Fiber Optic Bundles for CXI (UW-MAD)[20-3164]

The University of Wisconsin-Madison's Purchasing Services Department is soliciting bids for two complete fiber optic bundle assemblies for the Department of Engineering Physics, specifically for a Carbon Change Exchange Emission Imaging Detector (CXI). The procurement requires fiber optic bundles with precise technical specifications, including 1000mm core fibers at 40 meters in length, capable of 80% or greater transmission at 529nm wavelength, arranged in a 412-fiber close-packed rectangular grid at one end and 12 separated bundles of 4 fibers each at the opposite end. Bidders must demonstrate three years of experience in fiberoptics, provide manufacturer authorization, submit three client references from comparable institutions, and include standard manufacturer warranty documentation. The bid was issued on June 26, 2019, with a deadline for written questions on July 1, 2019, and a bid submission deadline of July 3, 2019, at 2:00 PM Central Daylight Time. Award will be made to the lowest qualified bidder determined to be in the best interest of the University, with bid prices remaining firm for sixty days from the date of bid opening.

No specific set-aside designations or restrictions on responding organizations were explicitly detailed in the procurement documents. Bidders must maintain commercial general and automobile liability insurance with minimum coverage of one million dollars, naming the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System as an additional insured. While no incumbent vendor was identified, the University currently uses high-OH fused silica core with polymer cladding fiber. The procurement allows for governmental and educational discounts, which must be reflected in quoted prices, though no specific funding source was identified. No guaranteed purchase quantity was specified, and the total contract value was not explicitly stated. Bidders are required to provide a net unit price per bundle and an extended total for two bundles, with payment terms of net thirty days following acceptance and testing of the items within thirty days of delivery. The University reserves the right to require oral presentations, product demonstrations, and/or vendor site visits at its sole discretion.