Presolicitation notice (sole source) for acquisit

The Department of the Interior's Interior Business Center is soliciting quotations for one Oxford Nanopore PromethION 2 Integrated sequencing platform, including delivery, installation, training, and one year of standard support, with quotations due September 2, 2026. This is a competitive RFQ; questions close August 28, 2026. The procurement is unrestricted but includes a Women-Owned Small Business set-aside.

Place of performance is the CCR Genomics Core at the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, with delivery and installation required within four to twelve weeks after contract award. The NAICS code is 334516 (Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing) and PSC is 6632 (Analysis Instruments, Medical Laboratory Use). Award is Firm-Fixed-Price.

The brand-name justification restricts competition to Oxford Nanopore Technologies, Inc., based on the finding that only ONT produces PromethION-class systems compatible with CCR's existing validated workflows, flow cells, chemistries, and software pipelines. Market research confirmed no alternative commercially available sequencing platform provides equivalent integrated compute capability or compatibility with ONT flow cells while maintaining existing laboratory infrastructure. The contracting officer determined that use of any alternative system would necessitate replacement of consumables, assay redesign, personnel retraining, protocol revalidation, and interruption of ongoing NCI research. Vendor pricing was confirmed fair and reasonable against current commercial market rates.

Estimated contract value is $70,000. Evaluation is Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA), with technical acceptability determined pass/fail against Statement of Need requirements, and award to the lowest-priced technically acceptable quotation. Quotations must be submitted electronically to Jesse Kunkle at Jesse_Kunkle@ibc.doi.gov.