Annual Maintenance and Service Coverage for multiple Qiagen QIAcube Connect Instruments in support of USDA-PWA-ALARC

This contract is a Request for Quotation issued under FAR Part 12 for annual maintenance and service coverage of five Qiagen QIAcube Connect instruments used at the USDA Arid Land Agricultural Research Center in Maricopa, Arizona. The solicitation, numbered 1232SA26Q0440, is unrestricted and not set aside for small businesses, with a North American Industry Classification System code of 811210 and a small business size standard of $34 million in annual receipts. All responsible sources may submit a quotation, which must be provided electronically via email to the contracting officer by May 20, 2026, at 12:00 PM Eastern Time, with the solicitation number included in the subject line and in PDF format. The contract will be awarded on a Lowest Price Technically Acceptable basis, evaluating price, technical acceptability, and past performance in that order. Technical acceptability is a binary pass/fail determination requiring a detailed methodology aligned with the Statement of Work and service by Qiagen-certified technicians. Price evaluation includes the base year and all four option years, plus a potential six-month extension, with pricing required for each line item covering maintenance for instruments with specific serial numbers. The period of performance spans from May 22, 2026, to December 22, 2031, with services to be performed on-site in Maricopa, under FOB Destination terms. Contractors must submit a maintenance schedule upon award and a written report within seven days of each maintenance or repair action. All work must be performed by qualified OEM technicians, with full coverage of parts, labor, and travel included. The contract includes mandatory clauses related to whistleblower rights, human trafficking, equal opportunity, labor standards, cybersecurity, subcontracting, payment methods, and anti-discrimination compliance, including adherence to Executive Orders 14168 and 14173 regarding DEI. Contractors are prohibited from using federal data for AI or machine learning training, indemnifying the government, or imposing restrictive terms such as data residency limitations, audit rights, or automated decision-making. Payment will be processed electronically, with invoices sent to the specified Beltsville, Maryland address, and all offerors must maintain active SAM.gov registration with a valid UEI. No packaging, preservation, or marking requirements are specified, and no contract value estimate is provided due to unpopulated pricing lines in the solicitation.