CARR PowerFuge Pilot Separation System

This federal solicitation (No. 75F40126Q00172) is issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a Request for Quote (RFQ) to acquire one CARR® PowerFuge® Pilot Separation System (Model C1015PLT). Set aside entirely for small businesses under NAICS code 334516, this competitive acquisition supersedes a previous sole-source intent, having identified additional authorized resellers. The required equipment is a pilot-scale, continuous-flow wet centrifuge designed for E. coli cell harvesting under BSL-1 containment standards. Essential technical requirements include an imperforate solid bowl design, centrifugal force of at least 20,000 × g, a maximum feed rate of 1.0 L/min, and integrated temperature control ranging from 2°C to 40°C. To ensure compatibility with the validated workflows of the interagency research program, no substitute models are authorized. Along with the separation system, the contractor must supply necessary accessories, including an additional titanium alloy solids collection bowl, a peristaltic feed pump, a portable stainless-steel cart, a 115V power transformer, and a one-year extended warranty (for a total of two years of coverage). The contract also requires inside delivery to the FDA White Oak Campus in Silver Spring, Maryland within 90 days of award, followed by professional installation, end-user training, and initial maintenance spare parts. Quotes will be evaluated on a Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) basis. Submissions, which must include technical and price proposals, are due via email to the contracting point of contact by September 14, 2026, at 3:00 PM ET.

The FDA's Office of Acquisitions and Grant Services, on behalf of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), seeks to acquire a single CARR® PowerFuge® Pilot Separation System. This sole-source acquisition, justified under FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)(i), will support pilot-scale cell harvest for the Cell-Free Protein Synthesis (CFPS) research program. The system is crucial for a collaborative research initiative with the U.S. Army's Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center (DEVCOM-CBC), which already uses this specific equipment. Market research identified CARR Biosystems as the only manufacturer meeting all minimum technical requirements, including a 20,000 x g centrifugal force, 1.0 L/min feed rate, integrated cooling, and BSL-1 containment. Alternative centrifuges were deemed technically inadequate due to insufficient G-force, incompatible designs, or lack of scalability, which would jeopardize data comparability and revalidation costs. The estimated value of this firm-fixed-price contract is REDACTED, with a 90-day delivery and a two-year warranty. A Notice of Intent to Sole Source will be published on SAM.gov.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Notice of Intent to Sole Source for a CARR® PowerFuge® Pilot Separation System, with solicitation number 75F40126Q00172. The FDA intends to award a firm fixed price purchase order to CARR Biosystems, as market research indicated this is the only known source that meets the Government's specific technical requirements for a pilot-scale continuous-feed centrifuge, including an imperforate solid bowl design, operation at ≥20,000 × g, integrated cooling, removable autoclavable titanium bowl, and compatibility with existing validated CFPS workflows. This notice is not a request for competitive quotations, but interested parties may submit capability statements by June 22, 2026, to demonstrate their ability to satisfy the requirements, which will be considered for determining if a competitive procurement is feasible. The delivery date for the system is 90 days after contract award.