Upgrade an Instru-Met electromechanical frame

NASA's Shared Services Center issued a sole-source presolicitation notice on August 17, 2026, for an upgrade to an Instru-Met electromechanical testing frame at NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, with a response deadline of August 19, 2026, at 7:00 a.m. Central Standard Time. The notice intends to award the contract to Instru-Met Corp under FAR 12.102(a) authority and will be treated as a commercial item acquisition using FAR Part 12 procedures.

The upgrade will design and manufacture a custom stainless steel programmable environmental chamber integrated with the existing testing frame, enabling mechanical testing across a temperature range from liquid nitrogen to 350 degrees Celsius and significantly expanding the laboratory's materials characterization capabilities beyond current ambient-condition testing. Performance will be conducted at NASA Glenn Research Center's Soft Materials Characterization Laboratory by the Polymer Aerogel Group, with an estimated delivery date of January 30, 2027.

The sole-source justification rests on system compatibility requirements; acquiring the upgrade from Instru-Met Inc., the original frame manufacturer, is necessary to ensure compatibility with existing systems and instrumentation. The procurement applies NAICS 334519 (Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing) and PSC 6695 (Combination and Miscellaneous Instruments).

Interested organizations may submit written capability statements and qualifications by the August 19 deadline to Procurement Specialist Shanna L. Patterson at Shanna.L.Patterson@nasa.gov to contest the sole-source determination and request competitive procurement. Oral communications are not acceptable. The Government retains discretion to conduct competitive procurement based on responses received.