Inactive Total Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 19.5)

Notice of Intent: The USDA, ARS, SEA intends to award a sole source procurement to Spectro Analytical Instruments, Inc., 91 Mckee Dr., Mahwah, NJ, 07430, as they are the sole source for this type of e... Notice of Intent: The USDA, ARS, SEA intends to award a sole source procurement to Spectro Analytical Instruments, Inc., 91 Mckee Dr., Mahwah, NJ, 07430, as they are the sole source for this type of equipment pursuant to the authority of 41 U.S.C. 253(c)(l ) and FAR 6.302-1, Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements. The procurement is for an the Spectro Genesis ICP. The Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES) is to be used for the analysis of plant and soil samples. An ICP-OES is needed to perform soil and plant analysis in-house. The research unit currently sends 1-2,000 soil samples out for analysis every year. This incurs a significant cost. The research unit also has 2-,3000 plant samples that require analysis. The Spectro Genesis ICP has the following unique features that set this instrument apart: The ICP-OES must be an automatic, simultaneous measuring, optical emission spectrometer with inductively coupled plasma excitation source and semiconductor detector system, for the quantitative and/or semi quantitative spectrochemical elemental analysis of liquids. The ICP has an optical design called ORCA or Optimized Rowland Circle Alignment polychromator which is unique to Spectro and has a hollow section design in a dual Paschen-Runge mounting, that uses 15 pre-aligned linear solid state CCD arrays rather than one or two 2-dimensional detectors as in other echelle optical designs. The 15 linear CCD’s are in a continuous order using all 1st order wavelengths which provide the best emission wavelength lines and a constant pixel resolution across the wavelength coverage from 175-777 nm for best optical light luminosity. All other ICP optical designs have multiple orders of light, multiple optical surfaces, and a changing pixel resolution across the wavelength spectrum coverage, thus resulting in possible order overlap issues and poorer sensitivity in wavelengths below 190nm and in the upper visible wavelengths. Also, all other ICP optical designs utilize one or two solid state detectors, so if the detector goes down, the instrument is no longer usable until repaired. This is not the same on the Spectro, if a solid-state detector goes down, you can search on one of the other 14 detectors for another usable wavelength to continue operation. The Spectro optic is also thermally stabilized to +30ºC ± 0.5ºC from the outside of the optic to promote stability of the optical components and detectors. This temperature stabilization requires no cooling, i.e. no need for Peltier cooling of the detectors. The ICP has a unique ICAL - automatic profile standardization. This feature designed by Spectro allows for instrument profiling with only one solution. The ICP UV System in conjunction with the ORCA optical design has a gas purged (typically argon) hollow section, optimized for low purge rates (purge gas is only required for measurements below 200 nm) which results in the lowest purge gas consumption ICP with approximately 0.4 L/min flow rate. Other ICP’s require 2-8 L/min of a purge gas to analyze wavelengths below 200 nm. The ICP RF Generator is a free running solid state type with a frequency of 27.12 MHz and an RF power output: 0.7 to 1.7 kW, and the power stability <0.1%. The free running generator allows the ability to change between matrices or analyze extreme plasma loading matrices without suppression of the plasma. The RF coil used with the generator does not require any cooling (such as a water chiller) like all other ICP RF coils. Water chillers can generate a lot of unnecessary heat and noise in the laboratory room as well as can be costly to replace. These issues are not a problem for the Spectro ICP since the instrument is completely air cooled and no water chilling required. The ICP also has an automatic plasma ignition, so the instrument plasma can be lit since at any time since there is no water chiller to turn on prior to ignition. The ICP comes with an OptiMist XL nebulizer which is a standard nebulizer provided strictly on a new Spectro ICP and is widely used in all agricultural applications. This allows analysis on many matrices with one type of nebulizer. Spectro Analytical Instruments, Inc. is the only known manufacturer and distributer for the Spectro Genesis ICP. The Government intends to award a firm fixed price Purchase Order on or about August 14, 2020, using Simplified Acquisition Procedures. This Notice of lntent is not considered a Request for Quotation (RFQ) nor is it a Request for Proposals (RFP). No solicitation document is available and telephone requests will not be honored. Interested persons may identify their interest and capability to respond to this requirement. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based on responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. The Government will consider all responses received by 2:00 PM central time, August 13, 2020. Information received will be considered solely for determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. Inquiries will only be accepted via email to the Contracting Officer at the following address: Contracting Office Address: Shalunda Mix (CO) USDA-ARS-SEA shalunda.mix@usda.gov