Liquid Nitrogen, Argon, and Carbon Dioxide IDIQ for USDA at Ithaca, NY

THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY. This notice does not constitute a commitment by the Government. All information submitted in response to this announcement is voluntary, and the Government will not pay for information requested nor will it compensate any respondent for any cost incurred in developing information provided to the Government.

USDA’s Agricultural Research Service in Ithaca, NY requires compressed gases for use in laboratory analysis and during the transport of plant samples. USDA is seeking a contractor that will be able to meet the following specifications: Must deliver to Robert W. Holley Center in Ithaca, NY.  Must be able to supply compressed gas in the common size tanks and refill liquid nitrogen dewars supplied by the Government.  Must be able to supply liquid nitrogen, carbon dioxide, helium, and high purity nitrogen. Must be able to supply specialty gases as needed. Delivery is estimated to be every 1-2 weeks or within 2 days when requested (may vary).

Item 0001 Industrial Grade Liquid Nitrogen - 230 liter liquid 22PSI – Refill Government Owned Dewears, estimated quantity per year is 48.

Item 0002 Industrial Grade Argon - 180 liter liquid cylinder –  estimated quantity per year is 12.

Item 0003 Industrial Grade Nitrogen - 230 liter liquid cylinder 22PSI–  estimated quantity per year is 24.

Item 0004 Food Grade Carbon Dioxide, CGA 320 washer – 50lb, high pressure steel cylinder –  estimated quantity per year is 24.

Item 0005 Industrial Grade Nitrogen - 230 liter liquid cylinder 230PSI–  estimated quantity per year is 24.

Item 0006 Food Grade Carbon Dioxide – 50lb, high pressure steel cylinder –  estimated quantity per year is 12.

This Sources Sought is only for the purpose of identifying potential sources as part of USDA’s market research. No Request for Quote (RFQ) exists; therefore, do not request a copy of the RFQ. Responses to this Sources Sought are not quotes on which USDA can issue any contract. This Sources Sought is issued for information and planning purposes only and does not itself constitute an RFQ. The Government does not intend to award a contract or BPA based only on responses to this Sources Sought. All information received in response to this Sources Sought marked "Proprietary" will be protected and handled accordingly. Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary or competition sensitive information contained in their response.

 In response to this source sought, please provide:

1. Name of the firm, point of contact, phone number, email address, SAM Unique Entity Identification Number (UEI), CAGE code, a statement regarding business status indicating rather large or small (including small business type(s)/certifications(s) such as SDB, 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, WOSB, etc.) and the corresponding NAICS code for your business.

2. Information whether your firm already has existing capabilities in place to perform this work.

3. Identify whether your firm is interested in competing for this requirement and performing for a period of up to five (5) years.

4. Provide any Information to help determine if the requirement is commercially available, delivery schedules, customary terms and conditions, warranties, proprietary information, etc.

5. Provide any recommendations to improve the approach/specifications to acquiring the identified item.

Responses to this Sources Sought will not be returned. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this Sources Sought.

USDA ARS will not pay for information received in response to this Sources Sought. Please send responses with the subject heading USDA ITHACA GAS IDIQ to Brandon Lewis’s email address: BRANDON.LEWIS@USDA.GOV by December 22, 2023 at 5:00 pm Eastern Time.