NIST-AMD-SS25-02BRB.docx

NIST-AMD-SS25-02BRB

6640 / 334513

Primary POC: Brandon Butler (Brandon.butler@nist.gov) Secondary POC: Julie Morris (Julie.Morris@nist.gov)

Title: Process FTIR Spectrometer-Microscope Instrument – Combined Sources Sought/Notice of Intent to Sole Source

BACKGROUND

***THIS IS A COMBINED SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE***

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking information from sources that may be capable of delivering one (1) process FTIR spectrometer-microscope instrument, inclusive of FOB Destination delivery, installation, training, and warranty.

If no alternate sources are identified, the Government intends to issue a Sole Source Award to Bruker Scientific (40 Manning Road Billerica, MA 01821) under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)(i). The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 334513.

The Contractor shall provide a system that meets all technical specifications identified below.

All items must be new. Used or remanufactured equipment will not be considered for award. Experimental, prototype, or custom items will not be considered. The use of “gray market” components not authorized for sale in the U.S. by the Contractor is not acceptable. All line items shall be shipped in the original manufacturer’s packaging and include all original documentation and software, when applicable.

General Hardware Requirements:

· The instrument must be new hardware and not refurbished hardware.

· The instrument must have a permanently aligned interferometer.

· The instrument must utilize a diode laser with a lifetime greater than ten(10) years.

· The instrument source must have a lifetime greater than five (5) years.

· The instrument must have a temperature-controlled DLaTGS room temperature detector.

· The instrument must have a microscope accessory.

· The microscope must have a sample stage enclosure for easy dry air purging.

· The microscope must have a TE-MCT detector.

· The instrument must be compatible with existing sampling accessories based on QuickLock baseplates and Bruker Vertex 80 beam height spacers.

· The data system should have an Intel i7 process with 8 x 3.0 GHz (or better), 64 GB of RAM, a 256 GB SSD, and 1 x PCIe 16x, 1x PCIe 4x, 1x PCIe 1x slots.

· The instrument must be compatible with controls by either an integrated controller or automated by a connected computer so that measurements of multiple samples require no manual interventions.

· The instrument must include defined protocols for calibration and/or quality control of all measured parameters to within manufacturer-specified tolerances.

· The Contractor must provide at least one copy of the manual for user operation and instrument maintenance in either electronic or hard copy format.

· The instrument must be able to measure samples of mammalian cell cultures containing suspended cells.

· The Contractor shall provide, at a minimum, a one-year warranty for the equipment. The warranty shall cover all parts, labor, and travel. The warranty shall commence upon Government acceptance.

General Software Requirements:

The Contractor must include one (1) copy of 64-bit software compatible with the instrument to allow the acquisition, processing, evaluation, and reporting of the IR-spectroscopic data. It should include a configurable user interface, be fully validated, and support the hardware validation. It should provide a permanent instrument status indicator and online system performance monitoring. Software should comply with cGMP/GLP and include a history log function. It should run on a Windows-11-based personal computer (PC).

Specifications:

· The instrument spectral range must cover 8000 cm-1 to 340 cm-1

· The instrument must be capable of a resolution better than 0.4 cm-1

· The instrument must have a dynamic range of 24 bits.

· The microscope spectral range must cover 6000 cm-1 to 670 cm-1

· The microscope stage adjustment range should be 75 mm x 50 mm.

· The microscope sample stage motion repeatability should be less than one micron.

Required Consumables:

· N/A

Installation:

The Contractor shall install the instrument at NIST/IBBR in Rockville, MD. Installation shall include, at a minimum, uncrating/unpacking of all equipment, set-up and hook-up of all equipment, start-up, demonstration of specifications, and removal of all trash. Instrument shall operate to manufacturer’s specifications upon installation. Installation will take place during normal business hours, between 8:30 am and 5:00 pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday except Federal Holidays, and will be coordinated with the NIST Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). Installation shall occur within 60 calendar days of delivery.

Initial Warranty:

The Contractor shall provide an initial one (1) year warranty after acceptance. The warranty should include parts and labor (including field service labor and travel required to restore the equipment to normal operation.) The warranty should cover new replacement parts that function equally to originals. The warranty should also cover the software and that the software will perform in compliance with the written materials accompanying the software.

Training:

The Contractor shall provide in person training at NIST/IBBR for up to 3 NIST personnel covering normal operation, troubleshooting, and routine maintenance. Training shall be provided during normal business hours, between 8:30am and 5:00pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays, and will be coordinated with the NIST COR or SME to ensure maximum availability of NIST personnel. Training shall occur within 30 calendar days of installation. The training may be completed on-site at NIST immediately after installation and demonstration of specifications

HOW TO RESPOND TO THIS NOTICE

In responding to this notice, please DO NOT PROVIDE PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. Please include only the following information, readable in either Microsoft Word 365, Microsoft Excel 365, or .pdf format, in the response. Submit the response by email to the Primary Point of Contact and, if specified, to the Secondary Point of Contact listed at the top of this notice as soon as possible, and preferably before the closing date and time of this notice.

· Provide the complete name of your company, address, name of contact for follow-up questions, their email, their phone number and, if your company has an active registration in https://sam.gov, your company’s Unique Entity ID (UEI).

· Details about what your company is capable of providing that meets or exceeds NIST’s minimum requirements.

· Whether your company is an authorized reseller of the product or service being cited and evidence of such authorization.

· Identify any aspects of the description of the requirements in the BACKGROUND section above that could be viewed as unduly restrictive or create unnecessary barriers that adversely affect your firm’s ability to fully participate in a procurement for such services and explain why. Please offer suggestions for how the requirements could be organized or structured to encourage the participation of small businesses.

· For the NAICS code

· Indicate whether your company is (a) a small business or (b) other than small business. See the Table of Small Business Size Standards and the associated .pdf download file for small business size standards and additional information.

· If you believe the NAICS code listed in this notice is not the best NAICS code for the type of product addressed in this notice, identify an alternative NAICS code that you believe would be more appropriate for the planned procurement.

· If your firm has existing Federal Supply Schedule contract(s) or other contracts for products or services against which the Department may be able to place orders, identify the contract number(s) and other relevant information.

· Describe your firm’s experience (as a prime, subcontractor, or consultant) providing the products or services described in Background section.

· Provide any other information that you believe would be valuable for the Government to know as part of its market research for this requirement.

· Please let us know if you would like to engage to get a better understanding of the requirement or need additional information about the Government’s requirement for the products or services described in the Background section.

QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS NOTICE

Questions regarding this notice may be submitted via email to the Primary Point of Contact and the Secondary Point of Contact listed in this notice. Questions should be submitted so that they are received by 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on June 19, 2025. Questions will be anonymized and answered via sources sought notice amendment following the question submission deadline.

IMPORTANT NOTES

The information received in response to this notice will be reviewed and considered so that the NIST may appropriately solicit for its requirements in the near future.

This notice should not be construed as a commitment by the NIST to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract.

This notice is not a request for a quotation. Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotations.

No award will be made as a result of this notice.

NIST is not responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice.

NIST reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and appropriate.

Thank you for taking the time to submit a response to this request!