Pursuant to FAR 13.5 and FAR 6.302-1, USDA, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), intends to award a sole source supply contract in that only one responsible source and no other providers will satisfy agency requirements (see attached justification). The award will be a fixed price Purchase Order under FAR PART 12 Acquisition of Commercial Items TECAN U.S., 9401 Globe Center, Drive Suite 140, Morrisville, NC 27560. This is not a request for competitive proposals. The Government seeks to is to acquire a Fluent 480 Base Unit, includes 1 year warranty and INTROSPECT™- Instrument analysis and reporting software. This will occur in the NVSL MDSS section at the USDA, APHIS, VS, NVSL in Ames, IA. (Solicitation 12639524Q0210.) The requirement is essential to meeting the government's needs. Any interested sources including small businesses capable of providing the equivalent services in the future are encouraged to contact APHIS for implementing a Fluent 480 Base Unit, includes 1 year warranty and INTROSPECT™- Instrument analysis and reporting software. A determination by the Government not to compete this requirement is based on market research conducted included Eppendorf and Hamilton Liquid handling machines. The Eppendorf machine was quickly excluded from the search as they do not have an accessory capable of sealing plates coming out of the machine (one of the requirements specified above). While the Hamilton machine is can fulfill the requirements listed, it is not as compatible with many of the machines we utilize both within the NVSL and at NBAF. While the purpose of this project is to synergize the equipment and testing within the NVSL and NBAF, it is crucial to the project that the Tecan Fluent 480 is purchased rather than other similar equipment. If this equipment is not purchases, we will not be able to fulfill the needs of both NVSL and NBAF synergistically. No requests for capability briefings will be honored as a result of this notice. Interested sources who submit data are responsible for appropriately marking information if it is proprietary in nature. The Government will not award an award based on the information received, nor reimburse participants for information they provide. Information provided is strictly voluntary. Please email Linda W. Washington at linda.w.washington@usda.gov. Closing date of this notice is June 25, 2024. The North American Industry Classification Code (NAICS) is 334516 with a small business size standard of 1,000 employees.
