Contract to Develop an Analysis of the Potential Link Between Coastal Habitat Restoration and Fisheries

OVERVIEW

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) seeks a qualified Contractor to assist in analyzing the relationship between fisheries and nature-based solutions (NbS), implemented as part of the National Coastal Resilience Fund (NCRF). The NCRF invests in NbS that mitigate coastal hazards such as storms, flooding, erosion, and changing sea and lake levels. Funded projects include restoring marshes, forests, reefs, dunes, and floodplains; improving fish passage; and installing living shorelines, to protect communities and benefit fish and wildlife habitat. Since 2018, the NCRF has invested $669 million in 559 projects, leveraging $516 million to deliver $1.2 billion in conservation impact. This work is complementary to NFWF’s Electronic Monitoring and Reporting Grant Program (EMR), a part of NFWF’s wider Fisheries Innovation Fund, that has supported more than a decade of investment into modernized fisheries data collection, primarily fisheries dependent data, using electronic technologies.

Through other efforts, NFWF is working to better understand the impact of NbS implementation on fishery benefits at the NCRF project level. The effort advertised here focuses on using fisheries-dependent data, or other relevant fisheries observation data streams, to better understand the connection between fisheries and NbS/coastal habitats, and through that understanding, use fisheries data to inform NbS siting efforts and increase the positive impact of future NCRF investments on fisheries. 

You can obtain additional information on NCRF here: https://www.nfwf.org/programs/national-coastal-resilience-fund and EMR here: https://www.nfwf.org/programs/fisheries-innovation-fund.  
 

BACKGROUND

The scope of work under this contract is an analysis informing future placement of coastal and marine NbS, through integration of electronically collected fisheries data, and other available data, to help ensure positive ecological and community impact from NbS investments. NFWF intends to use the data collected to guide investments in NbS for coastal resilience and to better understand how to capture fisheries benefits in NFWF coastal resilience projects and programs.  

Electronically collected fisheries data can provide high-resolution spatial and temporal data on fishery effort, catch, and bycatch, which can be used to infer information on fish habitat use and connectivity. By integrating this information with other data sources, we can inform the placement of NbS, when balancing impact with other important metrics, including coastal threat reduction. These analyses and report would help NFWF address knowledge gaps of nature-based solutions and fisheries benefits. 
 

SCOPE OF WORK

The contractor shall propose a rigorous, mixed-methods approach appropriate to the scale, diversity, and complexity of the effort to assess the value of fisheries electronically collected data to understand the impact of NbS implementation and informing future NbS siting. The Scope of Work includes, but is not limited to, the following tasks, and should be accomplished within 12 months of contract origination.
 

Task 1 - Project Initiation and Workplan Refinement

Develop a detailed work plan and assessment framework defining data sources, analytic methods, and metrics of success. Establish a shared understanding of scope, data availability, and reporting expectations.
Timeline – 2 weeks
 

Task 2 - Familiarization of NCRF and EMR Portfolios

Review and synthesize existing program and project data including awarded projects and project geospatial data to document program impact and footprint, and regions across the U.S. where the NCRF and EMR programs have overlap in implementation. 

SubTask 2.1 - Coordination with NCRF program contractor(s)

• NFWF programs have on-going analysis of the ecological and community impacts of NbS implementations, including describing coarse scale economic impact of NbS on fisheries. The contractor for this role would benefit from coordination with the existing NCRF contractor(s) implementing that work, including bi-directional sharing of data and analysis results related to the below tasks. 

Task 2 Deliverable – Initial assessment of spatial overlap of Program impacts, to inform data requests and analytical focus.
Timeline – 1 month with coordination (Task 2.1) recurring
 

Task 3 - Literature Review on Impact of Coastal Habitat Restoration on Fish Abundance and Use

• Perform a systematic review of literature that quantifies the ecological and economic impact to fisheries and fish resources from coastal habitat restoration, including, but not limited to, kelp, coral, and seagrass restoration. Summarize information into monetary impact per-acre (or similar units) for the various restoration activity types. 

