12905B24SS1174122 – Sources Sought for Dry Bean Winter Nursery USDA-ARS East Lansing MIview on SAM.gov

This is a Sources Sought notice Only. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. This Sources Sought is issued for information and planning purposes only as part of USDA ARS market research and does not itself constitute an RFQ. This requirement is covered under NAICS code 111421 with a small business size of $3.2M. Responses may suggest alternative NAICS for considers. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding the availability and capability of qualified sources; Small Businesses; HUBZone small business; service-disabled, veteran-owned small business; 8(a) small business; veteran-owned small business; woman-owned small business; or small disadvantaged businesses; Responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. Procure a winter nursery in Puerto Rico to support the ARS Sugar Beet and Bean Research Unit (SBRU), East Lansing, MI dry bean breeding program. The winter nursery is used to advance breeding materials by a generation over the winter, which greatly speeds up breeding progress. Bean seeds from an estimated 500 to 800 entries will be shipped from East Lansing to Puerto Rico in September 2026 for planting in the winter nursery. Seed must be planted by December 2026. Seeds from each entry should be planted in 10 ft rows. Bean plants must be well-maintained during the growing season with sufficient water, fertilizer, and weed management to produce a healthy crop. Seed should be bulk harvested via row and shipped back to East Lansing, MI by April 2027. The Government does not intend to make an award based on responses to this inquiry. This notice does not constitute a commitment by the Government. Capability Statement All information submitted in response to this announcement is voluntary, and the Government will not pay for information requested nor will it compensate any respondent for any cost incurred in developing information provided to the Government. Business concerns that possess the capabilities necessary to undertake this work should submit complete documentation of their capabilities to the Contracting Officer. Capability statements shall include the Contractors contact point to discuss their response. The capability statement should include: 1) Acknowledgement that they are able to provide the subject supplies/services being requested; 2) Interested vendors should identify their size standards in accordance with the Small Business Administration; 3) At least three previous requirements that are similar to the requirement include a discussion of the Contract type, delivery method, duration, etc.; 4) Any other information considered relevant to this requirement; and 5) The government requests that no proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in the response. Any vendor responding to this notice should ensure that its response…