Notice of Intent to Restrict Competition IITF Plant Tissue Samples

This is a notice of the USDA Forest Service’s intent to restrict competition under the Simplified Acquisition Threshold. In accordance with the Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Overhaul (RFO) FAR 12.102 (a), the following documents the decision to restrict competition for this acquisition. The International Institute of Tropical Forestry (IITF) provides scientific research as part of US Forest Service (USFS) Research and Development under the Department of Agriculture, located in San Juan PR. As part of its mission to deliver reliable scientific data, the Institute requires continuity in analytical methodology and accurate laboratory analysis of plant tissue samples. Maintaining methodological consistency is essential to support ongoing research activities and ensure comparability with historical datasets that span multiple years. The contractor can fulfil the contract by analyzing 479 plant tissue samples with the requested methodology (standard acid digestion followed by ICP analysis) . The purpose is to determine concentrations of phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), boron (B), aluminum (Al), zinc (Zn),sulfur (S) and sodium (Na) using acid digestion and standard ICP analysis. All responsible sources may submit an inquiry as appropriate, which will be considered by the agency. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 541380 Testing Laboratories and Services $19 Million. The desired period of performance for the services described herein is anticipated to be from October 1, 2026 through April 30, 2027.