Electron Microscope Maintenance

The United States Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) has issued a Special Notice regarding a sole source contract for electron microscope maintenance. The notice, posted on December 10, 2024, indicates the agency's intent to award a one-year service contract to FEI Company for maintaining a specific transmission electron microscope located at their Diagnostic Virology Lab in Ames, Iowa. This is not a competitive solicitation, but rather a direct award to a specific vendor for specialized equipment maintenance. The contract is categorized under the Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance NAICS code and will cover service from January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025. The opportunity is not set aside for any specific type of contractor and represents a direct procurement approach.

The primary objective of this Special Notice is to secure comprehensive maintenance services for a critical Technai Spirit Biotwin transmission electron microscope used in a BSL-3 secure facility. The contract includes extensive service coverage such as Monday-Friday phone support, labor, travel expenses, replacement parts, an annual preventative maintenance inspection, 48-hour onsite response time, and software updates. The sole-source justification emphasizes the vendor's specialized training, 30-year service history, and the unique requirements of maintaining complex laboratory equipment in a high-security environment. Interested parties are instructed that this is an informational notice only, and any questions must be directed exclusively via email to Contracting Officer Kim Yen Tu at kimyen.n.tu@usda.gov. No phone calls or voicemails regarding questions will be accepted or responded to, underscoring the formalized communication approach for this procurement.