Inactive Total Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 19.5)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) operates a laboratory in a privately owned building located at 10383 North Ambassador Drive in Kansas City, Missouri 64153. The laboratory operates under the ... The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) operates a laboratory in a privately owned building located at 10383 North Ambassador Drive in Kansas City, Missouri 64153. The laboratory operates under the Agriculture Marketing Service, Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS), Technology and Science Division (TSD). TSD currently employs nitrogen combustion for protein analysis of grain and grain related commodities for the facilitation of the U.S. grain market. To continue the ability to provide protein reference values for nationwide field instrumentation and support existing commodity programs, TSD seeks to purchase a new nitrogen combustion system. The new combustion instrumentation performance characteristics will ensure continued support of existing programs and better position the Agency to address complex analytical issues that the current system cannot resolve effectively or efficiently. The new instrument will consolidate the need to use multiple existing instrumentation for analysis, meet the demand for routine analyses of commodities, provide reference values, and address concerns or special request related to the marketing of U.S. grain and grain related commodities. The purpose of this procurement is to replace the Elementar Vario Max with a new nitrogen combustion system of current technology. The new system will be capable of performing analyses on a wide range grain and grain products for the determination of protein content allowing the laboratory increased flexibility and greater customer service.