Automated Soil Core Sampling System Manufacturer

The contract seeks a small business manufacturer to design and build an automated push-probe soil sampler capable of collecting undisturbed soil cores up to 8 feet in depth. The system must be compatible with operation from a UTV or small tractor and include driver-accessible controls for ease of use in field conditions. Integrated GPS functionality is required to log the exact geographic location of each core sample, ensuring accurate spatial data collection for agricultural and environmental research. The technology must be robust enough for repeated field use and capable of delivering consistent, high-quality core samples without soil disturbance. Performance of this contract is centered at Kimberly, Idaho, with a total small business set-aside designation under SBA guidelines, ensuring eligibility is restricted to small businesses as defined by the NAICS code 333111 for agricultural machinery manufacturing. The solicitation was posted on June 24, 2026, and responses are due by July 6, 2026, at 7:00 PM Eastern Time. The agency responsible is the USDA Agricultural Research Service, specifically the Arid Land Agricultural Research Center, indicating the system will support soil science research in arid and semi-arid agricultural environments. The subcontract is intended to support operational advancements in field-based soil sampling for scientific and resource management applications.