LA-LS Screen seed cleaner - Sole Source notification

The Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service, specifically the Forage Seed and Cereal Research Unit, intends to award a sole source firm-fixed price contract to West Coast Companies for the procurement of a Westrup LA-LS small-scale laboratory air screen cleaner. The total estimated value of the acquisition is 52,292 dollars, which includes 46,592 dollars for the base unit in fiscal year 2026 and 5,700 dollars for shipping in fiscal year 2027. The equipment will be utilized in Corvallis, Oregon, to accurately process seed samples for clean weights, prepare seeds for storage and planting, and reduce scheduling conflicts across various research projects. The required seed cleaner must feature two screens for variable seed shapes and sizes, with adjustable settings for screen oscillation speeds, air speed and volume, and hopper feeding speed. Technical specifications include an extended hopper for larger samples, an aspirator to capture light seed and chaff, an aspirated chaff cyclone, and specific outlets for refining seed and removing inert material. This procurement is being conducted as a sole source under the Simplified Acquisition Threshold because market research indicated that West Coast Companies is the only dealer capable of providing the specialized Westrup LA-LS unit in the Pacific Northwest. Interested parties were given until August 31, 2026, to submit capability statements demonstrating if competition would be advantageous to the government.