Forma Series 3 Water Jacketed CO2 Incubators

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Office of Acquisition and Grant Services is seeking to procure two Forma Series 3 Water Jacketed CO2 Incubators and associated equipment to support critical food safety research at the Gulf Coast Seafood Laboratory. The procurement aims to acquire a tri-gas incubation system capable of creating microaerophilic environments necessary for culturing thermotolerant Campylobacter bacteria, which has become increasingly important due to recent outbreaks linked to raw oyster consumption. The equipment must include water-jacketed tri-gas incubators with precise temperature control at 37°C and 42°C, minimum 6.5 cubic feet interior capacity, and accurate gas concentration controls, along with accessories such as mobile stands, CO2 and N2 gas regulators, and gas guards. The FDA intends to use this specialized equipment to update, develop, optimize, and validate new Bacteriological Analytical Manual methods for detecting and quantifying Campylobacter in oysters, replacing methods that are 25 years old and outdated. Quotations are due by September 4, 2025, and will be evaluated using a Lowest Price Technically Acceptable methodology with technical and price factors weighted approximately equal.

This solicitation is designated as a total small business set-aside under NAICS code 334516 (Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing) with a 1,000-employee size standard. The procurement specifically calls for two complete incubation systems with accompanying gas regulators, cylinders, and safety equipment, representing a specialized laboratory equipment acquisition. The contract will include a 12-month warranty period as part of the performance requirements. All work and equipment delivery will be performed at the FDA's Gulf Coast Seafood Laboratory located in Dauphin Island, Alabama. The solicitation documents do not identify any incumbent contractors or provide specific budget ranges, though the detailed technical specifications and accessories list suggests this is a substantial laboratory equipment procurement designed to support high-throughput sample processing capabilities.