Portable Optical Atomic Clocks

Closed Pre-Solicitation Posted

A newer solicitation was posted. See the latest solicitation from .

Solicitation number
OU68-FY26-492-NEW
Agency
National Institute of Standards and Technology Department of Commerce
Responses due
Set-aside
No set-aside

Opportunity facts

NAICS code
334516 Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing
PSC
6640 Laboratory Equipment And Supplies
Place of performance
Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, United States
Points of contact

Notice details come from SAM.gov. Updated .

About this opportunity

NIST intends to conduct market research via sources sought prior to soliciting two Portable Optical Atomic Clocks by June 23, 2026, with potential conversion to small business set-aside if at least two qualified small businesses can meet the specifications.

Place of performance is Gaithersburg, Maryland. The clocks must discipline an oscillator to an atomic or molecular spectroscopic transition documented by at least two published research studies, with radio frequency outputs at 5 MHz, 10 MHz, 100 MHz, or 1 GHz terminated in SMA-female connectors delivering amplitudes no less than +5 dBm. Short-term frequency instability (Allan deviation) must be less than 3E-13 at 1-second intervals and less than 2E-14 after 100,000 seconds of averaging. Optical output in the C-band (1530–1565 nm) must exceed 0.1 mW coupled through single-mode fiber with FC/APC connectors. Each unit requires a stabilized femtosecond-laser frequency comb output and complete remote operation via serial or network interfaces.

Systems must fit within 19-inch rack enclosures per EIA-310-D standards (maximum 450.85 mm width, 760 mm depth, 267 mm height), dissipate under 500 W total power, and operate on 110–120 V AC at 60 Hz through IEC 60320 C13 connectors. Delivery, installation, and training must complete within 12–18 weeks after order, with vendor technician on-site support for installation and startup. NIST requires a 5-year manufacturer warranty covering labor and parts. Government acceptance testing will run 14 business days and characterize radio frequency outputs against NIST hydrogen maser clocks and ensemble time scales.

Respondents must indicate the manufacturing country for the product. This notice is market research only; no payment will be made for submitted information, and no solicitation is currently available.

Notice text

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Acquisition Management Division

Sources Sought for Commercial Product Purchase

THIS SOURCES SOUGHT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR QUOTATION.

It is a market research tool being used to determine potential and eligible business firms that can provide the product described herein prior to determining the method of acquisition.

The National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) seeks information on vendors that can provide two Portable Optical Atomic Clocks in Gaithersburg per the specifications attached herein.

This announcement is not a Request for Proposals or Quotes (RFP/RFQ) and does not commit the Government to award a contract now or in the future. The information contained in this notice is DRAFT only and, as such, is subject to change prior to the issuance of a solicitation. No solicitation is available currently. Additionally, the Government is not obligated to and will not pay for any information received from potential sources because of this Sources Sought announcement. The results of this Sources Sought will be utilized to determine if any Small Business Set-aside opportunities exist. All Small Business Set-aside categories will be considered. In addition, this market research tool is being used to identify potential and eligible firms, of all sizes, who manufacture the Portable Optical Atomic Clocks in the U.S. prior to determining the method of acquisition and issuance of a solicitation. PLEASE INDICATE WHAT COUNTRY MANUFACTURES THIS PRODUCT.

After the results of this market research are obtained and analyzed, NIST may conduct a competitive or non-competitive procurement on the System for Award Management (sam.gov) and subsequently award a contract. If at least two qualified small businesses are identified during this market research stage that can fulfill the requirement, in accordance with the Specifications, then this acquisition shall be solicited as a small business set aside, however, NIST is seeking responses from ALL responsible sources, including large and small businesses. Responses should include the country where the product is manufactured.

This requirement is assigned a NAICS code of 334516, Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing, with a small business size standard of 1,000 employees.

Interested business organizations that believe they can meet the requirements should submit electronic copies of their capability statement. Please limit responses to four (4) pages or less. Responses should include the following information:

  1. Name of the company that will provide the product(s).
  2. Name of the company that will manufacture the product.
  3. County of origin or manufacture of the product.
  4. Spec/data sheets and examples of products that meet the specifications that demonstrate experience in meeting the requirements of this procurement.
  5. Typical lead time to deliver the product after receipt of order
  6. Any other relevant information that is not listed above that the Government should consider in developing its minimum specifications and finalizing its market research.

(Company sales brochures or marketing packages will not be considered.)

Any proprietary information should be so marked. The written capability statement should be received by the Contracting Officer, Angela Hitt via email at angela.hitt@nist.gov no later than the date and time posted in this notice. No quotes will be accepted at this time and will not be considered.

REQUIREMENTS OVERVIEW:

See the attached Statement of Requirements document

Attachments

Files attached to this notice, newest first
File Type Posted
OU68-FY26-492-NEW Requirements and Specifications_v2.docx DOCX document

Notice history

Notices posted for this opportunity, newest first
Notice Type Posted
Optical Atomic Clock Systems Latest solicitation Solicitation
Portable Optical Atomic Clocks This notice · Original Pre-Solicitation

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