B--MACROINVERTEBRATE SAMPLE ANALYSIS

The U.S. Geological Survey Colorado Water Science Center is conducting market research via a sources sought notice, solicitation number 140G0226Q0177, to identify capable small businesses for the analysis of 14 benthic macroinvertebrate samples. Collected from streams near Colorado Springs and Pueblo, Colorado, these samples require processing at the Denver Federal Center. The scope of work involves sorting a minimum of 300 organisms per sample, searching for large or rare taxa, and adhering to the processing standards established by Barbour et al. (1999). The government requires the contractor to provide all necessary labor, materials, and equipment, specifically seeking experts in entomology with extensive knowledge of benthic taxa in the Southern Rockies and Southwestern Tablelands Level III ecoregions. Key technical requirements include the preservation of midges and oligochaetes via microscope slide mounting and the permanent mounting of any new taxa for voucher collection. All extracted organisms and detritus must be retained, with closely related taxa organized into vials labeled by sample identification number and date. This notice is for market research purposes only and is not a formal solicitation. Interested small businesses, including HUBZone, 8(a), and service-disabled veteran-owned firms, must submit their firm's name, address, phone number, UEI number, and socioeconomic status to the designated contact by September 11, 2026.