Purchase of Oil Extraction Instrumentation

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is procuring three replacement hot solvent extraction units for its Technology and Science Division of the Federal Grain Inspection Service. The agency seeks to replace aging oil extraction equipment that has been in service for 17 years while maintaining operational continuity and minimizing disruptions to grain industry services. The technical requirements specify manual hot extraction solvent systems capable of utilizing petroleum ether, with features including solvent recapture, 230V power requirements, water supply compatibility, extraction capacity of at least 6 samples, and operational temperature range of 80-285°C. The evaluation criteria prioritizes the ability to meet technical requirements as the most important factor, followed by instrument reliability and service support availability, with initial cost being the least important consideration. The solicitation response deadline is August 7, 2025, at 1:00 PM local time.

This procurement is designated as a Total Small Business set-aside opportunity under NAICS code 334516 for Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing. Based on the single source justification documentation, the agency has identified Foss as the preferred manufacturer for the ST 243 Soxtec solvent extraction systems, having determined through market research that only Foss equipment meets all technical specifications without requiring significant method changes. The procurement involves three extraction units to be delivered to the place of performance in Weatherby Lake, Missouri. The agency's market research evaluated alternative manufacturers including ANKOM, Buchi, and VELP but found they did not fully satisfy the technical requirements. The justification emphasizes the critical importance of maintaining continuity in the grain industry's reference data calibration process and preventing potential disruptions to field instrumentation calibrations that could impact the broader grain inspection system.