Agricultural Chemicals

The contract, identified by solicitation number 1232SA26Q0523, is a total small business set-aside under NAICS code 325320 for the procurement of agricultural chemicals to support the 2026 farming season, administered by the USDA Agricultural Research Service at the Beltsville, Maryland facility. Only small businesses, including HUBZone and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses, are eligible to respond, with all offerors required to certify their size status and socioeconomic classification at the time of submission. The contract is anticipated to be awarded as a firm-fixed price arrangement, with delivery of all items required within 30 days of award at F.O.B. destination, specifically to the USDA-ARS Beltsville Agriculture Research Center. Products must be new, non-refurbished, and exactly match the specified brand name, make, and model number as listed in the solicitation, with no substitutes permitted unless explicitly labeled “brand name or equal.” Technical acceptability is a mandatory gatekeeper for award consideration, evaluated based on product authenticity, compliance with delivery timelines, and documentation sufficiency, while price is assessed for fairness and reasonableness under a best-value trade-off approach—not LPTA—where the highest technical acceptability combined with the most reasonable price determines award. The procurement is governed by extensive FAR clauses including 52.219-6 (Total Small Business Set-Aside with Alternate I), 52.219-9 (Small Business Subcontracting Plan with Alternates III and IV), 52.219-14 (Limitations on Subcontracting), 52.219-33 (Nonmanufacturer Rule), and 52.212-3 through -5 regarding commercial item representations and electronic submission. Offerors must also comply with affirmatively checked certifications including the Buy American Act, prohibition of child labor in the supply chain, anti-discrimination and DEI compliance under AGAR 452.203-70, and restriction on payments to influence federal transactions. Unique special requirements include prohibitions on contractor-enforceable supplier terms that restrict government sourcing, indemnification, or data storage outside the U.S., as well as mandatory cybersecurity protections under 52.240-92 and 52.240-93 for covered contractor information systems. Proposals must be submitted via email to Jessica Pacheco at jessica.p