Isolated Crossing and Breeding Nursery

The Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service is soliciting quotations for isolated crossing and breeding nursery services under solicitation number 1232SA26Q0356. The contractor will be responsible for establishing and maintaining six corn isolated crossing blocks and two hand-pollinated corn breeding nurseries as part of the Germplasm Enhancement of Maize (GEM) Project, with all field activities including land preparation, fertilization, weed and pest control, and harvest to be performed between April/May 2026 and November 2026 in the central corn belt region. Key contract requirements include maintaining minimum 500-foot separation from adjacent corn fields for isolated crossing blocks, implementing specific male-to-female row patterns with staggered planting delays, managing approximately 1,394 plot rows for self-pollination and 644 plot rows for cross-pollination in hand-pollinated nurseries, and harvesting and drying ears to 12-14% moisture content using forced air heat not exceeding 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Evaluation will be based on technical approach and past performance combined (weighted more heavily than price), with the Government assessing the contractor's ability to meet the schedule and demonstrate understanding of requirements. Quotations must be submitted by April 3, 2026 at 2:00 PM PT via email to Elizabeth Calhoun, and questions must be submitted by March 27, 2026 at 2:00 PM PT.

This acquisition is designated as a Total Small Business Set-Aside with a small business size standard of $2.5 million under NAICS code 111150 (Corn Farming). No incumbent contractor is identified in the solicitation materials. The contract will be awarded as a firm-fixed price purchase order to a single contractor, though the anticipated award value is not specified in the available documents. Services must be performed at the MWA Plant Introduction Research facility at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, with final harvest materials and all deliverables required by November 15, 2026, and the period of performance extending through November 30, 2026. All responsible sources, including those outside the small business community, may submit quotations, though award preference applies to qualifying small businesses. Invoices must be submitted through the Department of Treasury's Invoice Processing Platform, and the Government will furnish packeted seed pre-counted for the hand-pollinated nurseries portion of the work.