The USDA , Grain Inspection Packaging Services, Federal Grain Inspection Service Facility in League City, Texas intends to negotiate on a sole source basis, under authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), with FOSS North American in Eden Prarie, MN , for the acquisition of 1each Infratec 1241 Basic 2 (PART # 12410222) needed for obtaining protein results, using the USDA, FGIS approved instrument. This instrument is used as a NIRT (Near-Infrared Transmittance), Infrared method to obtained protein results from grain. Items needed: See attached In order to provide the highest quality service, GIPSA has standardized its methods and equipment. Only these specific methods and equipment are to be used. The Infratec 1241 Is a highly specialized piece of equipment already previously purchased and in use at the GIPSA League City, Texas facility for several years. This item can be found on the official GIPSA Approved Equipment List , and is referenced several times in the Official GIPSA Near-Infrared Transmittance Handbook (NIRT) For several years, producers of specialty varieties of corn grown for a particular end-use expressed an interest and need to analyze corn for oil, protein and starch. A 1996/97 quality report estimated that approximately 3.2 to 3.8 percent of the U.S. harvested acreage were specialty varieties. Future crop production estimates identified High-Oil Corn (HOC) as the fastest growing specialty corn in the United States. By the year 2000, production of HOC is expected to reach 3 million acres and represent a significant part of the specialty varieties produced and traded in the marketplace. HOC is used primarily by livestock feeders to replace animal fat previously added to livestock rations and to help animals gain weight more rapidly. Due to the anticipated increase in specialty corn production and market demand for reliable official testing procedures, GIPSA offers protein, oil, and starch testing as an official testing service. This lets GIPSA provide the corn industry with accurate results that the industry can rely on to negotiate price while providing the best information possible to determine end-product yield. The testing service is provided by GIPSA and official agencies equipped with standardized NIRT instruments. The NIRT calibrations were developed to automatically provide protein, oil, and starch percentages on a dry matter basis. (source - http://www.mindfully.org/Pesticide/OQAS-USDA-GIPSA.htm) Interested sources are encouraged to respond to this publication as interested vendors on the Fedbiz website and/or to the Minneapolis, MN contracting office . Telephonic inquiries will not be honored. Please email all questions regarding subject item(s) prior to Sources Sought closing date to
[email protected]. Small Business concerns are encouraged to participate. This is not a request for competitive proposals, but instead a market research method to determine interested sources. A determination by the Government not to compete this requirement based on responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. No requests for capability briefings will be honored as a result of this notice. Interested sources who submit data are responsible for appropriately marking information if it is proprietary in nature. Please provide Tax I.D. Number, Duns Number, and point of contact information. The Government will not award a contract based on the information received, nor reimburse participants for information or samples they provide. Information or materials provided is strictly voluntary. Please Email or capability statements to Carol Dingess at
[email protected]. fx# 612-336-3550 Email is the preferred method of communication. Telephonic inquiries will not be honored. Closing date for submissions of Statement's of Capability is September 24, 2010 at 4:00PM ET.