The National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Office of Acquisitions (OA), on behalf of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), intends to negotiate and award a purchase order on a noncompetitive sole source basis to Nikon Instruments, Inc., 1300 Walt Whitman Road, Floor 2, Melville, NY 11747-3001 for a software upgrade of the following equipment:

- D-Eclipse C1 Confocal Microscope

The D-Eclipse C1 Confocal Microscope is heavily used by multiple investigators in the NIDCR. A software upgrade is necessary since the laboratory is currently using the original software that was provided with the equipment when originally purchased in 2003. Since the equipment still performs as it should, the new software upgrade will be very beneficial to research activities being conducted.

The sole source justification is based on the fact that this upgrade must be compatible to the existing equipment that is currently in place in the NIDCR. The software is also proprietary to Nikon Instruments, Inc., and only the manufacturer is authorized to provide and install it.

The delivery point is the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), Bethesda, MD.

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code is 333314, Optical Instrument and Lens Manufacturing, and is not a small business set aside. The acquisition is being conducted under FAR Part 13, Simplified Acquisition Procedures, therefore the requirements of FAR Part 6, Competitive Requirements, are not applicable and the resultant purchase order will include all applicable provisions and clauses in effect through the Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-49 (January 24, 2011).

Interested parties may identify their interest and capabilities in response to this synopsis by March 22, 2011 at 12:00pm Eastern Standard Time. The determination by the Government not to compete the proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct future competitive procurements.

Inquiries to this announcement, referencing synopsis number NHLBI-CSB-(DE)-2011-139-JML, may be submitted to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Office of Acquisitions, COAC Services Branch, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 6151, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7902, Attention: Jonathan Lear. Responses may be submitted electronically to [email protected]. Faxes will not be accepted. Responses will only be accepted if dated and signed by an authorized company representative.