Carbon dating services

The U.S. Geological Survey Office of Acquisitions and Grants is procuring Carbon-14 dating services to analyze environmental samples collected from groundwater monitoring wells, surface water sites, soil, bed-sediment, plant materials, and other sources. The contractor must perform Carbon-14 analyses with Carbon-13/12 using Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) technology and maintain comprehensive quality assurance and quality control procedures. Contract requirements include analyzing approximately 500 aqueous samples, 5 rock carbonate samples, 5 organic carbon solid samples, and 20 preparation samples annually for unusual materials. The evaluation criteria prioritize technical capabilities, experience, past performance, work plan, and quality systems, with technical merit weighted significantly more than price. Following multiple amendments, the current solicitation deadline is August 22, 2025, with the contract performance period scheduled from August 29, 2025, to August 28, 2026.

Originally structured as a small business set-aside under NAICS code 541380 with a $19 million size standard, Amendment 0001 opened the competition to full and open participation from all qualified vendors. The contract structure includes a base year with an identical option year, with the option period running from August 29, 2026, to August 28, 2027, and an anticipated exercise date of August 3, 2026. The government anticipates awarding a firm-fixed price contract requiring the successful vendor to maintain registration in the System for Award Management (SAM). Contractors must provide detailed reporting of Carbon-14 and Carbon-13 results while adhering to the government's terms and conditions. The solicitation does not specify the exact contract value, but references the small business size standard framework and emphasizes the specialized nature of the accelerator mass spectrometry testing services required.