NMTLOxford Ultim Max Infinity

The Bureau of Land Management's National Minerals Testing Laboratory has issued a sole source notice for the acquisition of an Oxford Ultim Max Infinity 100 Analytical Silicon Drift EDS Detector with Backscatter Electron and X-ray imaging device. The agency intends to award this contract directly to Oxford Instruments America Inc. of Concord, Massachusetts without competitive bidding. The specialized equipment must be fully compatible with NMTL's existing Tescan Scanning Electron Microscope and AZtec software database. The Department of the Interior's Wyoming Region Bureau of Land Management published this notice on September 9, 2025. The procurement falls under NAICS code 811210 for Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance with a small business size standard of $34.0 million.

The purpose of this sole source procurement is to upgrade NMTL's analytical capabilities through the supply and installation of the Ultim Infinity 100 upgrade, Unity Retrofit Package with BEX imaging detector, onsite installation services, and software updates including AZtec Live, Cartography Mode, and BEX Imaging. While this is not a competitive solicitation, the government is allowing interested parties to submit written responses with supporting documentation to demonstrate their capability by the September 18, 2025 deadline. The agency will review any submissions to determine whether competitive procurement would be appropriate for this requirement. Companies interested in challenging the sole source approach must provide evidence of their ability to supply equivalent equipment that meets the specific compatibility requirements. No formal solicitation will be issued unless the government determines that competition is warranted based on the responses received.