MRI Volume Transmittal

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) within the Department of Health and Human Services is seeking a replacement RF volume coil for their Neurophysiology Imaging Facility's 7T MRI system. The procurement aims to address reliability issues and RF transmit-receive coupling problems with the current coil manufactured by Resonance Research Inc., which has experienced repeated mechanical and electrical failures including broken tuning rods and unstable coupling behavior. The new volume transmit coil must meet specific technical requirements including an outer diameter of 168 mm, inner diameter of 140 mm, resonance frequency of 300.35 MHz, peak RF power of 2000 W, and full compatibility with Bruker AVNeo console and gradient insert systems. Interested small businesses must submit capability statements electronically to Joe Kennedy at joseph.kennedy@nih.gov by September 14, 2025, at 5:00 PM Eastern Time. The response must be limited to 10 pages maximum in Microsoft Word or PDF format and include company details such as total employees, professional qualifications, government contract vehicles, and specific technical capabilities to meet project requirements.

This opportunity is designated as a Total Small Business set-aside, with NIMH particularly interested in responses from HUBZone, service-disabled veteran-owned, 8(a), veteran-owned, woman-owned, and small disadvantaged businesses. The current incumbent contractor is Resonance Research Inc., whose existing coil has demonstrated the mechanical and electrical issues prompting this replacement procurement. The period of performance spans one 12-month period from September 30, 2025, to September 29, 2026, during which the government will ensure equipment availability for potential maintenance or repair activities. The procurement falls under NAICS code 811210 for Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance and PSC code J066 for maintenance, repair, and rebuild of instruments and laboratory equipment. No specific contract value or budget range has been disclosed in this sources sought notice, which serves as a market research tool to identify qualified small business sources capable of meeting the technical specifications for this specialized MRI equipment upgrade.