National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Acquisition Management Division,

100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 1640,

Gaithersburg, MD, 20899-1640

Sources Sought Notice NIST-MML-25-SS21

Title: High-Throughput Circular Dichroism for Analysis of Biotherapeutics

This is a Sources Sought Notice ONLY.  Requests for copies of a solicitation will not receive a response. 

This Notice is for planning purposes only and is not a Request for Proposal or Request for Quotation or an obligation on the part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for conducting a follow-on acquisition. NIST does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this Notice, or otherwise pay for the information requested. No entitlement or payment of direct or indirect costs or charges by NIST will arise as a result of submission of responses to this Notice and NIST use of such information.

NO SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS EXIST AT THIS TIME.

NIST is seeking information from vendors potentially capable of providing High-Throughput CD instrument.

SPECIFIC CAPABILITIES:

• A fully integrated robotic system for automated sample loading, based on 96-well sample plates or tube racks
• An intense, continuous light source producing wavelength in the range of 180 nm to 1000 nm, or broader
• High sensitivity light detector system (avalanche photodiode preferred, for low electronic noise and high spectral response)
• High sensitivity, permitting measurements of very dilute samples (as low as 0.05 milligram per milliliter of a protein solution)
• Integrated Nitrogen (N2) purge system
• Integrated multiple wavelength calibration system that ensures accurate CD values over the entire range (180 nm to 1000 nm )
• Measuring simultaneous CD and Absorbance signals
• Integrated Peltier-based temperature controller for the sample, capable of a temperature range: -10 oC to 100 oC
• Providing sample plate temperature control in the range of  0 oC to 50 oC, or broader
• Providing a desktop computer to be used for control of the instrument and data collection
• Providing with operations and maintenance manual for the measurement system (in either electronic or hard-copy format)

• Control software capable of programmable, automated: 1) sample change; 2) measurement and, 3) cell wash cycle protocols
• Software allow both manual and automatic data collection
• Software include an instrument wavelength calibration routine
• Installation
• Training
• Warranty
• Extended Warranty

Interested parties shall describe the capabilities of their organization as it relates to the commodities described above. NIST anticipates issuing a Request for Quotation in the fourth quarter of 2025 and awarding a contract within the same period.

NIST Is seeking responses from all responsible sources, including large and small businesses. The small business size standard associated with the NAICS code for this effort, 334516 is 1000 employees. Please include the company’s size classification and socio-economic status in any response to this notice.

After results of this market research are obtained and analyzed, NIST may conduct a competitive procurement and subsequently award a contract. Companies that can provide such item are requested to email a written response describing their abilities to [email protected] no later than the response date for this Sources Sought Notice.

The following information is requested to be provided as part of the response to this sources sought notice:

1. Name, Address, Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number, CAGE code, and point of contact information of your company.
2. Any information on the company’s small business certifications, if applicable.
3. Description of your company’s capabilities as they relate to the item described in this notice.
4. A description of your company’s previous experience providing the item
5.  described in this notice.
6. Indication of whether the item described in this notice are currently offered via your company’s GSA Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) contracts, Government-wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs), or other existing Government-wide contract vehicles; and, if so, the contract number(s) for those vehicles.
7. Any other relevant information that is not listed above which the Government should consider in finalizing its market research.
8. Pricing information of current cost for organic chemicals available for purchase from the list provided.

Responses are limited to a total of twelve (12) pages. The responses must be in MS Word format.  Pages shall be 8½-inch x 11-inch, using Times New Roman 11 Point Font. Each page shall have adequate margins on each side (at least one inch) of the page. Header/footer information (which does not include any information to be analyzed) may be included in the 1" margin space.