THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY and a SOLICITATION IS NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE. This notice is for information and planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a solicitation or an obligation on the part of the Government. This request for capability information does not constitute a request for proposals. Submission of any information in response to this market survey is purely voluntary. The government assumes no financial responsibility for any costs incurred associated to this request for capability information. USDA, ARS, National Center Agricultural Utilization Research (NCAUR), Peoria, IL is seeking a contractor to provide and deliver a microarray printer/spotter instrument. The NCAUR is issuing this sources sought request to identify parties having an interest in and the resources to provide a microarray printer/spotter instrument for the consistent application of very small volumes of liquid onto surfaces with the following technical specifications:

1) The instrument must be capable of depositing nucleic acids (DNA) or proteins onto solid surfaces
such that the biological activity of the material is retained after printing.

2) Because the materials being deposited will include delicate proteins, the solutions must be deposited
in a non-contact manner.

3) The instrument must have three (3) axis (XYZ) positioning to accommodate multiple types of printing
surfaces.

4) The smallest diameter of spots that are deposited must be less than or equal to 5 micrometers.

5) The device must have the flexibility to be able to print features of at least 200 micrometers.

6) The coefficient of variation in the diameter of spots that are deposited must be 10% or less.

7) Control software and dedicated computer must be included.

8) The instrument is for laboratory, not commercial, use and must not be high-throughput.

9) The instrument must be powered at 100-120 V

The result of this market research will contribute to determining whether there are adequate sources available from which to receive competitive quotes.

The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code to be assigned to this procurement is 334516.

Submission Instructions: Interested parties, who consider themselves qualified to provide the product as detailed are invited to submit a response to this Sources Sought Notice by 10am CST, August 4, 2014. If your organization has appropriate qualifications and capacity to provide this product, please provide the following information: (1) A complete and "active registration in SAM (System for Award Management) database which includes DUNS number, Organization name, address, contact name, email address, Web site address, telephone number, type of organization, small business type (if any), etc; (2) A list of previous customers (Federal Preferred) which were provided products similar in nature (3) Color Product Literature showing the features of varying models, types and functions of Laser systems which the company has available. Request potential sources only submit the minimum information necessary and no more than 10 pages.

All questions or responses under this Sources Sought Notice shall be sent to Christine Gunterman, Purchasing Agent, via email [email protected], fax 309-681-6682, or mail USDA-ARS-NCAUR, 1815 N. University St., Peoria, IL, 61604. All communication shall be in writing referencing
AG-51LA-SS-14-0005 preferably by email. No information will be taken by telephone.

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