Two-Liter Autoclavable Glass Bioreactor Vessels (must be compatible) with Sartorius Biostat-B Bioreactor Control Units

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This solicitation is for the procurement of 12 bioreactor 2-liter autoclavable glass vessels. These vessels must be compatible with Sartorius Biostat-B Bioreactor control units and include required parts as detailed in Attachment 2 – Specifications. The government intends to award a sole-source, firm-fixed-price contract.

• 12 bioreactor 2-liter autoclavable glass vessels.

• Vessels must be compatible with Sartorius Biostat-B Bioreactor control units and required parts.

• Detailed specifications are provided in Attachment 2 – Specifications.

• Delivery is required by June 30, 2026. Early deliveries are accepted.

• Contract Type: Firm-Fixed Price.

• Award anticipated as sole-source.

• Submission Deadline: Friday, May 1, 2026, not later than 12:00 p.m. Central Time, via email to monte.jordan@usda.gov.

• Offer Acceptance Period: 60 calendar days from the offer receipt date.

• Evaluation Criteria: Lowest price technically acceptable. Quotes will be evaluated on Price, Technical Acceptability, and Past Performance.

  • Price: Must be fair and reasonable. Include quantity discounts and prompt payment discounts.
  • Technical Acceptability: Offerors must demonstrate capability to meet all salient characteristics with sufficient descriptive literature or documentation. Failure to do so will result in technical unacceptability.
  • Past Performance: Evaluated as Acceptable, Neutral, or Unacceptable based on prior contract performance.

• Required Documentation: Signed and dated offers including Price Quotation (with item description, unit price, total price, and SAM UEI), and Technical Proposal describing product features and specifications.

• Not specified as a small business set-aside.

• Attachments: Attachment 1 – Terms and Conditions, Attachment 2 – Specifications, Attachment 3 – Approved Buy American Act Waiver.

• Clauses: Incorporates numerous FAR and AGAR clauses, including specific terms related to Anti-Discrimination and DEI Compliance (AGAR 452.203-71) and Unenforceable Supplier Terms (AGAR 452.203-72).

• Protests: Information provided on the USDA Ombudsman Program for Agency Protests.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This document outlines the specifications for the procurement of 12 new, 2-liter, autoclavable glass bioreactor vessels and associated parts. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Midwest Area (MWA), National Center for Agricultural Research (NCAR), Bioenergy Research Unit (BRU) in Peoria, IL requires these vessels to be compatible with their existing Sartorius Biostat-B Bioreactor control units.

• Quantity: 12 units

• Type: New, 2-liter, autoclavable glass bioreactor vessels.

• Compatibility: Must be compatible with current Biostat-B Twin MO bioreactor control units, including stirring mechanism and water-based temperature control systems.

• Connections: Must include connections for double wall UniVessel Glass and connect to control unit water lines. A hose kit for connecting the vessel to the control unit's temperature control is required.

• Head Plate: Stainless steel head plate with specific ports (19 mm, 12 mm, 6 mm options) for temperature probe, oxygen sensor, pH sensor, acid/base/anti-foam and feed additions, anti-foam sensor, water-chilled condenser, and aeration sparge.

• Stirrer Shaft: Stainless steel stirrer shaft with direct coupling to the Biostat-B Twin MO control unit motor.

• Dimensions: Inner dimensions: Diameter = 130mm, Height = 240mm.

• Delivery Schedule: All items are to be delivered no later than 60 days after the purchase order is provided.

• Delivery Location: USDA, ARS, MWA, NCAR, BRU, 1815 North University Street, Peoria, IL 61604.

• Shipping: Price must include shipping f.o.b Destination, inclusive of all costs.

• Point of Contact: Ronald Hector at 309-681-6098 or ronald.hector@usda.gov for delivery-related inquiries.

• Not specified in this document.

• Specific part numbers are listed for the required components (e.g., SB-18-14-0053 for the vessel, SB-18-14-0023 for the stirrer shaft).

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is a "Made in America Nonavailability Waiver Determination & Findings (D&F)" for the procurement of 12 bioreactor 2-liter autoclavable glass vessels and required parts. It serves to justify the purchase of items not manufactured in the United States due to a lack of sufficient and reasonably available commercial quantities of satisfactory quality.

• Agency: USDA, ARS, MWA, National Center for Aquacultural Utilization Research (NCAUR), Bioenergy Research Unit (BRU), Peoria, IL.
• Product: 12 bioreactor 2-liter autoclavable glass vessels and required parts.
• Compatibility Requirement: Must be compatible with Sartorius Biostat-B Bioreactor Control Units.
• Specific Features: Includes compatibility with current control units, stirring mechanism, water-based temperature control, double wall UniVessel Glass connections, hose kit, stainless steel head plate with specific port sizes (19mm, 12mm, 6mm), and a stainless steel stirrer shaft.
• Dimensions: Inner dimensions of 130mm diameter and 240mm height.
• Origin: Germany.
• Estimated Value: $69,000.00.
• Period of Performance: 04/01/2026 – 05/18/2026.
• Market Research: Extensive research confirmed that Sartorius bioreactor vessels are only sold through Sartorius Stedim North America, Inc., and no compatible products made in America were identified.
• Competition: Competition is not anticipated as the required vessels must be compatible with existing Sartorius control units and are only available from that vendor.
• Buy American Act: The solicitation will include standard BAA provisions announcing the agency's intention to provide a price preference for domestic products.

