Thermally Insulating Waveguide

Closed Pre-Solicitation Posted

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

Solicitation number
NB6720102601964
Agency
National Institute of Standards and Technology Department of Commerce
Responses due
Set-aside
No set-aside

Opportunity facts

NAICS code
334515 Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals
PSC
6625 Electrical And Electronic Properties Measuring And Testing Instruments
Place of performance
Boulder, Colorado 80305, United States
Points of contact

Notice details come from SAM.gov. Updated .

About this opportunity

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is conducting a sources-sought market research notice for thermally insulating rectangular waveguides, with responses due by July 17, 2026. No set-aside applies. Work will be performed at the NIST Boulder site (325 Broadway, Boulder, Colorado 80305).

NIST requires six units each of WR-10 waveguides (75–110 GHz operating frequency) and WR-6.5 waveguides (110–170 GHz), with separately priced options for six units each of WR-4.3 waveguides at two frequency bands (170–260 GHz and 220–330 GHz). All units must be new, feature IEEE 1785-2a Precision Dowel flanges, measure approximately 20 mm in length with a maximum of 30 mm, and be manufactured from material with thermal conductivity less than 0.25 Wm⁻¹K⁻¹. Contractors may optionally provide estimates for thermal resistance, insertion loss, return loss, and part-to-part variability; lower insertion loss, higher return loss, and higher thermal resistance are advantageous for evaluation.

Delivery to NIST-Boulder must occur within 16 weeks of contract award, with partial delivery acceptable. Acceptance is not expected to exceed 7 business days. At award, contractors must possess an active Unique Entity Identification Number (UEI) registered on SAM.gov and an Export Control Classification Number (ECCN). Base manufacturer warranty is acceptable; no installation, training, maintenance, calibration, government-furnished material, or travel requirements apply.

Respondents should submit information in Microsoft Word or PDF format, 12-point font, limited to ten pages excluding cover page, to lia.arthofer@nist.gov. Do not include proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information.

Notice text

Request for Information/Sources Sought Notice for Providers/Suppliers Thermally Insulating Waveguide

Notice ID: NB672010-26-01964

Contract Opportunity Type

Sources Sought

Response Date

7/17/2026

Product Service Code

6625—Electrical and Electronic Properties Measuring and Testing Instruments

NAICS Code

334515–Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals

BACKGROUND

This is a notice to request information from industry to help the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) determine the availability and capability of small businesses and other than small businesses to provide Thermally Insulating Waveguide to NIST Boulder site.

This notice is strictly to request information for market research purposes to help NIST determine the appropriate acquisition strategy for this requirement. This notice shall not be construed as a solicitation, an obligation, or commitment by the NIST.

OVERVIEW

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) require thermally insulating rectangular waveguides. The thermally insulating waveguides will be incorporated into power measurement systems at

NIST. See attached draft Requirements/Specifications document.

ANTICIPATED PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

NIST anticipates that delivery, installation, and training will occur within 16 weeks after receipt of the order.

INFORMATION REQUESTED FROM INDUSTRY SOURCES:

NIST invites industry sources to review this notice carefully and to familiarize themselves with the draft requirements/specifications document. Thereafter, by the closing date of this notice, NIST encourages those sources to submit responses to lia.arthofer@nist.gov . Do not include proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information in a response to this notice.

Responses should be submitted to contain the following, in Microsoft Word format or in .pdf format, use 12-point font, with a page limitation of ten pages (excluding cover page and excluding standard commercial pricing information):

  1. Cover page, including:
  • Sources Sought Notice number, title, and date of issuance
  • Unique Entity ID
  • Company name
  • Company address
  • Company website address
  • Company points of contact and their phone number and email address
  • Validation of company size status under NAICS: 334515–Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals
  • See table of business size standards at https://www.sba.gov/document/support-table-size-standards for more information.
  • Indicate whether your company has an active registration for procurement purposes in sam.gov.
  1. Provide any suggestions for NIST to consider for the draft requirements/specifications document, with the goal of improving the draft requirements/specifications document in a way that makes it clearer and as competitive as possible.
  1. Provide any suggested evaluation factors for award that your company believes would be meaningful for NIST to consider using for the forthcoming competitive acquisition.
  1. If your company has standard commercial pricing information (e.g., “catalog pricing”) for its standard commercial products/services, please provide a copy of it and explain what it includes. NIST will consider standard commercial pricing information to help it estimate a fair market price for the upcoming acquisition.
    • Your company may also provide an estimate for the draft requirements/specifications if you would like to do so; however, do not include a proposal for the draft requirements/specifications; a proposal submitted in response to this notice will not be considered.
  1. If your company is a small business for the NAICS code included in this notice, indicate whether your company can comply with FAR clause 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting (OCT 2022), if this acquisition were to be conducted as a total small business set-aside and provide supporting explanation. See https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-52#FAR_52_219_14 for the full text of this clause.
  1. Indicate whether your company has a GSA Multiple Award Schedule contract or other federal contract under which NIST would be authorized to place an order and, if so, provide a copy of that contract (including contract number, name and contact information for contracting officer, contract SOW, contract terms and conditions and contract prices).

The NIST reserves the right to follow up on a one-on-one basis with respondents to request additional information or clarifications about information submitted.

Teaming Arrangements

Firms seeking to respond to this notice as part of a team must include the above-requested information for each entity.

Disclaimer

Industry sources must provide information in response to this notice voluntarily, and for fully authorized use without limitation by NIST. This notice does not obligate NIST to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The NIST reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed. Information provided will be used to help NIST assess alternatives available for the potential requirement and may lead to the development of a solicitation. Respondents are advised that NIST is under no obligation to provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received and other market research, NIST may publish a solicitation on SAM.gov or on GSA eBuy, depending on the approved acquisition strategy. Responses received after the closing date for this notice may not be considered for market research purposes.

Attachments

Files attached to this notice, newest first
File Type Posted
Specifications.pdf PDF

Notice history

Notices posted for this opportunity, newest first
Notice Type Posted
Thermally Insulating Waveguide Latest solicitation Solicitation
Thermally Insulating Waveguide This notice · Original Pre-Solicitation

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