Task 3 Deliverable – Short report with the findings of the literature review
Timeline – 1 month
 

Task 4 – Fisheries Data Request and Access

• Fisheries data collected through NFWF projects is largely held by management agencies (NOAA, state natural resource managers) or individual grantee organizations. Data would be generated from both electronic monitoring (EM), and electronic logbook or reporting project (ER) systems. EM produces video verified records of effort, catch, and bycatch, and is likely to have high quality spatial and temporal records and is primarily from the commercial fishery sector. ER data would generally be of coarser spatial and temporal quality, potentially providing effort, catch and bycatch information at the haul, fishing day or fishing trip level and ER data would potentially be for available for commercial, charter, and recreational sectors. Building from the Task 2 Deliverable’s identification of important program overlap areas, the contractor will request access to public fisheries data from data holders. Fisheries data is protected by business privacy rules. Proposals should demonstrate familiarity with requesting, handling, and appropriately displaying protected fisheries data. 
• NFWF can provide access to benthic and other habitat data coast wide which may be informative to the planned analysis. Proposals should include information on the existence of and how to gain access to other relevant environmental variables that will benefit future analysis. 

Task 4 Deliverable – assembled fisheries dependent data sets for key geographies where NFWF EMR and NCRF program investments have spatial overlap. Multi-criteria spatially explicit analysis and maps of the available data, delivered in various ingestible formats. 
Timeline – 3 months – Initiating data requests as soon as Task 2 spatial overlap information is ready. 
 

Task 5 – Data Analysis to Establish Relationships of NbS and Fisheries Impact

• Assess spatial and temporal fisheries effort, catch, bycatch and other characteristics in key program overlap areas where data were assembled through Task 4. The goal is to use fine scale fisheries data, available for past EM and ER data streams, and other data streams to understand if there is a link between nearshore coastal NbS and fish abundance or other fisheries metrics, and if a link is found, in which fisheries. Potential patterns of fishing can be used to infer fish movement and habitat use, which can inform the connections and drivers of the fisheries impact (such as changes in abundance and measurable economic impact) from NbS implementation. 

Task 5/Overall Deliverable – A report summarizing the work and findings of the contract, with a focus on the Task 5 analysis, describing the relationship between NbS for coastal resilience and fisheries, and how that could inform potential future NbS siting. 
Timeline – 8 months initiating as Task 4 data begins to become available
 

REQUIRED EXPERTISE AND PROPOSED STAFF

• Demonstrated experience in spatial data analysis.
• Experience in fisheries biological and economic data, including awareness of privacy and data display needs.
• Familiarity with coastal habitat restoration principles.
   

CRITERIA FOR COMPETITIVE APPLICATIONS 

Proposals will be evaluated and scored on the following criteria. Offerors should organize their Proposal Narrative based on these sections:

1. Understanding of the Scope of Work. The Scope of Work must demonstrate an understanding of the goals of the activities involved. This section should include a description of how you will communicate with NFWF and related contractors and report on progress, results, and deliverables. Weight: 10%
2. Technical Approach. The proposed technical approach for conducting the required analysis should clearly describe the proposed methods to identify areas of overlap, gather necessary data, and conduct the analysis. The section must demonstrate that those methods are robust and appropriate for conducting the project and address any areas of complexity or uncertainty associated with completing the work. Weight: 30%
3. Qualifications of Proposed Personnel. This section should clearly describe which tasks each member of the team will conduct and how their training and experience provide the requisite experience in spatial, fisheries, and habitat restoration analysis to do so successfully. Weight: 20%
4. Contractor’s Past Performance. The proposal should demonstrate successful delivery of comparable analysis projects. List recent (last 2-5 years) accomplishments and previous services related to the technical expertise offered. Describe how that past performance is applicable to this analysis. Weight: 20%
5. Budget. The proposed budget should itemize work in sufficient detail to enable reviewers to evaluate the appropriateness and cost effectiveness of the entire funding request. You must use attached Contractor Budget Template. You may add columns to the template for additional tasks if needed but should not make any other changes. If applicable, please include the proposed budget for equipment purchase in the proposal separate from the Contractor Budget Template. Weight: 20%
    

ELIGIBLE OFFERORS & CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT

Eligible applicants include institutions of higher education, other nonprofits, commercial organizations, international organizations, and local, state and Indian tribal governments. 

By submitting a proposal in response to this solicitation, the offeror warrants and represents that it does not currently have any apparent or actual conflict of interest, as described herein. In the event an offeror currently has, will have during the life of the contemplated contract, or becomes aware of an apparent or actual conflict of interest, in the event an award is made, the offeror must notify NFWF in writing in the proposal, or in subsequent correspondence (if the issue becomes known after the submission of the proposal) of such apparent or actual conflicts of interest, including organizational conflicts of interest. Conflicts of interest include any relationship or matter which might place the contractor, the contractor’s employees, or the contractor’s subcontractors in a position of conflict, real or apparent, between their responsibilities under the award and any other outside interests, or otherwise. Conflicts of interest may also include, but are not limited to, direct or indirect financial interests, close personal relationships, positions of trust in outside organizations, consideration of future employment arrangements with a different organization, or decision-making affecting the award that would cause a reasonable person with knowledge of the relevant facts to question the impartiality of the offeror, the offeror’s employees, or the offeror’s future subcontractors in the matter. Upon receipt of such a notice, the NFWF Contracting Officer will determine if a conflict of interest exists and, if so, if there are any possible actions to be taken by the offeror to reduce or resolve the conflict. Failure to resolve conflicts of interest in a manner that satisfies NFWF may result in the proposal not being selected for award.  

