Sources Sought Notice - Zeiss or equal.pdf

SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE

1. Solicitation Number: SSN75N98026Q00070

2. Title: Zeiss Lattice SIM 5 laser scanning structured illumination super-resolution light microscope and Associated Supplies or Equal

3. Classification Code: 6640

4. NAICS Code: 334516

5. Size Standard: 1,000 Employees

6. Description:

This is a Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding the availability and capability of all qualified sources to perform a potential requirement.

This notice is issued to help determine the availability of qualified companies technically capable of meeting the Government requirement, to determine the method of acquisition, and availability of domestic sources manufactured in the United States in sufficient and reasonably available commercial quantities and of a satisfactory quality. It is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotes. No award will be made as a result of this notice. The Government will NOT be responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice. This notice is strictly for research and information purposes only. Small businesses are encouraged to respond.

For equipment/supply requirements, responses must include the place of manufacturing (i.e. address if supply/equipment is a domestic end product and include country of manufacture). For equipment/supply requirements, small businesses must also address the size status of the manufacturer under the applicable NAICS code (i.e. address Non-Manufacturer Rule).

This is also a Small Business Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations.

The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding: (1) the availability and capability of qualified small business sources; (2) whether they are small businesses; HUBZone small businesses; service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses; 8(a) small businesses; veteran-owned small businesses; woman-owned small businesses; or small disadvantaged businesses; and (3) their size classification relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition.

For equipment/supply requirements, your response must include the place of manufacturing (i.e. address if supply/equipment is a domestic end product and include country of manufacture). For equipment/supply requirements, small businesses must also address the size status of the manufacturer under the applicable NAICS code (i.e. address Non-Manufacturer Rule).

Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code should not submit a response to this notice.

This notice is issued to help determine the availability of qualified companies technically capable of meeting the Government requirement and to determine the method of acquisition. It is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotes. No award will be made as a result of this notice. The Government will NOT be responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice. This notice is strictly for research and information purposes only.

Background:

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Cancer Institute (NCI) Center for Cancer Research (CCR), Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics (LCBG), CCR Microscopy Core requires one (1) new, commercially available, Zeiss Lattice SIM5 super-resolution light microscope or Equal.

The Contractor shall deliver and install the equipment within 6 months after receipt of order. Delivery must be Freight on Board (FOB) Destination and include inside delivery.

Training must take place within two (2) weeks of equipment installation. The equipment shall be delivered and installed in coordination with the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). The contractor shall provide an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) certified service technician to perform setup and installation.

Requirement:

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Cancer Institute (NCI) Center for Cancer Research (CCR), Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics (LCBG), CCR Microscopy Core requires one (1) new, commercially available, Zeiss Lattice SIM5 super-resolution light microscope.

The National Cancer Institute is the principal federal agency for cancer research and training. It leads, conducts, and supports cancer research to advance scientific knowledge and improve cancer prevention, detection, diagnosis, and survivorship. The Center for Cancer Research (CCR) is the largest division of the NCI’s intramural research program with both basic and clinical research groups exploring the cutting edge of cancer research involving a wide spectrum of biological and biomedical problems that range from visualizing and understanding the structure of genes and proteins and developing novel assays to detect and potentially treat patients. The CCR Microscopy Core, the main microscopy core in the CCR, serves the imaging needs of a wide range of NCI researchers studying the cell biology of cancer. The core facility has five high-quality research-grade instruments, including confocal, multi-photon and super-resolution microscopes, to apply to the numerous research projects from the over 45 labs/branches within NCI, that use the Core annually. To satisfy the demands for super-resolution fluorescence microscopy, the CCR Microscopy Core requests a new Zeiss Lattice SIM5 structured illumination super-resolution microscope. Structured illumination super-resolution microscopy is an established method for acquiring high resolution images of biological samples and is in high demand from NCI researchers. The demand arises from the need to understand the molecular interactions of cellular proteins and the gene expression profiles of tumor cells. Super-resolution microscopy provides researchers the ability to visualize these molecular interactions within cells, and the newest SIM technology available from the requested Zeiss Latice SIM5 microscope will allow researchers to image these interactions in live cells. Thus, providing this cutting-edge technology to NCI researchers to apply to their cancer research projects and further improve our understanding of the cell biology of cancer provide the imaging capability to satisfy the demand.

The CCR Microscopy Core requires a new Zeiss Lattice SIM5 super-resolution microscope that shall include a high-speed lattice SIM5 scanner, dual high-sensitivity sCMOS cameras with Duolink configuration for simultaneous 2 channel imaging, four high-power lasers (wavelengths 405, 488, 561 and 647 nm), 500 um Piezo stage, stage-top incubation for live cell imaging, and both high numerical aperture oil and water immersion objective lenses for super-resolution imaging. Thus, it provides extended capabilities to image complex samples but also has the capability to perform functional live cell SIM imaging on larger biological samples. All users of the CCR Microscopy Core interested in performing SIM super-resolution microscopy will benefit from the requested Zeiss Lattice SIM5 microscope.

