RFQ-NIDDK-05267-Electron Microscope.docx

Transmission Electron Microscope – RFQ-NIDDK-05267

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; Quotes are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. Offerors shall submit all questions concerning this solicitation in writing to Lynda Cole, Contract Specialist (Lynda.cole@nih.gov). Questions must be in writing and are due by Thursday, July 9, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. EST. Quotes are due Friday, July 17, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. EST. Please reference solicitation number RFQ-NIDDK-05267 on all emails for questions and Quotes.

1. TITLE

Transmission Electron Microscope for negative-stain grids screening

2.0 BACKGROUND

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) requires the procurement of a next generation screening electron microscope.

3.0 TYPE OF ORDER

This is a Firm Fixed-Price Purchase Order.

1. SPECIAL ORDER REQUIREMENTS

0. PRODUCT FEATURES/SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS

The following product features/characteristics are required:

120 kV Transmission Electron Microscope

1. The GUI must be Windows 11-based and capable of displaying microscope conditions, operation windows, digital camera. User logon must provide for a lock-out mechanism using expertise levels ranging from beginners to administrators as well as personalized work environments including assignment of multifunctional knobs/buttons on the knob sets of the microscope. Users’ and time-off must provisionally be able to be tracked.

1. The microscope runs standard with either a W or a LaB6 filament. Provisions in the system control software must be present to standardize the heat-up and cool-down times for each specific type of filament. Filament on-time must be tracked.

1. The microscope shall operate from 20 kV up to 120 kV. Alignments will be recalled automatically at key voltages, i.e. 80, 100 and 120 kV, to minimize efforts by the operator to optimize the column alignment. No adjustment of objective lens astigmatism is necessary when changing between these key voltages. Alignments for lower voltages, that is below 80 kV, must optionally be available.

1. The microscope must be parfocal; focus must not change with a change in magnification. Additionally the image must not rotate by more than 1º over the entire MAG range.

1. The microscope must be completely dry-pumped, i.e. using a Turbo Molecular Pump and a diaphragm pump. A combination of Penning and Pirani gauges are standard included to monitorthe vacuum system.

1. The 4 position motorized aperture control for the condenser and objective lens shall be included standard. A motorized Beam Stop shall be standard included as well. A single position intermediate lens, i.e. SA aperture comes standard as pneumatically driven.

1. A software-based solution must be available to control microscope parameters, such apertures, stage, the condenser system, magnification and various deflectors and stigmators. The entire microscope must be controllable through this software. Knob sets to adjust microscope parameters, a trackball for stage movement and a controller for Z height and tilt angles are also standard included.

1. The microscope shall come with a 2k x 2k scientific CMOS-type camera and shall be fully integrated in the microscope’s control software. The bottom-mounted position must be available for placement of a camera from either JEOL, Gatan, TVIPS, EMSIS, or AMT.

1. The specimen rod must have a double O-ring to prevent vacuum leaks through the goniometer. When inserted, the volume between these O-rings shall be continuously pumped by the turbo pump, creating an excellent differentially pumped airlock system. If pre-pumped for 3 minutes or more and if the cryo trap is filled prior to specimen insertion, the microscope vacuum will recover to its original value in the 10-5 Pascal range within 15 seconds of specimen insertion.

1. The microscope shall allow for the exchange of the specimen without shutting off the beam using a gate valve between the gun and the condenser system.

1. The microscope must have a function where the brightness on the detector is kept constant when changing magnification.

1. The microscope must have an image orientation system (IOS). It is possible to rotate the image ±90º degrees in increments of 15º or less using the imaging lenses (i.e. independent of a tilt/rotate holder) thus achieving the best image orientation without removing the holder and manipulating the grid. When rotating the image, the stage movement directions must be compensated by the scope software so that the image continues to move along the original directions. Also, the image shall not rotate when the magnification is changed with the IOS activated. Lastly, the magnification shall not change when engaging the IOS.

1. The microscope shall come with a seamless magnification series that can be turned off by the user. This functionality means that the scope will seamlessly go between LOW MAG mode and regular MAG mode without needing to press buttons on the interface or knob sets.

1. All apertures for the OL shall be activated automatically when the scope goes from regular MAG mode into LOW MAG mode (retracted) and the opposite direction (inserted).

1. The microscope must not have a viewing chamber, main fluorescent screen or binoculars. The above-mentioned camera will replace the screen and binoculars.

1. The microscope must have exchangeable polepieces, i.e. a High Contrast (HC) or High Resolution (HR) model. It is possible to change polepieces in the field and no major realignments are required following exchange. It must be possible to exchange the HC and HR polepieces at a customer site to accommodate the needs of a multi-user, multi-purpose facility. Both types shall function in a single mode, i.e. high resolution AND high contrast.

1. An anti-contaminator device, or cryo-shield, must be present to protect cryo-EM specimens from ice contamination. It must be integrated in the objective lens pole piece and completely surround the specimen regardless of pole piece type. Also, the cryo-shield must not be of the cold finger type. The rate of ice contamination must be less than 0.5 nm/hr as directly measured from tilted low-dose images of latex beads, and not derived from low magnification images using ratios of image contrast.

