Firefly Liquid Handling Instrument

The Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service seeks quotation for one Firefly Liquid Handling Instrument, with quotes due August 14, 2026 at 4:00 pm Central Standard Time and questions due August 11, 2026 at 3:00 pm Central Standard Time. This procurement is a Total Small Business Set-Aside; only small business concerns (1,000 employees or fewer under NAICS 334516) may quote.

Place of performance and delivery destination is Raleigh, North Carolina (3127 Ligon Street, Raleigh, NC 27606), with delivery required within 90 days of award. The instrument must support NGS library construction in low-volume, high-throughput formats (96-well, 384-well, and 1536-well plates) and include a minimum of 16 SBS/ANSI deck positions, integrated gripper, plate shaker, two thermal modules, and bead cleanup magnet. The device footprint may not exceed 30 inches by 30 inches. Required capabilities include repeat positive displacement non-contact reagent dispensing across all plate formats, simultaneous dispensing of up to six reagents, sub-microliter volumes to 200 nanoliters minimum, pipetting from 1 microliter to 125 microliters, and support for both individual tip loading and 96- and 384-tip sets. The purchase price must include shipping, installation, manufacturer-certified training, and a minimum one-year warranty.

Award will be Firm-Fixed Price to the lowest price, technically acceptable quote using LPTA methodology, with only the lowest priced quotation initially evaluated for technical acceptability. Technical acceptability requires meeting or exceeding all salient characteristics, clear product identification with brand name and model number or equal designation, and sufficient descriptive literature demonstrating capability and availability within the delivery timeframe. Past performance will be rated as acceptable, neutral, or unacceptable. Vendors must be active and registered in SAM.gov at submission and award. Quotations must be submitted electronically to lynn.hults@usda.gov with F.O.B. destination pricing; faxed or hard copy submissions are not allowed.