Non-Personal Services RNA Sequencing

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is soliciting non-personal services for RNA sequencing, library preparation, and data analysis through solicitation 1305M326Q0132. The contractor must provide comprehensive 3'Tag-Seq poly-A library preparation and Next Generation sequencing services on 40 purified RNA samples derived from sea scallop tissue, delivering results using Illumina NovaSeq 6000 sequencing with paired-end 150 base pair reads at 6 million reads per library. Key contract requirements include RNA extraction from tissue samples, quality assurance and quality control documentation throughout the process, delivery of FASTQ files within 60 days of sample receipt, and demonstration of peer-reviewed publications using the contractor's sequencing services for transcriptomics work. Evaluation criteria include published experience with the requested services, documented quality control procedures, turnaround time capabilities, available sequencing platform capabilities, RNA extraction capacity from tissue samples, and library preparation expertise. The deadline for submission of inquiries was April 20, 2026, with the final proposal due date of April 27, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time, and Amendment 2 providing responses to contractor inquiries was issued on April 23, 2026.

This solicitation is designated as a total small business set-aside under the women-owned small business (WOSB) program, with the NAICS code 541380 (Testing Laboratories and Services) and a small business size standard of $23.5 million. No incumbent contractor or award value is specified in the solicitation documents. The contract comprises two firm-fixed-price line items for Illumina RNA library preparation services and delivery of 1GB NovaSeq 6000 PE150 sequencing (6 million reads per library), with the performance period spanning 60 days from sample receipt. All sequencing work will be performed at the contractor's laboratory and sequencing facility, with deliverables due to the Northeast Fisheries Science Center located at 166 Water Street, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543-1026. Payment will be made electronically through the Invoice Processing Platform System (IPP), and the contractor must register in FedConnect for contract administration purposes.