Notice of Intent to Sole Source: Preventative Maintenance Service for Leica BONDRXm Processing Module

The National Institutes of Health, specifically the National Cancer Institute's Center for Cancer Research, seeks to procure preventative maintenance services for a Leica BOND RX Research Advanced Staining System, which provides automated immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization capabilities critical to cancer research operations. The procurement will be conducted under FAR Part 13 Simplified Acquisition Procedures, and the government is seeking factory-trained engineers, OEM-approved replacement parts, proprietary software updates, firmware revisions, and calibration services to maintain system functionality, manufacturer compliance, and data integrity. All interested parties, including potential competitors, may submit capability statements, technical proposals, and cost-price proposals that must demonstrate bona fide capabilities, identify the period of performance, provide Unique Entity ID (UEI) and Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and include business size certification. The government retains discretion to award on a non-competitive basis to Leica Biosystems or to conduct a competitive procurement based on the responses received. All offerors must maintain active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM), and responses must be submitted electronically to David Shen, Purchasing Agent, at david.shen@nih.gov by April 14, 2026 at 7:00 AM Eastern time.

This procurement carries no set-aside designation, and Leica Microsystems Inc. (operating as Leica Biosystems) is the identified incumbent contractor. The contract value is not to exceed $350,000, which falls below the simplified acquisition threshold. The justification for the sole-source consideration cites the proprietary nature of the Leica BOND RX system and Leica's exclusive ability to provide the specialized maintenance services required. The applicable NAICS code is 811210 (Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance) with a $34 million size standard, and the PSC category is J066 (Maint/Repair/Rebuild Of Equipment—Instruments And Laboratory Equipment). The government's decision on whether to proceed with sole-source procurement or open the award to competition will be based on the quality and nature of responses received by the April 14 deadline.