The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) awarded a $2.17 million firm fixed-price purchase order to FEI Company for a comprehensive maintenance plan covering a Krios G4 cryo-electron microscope. The contract, awarded on March 29, 2024, extends through March 28, 2029 and is being performed at a facility in Hillsboro, Oregon. The maintenance plan includes on-site service by qualified engineers, rapid response capabilities, software upgrades, replacement parts, annual preventative maintenance, and remote technical support for the advanced microscopy equipment. No small business set-aside was designated for this procurement, reflecting FEI Company's status as the original equipment manufacturer and sole authorized provider of maintenance services for its proprietary Krios microscope systems.
FEI Company, a Materials and Structural Analysis Division of Thermo Fisher Scientific, is well-positioned to deliver these services based on its extensive federal contracting history providing electron microscopy equipment and specialized maintenance support across multiple National Institutes of Health facilities and other federal research institutions. The company has demonstrated expertise in managing similar maintenance contracts for cryo-electron microscopes and related analytical instrumentation at premier research facilities. This award aligns with NIDDK's mission to support advanced research infrastructure and reflects the critical role of cryo-electron microscopy in structural biology research funded by the institute.