USDA, ARS, FMOD, BA, Contracting Section, Bldg. 003, Rm. 329, 10300 Baltimore Ave., Beltsville, Maryland 20705-2350

66 -- MICROARRAY ROBOT SOL 16-3K47-99 DUE 062299 POC Karen Chapman, Contract Specialist, (301)504-5073 This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the 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 is 16-3K47-99 and is issued as a request for quotation (RFQ) and a total small business set-aside. Offers are solicited only from small business concerns. This solicitation incorporates provisions and clauses that are in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 97-11. The standard industrial classification code is 3826, with a small business standard of 500 employees. This equipment shall be delivered, installed and training performed within 90 days of award. Shipped F.O.B. Destination with inside delivery, to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, Maryland 20705. The procurement of the microarray robot, humidity chamber, computer-32MRAM-Pentium, one/maximum two days training/installation, one year extended warranty includes the following minimum requirements. 1) the system shall have a clone tracking system compatible with the Scan Array 4000 or equivalent. Reference CBD Submission No. 334942, Solicitation/RFQ No. 14-3K47-99; 2) interchangeable dispense heads to accommodate two different types of dispensing; 3) vacuum wash station; 4) humidity chamber; 5) high resolution X-Y-Z positioning stage for precise spotting Ca. 5000 elements spotted per 2 square cm.; 6) windows 95/98/NT compatible; 7) wide dynamic dispense volume range (20 nl to 250 ul); 8) spots onto a solid surface such as glass slide and nylon membranes using pin technology; 9) multiple spots can be produced from a single loading of the pin. Year 2000 Warranty -- Information Technology Products; The contractor warrants that hardware, software, and firmware product delivered or developed under this contract, will be able to accurately process date data (including, but not limited to, calculating, comparing, and sequencing) from, into, and between the 20th- and 21st-centuries, including leap year calculations, when used in accordance with the product documentation provided by the contractor, provided that all listed or unlisted items (e.g., hardware, software, firmware) used in combination with such listed products properly exchange date data with it. If the contract requires that specific listed products must perform as a system in accordance with the foregoing warranty, then that warranty will apply to those listed products as a system. The duration of this warranty and the remedies available to the Government for breach of this warranty will be as defined in, and subject to, the terms and limitations of the contractor's standard commercial warranty or any general warranty provisions of this contract, provided that notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in such commercial warranty or general warranty provision(s), or in the absence of any such warranty provision(s), the remedies availableto the Government under this warranty will include repair or replacement of any listed product whose noncompliance is discovered and made known to the contractor in writing within ninety (90) days after acceptance. Nothing in this warranty will be construed to limit any rights or remedies the Government may otherwise have under this contract with respect to defects other than Year 2000 performance. This solicitation incorporates the following FAR clauses, provisions and addendums: 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors -- Commercial; 52.212-2 Evaluation -- Commercial Items; 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications -- Commercial Items; 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions -- Commercial Items; 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes or Executive Orders -- Commercial Items; 52.219-6 Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside; 52.247-34 F.o.b. Destination. In paragraph (b) of 52.212-5 the following apply: 52.222-21, 52.222-26, 52.222-35, 52.222-36, 52.222-37, 52.225-3. 52.222-70 COMPLIANCE WITH VETERANS EMPLOYMENT REPORTING REQUIREMENTS (JAN 1999) (DEVIATION)(USDA). (a) The offeror represents that, if it is subject to the reporting requirements of 38 U.S.C. 4212(d) (i.e., the VETS-100 report required by FAR clause 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Disabled Veterans and Veterans of theVietnam Era), it has [ ], has not [ ], submitted the most recent report required by 38 U.S.C. 4212(d). (b) An offeror who checks "has not" may not be awarded a contract until the required report is filed. CONTRACT PAYMENTS (MANDATORY INFORMATION FOR ELECTRONIC FUNDS TRANSFER) Electronic Funds Transfer compliance with 31 CFR 208. To facilitate EFT for contract payments, FAR clauses 52.232-34 and 52.232-35 (31 CFR Part 208) requires the submission of information by the contractor to the payment office. Upon award, the contractor shall contact the Miscellaneous Payments Section at the National Finance Center (NFC) to initiate the enrollment process of the Vendor Express Program (VXP), which will result in a number being assigned to the contractor for payment under EFT. NFC can be reached at 1-800-421-0323 or at www.nfc.usda.gov. All offerors must include completed copies of 52.212-3 (Representations and Certifications), 52.222-70 (Compliance with Veterans Employment Reporting Requirements). Fax quotations are acceptable to Karen Chapman (301)504-5009 on or before June 22, 1999 at 4:30 p.m. (EST). Quotations shall include literature, specifications, and other such information corresponding to the requirement which demonstrates the capabilities of the equipment for meeting the requirement. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers: (i) technical capability of the item(s) offered to meet the Government requirement; (ii) price; and (iii) past performance. Posted 06/01/99 (W-SN337487). (0152)

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