Automated Slide Scanner

This solicitation, numbered 1232SA26Q0676, is a combined synopsis and Request for Quotation for an Automated Slide Scanner issued under FAR Part 12 as a commercial item acquisition, with all responses due by June 5, 2026, at 1600 hrs CDT to Contracting Specialist James Porter at james.porter@usda.gov. The procurement is a Total Small Business Set-Aside under NAICS code 334516, with a size standard of 1,000 employees, and is restricted to small business concerns only. Offerors must be registered in the System for Award Management with a valid Unique Entity ID and must certify their size status and socioeconomic designation, including potential Women-Owned Small Business status. The contract requires delivery of a fully integrated slide-scanning system with 20-slide capacity, capable of ultra-high-resolution imaging up to 400X magnification and 0.5 µm resolution, supporting automated tissue detection, autofocus, and Extended Depth of Field (EDF) software for focus-stacking, along with an integrated barcode reader and control computer. The system must be traceable to the OEM, Glissando RS20 or equal, and accompanied by a Certificate of Conformance per FAR 52.246-15. Delivery is F.O.B. Destination to the USDA Systematic Entomology Laboratory at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, with a required delivery timeline of 30 days post-order placement and performance extending from June 15, 2026, through December 31, 2026. Evaluation will follow the Lowest Price Technically Acceptable methodology, prioritizing price first and then assessing technical acceptability and past performance as adjectival ratings—only the lowest-priced technically acceptable offer with acceptable or neutral past performance will be selected. Contractors must comply with a broad array of FAR clauses, including restrictions on subcontracting, code of ethics, personal identity verification, Buy American provisions, and anti-discrimination and DEI certification under AGAR 452.203-70, which prohibits funding or promoting DEI initiatives that violate civil rights statutes. Special restrictions include explicit prohibitions on supplier-imposed indemnification, data transfer outside the U.S., algorithmic decision-making without transparency and auditability, automatic renewals, and unilateral service suspension. The government retains full rights to use, access, and retain all data and