By submitting a proposal in response to this solicitation, the Offeror warrants and represents that it is eligible for award of a Contract resulting from this solicitation and that it is not subject to any of the below circumstances:

Has any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an Contract with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability, where the awarding agency is aware of the unpaid tax liability, unless the agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and made a determination that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government; or 

Was convicted (or had an officer or agent of such corporation acting on behalf of the corporation convicted) of a felony criminal violation under any Federal or State law within the preceding 24 months, where the awarding agency is aware of the conviction, unless the agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and made a determination that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government; or

Is listed on the General Services Administration’s, government-wide System for Award Management Exclusions (SAM Exclusions), in accordance with the OMB guidelines at 2 C.F.R Part 180 that implement E.O.s 12549 (3 C.F.R., 1986 Comp., p. 189) and 12689 (3 C.F.R., 1989 Comp., p. 235), “Debarment and Suspension, ” or intends to enter into any subaward, contract or other Contract using funds provided by NFWF with any party listed on the SAM Exclusions in accordance with Executive Orders 12549 and 12689. The SAM Exclusions instructions can be found here: https://www.sam.gov/SAM
 

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS         

Proposals must be submitted including the following distinctly labeled and separate documents: 

1. Cover letter
2. Technical approach and methodology
3. Project team and qualifications
4. Work plan and timeline
5. Budget and budget narrative
   1. The budget proposal must be submitted using the following NFWF budget template
6. Relevant past performance and references
7. Evidence of Financial Stability
   1. The applicant shall provide proof of financial stability in the form of financial statements, credit ratings, a line of credit, or other financial arrangements sufficient to demonstrate the applicant’s capability to meet the requirements of this solicitation.
8. Contact Information.
   1. Please provide a Primary Contact Person, Entity Name, Address, Phone, E-mail, Website, and EIN or SSN

Interested parties should submit proposals electronically to Gray.Redding@NFWF.org and Annabel.Chase@NFWF.org. 
 

SELECTION PROCEDURE

A panel of NFWF staff will review the proposals. Offerors may be asked to modify objectives, work plans, or budgets prior to final approval of the award. Only one award will be made for this project. If multiple institutions are involved, they should be handled through sub-contracts or sub-awards.
 

COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS 

NFWF is committed to operating in full compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and Executive Orders. We continuously monitor legal and regulatory developments to ensure our policies, procedures, and operations align with current federal directives. We encourage all applicants to do the same. 

The ability and extent to which NFWF is able to make awards is contingent upon receipt of funds from federal agencies and/or other funding partners. Final funding decisions will be made based on the applications received and the level and timing of funding received by NFWF.
 

Compliance with American Security Drones Act (ASDA)

Pursuant to the American Security Drone Act (ASDA), effective December 22, 2025, applicants proposing activities funded in whole or in part with federal funds may not use, operate, or purchase any drone or uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) included on the Covered Foreign Entities (CFE) List. This prohibition applies to both new purchases and continued use of existing UAS, including certain widely used commercial platforms, such as DJI and Autel. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that all proposed and existing UAS used in connection with federally funded activities comply with applicable federal law and are not included on the CFE List. Noncompliance may affect eligibility for funding.
 

SUBMISSION DEADLINES

May 19, 2026	Deadline for questions about the solicitation to NFWF.  Offerors should submit questions regarding this solicitation via email to Gray.Redding@nfwf.org. NFWF will post all the questions and responses to all questions so that all offerors have access to them at the same time. In order to provide equitable responses, all questions must be sent to NFWF no later than 5:00 PM Eastern on May 19, 2026
May 21, 2026	NFWF will post the questions submitted regarding the solicitation and responses on the NFWF website at this link.
June 3, 2026	Deadline for receipt by NFWF of proposals.  Proposals must be sent electronically as an email attachment to Gray.Redding@nfwf.org by 5:00 PM Eastern, June 3, 2026.  Proposals must be provided in Word format or searchable PDF.
August 15, 2026	Contract award to selected Offeror
July 31, 2027	Deliverables Due