Sources Sought Notice - American Made Horizontal Autoclave

Sources are being sought to determine if there are manufacturers/contractors available offering a domestically sourced item that meets the minimum description outlined below. This is not a Solicitation Announcement or Request for Proposal. It does not constitute any commitment by the Government. No award will result from this notice. The purpose is to conduct market research to gain knowledge of potentially qualified domestic sources. Responses to this Sources Sought Notice will be used by the Government to make an appropriate acquisition decision. The USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) will not award a contract on the basis of responses or pay for the preparation of any information submitted. Respondents will not be notified of the results of this notice. The Government is looking for industry feedback on interest and capabilities of small business to provide a product meeting the specifications.

Purpose:

ARS Acquisition and Property Division (APD), Acquisition seeks to determine the availability and capability of potential businesses offering a domestically available source of supply for the project below. The information received resulting from this market research will be considered for the purpose of determining domestically available sources.

Product Information:

• The Government seeks information from qualified and experienced contractors capable of providing a domestically sourced horizontal autoclave equal to a Systec DX-90 Autoclave.

Current Known Source:  TBD

Anticipated Solicitation Release: August 14, 2026

Description of Supply and Service

See Attachment 1 - Specifications for Horizontal Autoclave.

Disclaimers:

1. This notice is posted in accordance with FAR 10.001.
2. In accordance with FAR Part 4.1102, Procedures, System for Award Management (SAM), potential contractors must be registered in SAM prior to submitting responses, proposals, bids, or quotes. Offerors may obtain information on registration at https://www.sam.gov.
3. Any potential future solicitations will be posted exclusively on SAM.gov. Interested parties are responsible for monitoring this website for the release of solicitation and any updates or amendments.
4. Do NOT submit proposals, bids, or quotes at this time.
5. The Government does not intend to pay for any information provided under this notice.

Instructions For Interested Parties, Capabilities:

Companies who have experience, as well as an interest in doing business with ARS, should submit a Capabilities Statement which, for this notice, is not expected to be a proposal, but rather short statements regarding the company’s ability to demonstrate their expertise and experience in relation to the areas specified in this notice. Companies should also indicate whether they are a Small Business, SBA-certified HUBZone, SBA-certified 8(a), SDVOSB, or Women-Owned Small Business as well as the Country of Origin of the proposed instrument and accessories. Responses should be submitted by August 14, 2026, no later than 4:00 p.m. CDT to the attention of James Porter at james.porter@usda.gov.