Inactive Total Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 19.5)

THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUNCEMENT ONLY. This notice does not constitute a commitment by the Government. All information submitted in response to this announcement is voluntary, and the Government ... THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUNCEMENT ONLY. This notice does not constitute a commitment by the Government. All information submitted in response to this announcement is voluntary, and the Government will not pay for information requested nor will it compensate any respondent for any cost incurred in developing information provided to the Government. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is searching for firms who can provide: Requirement: 2 identical real time, quantitative polymerase chain reaction machine (RT-PCR machine). RT-PCR machines monitor the production of one or more target DNA molecules during the reactions to quantitate the starting amount of DNA of interest. For our research needs, RT-PCR machine must be capable of detecting at least 4 probe channels to allow multiplexing up to four assays, must allow 96 samples to be run at one time for sufficient sample throughput, must have a temperature gradient feature for assay optimization, and must NOT require use of a normalization dye in each reaction so as not to interfere with previously optimized assays. PCR machine must not have a footprint exceeding 18” square to fit in available bench space and must not have a lid our drawer that extends beyond the footprint on the system or requires additional operating clearance so as to fit under upper cabinets. We require two identical units, one for the laboratories associated with our BSL-3 containment greenhouse space and one for our general laboratory building. Units must be same make and model to allow direct comparison of results and so identical cycling conditions will be optimal for both machines. Must show good past performance. The FDWSRU is a secure research facility working with foreign and domestic plant diseases including economic, high-consequence, quarantine-level plant pathogens and USDA-APHIS Select Agents. Research is conducted in secure biological safety level 2 and 3 laboratories by trained and approved personnel only. Service and maintenance of the sterilizers requires access to these spaces which necessitates service personnel to be U.S. citizens and pass and maintain Level 2 security background checks. As part of its market research, USDA ARS is issuing this Sources Sought to determine if there exist an adequate number of qualified interested contractors capable of providing the requirement. The Government may use the responses to this Sources Sought for information and planning purposes. This Sources Sought is only for the purpose of identifying potential sources as part of USDA ARS market research. No Request For Quote (RFQ) exists; therefore, do not request a copy of the RFQ. Responses to this Sources Sought are not quotes on which USDA ARS can issue any contract. This Sources Sought is issued for information and planning purposes only and does not itself constitute a RFQ. The Government does not intend to award a contract or BPAs based only on responses to this Sources Sought. All information received in response to this Sources Sought marked "Proprietary" will be protected and handled accordingly. Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary or competition sensitive information contained in their response. Responses to the Sources Sought will not be returned. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this Sources Sought. USDA ARS will not pay for information received in response to this Sources Sought. Do not submit pricing information in response to this Sources Sought. Please send responses with the subject heading BioRad CFX Opus to Michael Poole email address: Michael.Poole@usda.gov by 31 Aug 2020 @ by noon.