Notice of Intent to Award Sole Source NIH NIAID

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) intends to award a sole source contract to Sartorius Corporation for a yearly service contract covering the Sartorius Octet RH96 instrument, Serial Number FB-70620, from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026. The contract will be structured as a firm-fixed-price agreement and includes priority technical support, preventive maintenance with two PMOQ per year with certification, parts and labor for repairs, and software upgrades. NIAID justifies the sole source acquisition under FAR 13.501(a)(1)(ii) because only the original equipment manufacturer possesses the proprietary software, diagnostic tools, genuine replacement parts, and trained technicians necessary to maintain the instrument to factory specifications. The agency emphasizes that using an alternate service provider would risk warranty invalidation, compromise data integrity, and cause unacceptable delays in critical vaccine research programs at the Vaccine Research Center. While this is a notice of intent rather than a competitive solicitation, responsible sources believing they can meet the requirements may submit capability statements, proposals, or quotations by September 19, 2025.

This procurement does not utilize any set-aside designation and identifies Sartorius Corporation of Bohemia, New York, as the intended sole source contractor. The Octet RH96 serves as cornerstone technology for real-time biomolecular interaction analysis in vaccine development, making reliable maintenance critical to ongoing research operations. The contract covers a one-year service period with specific requirements for two preventive maintenance visits annually, though no specific dollar value is disclosed in the notice. The instrument's proprietary nature and the specialized technical requirements necessitate OEM support to prevent instrument downtime that could disrupt vaccine research and jeopardize data quality and regulatory compliance. The contract will be awarded by the NIH/NIAID contracting office located in Rockville, Maryland, and falls under NAICS code 811210 for electronic and precision equipment repair and maintenance.