The National Institute of Standards and Technology has awarded a sole-source contract to Carl Zeiss Microscopy for a Zeiss Versa XRM 730 X-ray Computed Tomography microscope system with an estimated total value of $2.23 million on September 23, 2026.

NIST's Physical Measurements Laboratory justified the sole-source procurement under 41 U.S.C. 3304(a)(1) (single responsible source) and 41 U.S.C. 1901(a)(2) (simplified procedures for acquisitions between simplified acquisition threshold and $5 million). Market research evaluated five initial potential suppliers—Bruker, Rigaku, Sigray, X-ris, and Zeiss—followed by a sources sought notice posted January 6, 2026, which yielded seven responses. A notice of intent to negotiate on sole source basis was posted May 27, 2026, with no responses, and a combined sources sought notice posted August 3, 2026, received two responses from Productivity Quality, Inc. and Tescan, both deemed technically insufficient. Zeiss is the only capable source meeting critical technical requirements: maximum voxel resolution better than 50 nanometers, 60-megapixel detector capability, diffraction contrast tomography imaging mode, and proprietary lens-based magnification system. Only Zeiss can guarantee data interoperability with NIST's existing Zeiss Versa XRM 500 microscope and compatibility with mechanical testing hardware currently in use. Delivery is anticipated within six months, followed by two months for installation and inspection. The award includes a one-year commercial warranty and three one-year option periods for extended warranty. Carl Zeiss Microscopy is located in White Plains, New York, and the product is manufactured in the United States.

X-ray Computed Tomography (XCT) Microscope

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