Notice of Intent to Sole Source: Maintenance Agreement for Zeiss LSM980

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), through its Office of the Director and Office of Acquisition and Logistics Management, intends to sole source a maintenance service contract for a Carl Zeiss LSM980 Airyscan confocal microscope. The equipment is operated by the Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics (LCBG) at NIH/NCI/CCR and serves over 100 users requiring state-of-the-art microscopic imaging for confocal and super-resolution analysis of biological specimens. Interested parties must submit capability statements, technical proposals, cost-price proposals, period of performance details, Unique Entity ID (UEI), Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and business size certification by March 31, 2026, at 9:00 AM Eastern time. While the Government has indicated its intent to award non-competitively to Carl Zeiss Microscopy, LLC, it retains discretion to conduct a competitive procurement based on responses received from other qualified offerors. All responses must be submitted electronically to Roshonna Davis, Purchasing Agent, at davisroshonna@mail.nih.gov with reference to solicitation number 75N98026Q00136, and all offerors must maintain active registrations in the System for Award Management (SAM).

This procurement carries no set-aside designations and identifies Carl Zeiss Microscopy, LLC (White Plains, NY) as the anticipated incumbent contractor. The estimated contract value does not exceed $350,000, and the procurement will be conducted under FAR Part 13-Simplified Acquisition Procedures. The contract is classified under NAICS code 811210 (Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance) with a $34 million size standard and falls under PSC code J066 (Maint/Repair/Rebuild Of Equipment- Instruments And Laboratory Equipment). The acquisition is exempt from FAR Part 6 competition requirements, allowing the Government to proceed on a non-competitive basis if deemed appropriate based on the responses and evaluation of capability.