Laboratory Analysis Svcs. (Plant Tissue), Tifton, GA

THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION FOR PROPOSALS, THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT SYNOPSIS ONLY

This Sources Sought is for the purpose of identifying firms that can meet the following United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) requirements.

The USDA-ARS Southeast Watershed Research Lab (SEWRL) in Tifton, GA has a requirement for recurring plant tissue analysis services under NAICS 541380, Testing Laboratories and Services. The objective is to provide results of plant tissue biomass samples on a continual basis. The initial estimated quantity is > 2000 samples.

The scope includes analyses for total carbon, total nitrogen, and total mineral elements (S, P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, Al, B, Cu, Zn, Na, Pb, Cr, Cd, Ni, Mo). Determination of plant tissue total carbon and total nitrogen shall be by combustion analysis. Carbon detection performance range must be 1 - 50 % +/- 0.09% or better, and nitrogen detection performance must be 0.2 - 4% +/- 0.03% or better. Determination of plant tissue mineral elements shall be by inductively-coupled plasma with optical emission spectroscopy. The percent recovery for the mineral elements shall be +/- 10% or better. Data will be used in research manuscript development.

This Sources Sought is not to be considered as a request for proposal or as an obligation on the part of the Government to acquire any products or services. No entitlement to payment of direct or indirect costs or charges by the Government will arise as a result of the contractor submission to this Sources Sought or the Government's use of such information. The Government reserves the right to reject, in whole or in part, any contractor's input resulting from this RFI. No contract will be awarded as a result of this announcement. Data submitted in response to this RFI will not be returned.

INSTRUCTION FOR SUBMISSION:

Interested parties with the capabilities may submit a response in an electronic format only via email to osvaldo.rodriguez@usda.gov no later than May 10, 2023, 10:00 AM ET.

Electronic files should be in Microsoft Office Word or PDF format. All information should be UNCLASSIFIED material only.

Respondents should include as part of their submission:

1. Capabilities statement.
2. GSA Number if applicable
3. Unique Entity ID
4. Firm Name
5. Firm Address
6. Business size, SDVOSB, HUBZone, or Woman owned status, as validated via the System for Award Administration (SAM). All offers must register on the SAM located at http://www.SAM.gov
7. Firm’s point of contact, phone and email address.
8. Past work experience. If you have experience working with other Federal Agencies and/or commercial businesses of similar size and scope, please include agency and/or business name contract number (if applicable), amount and type of contract (e.g. FFP, T&M, Labor hour etc).

Any proprietary information must be marked as such, the RFI information should not exceed a total of 10 one-sided 8 1/2x11 pages, with one-inch margins, and font no smaller than 12 point.