The USDA/ARS intends to award a Firm fixed price sole source contract under the authority of 41 U.S.C 253(c)(1) and FAR 6.302-1(a)(2), only one responsible source, to:

Life Technologies Corporation
3175 Staley Road
Grand Island, NY 14072

Description of Requirement: The objective of this sole source award is to procure the following items:

Sanger Sequencer Specifications
System
1.Can be used with browser-based online software and will allow access by any registered and logged in user with internet access.
Instrument
2.Has a small footprint.
3.Is designed for use with standard 8-well strip tubes as well as 96 well standard plates and can run sequencing and fragment analysis samples on the same plate.
4.Has improved signal uniformity from instrument-to-instrument, run-to-run and capillary-to-capillary using instrument normalization schemes.
Cartridge
5.That includes the capillary array, universal performance optimized polymer (POP-1), anode buffer, and polymer delivery system with a 4-month on-instrument shelf life for125 injections or 500 samples.
6.Includes a chiller that enables the extended on-instrument shelf life of the cartridge.
7. Designed with a RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag, which allow tracking and reporting of the consumable usage, serial, lot and part numbers, expiration dates and on-instrument lifetime through the instrument operation software.
Performance
8. Designed to detect and analyze six fluorescent dyes simultaneously for DNA fragment analysis.
Instrument On-Board Computer
9. Allows for uploading of protocols or downloading of run files using a USB interface.
10. Contains on-board storage capability with memory capacity of 128GB for storing approximately 3,500 injections or 14,000 reactions.
11. Allows for creation of local User Accounts with PIN-protected access. Individual User Accounts that can be linked to online accounts within an online ecosystem.
12. Allows user to load run files from USB or an online ecosystem.
Software
13. Designed with a touchscreen software interface for instrument control to regulate the functions of the instrument, automatically perform primary analysis (i.e, basecalling and/or fragment sizing) and provide functionality for real-time data assessment as well as the ability to generate quality control reports.
14. Designed with the ability to perform quality control checks to verify if the system meets the sequencing read length specifications, conforms to fragment analysis sizing precision, sizing range and peak height specifications.
15.Generates files in industry standard ABIF format for sequencing and FSA format for fragment analysis. Sample files must be compatible with secondary analysis applications for post processing such as Sequencing Analysis Software, Variant Reporter^TM Software, Minor Variant Finder Software, GeneMapper^TM Software and SeqScape^TM software programs.
16. Sends user notifications via email or text message when instrument is started, stopped, or reached an error state.
Vendor Service and Support
17. Comes with a warranty for a period of one year from the date of installation and an optional post-warranty service contracts including next-business-day on-site repairs are available.
18. Provides a training session by a certified technical scientist (Field Application Specialist)

The NAICS code for this requirement is 334516; the small business size standard is 1000 employees.

This notice of intent is not a request for competitive quotes; however, interested persons may identify their interest and capability to respond to this requirement. All information received by 3:00 PM Central Time on August 14, 2019, will be considered by the Government. Responses shall be submitted to Lynn Hults at [email protected].

The e-mail subject line shall state: 12405B19P-972113 Notice of Intent to Sole Source. 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.

NO TELEPHONE REQUESTS WILL BE HONORED.