Intent to Award Sole Source - Tecan Fluent 480 Liquid Handlers

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), through its Marketing and Regulatory Programs Business Services (MRPBS), has issued a Special Notice announcing its intent to award a sole source contract to Tecan U.S., Inc. for five modified Tecan Fluent 480 Liquid Handlers. The procurement will be conducted under FAR 13.5 simplified procedures for commercial items and is classified under NAICS code 334516 for Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing with a small business size standard of 1,000 employees. The equipment is intended for use by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) to support their diagnostic programs. This notice explicitly states it is not a request for quotes or proposals and that requests for solicitation copies will not be honored. The anticipated contract will be awarded on a firm-fixed-price basis under statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition.

The purpose of this procurement is to acquire specialized automated robotic liquid handling machines capable of processing 96 diagnostic samples simultaneously while minimizing staff handling through features including tube scanning, decapping, pipetting, and incubation functions within HEPA filtered cabinets. Market research conducted by USDA determined that alternative automated liquid handler machines from manufacturers such as Beckman Biomek, Eppendorf Emotion, and Hamilton were unsuitable for the agency's specific requirements, justifying the sole source approach. While this is not a competitive solicitation, all responsible sources may submit responses to Connor Tees at Stephen.Tees@usda.gov by the July 12, 2025 deadline. Telephonic inquiries will not be accepted, and respondents must provide detailed, current, accurate, and complete information. The government retains sole discretion in determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement based on information received. Any responses will be considered solely for the purpose of evaluating whether competitive procurement procedures should be implemented.