IDIQ for laboratory analysis

The U.S. Geological Survey Office of Acquisitions and Grants seeks a Blanket Purchase Agreement for laboratory microplastics analysis services, with proposals due May 13, 2026. The procurement is designated for Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSB).

The BPA establishes a five-year period of performance from May 22, 2026, through May 21, 2031, with a total not-to-exceed value of $100,000 for the life of the agreement. Individual BPA call orders may not exceed $10,000 for micropurchases or $100,000 for larger orders. Place of performance is the USGS CMWSC Dekalb Field Office in Illinois.

The contractor must provide environmental sample processing, extraction, and Laser Direct Infrared (LDIR) analysis using an Agilent 8700 system equipped with quantum cascade laser imaging technology to detect microplastic particles ranging from 10 micrometers to 500 micrometers in size and determine chemical composition. The laboratory must maintain a microplastics library with spectral data of non-microplastics (rubber, naturally occurring polyamide, chitin, cellulosic materials, carbonates, and stearates) and establish quality control protocols including field blanks using deionized water and procedural blanks analyzed during sample filtering. Samples must be stored at approximately 4 degrees Celsius in dark conditions and analyzed within 7 to 14 days of collection; freezing is prohibited. Deliverables include comprehensive analytical reports with methodology description, quality control summary, total microplastics detected, size distribution charts, blank results, and sample summaries. NAICS code is 541380, Testing Laboratories and Services. Evaluation emphasizes non-price factors—microplastics experience, technical performance capability, and past performance references—over pricing. An amendment issued May 11, 2026, extended the due date to May 13 and rejected alternative analytical approaches (RAMAN and micro-FTIR methods), confirming LDIR methodology or equivalent approaches meeting original specifications are required.