Award and Justification - Acquisition of a Flow Cytometry Instrument

This contract is a sole-source, firm fixed-price award for the procurement of a spectral flow cytometer with integrated cell imaging capabilities, valued at $398,370, delivered within 90 days to the USDA laboratory in Ames, Iowa. The instrument, specifically the BD FACSDiscover A8 system, is uniquely required to meet technical specifications that no other vendor can fulfill, including a five-laser configuration, 78 fluorescence avalanche photodiode detectors, real-time cell imaging, orthogonal frequency domain multiplexing, and system-aware spectral unmixing. Full compatibility with the USDA’s proprietary FlowJo software is mandatory, and the award includes three software licenses, a standalone computer, an extended two-year warranty, onsite installation, user training, technical support, and ancillary items such as calibration beads, Trucount Absolute Counting Tubes, detergent solution, and MSB 150 test setup. The procurement is justified under 41 U.S.C. § 1901 and FAR 12.201-1, citing complete technical exclusivity of the BD system, as competitors fail to meet any of the non-negotiable performance criteria, rendering full and open competition impractical. The contract follows a lowest price technically acceptable approach, with only BD Biosciences deemed responsive. Acceptance occurs at the Ames facility after installation and verification against all specified criteria, ensuring seamless integration into existing USDA research workflows focused on regulatory testing, reagent development, and the advancement of non-animal testing alternatives. No other contract clauses, evaluation weights, socioeconomic representations, or detailed packaging instructions are provided, indicating the instrument acquisition is treated as a simplified commercial item under civilian procurement rules, governed entirely by the technical exclusivity and fixed pricing structure.