Pipette Calibration and Repair Services IFB 25-0199

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is issuing Invitation for Bid (IFB) 25-0199 for pipette calibration and repair services to support the Plant Pest Diagnostics Branch located in Sacramento, California. The procurement seeks a contractor to provide annual preventive maintenance, calibration, and repair services for 128 single-channel pipettes, 31 eight-channel pipettes, and 9 twelve-channel pipettes. Services must be delivered on-site at 3294 Meadowview Road, Sacramento, CA 95832, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, excluding state holidays, with the contractor responsible for supplying all parts, materials, test equipment, tools, labor, shipping for off-site repairs, and calibration reports in PDF or Excel format. The contractor must respond to service calls within two business days and complete repairs within six months of preventive maintenance at no additional cost, with off-site repair turnaround not exceeding 7-10 business days. Repairs due to CDFA negligence or improper operation will be billed separately at the contractor's specified labor rate, while replacement parts will be priced at current market rates. The contract term runs from April 15, 2026, through April 14, 2028, with no renewal options. Written questions must be submitted by March 13, 2026, with responses posted by March 17, 2026, and bids must be submitted via email no later than 2:00 PM PT on March 23, 2026, with cost proposals opening the same day and the Notice of Proposed Award expected within five business days.

The procurement includes a mandatory three percent Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) participation goal, with a DVBE incentive available for bids exceeding minimum requirements, and a five percent small business preference applies if the highest responsive bid is from a non-certified small business. The contractor must obtain and maintain Commercial General Liability insurance ($1,000,000/$2,000,000), Automobile Liability insurance ($1,000,000), and Workers' Compensation coverage, and must register with System for Award Management (SAM.gov) and provide a Unique Entity ID (UEI) prior to award. The contract is federally funded and subject to Uniform Administrative Requirements (2 CFR 200) and all applicable federal compliance standards. No incumbent contractor or prior contract pricing information is provided in the solicitation materials. Bidders must submit unit prices for annual preventive maintenance and calibration services for each pipette type as well as a labor rate for repairs, with the cost proposal template provided in the attachment; all line items must contain dollar amounts, as blank cells or zero amounts will result in bid rejection or be interpreted as services provided at no cost to the State.