Quadrupedal Unmanned Ground Vehicle System

This solicitation, numbered 1232SA26Q0968, is a combined synopsis and request for quotation for a Quadrupedal Unmanned Ground Vehicle System under FAR Part 12, issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service in Beltsville, Maryland. It is an unrestricted, non-set-aside acquisition with a North American Industry Classification System code of 334516 and a small business size standard of 1,000 employees. The government is seeking a firm-fixed-price contract to acquire a single quadrupedal UGV along with one spare hot-swappable battery, with delivery required within 60 days after award. The system must be capable of autonomous navigation in unstructured crop fields, achieve a minimum speed of 1.5 m/s, climb up to 0.3 m steps, weigh no more than 75 pounds, provide 150 W of payload power with at least two interface options, support Python SDK and NVIDIA Isaac simulation, include multi-band Wi-Fi, and meet IP54 or higher ingress protection. The evaluation method is Lowest Price Technically Acceptable, requiring quotations to meet minimum technical standards and past performance thresholds before price becomes the determining factor for award. Technical acceptability and past performance serve as pass/fail criteria, with the lowest-priced technically acceptable offer selected. The offeror must comply with multiple FAR clauses covering ethics, cybersecurity, procurement integrity, labor standards, Buy American requirements, and data sovereignty, including mandatory adherence to prohibitions on supplier-imposed terms that restrict government access, data use, or audit rights. Supplier terms relating to AI training using government data, user behavior tracking, automatic decision-making, or financial penalties for non-exercise of options are explicitly unenforceable. The UGV must meet all specified characteristics and be identified by brand, make, and model, supported by sufficient descriptive literature. Delivery must be F.O.B. destination to 303 Powder Mill Road, Beltsville, MD 20705, and all submissions must be sent electronically to Brian.Fien@usda.gov by August 3, 2026. Offerors are required to be registered in SAM.gov and provide a UEI and CAGE code but are not required to submit socioeconomic certifications as the acquisition is unrestricted. Compliance with the AGAR Unenforceable Supplier Terms clause is critical, as any contractual term not explicitly authorized by the government is invalid, including restrictions