This document indicates a non-availability waiver for specific bioreactor vessels. Bidders should note that the procurement is restricted to Sartorius Stedim North America, Inc. due to compatibility requirements with existing equipment and the lack of identified domestic alternatives. This waiver is crucial for understanding why a specific vendor is being targeted and why domestic competition may not be feasible for this particular requirement.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document outlines the specifications for bioreactor vessels required by the USDA, Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Bioenergy Research Unit (BRU) in Peoria, IL. It details the minimum requirements for new, autoclavable glass vessels compatible with existing Sartorius Biostat-B Bioreactor control units.

• Quantity: 12 new, 2-liter, autoclavable glass vessels and required parts.
• Compatibility: Must be compatible with Sartorius Biostat-B Twin MO bioreactor control units, including stirring mechanism and water-based temperature control systems.
• Connections: Requires specific ports on the stainless steel head plate (19 mm, 12 mm, 6 mm options) for various sensors (temperature, oxygen, pH, anti-foam) and accessories, as well as connections for double wall UniVessel Glass and control unit water lines.
• Stirrer: Stainless steel stirrer shaft with direct coupling to the control unit motor.
• Dimensions: Inner diameter = 130mm, Height = 240mm.
• Included Parts: Hose kit to connect the vessel to the control unit temperature control.

This attachment provides the critical technical specifications for the bioreactor vessels. Bidders must ensure their proposed products meet all listed compatibility, connection, material, and dimensional requirements. The document also specifies the delivery location (USDA, ARS, NCAR, BRU, Peoria, IL 61604) and a delivery schedule of no later than 60 days after purchase order issuance. Shipping costs (f.o.b Destination) must be included in the price. Contact information for Ronald Hector is provided for delivery inquiries.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This solicitation is for the procurement of 12 bioreactor 2-liter autoclavable glass vessels compatible with Sartorius Biostat-B Bioreactor control units and required parts. The government intends to award a sole-source, firm-fixed-price contract to continue providing critical resources and expertise for this requirement.

• 12 bioreactor 2-liter autoclavable glass vessels.

• Vessels must be compatible with Sartorius Biostat-B Bioreactor control units and required parts.

• Detailed specifications are provided in Attachment 2 – Technical Specifications.

• FAR 52.225-3 Buy American–Free Trade Agreements–Israeli Trade Act is included, indicating one or more items are subject to Free Trade Agreements.

• Contract Type: Firm-Fixed Price.

• Award Type: Sole-source.

• Delivery: On or before April 20, 2026. Early deliveries will be accepted.

• F.O.B. Destination is requested for all deliverables.

• Submission Deadline: Monday, March 9, 2026, not later than 3:00 p.m. Central Time, via email to monte.jordan@usda.gov.

• Questions Deadline: March 2, 2026, at 12:00 PM Central Time via email to monte.jordan@usda.gov.

• Evaluation Criteria: Lowest price technically acceptable (LPTA).

  • Price: Must be fair and reasonable. Include quantity price discounts and prompt payment discounts.
  • Technical Acceptability: Offerors must demonstrate the ability to meet all salient characteristics with sufficient descriptive literature or documentation. Failure to do so will result in technical unacceptability.
  • Past Performance: Evaluated as Acceptable, Neutral, or Unacceptable based on prior contract performance.

• Offer Acceptance Period: 60 calendar days from the receipt of offers.

• No specific set-aside is mentioned. However, numerous small business-related FAR clauses are listed as applicable if checked, suggesting potential consideration.

• Offerors are not required to meet a qualification requirement for award.

• This solicitation incorporates numerous FAR and AGAR clauses by reference and in full text. Key clauses include FAR 52.212-4 (Terms and Conditions—Commercial Products and Commercial Services), FAR 52.225-3 (Buy American–Free Trade Agreements–Israeli Trade Act), and AGAR 452.203-71 (Anti-Discrimination and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Compliance).

• Attachment 1 – Solicitation Terms and Conditions and Attachment 2 – Technical Specifications are critical documents.

• Offerors must provide their SAM Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) Number and denote the Country of Product Origin for each CLIN.

• Agency protests should first be directed to the Contracting Officer, with an option to escalate to the USDA Ombudsman Program.

Other / Unclassified

This document is a "Justification and Approval" (J&A) for restricting competition for an acquisition under the Simplified Acquisition Threshold. It details the decision to award a sole-source, firm-fixed price contract for 12 bioreactor 2-liter autoclavable glass vessels.

This document is highly relevant to potential bidders as it explains why competition is being restricted. It indicates that the required bioreactor vessels must be compatible with existing Sartorius Biostat-B Bioreactor control units currently in use by the agency. Market research found no comparable products made in America, and Sartorius bioreactor vessels are only sold through Sartorius. This suggests that only Sartorius Stedim North America, Inc. can meet the government's specific needs for this acquisition, effectively precluding other vendors from bidding on this particular requirement.