New SEI Industries, Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) "Dragon Eggs" Aerial Ignition Spheres

The USDA Forest Service National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) has issued a Sources Sought Notice (SSN) for SEI Industries Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) "Dragon Eggs" Aerial Ignition Spheres, which are specialized fire management devices used in prescribed burns and wildfire incidents. This is a planning and information gathering notice only, not a binding solicitation, and will be used to develop a follow-on Request for Quote (RFQ). Interested vendors must be authorized as certified third-party vendors or authorized distributors of SEI Industries products and must submit a capability statement limited to 20 pages that includes company information, SAM UEID registration details, point of contact information, company size classification under NAICS Code 115340, existing government contracts, and proof of SEI Industries authorization. Responses should be emailed to Amy Tilley at amy.tilley@usda.gov with the reference line "Sources Sought 1202SC26SS0002 'Dragon Eggs' Aerial Ignition Spheres" by April 6, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The government will not pay for or reimburse any expenses incurred in responding to this notice, and submission does not guarantee participation in any future activities.

This opportunity is designated as a Total Small Business set-aside, and no incumbent contractors have been identified in the notice. The NIFC estimates an annual requirement of approximately 3,000 cases of Dragon Eggs Aerial Ignition Spheres for supply to multiple Incident Support Caches nationwide, with delivery specified as occurring within days after receipt of order. No specific contract award value or budget range has been disclosed in the pre-solicitation materials. While the notice does not obligate the government to award a contract or authorize the incurrence of costs, vendors responding to this notice should be prepared to meet the estimated annual volume requirement and demonstrate their capability to distribute these specialized fire management products across multiple geographic locations. The final solicitation number has not yet been determined, and interested parties should monitor for the subsequent RFQ issuance.