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USACE Chicago District notice of intent for sole-source VEMCO acoustic telemetry equipment

USACE’s Chicago District intends to acquire proprietary VEMCO acoustic telemetry equipment for its existing aquatic monitoring network. - Opportunity: Notice of Intent W912P627QA001 for a firm-fixed-price purchase order; this is not a solicitation or award. - Agency and vendor: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Chicago District; intended sole-source purchase from Innovasea Systems Inc. - Equipment: - VEMCO NexTrak R1 Transponding Acoustic Receiver with battery. - VEMCO VR2Tx-69kHz Coded Acoustic Receiver with Transponder. - VEMCO VR100 Surface Transponder and Manual Tracking Acoustic Receiver. - Compatibility requirement: Equipment must interoperate with the existing VEMCO telemetry network in the Chicago Area Waterways and Illinois Waterway, used for invasive carp monitoring. - Sole-source rationale: USACE states the existing network and deployed transmitters use VEMCO technology, which Innovasea owns and patents; equipment from another source could jeopardize network operation and mission continuity. - Response: Interested firms may submit a capabilities statement for Government consideration. Response deadline and anticipated award date are not provided in the available information. - Changes and attachments: The latest notice adds the descriptive title identifying the notice number; no substantive procurement details changed. No attachments were provided.

Description

This Notice is a continuation of Notice ID W912P627QA001.Description of Requirement: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District, intends to establish a firm-fixed-price purchase order on a sole-source basis to Innovasea Systems Inc. (UEI: L4M7A3Q5N9K1, NCAGE: L0683) of Bedford, Nova Scotia, Canada. The requirement is for the procurement of proprietary VEMCO-brand acoustic telemetry equipment. The specific items required include but are not limited to: NexTrak R1 Transponding Acoustic Receiver with battery; VR2Tx-69kHz Coded Acoustic Receiver with Transponder; and VR100 Surface Transponder and Manual Tracking Acoustic Receiver. This equipment is essential for the continuation of a 14-year-long Invasive Carp Monitoring and Response Plan and must be fully compatible and interoperable with the existing VEMCO telemetry network deployed in the Chicago Area Waterways (CAWS) and Illinois Waterway (IWW).

Authority: This acquisition is being conducted under the authority of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 13.101(b) , which allows for soliciting from a single source if the contracting officer determines that only one source is reasonably available to satisfy agency requirements.

Justification: This equipment is essential for the continuation of the 14-year-long Invasive Carp Monitoring and Response Plan. The existing telemetry network, valued at over 500,000 USD, is comprised exclusively of VEMCO-brand equipment, which is proprietary to Innovasea Systems Inc. The several thousand ultrasonic transmitters already deployed in the river by USACE and its key agency partners (including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Southern Illinois University, and the U.S. Geological Survey) can only be detected and decoded by VEMCO receivers. Innovasea owns the patent to this technology. Procuring equipment from any other source would render the entire existing network inoperable and jeopardize the multi-million-dollar federal program. Therefore, Innovasea is the only source capable of providing the supplies that will meet the Governments requirements for interoperability and mission continuity.

Submission Instructions: This notice does not constitute a solicitation for offers, proposals, etc. However, interested firms may send a capabilities statement NO LATER THAN 4:30p.m. (CDT) on November 6, 2026. Statements should be sent to of Kyle Smith at kyle.d.smith@usace.army.mil. The email subject line must reference PANGLR-26-P-0000 033648. Award is anticipated on or about November 24, 2026. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government.

Points of Contact: Contract Specialist Kyle Smith, kyle.d.smith@usace.army.mil; Contracting Officer Samantha L. Stiles, Samantha.L.Stiles@usace.army.mil. All responses received by the deadline will be reviewed by the Government. No telephone inquiries will be accepted.

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