Spring Maize Nursery Services

The Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service is soliciting firm fixed-price quotations for Spring Maize Nursery Services to support agricultural research operations. The contractor will be responsible for establishing and managing 830 rows of corn nursery plants, including all field activities such as land preparation, planting, monitoring, pest control, pollination, irrigation, fertilization, harvest, drying, and shipping. Offerors must submit a firm fixed-price quotation valid for 60 days, their Sam.gov Unique Entity ID, documentation of technical capability, and 2-3 past performance references from similar projects completed within the past three years. The government will evaluate proposals using lowest-price technically acceptable criteria, rating technical acceptability on a Go/No-Go basis with consideration of past performance, and intends to award without discussions unless deemed necessary in the government's best interest. Interested parties must submit questions by January 7, 2026 at 2:00 PM PT, with all quotations due on January 14, 2026 at 9:00 AM PT via email to Elizabeth Calhoun at Elizabeth.Calhoun@usda.gov.

This procurement is designated as a Total Small Business set-aside with no incumbent contractor identified in the solicitation materials. The services will be performed in Honolulu, Hawaii during the spring-summer 2026 season, with specific wage determination requirements based on the Department of Labor's Hawaii wage rates, including a minimum wage of $17.75 per hour under Executive Order 14026 and supplemental benefits for health and welfare, vacation, and paid holidays. The nursery rows will range from 10 to 20 feet in length with varying pollination requirements, including 25 rows for sib mating, 25 rows for cross-pollination, 150 rows for self-pollination, and 550 rows for cross-pollination. While no specific budget ceiling is stated in the solicitation documents, the wage determination and scope of 830 rows of intensive agricultural management will inform pricing considerations. The place of performance location and wage determination requirements will be finalized based on the selected vendor's capabilities and the specific location where services will be performed.