Sources SoughtPosted Sep 2, 2026·Responses due Sep 7, 2026

Sources Sought - Fluorescence Microscope

Agriculture (all) · USDA ARS AFM APD

Stage
Early notice (sources sought, presolicitation or special notice)
NAICS
334516
Value
Not stated
Solicitation
1172160-SS
Set-aside
No Set aside used
PSC
6640
Place
Houma, LA, USA
Contact
Kyle Link (kyle.link@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 1172160-SS in this department, oldest first.

Early notice
  • Sep 2, 2026 · this notice
    Sources Sought
Solicitation
None posted
Award
Not yet. Typical award: Oct 3, 2026 to Nov 26, 2026, middle of the range Nov 3, 2026.
Measured from 43 past early notices at Agricultural Research Service that later posted an award (middle half of cases, counted from Sep 2, 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

Sources Sought #1172160-SS 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. General Information The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service, Houma, LA has a need for a Compound Microscope (Olympus BX53) with Phase Contrast and Fluorescent Capabilities. This instrumentation is vital for investigating infection mechanisms through the use of fluores… (show all)

cent protein-tagged fungal and bacterial pathogens in sugarcane, as well as for routine disease diagnosis and pathogen morphology study. Timely identification and study of pathogen introduction are critical to preventing disease establishment and developing management strategies that support farmers, stakeholders, and the overall sugarcane industry. Thus, this instrument is vital in day-to-day laboratory activities. The requested Olympus BX53 from Evident/Olympus is the only known configuration that meets these specific technical requirements. Detailed product specifications and requirements are attached. This Sources Sought is only for the purpose of identifying potential sources as part of USDA ARS market research. 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. Responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding the availability and capability of qualified sources including any Small Businesses; HUBZone small business; service-disabled, veteran-owned small business; 8(a) small business; veteran-owned small business; woman-owned small business; and small disadvantaged businesses. This is also to obtain information on the availability of domestically available end-products. Please state if you are a large business or a small business according to the NAICS code listed in this Sources Sought. 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. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response defines how it can specifically meet the specifications for the items requested. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After reviewing the responses received, a Combined Synopsis Solicitation notice may be published on Sam.gov. Submit ALL the Following in order to be a valid response to this Sources Sought Notice: 1. Capability Statement that demonstrates your ability to meet all of the specific requirements of Statement of Work and must include Company Contact Info. 2. SAM.gov UEI Number. 3. Identify if you are a Large business or a Small business with NACIS 541720. 4. Country of origin for the product Original Point of Contact: All responses to this Sources Sought Notice must be received by September 7, 2026 by 12:00 PM ET, the specified due date and time to be considered and must include all items requested above. Email responses to Kyle Link at kyle.link@usda.gov. Responses will not be returned. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this Inquiry. Do not submit pricing information in response to this Request.

Who won similar work

138 award notices on SAM.gov in the last 24 months. Matched by: Same office (USDA ARS AFM APD), same product/service code (PSC) 6640 and NAICS 334516.

Single-winner award sizes (138): middle half $34K to $121K, median $66K; range $8K to $45.0M.

WinnerAwardsValueLast
GOVERNMENT SCIENTIFIC SOURCE INC9$1.0MSep 3, 2026
ELEMENT BIOSCIENCES, INC.5$8.8MAug 3, 2026
GERSTEL INC3$382KSep 22, 2026
Fisher Scientific Company · $TMO · $42.9B3$310KSep 30, 2026
FRANKLIN YOUNG INTERNATIONAL, INCORPORATED3$283KJun 11, 2026
ANTON PAAR USA, INC3$185KSep 22, 2026
FSR CONSULTING LLC3$146KJun 18, 2026
AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES INC · $A · $6.8B2$359KJul 17, 2026
HARVARD BIOSCIENCE, INC.2$352KSep 22, 2025
C-LOCK, INC.2$292KSep 10, 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. Revenue next to a ticker is the company's last annual revenue from its 10-K.

Investor context
  • $TMO reported $42.9B revenue in FY2025. The median single-winner award in these 138 past awards, $66K, is under 0.1% of that. 10-K
  • $A reported $6.8B revenue in FY2025. The median single-winner award in these 138 past awards, $66K, is under 0.1% of that. 10-K

One award's total value against one year of revenue; many awards are paid over several years.

Latest awards

Competitive landscape

For the 8 most frequent past winners above. Lobbying is matched by the company's exact name or exact ticker; agencies are as named on the filings.

  • 1 of these past winners lobbied Agriculture, Dept of (USDA) since 2024 (1 filings)
  • 0 of their lobbyists list a past Agriculture, Dept of (USDA) job
  • $30K from their corporate PACs since 2024 to members of House Committee on Agriculture, House Committee on Appropriations, Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, Senate Committee on Appropriations
  • 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
  • 132 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. A sale marked 10b5-1 was made under a trading plan set up in advance.

  • 2 of the past winners are listed companies
  • 0 insider buys and 8 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.