Qualitative Lateral Flow Immunoassay Manufacturing

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service is soliciting quotations for the development and manufacturing of qualitative lateral flow immunoassay prototypes under solicitation number 1232SA26Q0384. The contractor must develop 100 prototype dipstick or cassette-format immunoassays capable of detecting antibodies against tick-borne bovine blood parasites, specifically Babesia bovis, Anaplasma marginale, and Theileria equi/haneyi. Key requirements include demonstrated prior experience developing lateral flow devices for detecting blood or plasma antibodies, assays with a desired shelf life of at least 12 months, and room temperature storage capability. Evaluation will be conducted using a best-value approach considering four factors: Technical Capabilities (including mandatory USDA CVB licensure documentation), Relevant Experience (demonstrating work of similar scope and complexity), Past Performance (requiring at least three projects completed within the past three years with specific reference information), and Price. Quotations must be submitted electronically to frank.palmer@usda.gov by 10:00 AM Mountain Daylight Time on Monday, April 20, 2026, and the final deadline for submitting questions is 10:00 AM Mountain Time on Wednesday, April 8, 2026.

This acquisition is designated as a Total Small Business Set-Aside, limiting eligibility to small business concerns with a size standard of 1,250 employees under NAICS code 325413. No incumbent contractor or award value is specified in the solicitation documents. The contract will be structured as a firm-fixed-price agreement with a 12-week delivery schedule following receipt of order, with three billing cycles for Research & Development Services due within 12 weeks of award. The 100 completed assay prototypes must be delivered to the USDA Animal Disease Research Unit at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington 99163 within 12 weeks of contract award. All vendors must be actively registered in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) at the time of submission and award, and all intellectual property associated with device development belongs to the government.