Notice of Intent: The USDA, ARS, WBSC intends to award a sole source procurement to Controlled Environments Inc. 2-572 South 5th Street, Pembina, ND 58271 U.S.A. as they are the sole source for this custom plant growth chamber 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 award will be for an Ultra High Light Intensity PGR15 Plant Growth Chamber required to provide an optimized controlled environment for growing specific high light crops.

The environment provides 72" of growth height for unrestricted plant growth, and the compulsory 1500-2000micromoles/m2/s of programmably dimmable light intensity with an advanced full-cycle spectrum tailored for indoor environments for rapid, complete, physiological plant growth and development mounted in a counterbalanced fully height adjustable light source. The environmental controls provide a temperature range of +4°C to +45°C lights OFF, +10°C to +45°C lights ON, a humidity range of up to 90%RH lights OFF and up to 75%RH lights ON, and an Additive Carbon Dioxide package allowing for a CO2 level from ambient up to 2900 ppm. The chamber conditioning system provides uniform upward airflow vertically upward through the plants stimulating leaf flutter for optimal growth by tall, high light intensity crop types. The chamber conditioning system must be user controlled by a robust industrial grade control system that is designed specifically for plant growth chambers. The interface must have a color touch screen that is intuitive, reliable, flexible and user friendly. The controls system must be capable of storing up to 16 real-time user-entered programs each containing up to 48 lines with one minute resolution; providing the ability to schedule single day, multi day, or seasonal simulations. The data available at the local display screen includes all chamber environment variables such as temperature, humidity, lighting and CO2. Parameters are all logged automatically every 30 seconds and can be viewed in the form of Trend graphs. Trend graphs can be viewed, with up to five days of history, directly on the local display screen for both ‘set-point' and ‘actual' values. Logged data is also accessible by a network - connected PC. This data is automatically logged and log rate can be set in multiples of 6 seconds regardless of the number of parameters. Trend data can also be downloaded through the USB port below the chamber touch screen. Chamber data archived on the touch screen is logged every 30 seconds with up to fifteen days of history. Audible and color coded visual alarms are necessary for all controlled processes; User-settable process tracking alarms for temperature can be set for environmental conditions requiring close monitoring. Additionally, there are built in alarms for chamber component monitoring; minimizing downtime required when troubleshooting . Alarm history is logged to daily text files easily retrievable from any Ethernet connected computer or through the local control screen (last 15 alarm events).

Also, within the Crop Production Systems Research Unit and other ARS research labs in Stoneville, MS there are more than half a dozen CONVIRON growth chambers installed and in use for crop growth research. The product proposed is compatible with all the other chamber equipment currently being used. Most importantly, this compatibility helps in conducting collaborative research and exchange of data between scientists for maximum benefits from individual research efforts.

The Government intends to award a firm fixed price Purchase Order on or about August 24, 2018, using Simplified Acquisition Procedures. This Notice of Intent 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 23, 2018. Information received will be considered solely for determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. Inquiries will only be accepted via mail/ e-mail to the Contracting Officer at the following address:

Contracting Office Address:
Shalunda S. Mix
Contract Specialist
USDA, ARS, Western Business Service Center
P. O. Box 225, 141 Experiment Station Road
Stoneville, MS 38776-0225
Phone: (662) 686-5346
Fax: (662) 686-5373
[email protected]

 

Bid Protests Not Available