Purpose and Objectives:

The purpose of this acquisition is to procure a one (1) new, commercially available, Zeiss Lattice SIM5 super-resolution light microscope. Structured illumination super-resolution microscopy is an established method for acquiring high resolution images of biological samples and is in high demand from NCI researchers. The demand arises from the need to understand the molecular interactions of cellular proteins and the gene expression profiles of tumor cells.

Project requirements:

The contractor must provide a Zeiss Lattice SIM 5 laser scanning structured illumination super-resolution light microscope and Associated Supplies or Equal as described below:

Item Product Description Product/Part No. Quantity 1 Microscope Lattice SIM 3/5 493505-9880-010 1 2 Axio Observer 7 SR f/Lattice SIM 409000-9810-000 1 3 Autoimmersion module w/pipette 433801-9040-000 1 4 Condenser 0,55 mot f/SF 428400-9000-000 1

Calibration target f/SF stage incubator Calibration plate 128x86 for AI Sample Finder for Lattice SIM

428400-9210-000 1

Joystick XY; CAN for mechanical stages mot; CAN, scanning stages;

CAN and stage controller XY STEP SMC 2009

432903-9012-000 1

9 Extension cable for stage control 1.6 m 000000-2121-749 1 10 Stage attachment Z PIEZO WSB 500 432339-9000-000 1 11 Controller Z PIEZO WSB 500 432339-9010-000 1 12 Control wheel Z PIEZO WSB 500 432339-9020-000 1

Stage Top incubation heating for Lattice SIM inverted includes heating insert, heating cover and controller

000000-2519-303 1

14 Stage top incubator gas system for Lattice SIM inverted 000000-2570-331 1

Universal frame insert for stage incubation Lattice SIM suitable for cell culture dishes, slides and chamber slides

000000-2623-209 1

16 Holder frame f/slides 000000-2519-300 1 17 Holder frame f/chamber slide 000000-2519-301 1 18 Petri dish holding frame D35-40mm 000000-2519-299 1

Hold-down for petri dishes in addition to holding frame petri dish D35-40 mm

000000-2519-302 1

21 Halogen lamp 12V 100W GY6.35 380059-1660-000 2

23 FL Filter Set 77 HE GFP/mRFP/Alexa 633 489077-0000-000 1 26 Illumination module f/Lattice SIM 5 000000-2592-313 1 27 Reflectorrev Obs w/filter f/Lattice SIM 000000-2507-215 1 28 Camera ORCA Fusion BT w/adapter 000000-2519-289 1

Camera accessories for ORCA Fusion BT includes framegrabber card, liquid cooling systen, coolant and mains cable

000000-2519-290 1

Laser module URGB / 50mW Laser module LM URGB for Lattice SIM with fiber coupled, pigtailed and colimated lasers.

Following lasers are available:

- diode laser 405nm, 50 mW, laser class 3B

- diode laser 488nm, 50 mW, laser class 3B

- diode laser (SHG) 561nm, 50 mW, laser class 3B

- diode laser 647nm, 50 mW, laser class 3B

000000-2520-363 1

31 ECU desktop housing HR f/microscopes 000000-2183-235 1 32 slide-in module ECU Power 12V/60W 000000-2595-493 1

Rack for Lattice SIM for laser module (LM) and electronic control unit (ECU)

000000-2513-762 1

34 Dual camera adapter DuoLink SR 000000-2579-174 1 35 Camera ORCA Fusion BT w/adapter 000000-2519-289 1 36 Filtermodule DuoLink SR QUAD Lattice SIM 000000-2502-309 1 37 Multispectral probe f/Airyscan 100 nm 000000-2114-035 1 38 Multicolor calibration slide 000000-2076-515 1 40 Objective C-Apo 40x/1.2 W Corr 421767-9973-799 1 42 Objective PApo 40x/1.4 Oil DIC (UV) V-IR 420762-9700-000 1 43 Plan-Apochromat 63x/1.40 Oil DIC f/ELYRA 420782-9900-799 1 44 Objective LD LCI PApo 25x/0.8 Imm Corr D 420852-9872-799 1 6 Scanning Stage 130x100 432029-9904-000 1 7 Stepper motor control f. 2 Axes SMC2009 432929-9011-000 1 20 Lamphousing 12V/100W w/ Collector 423000-9901-000 1 22 Illuminator HXP 120V 423013-9010-000 1 24 Reflector Module FL EC ACR P&C 424933-0000-000 1 41 Objective PApo 20x/0.8 420650-9903-000 1 45 EC Plan-Neofluar 10x/0.30 WD=5.2 M27 420340-9901-000 1

