Carbon Flux Sensor and Tower

Scope of Work

The solicitation is for the supply of a Carbon Flux Sensor and Tower, delivered to the USDA ARS location at SEA Stoneville MS Location Support, 141 Experiment Station Road, Stoneville MS 38776.

Per the base SF1449, CLIN 0001 originally called for 1 EA. Amendment 0001 changed the quantity to 2 EA. Detailed technical specifications are contained in Attachment 1, which was superseded twice:

• Original Attachment 1 Specifications
• Superseded by AMD 0001 Attachment 1 Specifications
• Further superseded by AMD 0002 Attachment 1 Specifications, which added a new Section 2.8 (no other changes stated)

The actual technical specification content (sensor details, tower height, materials, performance parameters, etc.) is not included in the provided document text, so specific technical requirements are not specified in these documents beyond the section references noted (e.g. Section 2.0 and 2.8).

Amendment 0002 clarifies that no field installation, commissioning, or training is included in the requirement. This is a supply-only delivery contract, not a services or installation contract.

Key Requirements

• Firm Fixed Price purchase order.
• Delivery: 60 days after receipt of order (ARO). If a longer delivery time is needed, offerors must quote the number of days in excess of 60.
• FOB Destination delivery is required for all items.
• Invoicing shall be in arrears and submitted through the Invoice Processing Platform (IPP), after vendor enrollment at ipp.gov. Invoices must be issued no less than monthly.
• Quantity: 2 EA of the Carbon Flux Sensor and Tower system (per Amendment 0001).
• Compliance with Buy American Act requirements (FAR 52.225-1, 52.225-2 Buy American Certificate, and 52.225-18 Place of Manufacture) is required as part of the quote package.
• Signed acknowledgment of both amendments (SF30 forms) is explicitly required as part of quote submission.
• No field installation, commissioning, or training is included; this is a supply-only requirement (per AMD 0002).

Submission Instructions

• Quotes must be submitted via email only to christopher.c.turner@usda.gov, subject line: "Quote for 1232SA26Q1354."
• Deadline: as posted on SAM.gov, DATE OFFERS DUE section (Wed Sep 16 2026, 13:00 GMT / 0900 ET per Block 8 of the SF1449).
• Quotes must remain firm for 60 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of quotes.
• Questions must be submitted by email to the same address, due no later than 24 hours before the offer due date/time, with the solicitation name and number in the subject line.
• Required documents for submission:
  1. Completed SF1449 with Block 17a (including UEI), Block 24 (all CLINs priced, using the 2 EA quantity and correct unit price/total amount per Amendment 0001), and signed Blocks 30a, 30b, 30c.
  2. Signed SF30 acknowledgment forms for both amendments (0001 and 0002), returned as required.
  3. Completed Attachment 2 (Buy American Certificate) and Attachment 3 (Place of Manufacture) declarations.
  4. Technical Capability Narrative: general confirmation of capability to meet Attachment 1 specifications, with specific detail required for Section 2.0. Section numbers must be identified in the narrative. Narrative must not exceed five standard letter size pages.

Risks and Red Flags

• Specification volatility: Attachment 1 Specifications have been amended twice (quantity change and addition of Section 2.8), suggesting the requirement was still being refined during the solicitation period. Offerors must ensure they are working from the latest AMD 0002 version.
• Quantity change: Original CLIN quantity of 1 EA was doubled to 2 EA via amendment, which changes total pricing and possibly delivery logistics.
• No installation/training included: Buyers should confirm their quoted price only reflects hardware supply, not deployment services, despite this being complex scientific equipment (carbon flux tower) that typically requires field setup.
• Mandatory SF30 signature and return: Both amendments explicitly require signed acknowledgment as part of the quote submission; failure to do so could result in the quote being deemed non-responsive.
• Strict LPTA structure: Only the lowest-priced technically acceptable offer is evaluated first; higher-priced technically superior offers will not be considered unless lower-priced offers fail.
• Narrative page limit: Technical Capability Narrative is capped at five pages, requiring concise but specific responses, especially for Section 2.0 (and note Section 2.8 was added, so review if it also requires specific narrative treatment, though the instructions only explicitly call out Section 2.0).
• Administrative/regulatory clauses: Numerous new-style AGAR and FAR clauses are included (e.g., DEI compliance certifications, Unenforceable Supplier Terms clause), signaling heightened compliance certifications are required at time of offer and during performance.
• Dollar value, delivery timeline beyond 60 days ARO, and detailed technical specifications (dimensions, sensor specs, tower height, etc.) are not specified in these documents, limiting full technical and cost risk assessment.