study Fleet Program compensates participating commercial fishing vessels that collect detailed information about commercial fisheries catch, discards, fishing effort, and environmental data in support of fisheries science and management in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. NOAA anticipates that any future support approach would be structured to include maintaining existing relationships with current Study Fleet participants, ensuring continuity of long-standing industry partnerships and time series of data.

Currently, the Study Fleet Program is administered through approximately 30–40 individual contracts managed directly by NOAA. NOAA is exploring whether consolidating payment processing,  onboarding of new participants, and related administrative functions under a single support arrangement could improve efficiency, reduce administrative burden, and enhance program continuity while preserving existing partnerships.

Place of Performance:

Commercial fishing vessels operating on the U.S. continental shelf from Maine through North Carolina, with associated administrative support performed remotely.

Anticipated Period of Performance:

September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2027, with up to four (4) option periods.

***Historic Performance Work Statement (PWS) – For Informational Purposes Only is Attached***

INFORMATION REQUESTED:

The Government requests that all interested vendors provide information regarding the capability, experience, and estimated cost associated with providing administrative support for a program of similar size and complexity to the Study Fleet Program.

Support functions may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Supporting onboarding of new vessel participants
• Administration and processing of payments to multiple commercial fishing industry participants
• Coordination with participating vessels and NOAA program staff
• Collection, validation, and transmittal of required program information or reports
• Recordkeeping, documentation, and compliance tracking related to program participation

Scientific direction, technical support, data analysis, regulatory decision-making, and overall program oversight would remain solely the responsibility of NOAA.

NOAA may use the responses to this RFI to conduct additional market research. Information obtained from this RFI and the subsequent communication with the vendors, if any, may assist NOAA in developing a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) or Request for Quote (RFQ).

In addition to addressing technical capabilities, responses must include the following:

1. Name and address of firm
2. Size of business (e.g., small, small disadvantaged business, woman-owned, etc.)
3. Point of contact - email address and phone number
4. Description of experience supporting fisheries, research, or multi-participant programs
5. Description of capabilities to provide administrative, coordination, and reporting support for programs involving multiple participants
6. Estimated cost or pricing approach for providing programmatic and administrative support services 
7. Identification of the types of positions or functional roles that would be required to successfully perform the support described

SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS: 

Telephone responses are NOT solicited and will not be accepted. No solicitation exists at this time.  This synopsis is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to award a contract, nor will the Government pay for the solicited information.

Please submit your response to the attention of the Contracting Officer, Amanda Rossiter (amanda.rossiter@noaa.gov) no later than February 16, 2026 at 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time. Each response shall be no more than 10 single-sided, single-spaced pages (excluding the cover page), and each page shall be separately numbered, and shall be in word or pdf format.

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