Heavy Duty Laboratory Mixers (Brand Name or Equal)

Waiver Rationale Summary

The initial brand name or equal solicitation was posted to the GPE on March 4, 2024, as a small business set-aside procurement, in order to identify any possible small business domestic sources. The solicitation contained “Attachment 1 Minimum Specifications”, which identified the required salient characteristics of the laboratory mixers. The solicitation was near closing with only small business pass-through offers of the suggested manufacturer, all with foreign end products (United Kingdom) being offered. Amendment 0001 was issued to extend the solicitation response date. Amendment 0002 was issued to extend the solicitation response date further, and to remove the small business set-aside and compete the requirement unrestricted to attempt to obtain domestic offers. The USDA received twenty-five (25) small business pass-through offerors of the suggested foreign source. The USDA did not receive any domestic offers from the unrestricted solicitation posting. The quotes from the original solicitation have expired, which necessitated the USDA to repost the brand name or equal laboratory mixers solicitation. The new solicitation number is 12805B24Q0300 and was solicited as unrestricted in order to cast the largest net possible to obtain any domestic offerors. This requirement is in accordance with AGAR Clause 452.211-70 Brand Name or Equal, and is not requesting a brand name justification. Upon closing of the solicitation the USDA received nine (9) small business pass-through offerors of the suggested foreign source. All offers submitted quotes for the same Silverson Machines mixers, which are manufactured in the UK. The USDA did not receive any domestic offers from the reposted unrestricted solicitation posting. There are no changes in the market that have been identified after the closing of either solicitation.