Microcystin Toxin Analysis

This Sources Sought Notice is for market research purposes only and does not constitute a Request for Proposal or Quotation. It is not considered to be a commitment by the Government to award a contract nor will the Government pay for any information provided; no basis for claim against the Government shall arise as a result from a response to this Sources Sought Notice or Government use of any information provided.

Pursuant to Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Overhaul (RFO) Part 10 (Market Research), the purpose of this notice is to:

1. Determine if sources capable of satisfying the agency's requirements exist.
2. Determine whether the acquisition should utilize any of the small business programs in accordance with RFO Part 19.

Pursuant to RFO Part 6 and RFO Part 19, competition and set-aside decisions may be based on the results of this market research. This notice in no way obligates the Government to any further action.

Requirement: This notice is issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Western Acquisition Division (WAD) and the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) to identify sources capable of providing the following:

Analysis of 285 samples and the delivery of the findings to the government representative. This requirement includes the analysis of a total of 100 specimens for 13 distinct microcystin metabolites featuring diverse detection thresholds, sourced from Lake Erie between 2025 and 2027. Furthermore, 185 supplemental specimens will undergo testing for 18 and 21 metabolites with specific detection sensitivities, encompassing collections from Lake Erie and Lake Huron during the 2025-2027 period along with experimental variants. These samples are to be processed after the genetic determination of each isolate and the completion of stress experiments.

This work is part of ongoing scientific research to better understand harmful algal blooms. The analysis will detect different microcystin congener toxins, providing a clearer understanding of bloom toxicity and how environmental factors influence toxin production. Furthermore, the project will supply data on phytoplankton community shifts, illustrating the impacts of environmental conditions on community succession and bloom development. Ultimately, this project will provide essential data to evaluate potential human and ecosystem health risks associated with harmful algal blooms.

A Firm-Fixed-Price contract is anticipated for award.

See DRAFT Attachment 1 – Performance Work Statement and supplemental attachments for further details on this requirement.

Anticipated Period of Performance: The anticipated period of performance is one (1) year which consists of a single base period (no options), with a start date on or before 21 September 2026. 

NAICS Code/Size Standard: The applicable NAICS Code is 541380,Testing Laboratories and Services, and the size standard is $19,000,000.

Submission of Information: Companies having capabilities necessary to meet or exceed the stated requirements are invited to provide information to contribute to this market survey/sources sought notice.

Companies may respond to this Sources Sought Notice by using the Google Portal Link below.

https://forms.gle/tzqm4PUKwTagdPhM9.

Responses shall be received no later than 13 August 2026 at 3:00 PM Mountain Time.

Interested parties: Need to be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM).  Failure to submit sufficient detailed information may result in considering a company as not a viable source and may influence competition and set-aside decisions. Regardless of the information obtained from this Sources Sought Notice, the Government reserves the right to consider any arrangement as deemed appropriate for this requirement.

Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response to this Sources Sought Notice. The Government reserves the right to use any information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate, including using technical information provided by respondents in any resultant solicitation.

After a review of the responses received from this notice, a pre-solicitation notice and solicitation may be published on the Governmentwide Point of Entry (GPE). It is the potential offeror's responsibility to monitor the GPE for release of any future solicitation that may result from this Sources Sought Notice. Responses to this Sources Sought Notice will not be considered adequate responses to any resultant solicitation.