1. The goniometer must support tilts up to ±80º with the stage located at X = Y = Z = 0 microns for tomography applications. Dual axis solution must be possible using special-purpose holders. Additionally, the goniometer shall be able to support processing-type tilting applications, such as microED. A high-tilt holder must optionally be available as well as a base holder with a removable high-tilt retainer for tilts up to ±80º.

1. An OEM-supplied three- and a four-specimen holder must optionally be available. This holder must allow the insertion of either three of four specimens into the column in a single step for rapid comparison of grids.

1. The microscope shall allow for simple mode selections such as LOWMAG, MAG and SADIFF using push buttons on the GUI or on the knob sets. Mode switching should not require re-alignment of the column. Upon switching into SADIFF mode the beam stop must automatically be inserted (can be disabled by the operator).

1. The microscope shall come with a seamless magnification series that can be turned off by the user. This functionality means that the scope will seamlessly go between LOW MAG mode and regular MAG mode without needing to press buttons on the interface or knob sets.

1. Montaging must be possible using special purpose software where there the entire grid can be montaged. Software must also be available that supports CLEM work between a (cryo)FIBSEM, light microscope and a (cryo) electron microscope. Furthermore, software packages must be available for tomography, Single Particle Analysis(SPA) and microED workflows.

1. A 3-year warranty included with this configuration. The warranty shall commence once the microscope is installed in the customer’s lab and after meeting all performance tests. This warranty shall include unlimited visits unlimited parts as well as applications support.

Digital Camera must provide:

1. A high-performance scintillator camera with a CMOS sensor capable of acquiring images, videos

1. Fully supports transmission electron microscopy (TEM) operation ≤200 kV.

1. Include a CMOS sensor of 4096 x 4096 pixels; each pixel is are 9 μm, providing an active sensor area of 36.9 x 36.9 mm.

1. The CMOS sensor must have high-dynamic range (HDR) readouts to improve the camera’s dynamic range.

1. Dynamic range with frame accumulation is ≥16 bit.

1. Support binning modes of x1, x2 and x4.

1. The camera’s CMOS sensor must record 4096 x 4096 image, video, and 4D STEM data at 20 frames per second (fps). The sensor has a maximum framerate of 160 fps when using binning.

1. Utilizes 1:1 fiber optic coupling for efficient light transfer from the scintillator to sensor.

1. The camera detective quantum efficiency (DQE) at half Nyquist is ≥6%.

1. Camera is bottom-mounted, retractable design compatible with Gatan Imaging Filter (GIF) systems.

1. DigitalMicrograph® software for data acquisition and processing.

1. Camera software must do live drift correction on image capture at any image size.

1. Camera software includes minimum of three auto-acquisition modes: By electron dose, by exposure, or by time.

1. Optional software to control camera setup and acquire image, video.

1. Optional software tools for processing and exporting imaging, video.

1. Camera software upgrade option records video data directly to the computer’s hard disk.

1. Camera software upgrade option includes a circular video buffer with a post-event recording trigger (e.g., LookBack) for recording video data.

1. Compatible with optional automated data collection software packages for acquiring imaging, diffraction, and tomography data (e.g., Latitude® compatibility).

1. Optional camera software enables 360-degree digital image rotation to view microscope samples at any orientation.

1. Optional camera software enables the collection of large-area image montages and automatically stitches images together.

0. DELIVERY / INSTALLATION

Delivery within 6 months after receipt of order All shipping/handling (including FOB) and delivery/installation fees, parts and labor, shall be included. The Contractor shall notify the NIDDK Technical Point of Contact, to schedule delivery and the installation date and time.

4.3 TRAINING

On-site Applications Training - Americas

5.0 PAYMENT

(i) 30% Net 30 days of the purchase price invoiced upon receipt of order document from Customer;

(ii) 60% Net 30 days of the purchase price invoiced upon Delivery; and

(iii) 10% Net 30days of the purchase price invoiced upon Acceptance

Quotations must be good for 90 days after close of solicitation.

To be eligible for an award, offeror must be registered with the System for Award Management (SAM) at website https://sam.gov. The full text of a FAR provision or clause may be accessed electronically at http://acquisition.gov/comp/far/index.html. The selected offeror must comply with the following commercial item Terms and Conditions, which are incorporated herein by reference: FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Condition Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition; FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders Commercial Items, 52.204-13 SAM, 52.222-3, Convict Labor; 52.222-19 Child Labor - Cooperation With Authorities And Remedies; 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities; 52-222-26, Equal Opportunity; 52.222-36, Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities; 52.223-18, Contractor policy to ban text messaging while driving; FAR 52.225-5 Trade Agreements, 52.225-13 Restriction on Certain Foreign Purchases, applies to this acquisition.

Quotes are due promptly Friday, July 17, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. EST to Lynda Cole, Contract Specialist, by email Lynda.Cole@nih.gov. Please reference the RFQ-NIDDK-05267 on all correspondence. Questions must be in writing to lynda.cole@nih.gov, and are due by Thursday, July 9, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. EST.