1333ND25QNB190286 Liquid Helium Delivery

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking a contractor to supply liquid helium (LHe) in 100-liter and 250-liter contractor-owned dewars on an as-needed basis for cryogenic applications across their Boulder, Colorado campus. The liquid helium supports NIST's standards development, dissemination initiatives, Innovations in Measurement Science projects, and other agency activities, with a minimum purity requirement of 99.998%. The contractor must provide all necessary personnel, materials, equipment, services, and facilities to deliver the liquid helium, which is volatile and must be used within one to two weeks of delivery before significant product loss occurs. Contractors must supply dewars meeting specific technical specifications including smooth mechanical movement, proper pressure gauges, and minimal helium loss rates. The solicitation is structured as a firm-fixed-price procurement with offers due on August 12, 2025, at 2:00 PM Mountain Time.

The contract opportunity is designated as a Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) set-aside, though the main solicitation notice indicates no set-aside is used, creating some conflicting information in the documentation. The estimated 12-month usage requirements include 30 100-liter dewars and 20 250-liter dewars, with deliveries scheduled to NIST's central drop-off sites at 325 Broadway, Boulder, Colorado. The contract period of performance runs from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026, with the contractor responsible for both delivery of filled dewars and pickup of empty containers at the same facility. No incumbent contractors or specific award values are mentioned in the available documentation. The place of performance is specifically Boulder, Colorado 80305, where NIST operates its research facilities requiring these specialized cryogenic materials.