Viral Vector Core TubeWriter 300

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), part of the Department of Health and Human Services, is issuing a Notice of Intent to Sole Source for the procurement of a Viral Vector Core TubeWriter 300, a high-speed, direct-to-labware printing system. The agency specifically seeks a system with unique capabilities including solvent-resistant inks and compatibility with cold storage conditions, which will be used to support their viral vector core operations. NICHD intends to award this contract on a non-competitive basis to TubeWriter, LLC, indicating that the government believes this vendor offers proprietary capabilities that meet their specialized requirements. Interested parties must submit responses by September 8, 2025, at 9:00 AM Eastern time, including a technical proposal, cost-price proposal, period of performance, Unique Entity ID, Taxpayer Identification Number, and business size certification. All potential offerors must maintain active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM), and while this is positioned as a sole source procurement, the government will review any submissions to determine whether to proceed non-competitively or conduct a competitive procurement process.

This procurement opportunity does not utilize any set-aside designations and is open to all qualified contractors. TubeWriter, LLC has been identified as the intended sole source contractor for this specialized laboratory instrument manufacturing requirement, classified under NAICS code 334516 with a size standard of 1,000 employees. The anticipated contract value is not expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold of $250,000, positioning this as a relatively modest procurement within the federal acquisition framework. The procurement falls under PSC category 6515 for Medical and Surgical Instruments, Equipment, and Supplies, reflecting the specialized nature of the laboratory equipment being acquired. The government has structured this as a presolicitation notice to allow potential competitors to demonstrate their capabilities, though the technical specifications suggest highly specialized requirements that may limit the number of qualified vendors in the marketplace.