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THIS IS A COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS PREPARED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FORMAT IN FAR SUBPART 12.6-STREAMLINED PROCEDURES FOR EVALUATION AND SOLICITATION FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS-AS SUPPLEMENTED WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THIS NOTICE. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION; QUOTATIONS ARE BEING REQUESTED; AND A WRITTEN SOLICITATION DOCUMENT (I.E. STANDARD FORM) WILL NOT BE ISSUED.
This solicitation is a Request for Quotation (RFQ). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2020-08.
The associated North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the requirement is 334516 – Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing. The small business size standard is 1,000 employees.
This is an unrestricted full-and-open RFQ. Simplified acquisition procedures will be utilized.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Biomedical Microtechnologies Group within the Microsystems and Nanotechnologies Division of the Physical Measurement Laboratory, in coordination with the NIST-on-a-chip program, conducts research on miniaturized, “lab on a chip” (LOC) technologies with embedded sensors. The Biomedical Microtechnologies Group builds custom microfluidic cytometry measurement tools and needs to purchase a commercial fluorescence activated cell sorter (FACS) that can refine cellular populations through sorting and serve as a tool for establishing and improving uncertainty quantification for the field of flow cytometry. More specifically, NIST intends to use the commercial system to measure and sort populations of fluorescent beads and cells that will then be analyzed in our custom cytometer. The sorter will also be used for more traditional measurements and sorting of cells for research projects related to development of other technologies such as body-on-a-chip systems. Samples will include lymphocytes, liver and lung cells, breast cancer lines, and stem cells. Given the breadth of NIST’s research portfolio and lack of cytometry technician, NIST requires a system that is easy to use and maintain and includes automated and straightforward startup and flow optimization and intuitive measurement and characterization tools.
NIST’s target measurements require a system with 3 lasers (405 nm, 488 nm, and 642 nm) and multiple fluorescence emission channels to discriminate a wide variety of commercially available fluorophores that are excited by these wavelengths. For example: Alexa488, DAPI, Cy5, Cy7, PE, APC, Brilliant Violet, and many other single and tandem dyes. In order to reduce the effects of spectral overlap, NIST requires a system that has spatially separated lasers and well separated emission bands. NIST’s needs also require a biosafety cabinet enclosure for safe containment of biohazards during operation.
APPLICABLE ATTACHMENT
1352.215-73 INQUIRES (APR 2010):
Offerors must submit all questions concerning this solicitation in writing electronically to [email protected] and [email protected]. Questions must be received no later than three (3) business days after solicitation issuance. Any responses to questions will be made in writing, without identification of the questioner, and will be included in an amendment to the solicitation. Even if provided in other form, only the question responses included in the amendment to the solicitation will govern performance of the contract. (End of Provision).
Note: Reference attachments for complete solicitation