SOURCES SOUGHT
87 -- Powdered Agar
- Notice Date
- 11/4/2005
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 325414
— Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Administrative Services Division/Contracting, 100 North 6TH Street Butler Square 5TH Floor, Minneapolis, MN, 55403
- ZIP Code
- 55403
- Solicitation Number
- Reference-Number-AGAR-01
- Response Due
- 11/23/2005
- Archive Date
- 12/8/2005
- Description
- The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Pink Bollworm Rearing Facility (PBWRF), has a requirement for powdered agar which is used as a binding agent in the artificial insect diet prepared for rearing larvae of the pink bollworm. Contrary to most artificial insect diets containing agar, the pink bollworm diet is not left intact as poured, but is shredded into noodles approximately 5 mm wide and of varying thickness and length. Because of this special method of use, the agar acts more as a binding agent than it does a gelling agent as in other insect diets. As such, the requirements are more critical in terms of physical properties especially the strength of the gel and the ability to retain moisture for a relatively long period of time. The critical specifications the agar must meet are viscosity (2.4% concentration), moisture retention (2.4% concentration), and gel strength (1.34% concentration). The purpose of this sources sought is to verify there are companies available that can provide the required agar and to obtain information regarding current market prices for agar. The USDA, APHIS, PPQ, PBWRF anticipates purchasing 45,000 pounds of agar and the product for this acquisition must be delivered to the facility by February 1, 2006. The agar for this requirement must meet the following technical specifications: 1.) The diet product of the water-soluble extract of Pterocladium, Gelidium or of Gracilaria confervoides. All material supplied under this contract shall be of the same type of seaweed and from the same geographical source. 2.) Not contain more than 6.5% total ash, on a dry weight basis. 3.) Not contain more than 0.5% acid--insoluble ash, on a dry weight basis. 4.) Not lose more than 20% weight when dried at 105 degrees C. for five hours. 5.) The particle size shall be: More than 75% (by weight) shall pass through a #60 U.S. Standard sieve. 6.) Must not cause a 6% reduction for a period of seven continuous days in the yield of insects, size of insects, or reproductive potential (oviposition rate), nor affect the life cycle by an increase of 24 hours or more as determined by USDA bioassay after award of contract, i.e. no bioassay of the sample is done because of the length of time required. 7.) A 2.4% agar-base liquid diet shall have low enough viscosity between 58 degrees C. and 85 degrees C. that it can be readily transferred from one vessel to another within that temperature range. 8.) Agar must have a gel strength of 1200 g pressure or more as determined with FMC agar gel testing machine. 9.) The gel point shall be within 32 degrees to 45 degrees C. and the melting point shall be within 85 degrees to 89 degrees C. 10.) Must readily dissolve in boiling water within 5 minutes. 11.) Microbial content shall not exceed 10,000 micro-organisms per gram and must be free of other contaminants. The raw product is placed on sterile, nutrient agar plates to measure microbial content and is examined for macro contaminants when particle size is measured. 12.) Be packed in a double bag system consisting of a woven polypropylene outer bag and a separate heavy'polyethylene inner bag or fiberboard/cardboard drums. Each container shall be sound,clean, well sealed, and marked with product name, lot number, net weight;- contract number and name of Contractor. Contractors interested in this future procurement may submit a one (1) pound sample, shipped separate from the actual sources sought information (pricing and availability information), to the PBWRF in, Phoenix, Arizona. Contractors who submit a sample in response to this sources sought will not need to submit a sample with the solicitation unless this agar sample differs in any way from the item to be supplied to the PBWRF in the event of contract award. Contractor shall furnish for each sample supplied, the species of algae (binomial scientific name), geographical source, and time of year the seaweed was collected. The one (1) pound sample should be sent to the following location by the date and time specified for receipt of responses to this sources sought: USDA, APHIS, Plant Protection and Quarantine Pink Bollworm Rearing Facility Attn: Ernie Miller 3645 E. Chipman Phoenix, Arizona 85040 Please submit information which describes your company?s technical capabilities, your company?s ability to provide the requested amount of agar by the deadline listed above, as well an indication of the market price range for this agar with an FOB destination of Phoenix, Arizona. In accordance with the socioeconomic goals of the USDA, we are specifically interested in doing a 100% small business set-aside, however, this does not preclude any company from submitting a response as we will take all information into consideration when determining how to proceed with this acquisition. The Government acknowledges that responses to this sources sought are not binding offers and recognize that market pricing may change. In order to obtain a formal offer the Government will release a formal solicitation. The purpose of this sources sought is solely to obtain information and sources for our future requirement. Responses to this Sources Sought are due by Wednesday, November 23, 2005. You may send your response to the attention of Corinne Nygren by mail, by fax to 612-370-2106, or by email to Corinne.m.nygren@aphis.usda.gov.
- Place of Performance
- Address: USDA, APHIS, PPQ, PBWRF, 3645 E. Chipman Road, Phoenix, AZ
- Zip Code: 85040
- Country: United States
- Zip Code: 85040
- Record
- SN00926339-W 20051106/051104211655 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
| FSG Index | This Issue's Index | Today's FBO Daily Index Page |