Insulated Shipping Containers

The United States Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is seeking to procure specialized insulated shipping containers from Sonoco Thermosafe for its Eastern and Western Laboratories. The Request for Quotation (RFQ) focuses on acquiring various shipping container products including extra small and small containers, container overwraps, thermoformed liners, spacer pads, absorbent pads, and hard gel packs. These containers must meet strict technical requirements, specifically maintaining frozen or refrigerated samples between 0-15°C for a minimum of 72 hours and being leak-resistant, durable, and reusable. The procurement will be evaluated using a Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) method, with vendors required to be authorized resellers of Sonoco Thermosafe products. Key dates include a deadline for questions on April 30th, 2025, and quotation submissions due by 12 PM Eastern on May 7th, 2025.

The solicitation is designated as a Total Small Business set-aside, targeting small business vendors in the Corrugated and Solid Fiber Box Manufacturing NAICS category. The contract's total quantities are divided between the Eastern Laboratory in Athens, GA, and the Western Laboratory in Albany, CA, with specific product requirements at each location. For the Eastern Lab, this includes 336 Extra Small Containers, 2,000 Small Container Overwraps, 150 Large Thermoformed Liners, 10,000 Corrugated Spacer Pads, 5,000 8-Ply Absorbent Pads, and 3,456 Hard Gel Packs. The Western Lab will receive 600 Small Containers, 360 Large Containers, and 500 Extra Small Container Overwraps. The period of performance runs from May 15th to July 11th, 2025, with a final delivery date scheduled for July 11th, 2025. While specific award values are not explicitly stated, the procurement is being conducted under Federal Acquisition Regulation 13.106-1(b)(1) for simplified acquisitions.