Ag-Bag T700 Pull-Type Forage Bagger

This federal procurement document is a justification for restricting competition to a specific manufacturer's brand for an acquisition by the USDA Agricultural Research Service. Under Requisition Number 1171544, the agency requires an Ag-Bag T7060 Pull-Type Forage Bagger, manufactured by RCI Engineering LLC, for a research project evaluating bagged litter handling inside commercial poultry houses. The justification establishes that the Ag-Bag T7060 is the only equipment capable of meeting the government’s unique physical and operational constraints. Specifically, it is the only model on the market featuring a compact six-foot diameter packing tunnel, which minimizes the footprint of the bagged material to fit inside confined poultry houses. Additionally, its single side-loading conveyor allows for skid-steer loading within tight vertical clearance limits. Market research of alternative manufacturers revealed that competing systems only offer larger tunnel sizes (eight to ten feet) and utilize hopper-fed loading designs that exceed the spatial and height restrictions of the target environment. To satisfy competitive requirements, the solicitation will be conducted as a 100% small business set-aside on SAM.gov, restricted to authorized small business resellers capable of supplying the brand-name Ag-Bag T7060. The justification has been certified and approved by the technical requirements personnel and the contracting officer.

This Federal Request for Quotation (RFQ), solicitation number 1284LM26Q0138, is issued by the USDA Forest Service (USDA-FS) CSA Intermountain 2 on behalf of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS). The solicitation is a 100% small business set-aside under NAICS code 333111, with a size standard of 1,250 employees. The objective of this procurement is to purchase an Ag-Bag T7060 Pull-Type Forage Bagger manufactured by RCI Engineering LLC, or an approved equal brand-name product. The contract will be awarded as a single Firm-Fixed-Price contract based on the Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) evaluation method. Key requirements and dates include: - **Quote Submission Deadline:** September 18, 2026, at 5:00 PM EST. Quotes must be emailed to Sarah Cotton at sarah.cotton@usda.gov. - **Questions Deadline:** September 14, 2026, at 5:00 PM EST. - **Required Deliverables:** Pricing submitted on the SF1449 and a Certificate of Conformance (COC) or equivalent documentation proving the offeror can supply the requested equipment. - **Delivery and Performance Period:** Delivery must be completed between September 30, 2026, and December 31, 2026, to the SEA Poultry Research facility in Mississippi State, Mississippi. Delivery coordination requires a 24-hour advance notice. The solicitation incorporates standard Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clauses and specific USDA (AGAR) provisions, including strict anti-discrimination and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) compliance certifications.