The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Environmental Technology Laboratory (ETL), (hereinafter referred to as the Government) is seeking potential vendors to provide a compact, lightweight, high-performance laser source that will serve as the core of a new airborne lidar system under development at ETL. ETL is seeking a robust laser system with an expected delivery time of less than 5 months after receipt of order. The completed lidar system will be utilized occasionally on NOAA DeHaviland Twin Otter aircraft and possibly other similar aircraft. The Government’s requirements are included as Attachment 1. The purpose of this request for information is to determine (i) if there are sources capable of satisfying the Government’s requirements; (ii) to determine availability of commercial items or, to the extent commercial items suitable to meet the Government’s needs are not available, if non-development items are available that (A) Meet the Government’s requirements; (B) Could be modified to meet the Government’s requirements; or (C) Could meet the Government’s requirements if those requirements were modified to a reasonable extent and (iii) to understand the lidar industry manufacturer’s after sale support and warranties. No proposals are being requested or accepted under this synopsis. Feedback addressing the clarity, feasibility, scope and potential alternative means of meeting the Government’s requirement is sought. The anticipated North American Industry Classification System Code (NAICS) for this requirement is 334510 and the small business size standard is 500 employees. NOAA will consider all comments, supportive or critical, but may or may not use these individual comments. In addition to comments, those interested are requested to review the Government specifications stated in Attachment 1 and state how their company’s product fails to meet, meets or exceeds these requirements and provide a budgetary estimate for the System as specified. Interested sources are also encouraged to submit product literature in response to this Request for Information (RFI). Any submission of such product literature or “catalog cut sheets” will be treated separate from, and will have no bearing on, any subsequent evaluation of proposals submitted in response to any resulting future formal Request for Proposals. NOAA will not pay for information or comments provided and will not recognize any costs associated with submission of comments. NOAA as noted above is assessing the existence of sources and is requesting written comments from industry on the attached requirements. Written comments or e-mails shall be received no later than 2:00 P.M. Mountain Time, December 3, 2004. Sources interested in providing comments shall respond in writing to Dr. Raul Alvarez II, NOAA Environmental Technology Laboratory, R/E/ET2, 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80305. Submittals may also be sent by e-mail to [email protected]. Telephone responses are not acceptable. This notice is not a Request for Proposals, Invitation for Bids or Request for Quotes. It is a RFI and is part of the Government’s market research process.

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