Notice of Intent to Sole Source Service Contract for FIB-SEM Microscope

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Research and Development Center (ERDC), Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory (GSL) intends to issue a sole source award to Carl Zeiss Microscopy, LLC (CAGE Code: 325W6) to procure Annual Service and Maintenance Services for the Zeiss Focus Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscope.  

The requirement necessitates a field service engineer to conduct one preventative maintenance call per agreement year (3 total visits) on the FIB-SEM including Preventative Maintenance (PM) kits. Support must be provided for the instrument during ERDC’s regular business hours, making reasonable commercial efforts.  The contractor shall provide unlimited corrective maintenance calls by phone during ERDC’s regular business hours, as well as provide service visits as required with labor and travel expenses covered.  This will include any additional emergency service visits required during the contract period as well as the required yearly PM visit to include FESEM PM Consumable Kit and Crossbeam PM Consumable Kit.

Premium service includes coverage for the base Crossbeam 350, including EM Hardware, 3View Hardware, detector electronics, turbo pump, roughing pump, stage, airlock, vacuum system, control panel, joystick, CCD cameras, display monitors, detectors, and electron optics.  Coverage for attached system components including the FIB (Capella), Single GIS, VP FESEM/XB, micromanipulator Cat3, and Plasma Cleaner is also required. Coverage for all replacement parts required for repairs using new or rebuilt OEM parts. Software installation support for covered Zeiss software is necessary.

The period of performance shall be 3 years of service.

Place of Performance ERDC Vicksburg, MS.

This notice of intent is for information purposes only. This notice is not a request for competitive quotes or proposals. A solicitation will not be issued. However, all responsible sources may submit a capability statement.  The contractor must also provide a description of their past experience in fulfilling requirements which are the same or similar to this requirement and references for each. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. A determination by the Government not to compete this requirement on a full and open competition basis, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the government. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice. Responses to this requirement may be submitted to Tam Coronel at Tam.M.Coronel@usace.army.mil and Sonia Boyd at Sonia.J.Boyd@usace.army.mil no later than 1:00PM CST Monday, July 13, 2026.