Scientific Equipment Usage

The United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA/ARS) is seeking a sole source contract for scientific equipment usage and services at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center (DDPSC) in St. Louis, Missouri. The procurement will specifically cover access to specialized research facilities, including greenhouse and growth chamber spaces, advanced scientific instruments, and various laboratory services supporting plant genetics research. Under NAICS code 541715, the contract will be awarded without competitive bidding under the authority of 41 U.S.C 253(c)(1), with the government determining whether to compete the proposed contract based on responses received. Interested parties must submit their capability statements to Josh Dobereiner via email by 4:00 PM Central Standard Time on December 23, 2024, with the subject line "12505B25Q0027 Notice of Intent to Sole Source". The government retains sole discretion in determining whether to proceed with a competitive or sole source procurement.

The contract is not designated for any specific small business set-aside, though the small business size standard is 1,000 employees. The proposed contract period spans January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025, with services to be performed directly at 975 N. Warson Road in St. Louis. The scope of services includes comprehensive access to plant growth facilities, phenotyping equipment, proteomic and mass spectrometry services, transformation and tissue culture capabilities, bioinformatics computing resources, microscopy systems, ionomics analysis, and miscellaneous scientific support services. While no specific contract value is disclosed, the procurement requires vendors to provide both full-service and self-service options, maintain all equipment, and be located within walking distance of the USDA facility to ensure sample stability. The contract will support the USDA Agricultural Research Service Plant Genetics Research Unit's scientific operations through detailed, specialized research infrastructure and equipment access.