Cotton HVI Extended Warranty

This contract, identified by solicitation number 12639526Q0136, is a combined synopsis and solicitation for commercial services issued under FAR Part 12 as a Request for Quotation, with no separate written solicitation to follow. It seeks comprehensive 10-year extended warranty and full-service maintenance for ten 2026 Cotton Classifying High Volume Instruments (HVIs), with performance beginning June 1, 2026, and concluding June 30, 2036. The contract is structured as a Firm-Fixed-Price Indefinite-Delivery/Indefinite-Quantity (FFP IDIQ), featuring a base period and eighteen optional six-month ordering periods, allowing for flexible task order execution as required. All services must be delivered nationally and include 24/7 technical support, same or next-day shipping of certified spare parts, on-site repairs, equipment relocation at no extra cost, and full compliance with OEM specifications from Uster Technologies (Cage Code: 1EBK6). A Certificate of Conformance compliant with FAR 52.246-15 must accompany all shipments, refurbished parts must display technician initials and inspection dates, and replacement parts must maintain a defect rate of no more than 20%. The acquisition is a Total Small Business Set-Aside under NAICS code 811310, with a small business size standard of $12.5 million, and is restricted solely to responsible small business entities. The award will be made to the highest technically rated offeror, provided the proposed price is fair and reasonable and past performance is rated acceptable or neutral—no tradeoffs between cost and technical merit are allowed, and the lowest price is not determinative. Evaluation focuses primarily on technical approach, including schedule adherence and clarity of compliance with the Statement of Work; price and past performance serve as gatekeeper criteria. Special contract requirements strictly prohibit supplier-imposed terms such as indemnification clauses, restrictions on government use of products, data mining, algorithmic profiling of government personnel, unauthorized audits, forced geographic data storage, and use of government data for AI training or commercial purposes. The contract mandates adherence to a suite of FAR clauses including whistleblower protections, anti-trafficking requirements, small business subcontracting plans with alternate III and IV, accelerated payments to small business subcontractors, and restrictions on unauthorized obligations. Payment is to be directed to USDA APHIS in Minneapolis, MN, and proposals must be submitted via