Thermo-Calc Software License Additions & Renewals

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has published a Special Notice announcing its intent to negotiate a sole source contract with Thermo-Calc Software Inc. for software license additions and renewals. The procurement involves acquiring a TC-AM user network license and additional user network licenses for Thermo-Calc, DICTRA, TC-PRISMA, and TC-python software under existing award number 1333ND24PNB640484. This acquisition falls under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(1) and is classified under NAICS code 513210 (Software Publishers) with a small business size standard of $47.0 million in annual revenue. The contracting opportunity is managed by NIST's Materials Science and Engineering Division, specifically for their Thermodynamics and Kinetics Group. The solicitation number is NB642050-25-01623 and no set-aside provisions apply to this procurement.

The sole source justification is based on NIST's requirement for specialized software to model microstructure evolution in materials and processes, which is essential for the agency's mission to support materials science and engineering research. Market research has determined that Thermo-Calc is the only provider of these specific licenses, with no alternative vendors or interfaces available. While no formal solicitation package will be issued due to the sole source nature, interested parties may submit responses for government consideration by the deadline of September 5, 2025. The resulting contract will be structured as a Firm-Fixed Price Delivery Order. This procurement supports NIST's broader mission to provide measurement science, standards, technology, and data necessary for materials design, development, manufacturing, and utilization in partnership with U.S. industry, government agencies, and scientific institutions.