46 Objective ring ACR f/object sleeve cyl 424508-0000-000 1 47 Objective Ring ACR f/ obj. casing, short 424509-0000-000 2 48 Objective Ring ACR f/ obj. casing, long 424510-0000-000 2 49 Objective Ring ACR f/ obj. casing, long 424511-0000-000 1

System table , small, air damped, level regulated pressured air supply necessary, long and short side open, with breadboard, 900x750mm

000000-2147-374 1

25 ZEISS Predictive Service Remote Monitor 000000-2386-916 1 50 Microscopy Workstation Premium (HPZ8G5) 410203-9914-000 1 52 Processor Intel Xeon W5-3425 (HPZ8G5) 410330-1100-000 1 53 Memory 64GB (1x64) DDR5 4800 (HPZ8G5) 410303-6401-000 4 54 Graphics Card NVIDIA RTX A4000 16 GB DP 410331-2800-000 1 55 Network Adapter 2 x 10GbE RJ45 (HPZ8G5) 410358-0505-000 1 56 Real Time Controller Imaging Systems 400100-8630-000 1

Language Pack English US (O)

- Keyboard with English (US) layout

410380-0200-000 1

58 Monitor TFT 31,5" HP S7 Pro 732pk 410350-3205-000 1 60 SysConf2b HPZ8 G5 Win11 LTSC 2024 System 000000-2677-269 1 51 SysConf2b HPZ8 G5 Win11 LTSC 2024 System 000000-2677-269 1 59 Microscopy Workstation Premium (HPZ8G5) 410203-9914-000 1 61 Processor Intel Xeon W7-3555 (HPZ8G5) 410330-1300-000 1 62 Memory 64GB (1x64) DDR5 4800 (HPZ8G5) 410303-6401-000 4 63 Graphics Card NVIDIA RTX A5000 24 GB DP 410331-2900-000 1 64 Network Adapter 2 x 10GbE RJ45 (HPZ8G5) 410358-0505-000 1 65 HDD Extension to 20TB RAID10 (HPZ8G5) 410324-0020-000 1

Language Pack English US (O)

- Keyboard with English (US) layout

410380-0200-000 1

67 Monitor TFT 31,5" HP S7 Pro 732pk 410350-3205-000 1 68 SW ZEN 3.13 DLic 410135-0002-313 1 69 SW ZEN Toolkit Adv Acquisition 3.13 DLic 410136-0166-313 1 70 SW ZEN Toolkit Smart Acquisition DLic 410136-0167-312 1 71 SW ZEN Toolkit 2D DLic 410136-0168-360 1 72 SW ZEN Toolkit 3D DLic 410136-0172-360 1 73 SW ZEN Driver Hamamatsu Camera DLic 410136-0045-370 1 74 SW ZEN Module Lattice SIM DLic 410136-0133-390 1 75 SMA Fee ZEN w/Advanced Acq 1 year 410139-0166-000 1 76 SMA Fee ZEN Band C 1 year 410139-5003-000 1 77 SW ZEN 3.13 desk DLic 410135-0004-313 1 78 SW ZEN desk Toolkit 3D DLic 410137-0172-370 1 79 SW ZEN desk Module Lattice SIM DLic 410137-0133-390 1

80 SMA Fee ZEN desk 1 year 410139-0004-000 1 81 SMA Fee ZEN Band A 1 year 410139-5001-000

Salient characteristics:

The salient physical, functional, or performance characteristics that “equal” products must meet are as follows:

1. Zeiss Lattice SIM5 illumination module for super-resolution imaging

a. Includes SIM Apotome and extended Lattice SIM with central power supply

a. Reflector Turret Observer with filter set FLEX for Lattice SIM

b. Four filter cubes adjusted for super-resolution microscopy; 2 positions for Push & Click filters

c. Laser module LM URGB for Lattice SIM with fiber coupling, pigtailed and collimated lasers, including laser lines405, 488, 561, and 647 nm.

