Cotton Planter Florence, SC

The Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) is issuing a Request for Quotation (RFQ 1232SA26Q0081) for a 4-row cotton planter equipped with a vacuum seed meter system, 38-inch row spacing, and a coupling/lift system designed to attach to an existing strip tillage implement. The procurement aims to support improved cotton establishment in field trials and enable strip tillage and planting in a single field pass at the Clemson Pee Dee Research and Education Center. Key requirements include a chain drive with mechanical transmission, chain guards, drive wheel covers, hydraulic hookups, and compatibility with a 3-point hitch category 3 tractor connection. The government will evaluate quotations using lowest price, technically acceptable criteria, with consideration given to technical capability and past performance. All offerors must provide a Certificate of Conformance and maintain clear traceability to the Original Equipment Manufacturer. Questions regarding the solicitation must be submitted by email no later than January 20, 2026, at 12:00 PM Central Time, and quotations are due by January 25, 2026, with pricing held firm for 90 calendar days from the receipt of offers date.

This solicitation is designated as a Total Small Business Set-Aside, limiting competition to small business concerns with a size standard of 1,250 employees or fewer under NAICS code 333111 (Farm Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing). No incumbent contractor is identified in the opportunity documents, and no specific award value or budget range has been disclosed. The equipment must be delivered fully assembled and ready-to-use within 60 days after receipt of order to the USDA-ARS facility located at 2200 Pocket Road, Florence, South Carolina 29506. For technical questions regarding specifications, interested offerors may contact Eric D. Billman at 843-662-3526 or 330-465-6689. This is a commercial items acquisition prepared in accordance with FAR Part 12, and the full text of applicable provisions and clauses may be accessed electronically at www.acquisition.gov.