Probes

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is soliciting quotations for five on-wafer probes operating at 220 GHz to support manufacturing of on-wafer standards and S-parameter measurements up to 330 GHz as part of the NIST CHIPS program. Specifically, the procurement requires three probes with 50 mm pitch and two probes with 100 mm pitch, all featuring GSG tip configuration and direct mounting capability to the Anritsu VectorStar ME7838G module. Key requirements include that all equipment must be new (not used or refurbished), include original manufacturer packaging and documentation, and come with a one-year warranty and maintenance support. Award will be made to the lowest-priced, technically acceptable offeror whose equipment meets or exceeds all specified requirements, as documented in a three-volume quotation submission (Technical Quotation, Price Quotation with tariff identification, and Terms and Conditions acceptance). Quotations must be submitted electronically to Cielo.Ibarra@nist.gov and Donald.Collie@nist.gov no later than 5:00 PM Eastern Time on February 10, 2026, with pre-quote inquiries required to be submitted in writing within a specified timeframe after solicitation issuance.

This is an unrestricted competition with no set-aside designation, conducted using simplified acquisition procedures under the Commercial Items FAR Part 12 guidelines for NAICS code 334516 (Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing). The period of performance is eight weeks from award date, with both deliverables required at week eight for delivery to NIST's Boulder facility at 325 Broadway, Boulder, Colorado 80305, under FOB Destination terms with the contractor assuming all shipping costs and risks. No incumbent contractor is identified in the solicitation materials. The contract requires cybersecurity and privacy protections consistent with FISMA, OMB Circular A-130, and NIST SP 800-171 standards, including system security plans, secure configurations, multifactor authentication, and encryption standards (TLS 1.2 or better for transit; FIPS 140-2/140-3 validated encryption at rest). Payment is contingent upon 100% completion following installation, acceptance, and successful testing by the NIST Point of Contact, with acceptance decisions to be made within two weeks of equipment receipt, and no partial shipments or invoices accepted unless pre-approved.