Maintenance Agreement for Zeiss LSM980

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), under the Department of Health and Human Services, is seeking maintenance services for a Zeiss LSM980 confocal microscope equipped with Airyscan2 technology. The procurement will be conducted as a non-competitive sole-source award to Carl Zeiss Microscopy, LLC under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13 Simplified Acquisition Procedures. The maintenance agreement is intended to support the Laboratory of Sensory Physiology and Biophysics' research activities, specifically focusing on mechano-electrical transduction processes in sensory hair cell physiology through high-speed, high-resolution confocal microscopy imaging. Interested parties are invited to submit capability statements and proposals that include technical and cost-price proposals, period of performance, Unique Entity ID (UEI), Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), business size certification, and evidence of active System for Award Management (SAM) registration. The proposal submission deadline is February 26, 2026 at 9:00 AM Eastern time, with submissions directed to John Burton, Contracting Officer, at John.Burton@nih.gov, referencing solicitation number 75N94026Q00049.

This procurement is not designated with any set-aside provisions and represents a sole-source award intended for Carl Zeiss Microscopy, LLC, the manufacturer of the equipment requiring maintenance. The estimated contract value does not exceed $350,000, and the work falls under NAICS code 811210 (Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance) and PSC code J066 (Maint/Repair/Rebuild Of Equipment—Instruments And Laboratory Equipment). The contracting office is located within the NIH's Office of the Director, Office of Logistics and Operations, Hospital and Laboratory Support Division in Bethesda, Maryland. While specific performance timelines are not detailed in the notice, the maintenance agreement is structured to ensure continuous support for the laboratory's advanced microscopy research capabilities.