The Agricultural Research Service awarded a Total Small Business set-aside purchase order to Discover Echo Inc. for a hybrid multipurpose microscope on September 23, 2026, with a ceiling value of $24,716.37 and an ultimate completion date of October 23, 2026.
The microscope will support research on shellfish development, harmful algal blooms, and microbiology/pathology within the Pacific Shellfish Research Unit. The equipment must feature hybrid upright and inverted configurations with brightfield and phase-contrast imaging, magnification from 1.25x to 100x, upgrade capability to fluorescence, PLAN lenses, and a color camera for true-color brightfield imaging operating independently. The microscope must fit a compact footprint of 18" width by 25" depth with vertical clearance under 25". Place of performance is San Diego, California. The requirement originated from a Request for Quotation posted September 16, 2026, with proposals due September 21, 2026, evaluated under lowest price technically acceptable methodology.