Notice of Intent to Sole Source Thermal Analysis Instrumentation Service

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Acquisition Management Division intends to negotiate with TA Instruments – Waters, LLC, located in New Castle, DE, on a sole source basis under the authority of FAR Subpart 13.106-1(b), soliciting from a single source, for a pulse tube cryocooler.

Specific Requirements are as follows:

PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS: The Contractor shall provide one (1) on-site preventive maintenance visit during each one-year term of the service agreement for the TA Instruments DSC2500 to include:

1. updating the firmware and software for the instrument,
2. cleaning, inspection, and calibration of the hardware – Transducer, servo motors, and air bearings
3. replacing non-consumable parts and wear items
4. performing manufacturer recommended calibrations

PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS: The Contractor shall provide one (1) on-site preventive maintenance visit during each one-year term of the service agreement for the TA Instruments TGA550 to include:

1. updating the firmware and software for the instrument,
2. cleaning, inspection, and calibration of the hardware – Transducer, servo motors, and air bearings
3. replacing non-consumable parts and wear items
4. performing manufacturer recommended calibrations

SCHEDULING: Scheduling of the visits shall be consistent with the maintenance requirements of the instrument in accordance with the most recent service practice and maintenance protocols. Should the service practice and maintenance protocols be updated to implement less rigorous procedures than the previous version, approval of those revised protocols is at the sole discretion of the Government; requests for such revisions shall be submitted to the Contracting Officer in writing.

1. The scheduled maintenance visits may be made at the same time as an unscheduled visit for corrective or other action, if such a visit occurs within one month before a scheduled preventive maintenance visit. 
2. All visits must be scheduled in advance with the Contracting Officer Representative (COR).
3. The Contractor shall install all available commercial software/firmware upgrades for the purposes of instrument optimization on-site, at the time of the preventive maintenance visit.
   1. If a new version of software is updated, a document describing the new features of the software shall be provided within 72 hours of completion of the software upgrade.
4. The Contractor shall test the equipment, review the equipment’s performance, and take whatever steps are necessary to ensure the equipment is functioning in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications, prior to completion of the installation.

SUPPORT SERVICES REQUIREMENTS:

The Contractor shall provide support service during the one-year term of the service agreement for the TA Instruments DSC2500 and TA Instruments TGA550 to include:

1. The Contractor shall respond to an unlimited number of requests for service calls in the event of instrument failure which requires immediate repair.
2. The Contractor shall provide travel, labor, and any factory-certified parts that require replacement.
3. The Contractor shall provide a report that includes the following information upon completion of a service call that includes, but is not limited to the following information:
   1. Date of completion
   2. Service technician name
   3. Instrument model and serial number
   4. Description of service performed, e.g., preventative maintenance
   5. If calibration is performed, a calibration certificate that states the calibration performed, and the relevant calibration values, if applicable.
4. The Contractor shall provide on-site service at NIST Gaithersburg no later than 10 business days from the date and time a service call is placed. Note: No weekend on-site service visits shall be required. On-site service visits shall take place Monday through Friday during regular business hours M-F 8:00 am – 5:00 pm.
5. The Contractor shall provide telephone and/or email support for the covered equipment during regular business hours of 8:30 am to 5:00 pm Eastern time, Monday through Friday.
6. Telephone and/or email support shall include response to questions about operating practices, application use, and service issues that can be diagnosed and resolved over the telephone or by email.
7. If the Contractor is unable to resolve the problem during the service call, the Contractor shall provide telephone and/or email support, and on-site support as needed to expedite a solution for NIST. 
8. The Contractor shall be responsible for obtaining all parts required for all repairs and maintenance. 
9. The Contractor shall provide an estimate of when parts can be made available within 72 hours after identifying the need for a replacement part for the covered equipment.
10. All repairs shall result in the system meeting manufacturer’s specifications.
11. Any parts or components removed for replacement shall become the property of the Contractor unless otherwise agreed to by the parties.
12. The Contractor shall remove the parts from the NIST campus at the time of the service call and provide all packaging materials, packaging services, and return shipping within 3 days after the service visit is completed. 
13. The Contractor shall assume all charges and liability for all shipments.
14. All service provided under this agreement shall be provided by technicians certified by the manufacturer to perform service on the covered equipment.
15. All parts shall be approved for use with the instrument by the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM).

NAICS Code is 811210 –Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance, with a Size Standard of $34M. NIST anticipates negotiating and awarding a firm-fixed-price purchase order to TA Instruments – Waters LLC for this requirement.

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 will be issued by August 31, 2025. Any questions regarding this notice must be submitted in writing via email to lisa.stevens@nist.gov. All responses to this notice of intent must be submitted to lisa.stevens@nist.gov no later than the date and time provided herein this posting.

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AN OPEN COMPETITION:

Due to the proprietary nature of the parts for procurement and the warranty on existing units at NIST, only TA Instruments’ employees are authorized to provide maintenance and repair on their equipment. Failure to process this request would prevent NIST from continuing its fundamental research using a thermogravimetric analyzer in support of the curing process of polymers that are used in electronics packaging in support of the CHIPS program.