Sources Sought - Domestically manufactured alternative to Chromium XO and accessories
Overview
Buyer
Place of Performance
NAICS
PSC
Set Aside
Original Source
Timeline
Qualification Details
Fit reasons
- NAICS alignment with historical contract wins in similar service areas.
- Scope strongly matches core technical capabilities and delivery model.
Risks
- Past performance thresholds may require one additional teaming partner.
- Potential clarification needed on staffing minimums before bid/no-bid.
Next steps
Validate eligibility requirements, assign capture owner, and schedule partner outreach to confirm teaming strategy before submission planning.
Quick Summary
The USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is conducting a Sources Sought to identify domestically manufactured alternatives to the Chromium XO instrument and accessories for genomics work. This is market research to determine the availability and capability of potential domestic sources. Responses are due by February 13, 2026.
Scope of Work
ARS seeks information on a single-cell partitioning instrument and compatible consumables that can mirror current genomics work done using a Chromium XO instrument. The instrument must generate single-cell partitions from fresh, frozen, or fixed cells, capture molecular readouts of cell activity as gene expression, and be upgradable for chromatin accessibility, cell surface proteins, immune clonotype, antigen specificity, and CRISPR perturbation screens. It must operate in an elevated BSL-2 lab space and be compatible with GEM-X microfluidic chips and reaction chemistry.
Specific consumables sought include:
- GEM-X OCM 3' Chip Kit v4 4-plex (2 units)
- GEM-X Universal 3' Gene Expression v4 4-plex (2 units)
- Dual Index Kit TT Set A, 96 rxn (1 unit)
All items must be compatible with both the new instrument and existing 10x Genomics Chromium instruments. The place of performance is the USDA, ARS, Infectious Bacterial Diseases Research Unit (IBDRU) at 1920 Dayton Avenue in Ames, IA.
Contract & Timeline
- Type: Sources Sought / Market Research (not a solicitation)
- Set-Aside: None specified (firms should indicate business size)
- Response Due: February 13, 2026, 6:00 PM EST
- Published: January 29, 2026
- Estimated Delivery: Within 60 days of order date (if a future solicitation results)
Instructions for Responders
Interested companies should submit a Capabilities Statement demonstrating expertise and experience related to the specified requirements. Statements should also indicate business size (Small Business, HUBZone, 8(a), SDVOSB, Women-Owned Small Business) and the Country of Origin of the proposed instrument and accessories. Responses should be sent to Shelley Steen at shelley.steen@usda.gov.
Additional Notes
This is for planning purposes only; no award will result from this notice, and the Government will not pay for information submitted. Future solicitations, if any, will be posted on SAM.gov. Potential contractors must be registered in SAM prior to submitting responses to any future solicitations.