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66 -- FLOW CYTOMETER CELL SORTER SOL 07-3K47-96 DUE 050796 POC Debra Kaelberer, Contract Specialist, 301-504-5548. This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with format in FAR Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. The solicitation number, 07-3K47-96, is issued as a request for proposal, and incorporates provisions and clauses that in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 90-37. The standard industrial classification code is 3826, with a small business standard of 500 employees. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's, Agricultural Research Service located in Beltsville, MD, intends to noncompetitively negotiate with Cytomation, Inc., 400 E. Horsetooth Road, Fort Collins, Co 80525. The proposed contract will include one contract line item as follows: a flow cytometer/cell sorter for the primary purpose of sorting X- from Y-chromosome bearing domestic livestock sperm at much higher speeds than is possible with existing equipment. The flow cytometer/cell sorter must be designed as a high speed cell sorter and as such requires an electronic system using parallel processing of digital signals. This electronic system must be expandable for future addition of detectors/measurement parameters and compatible with existing electronics already present in the procuring laboratory. As procured, four detectors are required. Sort decisions must be made with non-rectangular sort windows without compromising electronic decision making performance. The sorter will need to accommodate a Coherent Nova 300 laser for UV excitation and up to two additional lasers for future expansion. The sorter must not only readily accept a forward fluorescence detector (photo multiplier tube), but also be of an open architecture design for planned and future optical modifications to the laser bench. The unit must be a research instrument that allows for ongoing modification of hardware and adaptation of optics and fluidics to protocol development needs. The sorter must operate under high fluid pressures to allow fast generation of sorting droplets (up to 100 psi for 200,000 drops/sec). The droplet formation must be visible with a camera while the forward fluorescence detector is in place. High (97-100%) recovery at single droplet deflection is necessary. This necessitates drop delay settings to within a fraction of droplet (1/16th of a drop). Delivery is FOB destination to the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, MD. Delivery is required on or about June 10, 1996 or within 30 days after award. Any interested/qualified source who believes they can provide the required equipment must respond by 3:00 pm. May 7, 1996. All such responses will be evaluated in order to determine the ability to meet the above stated capabilities. The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers; Technical capability, past performances, and price. The offerors shall identify where the offered item meets or does not meets each of the Government functional and performance minimum specification listed herein. Responses shall include literature, brochures, and other such information corresponding to the required items which demonstrates the capabilities of the offeror's equipment. The following FAR clauses and provision apply: FAR 52.212.1, Instruction to Offerors-Commercial Items; 52.212-2 Evaluation-Commericial item; with the following evaluation criteria; awarded to a technically acceptable offeror, at fair and reasonable price; 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items. The followiing FAR clauses in paragraph (b) of FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statues or Executive Orders-Commercial Items, will apply to the resultant contract: 52.203-6, 52.203-10, 52-219-8, 52.219-9, 52.222-26, 52.222-35, 52.222-36, 52.222-37, 52.225-3, 52.225-18 and 52.225-21. All offerors must include a completed copy of FAR 52.212-3 with their response. Because this is a commercial item FAR 12.603(c)(3)(ii) will be used for establishing the solicitation response time rather than the time established in Note 22 which, in this instance, is not applicable to this commerical acquisition. (0108)

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