National Institute of Diabetes Digestive and Kidney Diseases Intramural Research Microscopes Purchase

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), through the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), is seeking to purchase four advanced confocal microscopes for intramural research under solicitation 75N94025Q00180. The procurement requires four different microscope configurations including LSM 990, LSM 910 with Lightfield 4D Imaging Module, LSM 910 for LCMB, and LSM 990 for LDB, each with specific technical requirements such as faster scanning speeds (3-20x improvement), higher resolution (1.4-2x improvement), and increased sensitivity (3-10x improvement) compared to current equipment. The microscopes must include advanced features like Airyscan super-resolution detection, ZEN Blue software integration, and specialized detector technology including GaAsP PMTs and Airyscan 2 detectors. The contract will be awarded as a Firm Fixed Price purchase order using Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) evaluation procedures, with vendors evaluated on their ability to meet detailed technical specifications. Quotations are due by August 26, 2025, at 1:00 PM EST, and must be submitted via email to the contracting officer.

This solicitation is not set aside for small businesses and is open to full and open competition under NAICS code 334516 with a business size standard of 1,000 employees. While no current contractors or incumbents are specifically mentioned, the solicitation clarifies that it is open to all vendors who can demonstrate capabilities to fulfill requirements, not exclusively limited to Zeiss-branded systems despite referencing Zeiss LSM configurations. The procurement does not specify award values or budget ranges in the available documentation. Each microscope configuration will be delivered to different NIH facilities in Bethesda, Maryland, with installation and two days of on-site training required for each system. The solicitation is being processed under FAR Part 13.5 Simplified Acquisition Procedures for commercial products and services, indicating this falls within simplified acquisition thresholds.