Laboratory Freezers, Refrigerators, and Biological Safety Cabinets

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), specifically the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Marketing and Regulatory Programs Business Services (MRPBS), Acquisition and Asset Management Division (AAMD), has issued a Special Notice regarding a potential sole source contract for laboratory equipment. The notice pertains to the procurement of high-performance laboratory freezers, refrigerators, and biological safety cabinets for the National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL). The intended contractor is BioAnalytical Instruments Inc., located in San Juan, Puerto Rico, with a North American Industry Classification Code (NAICS) of 334516 for Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing. This procurement will be a Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) contract awarded under the statutory authority permitting Other than Full and Open Competition. The notice emphasizes that this is not a request for competitive quotations, but rather an intent to award a contract to a specific vendor.

The primary objective of this Special Notice is to inform potential contractors about the USDA's intent to award a sole source contract for specialized laboratory equipment. Contractors interested in providing input must email responses to Connor Tees at Stephen.Tees@usda.gov no later than May 30, 2025, with the understanding that the government will use the information solely to determine whether to conduct a competitive procurement. The opportunity is set aside for small businesses, with a size standard of 1,000 employees for the specified NAICS code. Respondents are required to ensure that their submitted information is detailed, current, accurate, and complete. The justification for the single-source procurement is based on market research indicating that BioAnalytical Instruments Inc. is the only vendor capable of providing the specific equipment, installation, certification, and warranty services required for the APHIS laboratory in Puerto Rico. The final determination of whether to compete this proposed contract remains entirely at the discretion of the government.