7E--Intent to Award Notice - USGS Custom Camera Units

The USGS Cooperative Research Units in Reston, VA, supporting the Ecosystems Mission Area, requires three (3) custom wildlife cameras. The primary use is to support the wildlife research program at the University of Maine Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit for studying amphibian migration dynamics and invertebrate biodiversity as an indicator of ecosystem health.

The USGS is aware of no other source that can provide the above. Therefore, it intends to make an award to vendor Wild Vision Systems unless it is contacted by any vendor who believes they have similar technical expertise and can provide the same product(s). Vendors are invited to contact the Contract Specialist, Miranda Blankenship, via email at Miranda_blankenship@ios.doi.gov no later than 1:00 PM EDT, Tuesday, August 25th, 2026, with an affirmative answer.

Sole Source Justification States the Following:

1. In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 12.102(a), I hereby determine that the required products for three (3) camera units are available from only one responsible source, and competition is precluded. No other vendors are known to provide goods that meet the Government¿s requirements without resulting in unacceptable duplication of cost or delay.

2. This acquisition is restricted to the following source:
Company: Wild Vision Systems
Address: 45 Brooklyn Rd, Frankfort, ME 04438
Phone: 401-374-2995

3. Description of Supplies or Services:
Three (3) camera units used to small ectothermic (cold ¿blooded¿) species that the Unit has been studying in Maine. To meet research objectives the equipment must meet minimum requirements:
1. Capture images of animals ranging in size from small beetles (~3 mm) to large amphibians (~10 cm) with resolution sufficient for species identification
2. Must have the ability for nearfield focus at distances as low as 25 cm
3. Camera ¿trigger¿ cannot be IR, as must work for ectotherms and be resilient to debris accumulation
4. Attach to drift-fence for funneling of subjects into field of view
5. Have an onboard processor with artificial intelligence identification capabilities
6. Link remotely to NEON data hub to automatically upload images to the internet and to receive user inputs
7. Allow for remote communication and automated warning system
8. Include automated self-cleaning debris-removal capabilities (clearing of field of view to prevent continuous triggering)
9. Operate continuously (for at least 60 days at a time) without need for maintenance.
10. Be able to withstand harsh weather conditions, including rain and below freezing temperatures.

5. Wild Vision Systems is the only reasonably available source that can meet the Government¿s requirement based on the following:
Due to the unique challenges with monitoring small ectothermic species, custom wildlife cameras manufactured by Wild Vision Systems are the only commercially available option that meets all minimum specifications for the type of data USGS needs to collect. The primary use of these cameras is to support the wildlife research program at the University of Maine Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit for studying amphibian migration dynamics and invertebrate biodiversity as an indicator of ecosystem health. Wild Vision Systems is the only vendor providing a commercially available camera capable of detecting small ectothermic organisms with small scale focus, triggering that is not dependent on thermal differences, resilience to debris accumulation with automated self-cleaning, with remote communication, and a minimum 60 days of continuous operation.

Traditional camera units utilize triggering that is dependent on IR/thermal differences, which will not meet the project objectives to study ectothermic (cold ¿blooded¿) organisms in Maine. The camera must be capable of nearfield focus at distances as low as 25 cm to effectively capture images of organisms of small size (ranging from 3 mm to 10 cm) with sufficient resolution for species identification. Because of the terrain and weather conditions where the organisms will be studied, the unit must include a self-cleaning component to ensure continuous monitoring and identification of animal movements through harsh weather conditions. The combination of a camera unit with capabilities for 1) small scale focus 2) triggering that is not dependent on thermal differences 3) a unit robust to debris accumulation is a unique approach that is only available through the technology developed by Wild Vision Systems.

6. Market research was conducted in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10 to identify potential sources capable of fulfilling this requirement.
Market research was conducted via online search, discussing options with colleagues and experts in the field, and speaking with sales consultants from alternative sources. This market research concluded that Wild Vision Systems offers the only camera units available on the commercial market that meets all required specifications for ectothermic organism identification, with remote communication and self-cleaning components. There are currently no authorized resellers of products produced by Wild Vision Systems.