12 - Two-Liter Autoclavable Glass Bioreactor Vessels (must be compatible) with Sartorius Biostat-B Bioreactor Control Units

Other / Unclassified

This document is a "Justification and Approval" (J&A) for restricting competition for an acquisition under the Simplified Acquisition Threshold. It details the decision to award a sole-source, firm-fixed price contract for 12 bioreactor 2-liter autoclavable glass vessels.

This document is highly relevant to potential bidders as it explains why competition is being restricted. It indicates that the required bioreactor vessels must be compatible with existing Sartorius Biostat-B Bioreactor control units currently in use by the agency. Market research found no comparable products made in America, and Sartorius bioreactor vessels are only sold through Sartorius. This suggests that only Sartorius Stedim North America, Inc. can meet the government's specific needs for this acquisition, effectively precluding other vendors from bidding on this particular requirement.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This solicitation is for the procurement of 12 bioreactor 2-liter autoclavable glass vessels compatible with Sartorius Biostat-B Bioreactor control units and required parts. The government intends to award a sole-source, firm-fixed-price contract to continue providing critical resources and expertise for this requirement.

• 12 bioreactor 2-liter autoclavable glass vessels.

• Vessels must be compatible with Sartorius Biostat-B Bioreactor control units and required parts.

• Detailed specifications are provided in Attachment 2 – Technical Specifications.

• FAR 52.225-3 Buy American–Free Trade Agreements–Israeli Trade Act is included, indicating one or more items are subject to Free Trade Agreements.

• Contract Type: Firm-Fixed Price.

• Award Type: Sole-source.

• Delivery: On or before April 20, 2026. Early deliveries will be accepted.

• F.O.B. Destination is requested for all deliverables.

• Submission Deadline: Monday, March 9, 2026, not later than 3:00 p.m. Central Time, via email to monte.jordan@usda.gov.

• Questions Deadline: March 2, 2026, at 12:00 PM Central Time via email to monte.jordan@usda.gov.

• Evaluation Criteria: Lowest price technically acceptable (LPTA).

  • Price: Must be fair and reasonable. Include quantity price discounts and prompt payment discounts.
  • Technical Acceptability: Offerors must demonstrate the ability to meet all salient characteristics with sufficient descriptive literature or documentation. Failure to do so will result in technical unacceptability.
  • Past Performance: Evaluated as Acceptable, Neutral, or Unacceptable based on prior contract performance.

• Offer Acceptance Period: 60 calendar days from the receipt of offers.

• No specific set-aside is mentioned. However, numerous small business-related FAR clauses are listed as applicable if checked, suggesting potential consideration.

• Offerors are not required to meet a qualification requirement for award.

• This solicitation incorporates numerous FAR and AGAR clauses by reference and in full text. Key clauses include FAR 52.212-4 (Terms and Conditions—Commercial Products and Commercial Services), FAR 52.225-3 (Buy American–Free Trade Agreements–Israeli Trade Act), and AGAR 452.203-71 (Anti-Discrimination and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Compliance).

• Attachment 1 – Solicitation Terms and Conditions and Attachment 2 – Technical Specifications are critical documents.

• Offerors must provide their SAM Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) Number and denote the Country of Product Origin for each CLIN.

• Agency protests should first be directed to the Contracting Officer, with an option to escalate to the USDA Ombudsman Program.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document outlines the specifications for bioreactor vessels required by the USDA, Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Bioenergy Research Unit (BRU) in Peoria, IL. It details the minimum requirements for new, autoclavable glass vessels compatible with existing Sartorius Biostat-B Bioreactor control units.

• Quantity: 12 new, 2-liter, autoclavable glass vessels and required parts.
• Compatibility: Must be compatible with Sartorius Biostat-B Twin MO bioreactor control units, including stirring mechanism and water-based temperature control systems.
• Connections: Requires specific ports on the stainless steel head plate (19 mm, 12 mm, 6 mm options) for various sensors (temperature, oxygen, pH, anti-foam) and accessories, as well as connections for double wall UniVessel Glass and control unit water lines.
• Stirrer: Stainless steel stirrer shaft with direct coupling to the control unit motor.
• Dimensions: Inner diameter = 130mm, Height = 240mm.
• Included Parts: Hose kit to connect the vessel to the control unit temperature control.

This attachment provides the critical technical specifications for the bioreactor vessels. Bidders must ensure their proposed products meet all listed compatibility, connection, material, and dimensional requirements. The document also specifies the delivery location (USDA, ARS, NCAR, BRU, Peoria, IL 61604) and a delivery schedule of no later than 60 days after purchase order issuance. Shipping costs (f.o.b Destination) must be included in the price. Contact information for Ronald Hector is provided for delivery inquiries.