Maintenance Agreement - Qexac

The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is conducting market research through a Request for Information (RFI) to identify qualified contractors for a comprehensive preventative maintenance and repair service contract for critical analytical laboratory equipment. The agency seeks to ensure continuous operational readiness of mass spectrometers and liquid chromatography systems used in food safety testing at the FSIS Midwestern Laboratory in Saint Louis, Missouri. Core service requirements include one scheduled onsite preventative maintenance visit per 12-month period per unit, unlimited onsite emergency repair visits with response times within three business days, and comprehensive coverage for OEM replacement parts and unlimited remote technical support. All work must be performed by factory-certified technicians with documented current certifications, and contractors must demonstrate previous experience servicing Thermo Q Exactive and Vanquish/Dionex systems. Interested parties should submit capability statements (limited to 15 pages) to Angela Carey at angela.carey@usda.gov by the May 8, 2026 deadline, with responses addressing company information, technical capabilities, staffing qualifications, and any identified ambiguities in the draft Statement of Work.

This procurement includes no set-aside designation, and no current contractor information or award value estimates are disclosed in the RFI. The contract scope covers maintenance and repair services for four Thermo Q Exactive mass spectrometers (one Focus model and three Basic models) coupled with four liquid chromatographs (one Dionex UltiMate LC and three Thermo Vanquish LCs), with services provided during standard working hours of 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. CST, Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays. The base contract period is one year with four option years available, establishing a potential five-year total contract duration. Contractors must maintain adequate spare parts inventory, guarantee full equipment operability, provide priority technical support access, and comply with extensive security requirements including facility access protocols, background investigations, and network security standards. All information and communications technology must meet Section 508 accessibility standards, with vendors required to submit Accessibility Conformance Reports prior to contract acceptance.