Jan. 7, 2025 —
The Coast Guard released a request for proposal (RFP) on Dec. 18, 2024, for the design and construction of the cutter boat-aids to navigation-small (CB-ATON-S). The RFP is available on SAM.gov here.
Procurement of the CB-ATON-S will provide a standardized cutter boat for the waterways commerce cutter (WCC) fleet. The RFP includes design and production of up to 66 CB-ATON-S, 51 of which will support the WCC fleet: two for each planned river buoy tender, one for each planned inland construction tender and inland buoy tender, plus spare boats. The Coast Guard also anticipates procuring boats for Aids to Navigation teams to maintain small navigational aids within their area of responsibility.
The deadline to submit responses to the RFP is March 4, 2025, at 2 p.m. Eastern time. Contract award is anticipated in summer of 2025.
The current inland tender fleet, which the WCCs are replacing, plays a critical role in the Coast Guard’s support of the national Marine Transportation System, which facilitates $5.4 trillion in commerce annually and sustains over 30 million jobs. Crews use the cutter boats aboard the tenders to retrieve buoys that have disconnected from their anchors and to transport equipment and cargo to support the ATON mission ashore, including cutting brush around fixed aids.
For more information: Waterways Commerce Cutter Program page