NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE: Cryogenic Insert & Sample Positioners

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Acquisition Management Division intends to negotiate with Lakeshore Cryotronics, Inc. located in Woburn, MA on a sole source basis for Cryogenic Insert & Sample Positioners. The statutory authority for this acquisition is 41 USC 3304(a)(1), as implemented under the authority of 41 U.S.C. 1901.

The National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) requires one SVT helium vaporizer vacuum assembly that conforms to the original Janis design, two sample positioner assemblies with vacuum-sealed sliding seals, a sealed lower while the sample is at rest in the center of the existing magnetic field solenoid when the solenoid is oerational at a temperature of 4.2 K. NIST requires these parts for an upgrade to an existing superconducting magnet cryostat system from Janis Research Company. This upgrade will enable graphene quantized Hall resistance devices to be fully characterized as a function of magnetic field strength, with multiple devices characterized in a single cool-down, and with large-capacity chip carriers having 32 pins.

Lakeshore Cryotronics, Inc. is the sole manufacturer and distributor of the commercial equipment that meets the required minimum specifications.  

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 334516 – Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing, with a small business size standard of 1,000 employees. NIST anticipates negotiating and awarding a firm-fixed-price purchase order to Lakeshore Cryotronics, Inc. for this requirement.

A determination by the Government not to compete the proposed acquisition based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government.  Interested parties that can demonstrate they could satisfy the requirement listed above for NIST must clearly and unambiguously identify their capability to do so in writing on or before the response date for this notice. This notice of intent is not a solicitation. Information submitted in response to this notice will be used solely to determine whether competitive procedures could be used for this acquisition. If competitive procedures are not used it is estimated that an award may be issued by April 30, 2023. Any questions regarding this notice must be submitted in writing via email to angela.hitt@nist.gov. All responses to this notice of intent must be submitted to angela.hitt@nist.gov no later than the date and time provided herein this posting.