Rio Grande NF Macroinvertebrate Analysis

This solicitation, numbered 1240LP26Q0090, is a Request for Quotation issued by the Rio Grande National Forest under the U.S. Department of Agriculture for professional contractor services to process and analyze up to 24 quantitative macroinvertebrate samples collected in lotic environments during 2026 and 2027. The acquisition is a Total Small Business Set-Aside under NAICS Code 541380 with a small business size standard of $19.0 million, and only small business concerns are eligible to respond. The contract will be awarded on a lowest price technically acceptable basis, where technical acceptability and past performance serve as pass/fail criteria, and award will go to the lowest-priced offeror meeting both requirements. Performance must occur at the contractor’s own facility, with no work permitted on U.S. Forest Service lands, and the required work must be conducted by individuals experienced in entomology with a focus on the Rocky Mountain region, following the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s 2017 Standard Operating Procedure. Deliverables include sample data and quality assurance/quality control results submitted in three formats: hardcopy spreadsheet, electronic spreadsheet compatible with Microsoft Access or Excel, and an email-attached electronic copy. Any appended data must be resubmitted in all three forms. The period of performance runs from September 1, 2026, to August 31, 2027, with a maximum contract duration of one year and six months, and turnaround time for analysis must not exceed three months from the final sample delivery. The contract is a firm-fixed price requirements contract with no specified dollar value, and offerors must provide pricing for all line items; failure to do so may disqualify their quotation. Compliance with federal anti-discrimination laws and the Equal Protection Clause is mandatory, with contractors required to certify that they and any subcontractors do not operate programs violating Title VI or VII of the Civil Rights Act or Executive Order 14173, and such certification is a material term of the contract and condition of payment. The Project Manager is the only designated key personnel and must submit a resume demonstrating relevant education and experience. The solicitation incorporates multiple FAR clauses, including those on whistleblower rights, combating trafficking, accelerated payments to small business subcontractors, and security prohibitions. Questions must be submitted via email to stephen.holly@usda.gov by June 18, 2026