Special NoticePosted Aug 26, 2026·Responses due Sep 1, 2026

Notice of Intent to Sole Source: Acquisition of Gel/Membrane Digital Imager and Analysis System

Forest Service · USDA-FS, CSA EAST 6

Stage
Early notice (sources sought, presolicitation or special notice)
NAICS
334516
Value
Not stated
Solicitation
1175141
Set-aside
No Set aside used
PSC
6640
Place
Ames, IA, USA
Contact
Jordan Wheelock (Michael.Wheelock@usda.gov)
CSV Email

Capture briefs (a one-page, shareable copy of this page) are part of Pro. The CSV here holds the notice, its timeline and past awards.

Where this opportunity stands

Every notice posted under solicitation 1175141 in this department, oldest first.

Early notice
  • Aug 26, 2026 · this notice
    Special Notice
Solicitation
None posted
Award
Not yet. Typical award: Oct 18, 2026 to Jan 13, 2027, middle of the range Nov 19, 2026.
Measured from 92 past early notices at Forest Service that later posted an award (middle half of cases, counted from Aug 26, 2026).

Next steps for this stage

Standard steps for the notice type; not advice about this buyer.

  • Answer the notice: this is when the requirement can still be shaped.
  • Contact the contracting officer named on the notice.
  • Check who won similar work; they are the likely bidders.

What the notice says

The USDA, Agricultural Research Service (ARS), National Animal Disease Center (NADC) in Ames, IA, intends to award a sole-source, firm-fixed-price contract to Azure Biosystems, Inc. (Unique Entity ID: HL4SNBDGMQG5) for the acquisition of one (1) Azure 300 Gel/Membrane Digital Imager and Analysis System (Product No. AZI300-01), along with a color trans-white light table bundle, image analysis software, and required shipping. Statutory Authority: This acquisition is being conducted under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), soliciting from a single source for purchases not exceeding the Simplifi… (show all)

ed Acquisition Threshold (SAT). Rationale: Market research indicates that Azure Biosystems is the only known manufacturer capable of providing a digital imager that meets all agency baseline specifications�specifically a space-saving footprint not exceeding 50 x 60 x 40 cm (W x H x D), a built-in touchscreen computer running internal capture software (operating independently without requiring an active internet connection), an integrated 9.1 MP CCD sensor cooled to -50�C below ambient, dual-wavelength UV transillumination (302nm/365nm), and automatic image focusing. Alternate systems identified do not fit the established lab footprint constraint or possess inferior camera capabilities. Responses: This notice is not a request for competitive proposals or quotations. However, responsible sources who believe they can fully provide an equivalent system meeting all exact dimensions and technical thresholds may submit a written capability statement. Capability statements must be received by the closing date of this notice and sent via email to Michael J. Wheelock at Michael.Wheelock@usda.gov. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed action based upon responses is solely within the discretion of the Government.

Who won similar work

5 award notices on SAM.gov in the last 24 months. Match: Same agency (Forest Service), same NAICS 334516.

WinnerAwardsValueLast
Suncore Distribution LLC1$232KMar 28, 2025
AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES INC · $A1$79KSep 24, 2026
VCLOUD GOV INC.1$30KFeb 6, 2026
DATA DETECTION TECHNOLOGIES INC1$23KSep 30, 2026
COMSIS SOLUTIONS LLC1$23KSep 30, 2026

Value counts single-winner awards. "Shared" awards are multiple-award contracts that list every winner with the same total ceiling; that ceiling is not one company's win, so it is not added in.

Latest awards

Competitive landscape

For the 5 most frequent past winners above. Lobbying is matched by the company's exact name or exact ticker; agencies are as named on the filings.

  • 0 of these past winners lobbied U.S. Forest Service since 2024 (0 filings)
  • 0 of their lobbyists list a past U.S. Forest Service job
  • No corporate PAC money from them to the overseeing committees since 2024
  • 0 foreign-agent (FARA) registrations
See who and the source records with Pro

Policy around it

Bills the past winners named while lobbying this agency's issues, rules from the department, and executive orders that name the agency, last 12 months.

  • 0 bills named on the past winners' lobbying filings
  • 15 rules from the department in the last 12 months
  • 0 executive orders naming the agency in the last 12 months
See who and the source records with Pro

Market

For past winners matched exactly to a listed company. Insider trades are open-market buys and sells (Form 4) in the last 90 days, shown as facts; our own study found insiders do not reliably buy ahead of awards.

  • 1 of the past winners are listed companies
  • 0 insider buys and 1 insider sells at them in the last 90 days
See who and the source records with Pro

Sources: SAM.gov notices and award notices; Senate LDA lobbying filings; FEC filings; FARA; Federal Register; congress.gov; SEC Form 4. Every row above links to its record.

Companies are matched to tickers by exact name only. A company we could not match shows no market rows; that is a miss, not a finding.