Library of Congress - Bifurcated Styli
Closed Special Notice Posted
- Solicitation number
- 2026-LGR-0035
- Agency
-
Library of Congress
- Responses due
- Set-aside
- No set-aside
Opportunity facts
- NAICS code
- 51225 Record Production and Distribution
- Place of performance
- United States
- Points of contact
Notice details come from SAM.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The Library of Congress has issued a Special Notice announcing its intent to award a sole-source firm fixed price contract to Symcon, Inc. for the procurement of bifurcated styli used in audio preservation work. The contract is valued between $25,000 and $350,000 and will be performed at the Library of Congress National Audio-Visual Conservation Center (NAVCC) Packard Campus in Culpeper, Virginia. This Special Notice, posted on April 21, 2026, serves as the Library's public announcement of the sole-source award decision and includes the approved Justification and Approval document, eliminating the need for separate pre-award or post-award notices. The Library determined that Symcon, Inc. is the only responsible source capable of satisfying its specialized requirements for these audio preservation components.
The Library of Congress requires 18 bifurcated styli—specifically 4 units of LP/micro groove width styli (model BPS33) and 14 units of wide groove styli (model BPS78)—to enable playback and digital preservation of metal master father discs in its Recorded Sound collection, many of which represent historically significant and irreplaceable audio recordings. The contract period runs from June 30, 2026 through June 29, 2027, with all delivered styli subject to testing by the Contracting Officer's Representative and Audio Lab Engineers within two weeks of receipt. Since this is a sole-source procurement under FAR 6.302-1(b)(1), no proposals from competing contractors are being solicited and no formal written solicitation will be issued. The Library conducted extensive market research and contacted other stylus manufacturers before determining that only Symcon, Inc. possesses the capability to produce these specialized bifurcated styli, with sample testing confirming acceptable performance in December 2025. Defective units must be replaced by the vendor at no additional cost, and the contracting officer commits to monitoring the industry for alternative sources to increase competition in future procurements.
Notice text
This is a public notice prepared in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 5.2 – Synopsis of Proposed Contract Actions.
The Library of Congress, Contracts and Grants Directorate, intends to award a sole-source firm fixed price contract to: Symcon, Inc. (9724 INDUSTRIAL DR, PINEVILLE, NC,28134,USA). The work to be performed under the contract will be performed at the following location:
Library of Congress NAVCC
Packard Campus
19053 Mount Pony Round
Culpeper, VA 22701-7551
USA
The period of performance of the intended contract shall run as follows: 06/30/2026- 06/29/2027. It is valued at an amount below the simplified acquisition threshold (defined as $350,000 and below), and above $25,000 (the public notice threshold). The work shall consist of the following: Library of Congress National Audio-Visual Conservation Center (NAVCC) Audio Preservation Laboratory in Culpeper, Virginia requires contract support to purchase a bifurcated styli required in order to be able play back metal master father discs in the Recorded Sound collection.
This announcement constitutes the only public notice, proposals are not being requested from other parties and a written solicitation will not be issued. This public notice accomplishes the following:
- Notice of the LC’s intent to sole source this requirement to the business listed herein;
- Synopsizing the requirements in accordance with the FAR; and
- Publically posting the approved Justification and Approval (J&A) to the public in advance of the contract award rather than after award. As a result of this, a second posting of the J&A is not required after the award has been made.
As a result of this public posting, this shall be the only notice issued. A separate award notice and a separate J&A posting shall not be performed, as all public information is being accomplished via this public notice.
The following attachments are included in this notice:
Attachment 1: Statement of Work
Attachment 2: Sole Source Justification (Redacted for Public Release)
No further notices shall be pursued at this time in regards to this contracting action.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| Attch 1 - SOW_2026-LGR-0035 Bifurcated Styli.pdf | ||
| Attch 2 - 2026-LGR-0035 JA 4.20.26 TT_Redacted.pdf |
Similar open opportunities
| Opportunity | Agency | Set-aside | Responses due |
|---|---|---|---|
| PRTD Aging Oven - Sole Source Justification | Library of Congress | No set-aside |
On GovTribe
Work this opportunity
- Track it in your pipeline
- Find teaming partners
- Similar opportunities
- Ask GovTribe AI about this opportunity