Electric Kettle and Mixer Accessory for USDA, APHIS, PPQ

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) Program requires a 20-gallon electric kettle for use in the Forest Pest Methods Laboratory (FPML) located at Joint Base Cape Cod, in Buzzards Bay, MA. It will be used in support of the lymantriid moth program (formerly known as gypsy moth) for rearing hundreds of thousands of moths annually. Weekly preparation of 20 – 40 gallons of a specialized gelled food (diet) is needed to grow the caterpillar stage. A 20 gallon electric kettle with controlled heating and mixing capacity is required as part of an existing semi-automated system for rearing large numbers of the caterpillars. A stand-alone electric model with a closed steam jacket must be purchased to replace the current 20 gallon steam-fed model in accordance with planned phasing-out of piped steam in the laboratory facility. The kettle must provide controlled heating by steam jacket to reach boiling temperature without scorching, and it must provide thorough mixing, both of which are crucial to ensure preparation of high-quality diet for the lymantriid moths and other insects. The solicitation will result in the issuance of a firm fixed price commercial supply purchase order.   

This procurement will be a total small business set-aside, in accordance with FAR 52.219-6. The NAICS code for this requirement is 423830 – Industrial Machinery and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers, with a Small Business Administration (SBA) size standard of 100 employees. The applicable Product Service Code (PSC) is 3605. This acquisition is a Total Small Business Set-Aside, in accordance with FAR 19.5.

THIS NOTICE IS THE SYNOPSIS ONLY. Interested contractors may download a copy of the Solicitation 12639522Q0260. NOTIFICATIONS WILL NOT BE SENT TO CONTRACTORS REGARDING THE ISSUANCE OF THE SOLICITATION NOR ANY OF ITS AMENDMENTS. IT IS THE CONTRACTOR'S RESPONSIBILITY TO CHECK THIS WEB SITE PERIODICALLY FOR AMENDMENTS. Quotes shall be submitted to the contracting activity by the date and time indicated in the solicitation when it is issued; for any questions regarding this Pre-Solicitation Synopsis, please contact the Contract Specialist, Matthew Phillips at Matthew.Phillips3@usda.gov.