J--MAINTENANCE OF EQUIPMENT

The USDA Animal Marketing Service’s National Science Laboratory in Gastonia, North Carolina plans to issue a sole source purchase order to Applied Biosystems, based in Foster City, California, for a service agreement supporting Applied Biosystems equipment at their facility. This procurement is conducted under sole source authority in accordance with FAR 6.302-1 and U.S.C. 253(c)(1), meaning it will not be open for competitive bidding. The purpose of this notice is to inform interested parties and gather information to determine whether a competitive process might later be pursued, though the government retains full discretion in this decision. The procurement will follow simplified acquisition procedures and commercial item acquisition regulations outlined in FAR Part 12, with the relevant NAICS code being 811310, which covers equipment maintenance services. The contract, titled "Maintenance of Equipment," was announced with solicitation number PR107331 and posted on May 22, 2007. The responsible agency office is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, under the Department of Agriculture. While the place of performance details are not specified in the notice beyond the Gastonia, NC laboratory, inquiries about the contract can be directed via email to the USDA contact address provided. This contracting action underscores the USDA’s reliance on specialized service and maintenance support for critical laboratory equipment from a single-source provider.