The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) intends to award a Sole Source, Firm-Fixed Price (FFP) contract, under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) part 13, Simplified Acquisition to: Physik Instrumente, 16 Albert Street, Auburn, MA 01501. SAO will procure a XYZ Tip/Tilt CCD Stage used to provide flexure compensation and focus control for CCDs used in one of SAO's scientific instruments, the Binospec Spectrograph. Binospec is a dual beam slit mask spectrograph that will be used on the MMT Telescope at the Whipple Observatory at Mount Hopkins in Amado, AZ. This 3-axis stage is a replacement of a similar stage purchased from Physik Instrumente, which was incorporated into the design of the instrument. SAO has determined that this stage cannot be provided from any other vendor without a redesign of critical assemblies which would be very costly and delay the completion of the instrument beyond the required schedule. The specification (BIN-192) for the stage is attached for informational purposes.

Vendors interested in this requirement should submit a complete technical package that provides clear and convincing evidence that they can meet SAO's requirement. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. However, SAO will consider all responses received by the publication due date of this notice. A determination by SAO whether or not to compete this acquisition based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of SAO. Responses must be received on or before July 10, 2009. Send to: Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Attention: Joseph Lendall, M/S 22, 60 Garden St., Cambridge, MA 02138-1516, faxed to 617-496-7957 or e-mailed to [email protected]. Anticipated award date is July 13, 2009.
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