Ideal Vacuum, Vacuum Pumps for ENS

NASA's Shared Services Center has issued a Special Notice for a sole source contract to procure vacuum pumps and instrumentation for the Entry Navigation Sensor (ENS) project at NASA Langley Research Center. The agency intends to award this contract to Ideal Vacuum Products, LLC of Albuquerque, New Mexico, under FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)(i) authority, having determined they are the sole provider of the required specialized vacuum equipment. The procurement covers turbomolecular and roughing vacuum pumps, pressure transducers, and associated controllers needed for ultra-high-vacuum chamber operations supporting laboratory-based spectroscopic instruments with charged particle beams. The contract will utilize commercial items and services procedures under FAR Parts 12 and 13, with performance at NASA Langley Research Center. The NAICS code for this procurement is 334516 (Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing).

The primary objective of this procurement is to acquire a complete vacuum pumping system capable of maintaining ultra-high-vacuum conditions ranging from 3.8×10⁻¹⁰ Torr to atmospheric pressure for NASA's spectroscopic research equipment. Interested organizations had until 7:00 a.m. Central Standard Time on July 28, 2025, to submit written capability statements and qualifications to the contracting officer, with oral communications not acceptable. The technical requirements specify equipment equivalent to Leybold models including the TURBOVAC 90i turbomolecular pump, Scrollvac 10+ roughing pump, and ITR90 pressure transducer, all using standard 110V single-phase power connections. NASA justified the sole source approach based on Ideal Vacuum Products' unique advantages including in-stock availability, economical package pricing, excellent technical support capabilities, and over 20 years of experience with more than $5 million in annual sales. Delivery must occur within four weeks of order receipt, and the contractor must provide ongoing technical support and repair services for the specialized vacuum equipment.