Nucrypt Entangled Photon Source (EPS) and Polarization Analyzers (PA)

NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE

Contracting Opportunities Announcement Type: Special Notice
Announcement Number: NIST-NOI-22-01130
Subject: Nucrypt Entangled Photon Source (EPS) and Polarization Analyzers (PA)

Introduction
This is a notice of intent, not a request for a quotation. A solicitation document will not be issued, and quotations will not be requested. 

Purpose
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) intends to negotiate a firm-fixed priced purchase order on a sole source basis with Nucrypt, LLC, located at 1460 Renaissance Drive, Suite 205, Park Ridge, Illinois 60068-1347. The purchase order will specifically procure an Entangled Photon Source (PN: EPS-1000-cc-PPLN) and two polarization state analyzers (PN: PA-1000-P-DA), manufactured by Nucrypt, LLC and delivered within 14 weeks after receipt of an order. The Entangled Photon Source (EPS) and Polarization Analyzers (PA) manufactured by Nucrypt will allow the Computing and Communications Theory group in the Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) at NIST to perform experiments in the DC-region Quantum Network (DCQNet), which is a newly developed collaborative quantum networking effort between government agencies. 

Authority
This acquisition is being conducted under the authority of FAR Subpart 13.106(b)(1) allowing the Contracting Officer (CO) to solicit from one source. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 334516 – Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing with the small business size standard of 1000 Employees.

Description
For a complete description of this requirement, please see the attached Specifications document. 

Sole Source Determination
The sole source determination is based on the following: 

To allow for collaboration with the Army Research Lab (ARL) within the DCQNet, NIST requires a rate-variable and rate-lockable polarization entangled fiber-coupled source along with two fiber-coupled polarization analyzers with dual polarization outputs. Other government agencies involved in the DCQNet perform experiments with the EPS and PA’s manufactured by Nucrypt. For compatibility of research, NIST must have the same equipment. Therefore, NIST is in need of the subject requirement to distribute, characterize and interface with other polarization entanglement sources and to successfully collaborate with the ARL and other DCQNet agencies. Deviation from any of the requirements would result in an unsuccessful attempt of entanglement swapping between NIST and the DCQNet.

Information for Interested Parties
Interested parties that believe they could satisfy the requirements listed above for NIST may clearly and unambiguously identify their capability to do so in writing by or before the response date for this notice. This notice of intent is not a solicitation. 

Any questions regarding this notice must be submitted in writing via email to Hunter Tjugum, Contract Specialist, at Hunter.Tjugum@nist.gov. All responses to this notice of intent must be submitted via email to hunter.tjugum@nist.gov so that they are received no later than April 4, 2022 at 4:00 PM, Eastern Time.

Each response should include the following Business Information:

a.    Contractor Name, Address, 
b.    Point of Contact Name, Phone Number, and Email address
c.    Contractor DUNS 
d.    Contractor Business Classification (i.e., small business, 8(a), woman owned, hubZone, veteran owned, etc.) as validated in System for Award Management (SAM). All offerors must have an active registration in www.SAM.gov. 
e.    Capability Statement