CyTOF XT/Hyperion XTi Imaging System Upgrade

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, is soliciting proposals for a CyTOF XT/Hyperion XTi Imaging System Upgrade to enhance the mass cytometry capabilities at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Flow Cytometry Center. This procurement seeks to acquire an advanced imaging system upgrade that will provide significant improvements including a larger region of interest expanding from 1.6 mm² to 10 mm², automated temperature control, clog detection capabilities, 25% reduction in argon consumption, and new analysis modes for preview/slide and tissue applications. The contract will be awarded as a firm fixed-price purchase order and must include installation services, a 12-month service plan, and a three-day on-site introductory operator training course for two participants. Proposals will be evaluated based on salient characteristics, past performance, and price, with non-price factors weighted as significantly more important than price considerations. Interested contractors must submit their responses by September 4, 2025, at 9:00 AM EST under solicitation number 75N94025Q00206.

This opportunity is designated as a Total Small Business set-aside under NAICS code 334516 (Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing) with a size standard of 1,000 employees, ensuring participation is limited to qualifying small businesses. The contract performance will take place in Research Triangle Park, Durham, North Carolina, with delivery required within 10 weeks of purchase order award to Carl Bortner at NIEHS. The upgraded system will enable researchers to analyze over 40 individual cellular characteristics at high acquisition rates for both suspension and tissue samples, supporting advanced pixel-based clustering analysis with improved ablation capabilities. The government reserves the option to extend the contract performance period for up to six months beyond the initial term. No incumbent contractors or specific budget ranges were identified in the solicitation documents, though the procurement falls under the medical and surgical instruments equipment category (PSC 6515).