SOW Thermo Fisher_ESEM.pdf

This document is a Special Notice from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) indicating its intent to award a sole source contract for a Thermo Fisher Quattro S Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM) and associated detectors to FEI Company, a subsidiary of Thermo Fisher Scientific Corporation. NASA requires the ESEM's capability to analyze materials sensitive to hard vacuum, such as plastics, ceramics, and biological materials, which is critical for failure analysis and flight safety support. The sole source justification is due to the ESEM being the only microscope that can analyze these sensitive materials without damage or alteration. NASA intends to acquire the ESEM as a commercial item using FAR Part 12 procedures. Interested parties may submit statements of capabilities by May 20, 2024, but any costs associated with the response will not be reimbursed by the government. NASA reserves the sole discretion to determine whether to conduct a competitive acquisition based on the responses received.