THIS SOURCES SOUGHT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL AND SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT.  RESPONSES IN ANY FORM ARE NOT OFFERS AND THE GOVERNMENT IS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO AWARD A CONTRACT AS A RESULT OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.  NO FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE TO PAY FOR PREPARATION OF RESPONSES TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.  ANY INFORMATION SUBMITTED IN RESPONSE TO THIS SYNOPSIS IS STRICTLY VOLUNTARY AND WILL BE USED SOLELY TO INFORM THE GOVERNMENT'S ACQUISITION PLANNING AND STRATEGY. 

The intent of this notice is to determine the availability of alternate sources to meet the Government's commercial requirement.  The Naval Surface Warfare Center - Carderock Division (NSWCCD) in West Bethesda, MD requires an update to its image analyzer / microhardness tester as described below.

The Government intends to sole source this requirement to Clemex Technologies, Inc of Longueuil / Quebec, Canada. 

The NAICS Code for this requirement is 334519.

SPECIFIC UPGRADE REQUIREMENTS:
Microhardness tester with three objectives(2.5x, 10x and 40x) as well as a Vickers and Knoop indenter all mounted on the automatic turret
Automatic loading and unloading for; 1,3,5,10,25,100,200,300,500,1000 and 2000 gf
Adjustable load duration of 5 - 99 sec.
Stabilized DC controlled lamp source
One hardness test block 700HV - 700HK @ 500 gr
Clemex L Camera 1.3M (1280 x 1024 pixels B/W USB2) 
Autofocus kit for MMT series
CLEMEX TANGO Kit 
Self-level vise (one insert ring required)
Insert ring 1 1/4"
Self level vise drawer Qty: 2
Insert ring 1" / 25 mm
Insert ring 1 1/2"

Microhardness tester unit, MMT-X7 Test Load Type B, Clemex Micrometer, NIST Traceable for color and B/W cameras preloaded

An upright, reflected light microscope with basic stand,  Focusing drive 2-step, Focus knobs, Dust cover Fluo/Photo, Stage bracket RL/TL for DM2500/2700, trinocular Phototube HC L1T 4/5/7, Eyepiece HC PLAN s 10X/22 Br.M(Qty: 2), IL axis, 4-fold, IND LED, Reflector BF fixed, Daylight filter 32mm,Lamp housing LH113, Grey filter N 4 32mm, Grey filter N 16 32mm, Rev. nosepiece 6-fold for DM2700M, Obj. N PLAN 5x/0.12, Obj. N PLAN 10x/0.25, Objective 20X N Plan (0.40 / 1.1), Objective 50X N Plan, (0.75 / 0.37), Objective 100X N Plan, (0.90 / 0.27), Polarizer R/P, L 29x11.5

Analyzer 180°, rotatable, Ground plate w/o filter DM2500/DM2700, Stage adaptor  DM 2500/2700/3000 (M4)

Vendors who believe they are capable of meeting the Government's requirement as specified above (with the same or equivalent and compatible items) should email Traci Pichler, Contract Specialist, at [email protected] no later than 2:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST) on 23 September 2015.  Responses shall include the vendor's CAGE code and no more than 500 words to explain the vendor's capability to meet the Government's requirement.