d. DuoLink adapter for Lattice SIM to connect two sCMOS cameras of the same type

e. Filtermodule DuoLink SR Quad for Lattice SIM

2. System Air Table to accommodate microscope and SIM illumination module and provide vibration control

a. A 900 x 700mm breadboard with air dampening and level regulated

3. Hamamatsu ORCA Fusion BT sCMOS cameras for Lattice SIM to acquire fluorescence super-resolution images :

a. QE up to 95%, sensor pixel size 6.5 um, and number of pixels in sensor at 2304 x 2304

b. Camera adapters for ORCA Fusion BT camera

4. Zeiss AxioObserver 7 Inverted Microscope for super-resolution Lattice SIM configured with

a. Scanning stage 130x100

b. Stepper motor control SMC2009

c. Joystick stage controller

d. Port adapter for Lattice SIM illumination module

e. TFT touchscreen with docking station

f. Z Piezo WSB 500 with controller

5. Multiple objective lenses for structured illumination microscopy to accommodate a range of biological samples

a. Plan-apochromat 20x N.A. 0.8 lens

b. EC Plan-neofluar 10x N.A. 0.3 lens

c. C-apochromat 40x N.A. 1.2 water immersion lens

d. Plan-apochromat 40x N.A. 1.4 oil immersion lens

e. Plan-apochromat 63x N.A. 1.40 oil immersion lens

f. LD LCI Plan-apochromat 25x N.A. 0.8 multi-immersion lens

6. Stage top incubation system to control temperature, humidity and CO2 for live cell imaging

a. Stage top incubation heating system for Lattice SIM, including heating insert, heating cover and controller

b. Stage top incubator gas system for Lattice SIM

7. Premium microscopy workstation for advanced offline image processing

a. Minimum 256 GB RAM memory

b. Minimum 24 GB graphics card

The Contractor shall provide an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) certified service technician to perform setup and installation.

Anticipated period of performance:

It is the Government’s intent to issue a Firm Fixed Price Purchase Order. The Contractor shall deliver and install the equipment within 6 months after receipt of order. Delivery must be Freight on Board (FOB) Destination and include inside delivery. Training must take place within two (2) weeks of equipment installation. The equipment shall be delivered and installed in coordination with the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). The contractor shall provide an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) certified service technician to perform setup and installation.

Other important considerations:

In case domestic sources are available and capable of fulfilling the Government’s need, and a future solicitation is published, the Government will use evaluation preferences in accordance with FAR 25.

Capability statement /information sought.

Companies that believe they possess the capabilities to provide the required products or services should submit documentation of their ability to meet each of the project requirements to the Contracting Officer. The capability statement must specifically address each of the project requirements separately. Additionally, the capability statement should include 1) the total number of employees, 2) the professional qualifications of personnel as it relates to the requirements outlined, 3) any contractor GSA Schedule contracts and/or other government-wide acquisition contracts (GWACs) by which all of the requirements may be met, if applicable, and 4) any other information considered relevant to this program. Capability statements must also include the Company Name, Unique Entity ID from SAM.gov, Physical Address, and Point of Contact Information. The response must include the respondents’ technical and administrative points of contact, including names, titles, addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses.

Interested companies are required to identify their type of business, applicable North

American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code, and size standards in accordance with the Small Business Administration. The government requests that no proprietary or confidential business data be submitted in a response to this notice.

However, responses that indicate the information therein is proprietary will be properly safeguarded for Government use only. Capability statements must include the name and telephone number of a point of contact having authority and knowledge to discuss responses with Government representatives. Capability statements in response to this market survey that do not provide sufficient information for evaluation will be considered non-responsive. When submitting this information, please reference the solicitation notice number.

The respondent must also provide their DUNS number, organization name, address, point of contact, and size and type of business (e.g., 8(a), HubZone, etc., pursuant to the applicable NAICS code and any other information that may be helpful in developing or finalizing the acquisition requirements.

One (1) copy of the response is required and must be in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format using 11-point or 12-point font, 8-1/2” x 11” paper size, with 1” top, bottom, left and right margins, and with single or double spacing.

The information submitted must be in and outline format that addresses each of the elements of the project requirement and in the capability statement /information sought paragraphs stated herein. A cover page and an executive summary may be included but is not required.

The response is limited to ten (10) page limit. The 10-page limit does not include the cover page, executive summary, or references, if requested.

The following information shall be included on the first page:

1. Name of Company

2. GSA Contract No.

3. Unique Entity ID and DUNS No./CAGE Code

4. Street Address, City, State, Zip code

5. Name of Person Authorized to Provide Quote

6. Telephone Number and Email Address of Person Authorized to Provide Quote

All responses to this notice must be submitted electronically to the Contract Specialist and Contracting Officer. Facsimile responses are NOT accepted.

The response must be submitted to Shayna Simpson, Contract Specialist at e-mail address Shayna.simpson@hhs.gov.

The response must be received on or before Friday, March 13, 2026, 10:00 AM, Eastern Time.

“Disclaimer and Important Notes: This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization’s qualifications to perform the work.

Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a presolicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in www.sam.gov. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation.

Confidentiality: No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s).”