Dry Bulk Fertilizer

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service is conducting a Sources Sought Notification for procuring 28 tons of a custom 12-2-14 2 Mg dry bulk fertilizer specifically designed for tree crops. This pre-solicitation notice is an information-gathering exercise to help determine the acquisition strategy for a future solicitation, not an actual contract solicitation. Interested vendors are invited to submit a voluntary response of no more than 10 pages by March 24, 2025, at 4:00 p.m., addressing specific criteria including their organization name, contact information, Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), business size status, statement of interest, and capability to perform the requirement. Responses should be submitted to Cecilia McNamee via email, with strict instructions to avoid including proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information. The USDA reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in subsequent solicitations.

This Sources Sought Notification does not include a specific set-aside designation and currently does not identify any incumbent contractors. The fertilizer specifications are highly technical, requiring a complex blend with precise nutrient compositions, including 50% slow-release nitrogen and potassium, and multiple micronutrients such as magnesium, manganese, boron, zinc, and iron. The derived ingredients will include sulfate compounds, polymer-coated urea, various mineral oxides, and organic protein hydrolysate. While no specific budget range is disclosed, the procurement is for a relatively specialized agricultural research product. The USDA emphasizes that this is a voluntary information request with no financial commitment, and the responses will primarily serve to help shape the future acquisition strategy for this dry bulk fertilizer procurement.