Zeiss Lattice SIM 5 laser scanning structured illumination super-resolution light microscope and Associated Supplies or Equal

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute (NCI) Center for Cancer Research is seeking to procure one new Zeiss Lattice SIM5 laser scanning structured illumination super-resolution light microscope with associated supplies or equal equipment. This equipment will support the CCR Microscopy Core facility, which serves the imaging and molecular research needs of over 45 laboratories within NCI studying cell biology and cancer mechanisms. Key requirements include a system equipped with dual high-sensitivity sCMOS cameras, four high-power lasers at specified wavelengths (405, 488, 561, and 647 nm), a 500 micrometer Piezo stage with stage-top incubation capabilities for live cell imaging, multiple high-magnification objective lenses, and a premium microscopy workstation with minimum specifications of 256 GB RAM and 24 GB graphics card. The government will evaluate proposals using domestic source preferences in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 25, prioritizing domestic end products and manufacturers. Responses to this Sources Sought Notice must be submitted electronically to the Contract Specialist, Shayna Simpson, at Shayna.simpson@hhs.gov by Friday, March 13, 2026, at 10:00 AM Eastern Time, with responses limited to ten pages.

This procurement is issued as a pre-solicitation Sources Sought Notice with no set-aside designation applied. The government intends to award a Firm Fixed Price Purchase Order and will utilize FOB Destination pricing, requiring inside delivery, setup by an OEM-certified service technician, and training within two weeks of installation, with delivery and installation to be completed within six months of order receipt. Respondents must provide detailed company information including their Unique Entity ID, DUNS number, CAGE code, NAICS code (334516), and business type classification, along with specifications regarding place of manufacturing and domestic end product status. While no award value or budget range has been disclosed in this pre-solicitation notice, the detailed bill of materials encompasses 81 specific line items including the microscope base unit, optical components, ZEN toolkit software modules, and various accessories. This notice represents a formal market investigation and does not constitute a commitment to award; no payment will be made for responses submitted.