FIFRA GLP Preliminary (5-batch) Analysis Study for the Pesticide Active Ingredient, Biochar

The United States Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) is seeking a contract laboratory to conduct a FIFRA Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) Preliminary Analysis study for a biochar pesticide active ingredient. The solicitation requires a comprehensive 5-batch analysis of sodium nitrite, including characterization of the active ingredient, major impurity (sodium nitrate), and water impurity, in compliance with EPA study guideline OPPTS 830.1700. The contractor must verify previously validated analytical methods, draft a study protocol, procure reference standards, and perform detailed scientific analysis on five independent manufacturing batches. The laboratory must have previously developed GLP-validated methods for analyzing charcoal that were accepted by EPA in a prior USDA APHIS pesticide registration. Responses to the solicitation are due by May 20, 2025, with the expectation that the final report will be delivered within one year of contract award.

The solicitation is not set aside for any specific business category and is open to testing laboratories and services under NAICS code 541380. The place of performance is located in Fort Collins, Colorado, with the specific facility at zip code 80521. While no specific award value is explicitly stated, the contract appears to be a firm fixed-price purchase order with comprehensive scientific testing requirements. The study will involve analyzing five batches of biochar, examining characteristics such as fixed carbon, sulfur, moisture, loss on ashing, loss on drying, and heavy metals. The contractor must prepare a final study report meeting EPA's data submission format requirements and be prepared to dispose of test materials upon completion of the analysis. The project represents a critical step in supporting a pesticide registration application to the Environmental Protection Agency.