Agar Agar Powder

The United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Plant Protection Quarantine program is seeking to procure Agar Agar Powder through a five-year Firm Fixed-Price Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract. The agar powder will be used for developing adult fruit fly artificial diet at the Mexican Fruit Fly Rearing Facility in the Rio Grande Valley. Vendors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) and submit a product sample of at least 5 pounds along with past performance references. The product must meet specific technical specifications including gel strength, particle size, and microbial content requirements, with packaging requirements mandating double bag systems using woven polypropylene outer bags and heavy polyethylene inner bags or fiberboard drums. The solicitation includes a base period of 12 months from contract award with four possible 12-month option periods. Quotes are due by August 1, 2025, at 10:00 AM Mountain Time, with delivery scheduled FOB Destination to the USDA APHIS PPQ facility in Edinburg, Texas.

This procurement is exclusively set aside for small businesses under NAICS code 311423 with a size standard of 750 employees. The current incumbent contractor is Gumix International Inc., operating under the previous contract number 12639523D0053. The total contract ceiling is $1,000,000 over the five-year period, with an estimated annual procurement of approximately 1,500 kilograms of agar powder, delivered in 60-75 bags per year. The contract specifies minimum annual quantities of 1,250 kilograms and maximum quantities of 2,000 kilograms, with acceptable bag sizes ranging from 11-25 kg. Performance will take place at the USDA APHIS PPQ facility in Edinburg, Texas, with deliveries required Monday through Friday between 7:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., excluding federal holidays. The procurement involves annual single shipments with each shipment requiring a packing list containing lot numbers and proper container labeling with product name, lot number, net weight, and manufacturer information.