Carl Zeiss Microscopy, LLC

Carl Zeiss Microscopy, LLC, a foreign-owned manufacturer of advanced optical and optoelectronic microscopy equipment headquartered in White Plains, New York, operates as a prime contractor (99% of recent awards) selling specialized microscope systems, maintenance services, and related technical support to federal research institutions on a full-and-open basis with no set-aside designations. The vendor is a subsidiary of Schott North America, Inc. and has maintained federal contractor registration since 2004.

Carl Zeiss Microscopy's capability portfolio centers on laser scanning confocal microscopes, scanning electron microscopes, focused ion beam systems, light sheet microscopes, X-ray computed tomography instruments, and comprehensive maintenance and repair services. Recent prime work includes a $771.7 million Carl Zeiss Lattice SIM 5 super-resolution laser scanning structured illumination microscope system delivered to the National Cancer Institute (June 8, 2026), a $2.3 million Focused Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscope (FIB-SEM) for the Army Engineer Research and Development Center (September 13, 2024), a $853.9 million Zeiss Sigma 360 serial blockface scanning electron microscope for the National Institute on Aging (September 20, 2024), and recurring annual maintenance contracts valued at $50 thousand to $650 thousand across NIH components. The vendor also delivers installation, training, warranty support, preventative maintenance, emergency repairs, software updates, replacement parts, and on-site technical engineering services.

Customer concentration is heavily weighted to civilian research institutions within the Department of Health and Human Services. The top five customer agencies by award count represent 25% of recent awards and include the NIH Office of the Director (293 awards, $4.1 million), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (219 awards, $8.2 million), National Cancer Institute (190 awards, $21.3 million), National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (155 awards, $16.1 million), and National Institute on Drug Abuse (148 awards, $16.9 million). By combined potential value, the top ranking shifts to emphasize the NIH Office of Logistics and Acquisition Operations (88 awards, $78.2 million), which serves as a purchasing hub. Carl Zeiss Microscopy has awarded over 4,000 prime contracts and received 24 subcontract task orders, with 156 distinct customer agencies across civilian and defense portfolios including the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, National Institutes of Standards and Technology, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and Department of Energy national laboratories.

The vendor holds a General Services Administration Multiple Award Schedule contract valued at $62.1 million (ceiling) with performance through March 3, 2030, covering laser scanning confocal microscopes, scanning electron microscopes, light sheet microscopes, X-ray computed tomography instruments, and maintenance services. This vehicle has generated 1,312 task orders worth $94.7 million in combined potential value, with recent delivery orders from the Food and Drug Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Carl Zeiss Microscopy also holds a single-award Blanket Purchase Agreement valued at $10 million with the Office of Logistics and Acquisition Operations (ceiling) for operation and maintenance items consisting of medical and scientific equipment, extending through September 30, 2026. Additional BPA vehicles with individual agency components, including the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development ($100 million BPA) and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases ($100 million BPA), support task order issuance across NIH research facilities.

Activity has remained steady: the vendor recorded 130 prime awards in 2024, 134 in 2023, and 129 in 2022, though 2025 and 2026 show decline (67 and 33 awards respectively, reflecting recent source coverage). Sixty-four awards face ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months with combined potential value of $9.3 million, representing recompete exposure concentrated in maintenance service renewals. SCI-reported invoiced revenue on federal service contracts above the $150,000 threshold reached $581 thousand in FY2022 and $577 thousand in FY2024, with roughly 0.3 to 0.5 FTEs delivered per fiscal year; these figures capture only a narrow slice of federal work and exclude equipment sales, products, and the majority of the vendor's federal revenue. Government-paid hourly rates on SCI-reportable services ranged from a 10th percentile of $257.95/hr to a median of $739.61/hr and 90th percentile of $942.39/hr, reflecting senior technical labor performing specialized maintenance diagnostics and field engineering. Across SCI-reportable prime contracts, the vendor performed 100% of contractor hours internally with zero sub-engagement, indicating in-house delivery of technical expertise.

Carl Zeiss Microscopy operates as a subcontractor on seven named prime agreements, including Triad National Security, LLC (Los Alamos National Laboratory management and operations; maintenance and repair services for microscopy equipment, March 2026), Fluor Marine Propulsion, LLC (Naval Nuclear Laboratory and Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program support; field emission gun scanning electron microscope services, January 2026), Honeywell Federal Manufacturing & Technologies, LLC (National Security Campus management and operation; service and maintenance agreements, November 2024 and January 2025), Riverside Research Institute (Microelectronics and Embedded System Assurance II; software license and maintenance, August 2025), and Agilent Technologies Inc. (NCI FY25 operational task order; microscope SMA coverage, November 2024). These subcontract engagements center on providing specialized microscopy equipment and OEM-authorized maintenance to support classified national security, energy, and research operations. Carl Zeiss Microscopy also received a single sub-grant award from the University of Dayton (November 2022) for engineering supplies and services in support of the prime grant recipient.

The vendor's award concentration by category reflects its core mission: Optical Instrument and Lens Manufacturing (NAICS 333314; 1,793 awards) and Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (NAICS 334516; 893 awards) dominate, with secondary activity in equipment repair and maintenance (NAICS 811210 and related; 930 awards combined). PSC coding shows Laboratory Equipment and Supplies (PSC J400; 1,424 awards) and Maintenance/Repair/Rebuild of Equipment instruments and laboratory equipment (PSC J066; 864 awards) as the largest categories, with Medical and Surgical Instruments, Equipment, and Supplies (PSC M200; 568 awards) reflecting NIH biomedical research focus.