BD UV Laser Upgrade FACSymphony

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) is seeking to procure a UV laser upgrade for their existing BD FACSymphony S6 cell sorter at the Flow Cytometry Center. This non-competitive contract will add a fifth laser to the instrument, which currently operates with four lasers but has limited capability for simultaneous analysis of multiple fluorescent markers. The upgrade is critical for expanding research capabilities at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences by enabling the use of additional fluorochromes excited by UV light, thereby enhancing research quality and efficiency. Interested parties must submit a comprehensive response including technical and cost-price proposals, period of performance, Unique Entity ID, Taxpayer Identification Number, business size certification, and maintain active System for Award Management (SAM) registration. All responses must be submitted electronically to the Contracting Officer by September 4, 2025 at 9:00 AM Eastern time.

This procurement does not utilize any set-aside designation and will be awarded to Becton, Dickinson and Company as a sole source contract without full and open competition. The contract value is not expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold of $250,000, falling under NAICS code 334516 for Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing. The procurement focuses on upgrading a single piece of existing laboratory equipment rather than procuring multiple units or establishing a long-term service contract. The sole source justification indicates that Becton, Dickinson and Company is the only viable contractor due to their proprietary technology and compatibility requirements with the existing FACSymphony system. This upgrade represents a targeted enhancement to existing research infrastructure rather than a comprehensive equipment replacement or multi-year service agreement.