***NOAA'S ACQUISITION & GRANTS OFFICE, WESTERN ACQUISITION DIVISION-BOULDER, EARTH SYSTEM RESEARCH LABORATORY (ESRL), GLOBAL MONITORING DIVISION (GMD) OFFICE, INTENDS TO NEGOTIATE, ON A SOLE SOURCE BASIS, UNDER AUTHORITY OF FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), WITH KALSCOTT ENGINEERING INC UNDER A BLANKET PURCHASE AGREEMENT FOR AIR SAMPLING FLIGHTS FOR ATMOSPHERIC TRACE GAS OVER OKLAHOMA.

***The sole source determination is based on the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) requirement that Kalscott has been successfully carrying out these Global Monitoring Laboratories (GML) research flights since 2017, and previously had provided successful research flights for scientific campaigns in Colorado and Utah. KalScott has the required aircraft and pilot qualifications and certifications, and has the required technical and flight expertise to carry out these GML research flights. KalScott has the proven capability to provide the deliverables, and to maintain the measurement time series from this small aircraft site. KalScott has modified its aircraft as necessary (and obtained any required Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, approvals) to install and operate the GML instrumentation and equipment as required for these research flights. To meet NOAA’s scientific program requirements GML must maintain this measurement time series. The continued partnership with KalScott Engineering will ensure this requirement is met.

It is very difficult to find aircraft operators capable of ensuring this. Once an operator is located and established a successful sampling partnership, it is needlessly expensive, difficult, and time consuming to continue to vet other possible vendors, and too much money and time spent on this puts in jeopardy the quality and consistency of the measurements (there are many aircraft sites in the U.S., and many other sites in the U.S. and worldwide in our network; and limited funds and staff to manage the network). To ensure the quality of the measurement record of all of our network sites, it is critical to have the consistent collaboration of qualified partners. THIS WILL BE A BLANKET PURCHASE AGREEMENT FOR FIVE YEARS FROM DATE OF AWARD.

***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 WITHIN 15 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.