Replacement of Cooling Tower Base

The contract solicitation 1232SA26Q0642, issued by the USDA Agricultural Research Service under the Department of Agriculture, seeks a total small business set-aside for the replacement of a cooling tower base at the U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory in Fort Pierce, Florida, under NAICS code 238190 with a small business size standard of $19 million. This is a combined synopsis/solicitation prepared under FAR Part 12 as a Request for Quotation, with no separate written solicitation to be issued. The work requires a turnkey solution including all labor, materials, equipment, supervision, permitting, disposal, testing, startup, warranty, and documentation to remove and replace a single structural steel cooling tower frame. Performance must begin within 10 calendar days of contract award and be completed within 120 calendar days after notice to proceed, with work restricted to weekday daylight hours from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., excluding holidays. The evaluation will follow the Lowest Priced Technically Acceptable (LPTA) methodology, where offers are ranked by price and only the lowest priced technically acceptable offer will be selected; technical acceptability is determined by compliance with all material terms of the solicitation, including specifications, clauses, and deliverables such as a project schedule, safety plan, submittals, inspection reports, commissioning reports, as-built drawings, and warranty documentation. All offerors must be small businesses in good standing with an active SAM UEI and Taxpayer Identification Number, and joint ventures must be registered in SAM and submit a signed agreement disclosing ownership and roles. The solicitation mandates compliance with numerous FAR clauses including wage rate requirements under the Copeland Act, labor standards, warranty of construction, whistleblower rights, combating human trafficking, Buy American requirements, accelerated payments to small business subcontractors, and security prohibitions. The contractor is required to submit a complete SF-1442, acknowledge all amendments, provide a bid guarantee of at least 20% of the proposed price up to $3 million, and furnish performance and payment bonds if awarded. Offers must be submitted via email to kelly.wright@usda.gov by the deadline of June 26, 2026, with the subject line "RFQ 1232SA26Q0642", and must remain firm for 90 days. Invoices must be submitted in duplicate to the