A04_Attachment Specifications 1232SA26Q0569.docx

This is a technical specifications attachment for a Request for Quotation (RFQ) solicitation for a livestock respiration chamber system. The Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service is seeking a commercial instrument capable of analyzing gas fluxes (methane, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and hydrogen) from individual finishing beef cattle to measure ruminal microbial composition and feed efficiency. The system must accommodate up to 30 animals and include the ability to aggregate and determine herd averages. The chamber must be mounted on a skid suitable for in-barn placement and movement via skid steer, feature AC power connectivity, and support both WiFi and cellular data transfer options for remote data collection. The instrument requires auto-calibration capability, Windows-compatible software for data entry and management with integrated scale compatibility, and radio frequency identification tag monitoring for individual animal tracking synced to a cloud-based platform. The contractor must provide on-site installation, training, and ongoing customer support for the product's lifecycle. Delivery is required within 90 days of award to NEA Food Systems Research in Chester, Vermont. This is a Total Small Business Set-Aside under NAICS code 334516 (Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing) with a size standard of 1,000 employees, meaning only small business concerns are eligible to bid.