SOURCES SOUGHT
66 -- Combined Sources Sought Notice and Notice of Intent to Sole Source: Infrared Supercontinuum Laser
- Notice Date
- 6/30/2025 2:47:01 PM
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 334516
— Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- DEPT OF COMMERCE NIST GAITHERSBURG MD 20899 USA
- ZIP Code
- 20899
- Solicitation Number
- NIST-SS25-65
- Response Due
- 7/15/2025 6:00:00 AM
- Archive Date
- 07/30/2025
- Point of Contact
- Nina Lin, Tracy Retterer
- E-Mail Address
-
nina.lin@nist.gov, Tracy.retterer@nist.gov
(nina.lin@nist.gov, Tracy.retterer@nist.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- NONE No Set aside used
- Description
- ***THIS IS A COMBINED SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE*** The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking information from sources that may be capable of providing an infrared supercontinuum laser. If no alternate sources are identified, the Government intends to issue a Sole Source Award to Thorlabs, Inc. (43 Sparta Ave, Newton, NJ, USA) under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b). The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 334516. As part of a new NIST Strategic and Emerging Research Initiatives (SERI) program to advance measurement science for illicit drug identification and quantification under the TRANQ Research Act, the Microsystems and Nanotechnology Division is developing new infrared sensors based on metamaterials. These metamaterial sensors rely on excitation of infrared laser sources with wavelengths spanning 3.5 um to 11 um for spectroscopic detection of drug molecules in the sensitive molecular fingerprint region. NIST has a need for a single mode, infrared supercontinuum laser covering the 3.5 um to 11um wavelength range that must be continuously tunable (no gaps) and have total optical power greater than 10 mW over the full wavelength range. This specification is necessary for both characterization of the metamaterial sensor and spectroscopic detection of drug molecules. It must meet or exceeds the following draft minimum specifications: Instrument package: One laser system with electronics for control Laser system requirements: a) Continuously wavelength coverage from 3.5 mm to 11 mm. b) Repetition rate between 40 MHz to 60 MHz c) Average power over full spectral band of 10 mW or greater d) Single spatial mode laser output e) Output beam diameter less than 10 mm f) Linear polarization Laser electrical/communication requirements a) Must use 120 V or 240 V AC input power b) Computer communication D-SUB or USB c) Syncing/triggering options via coax connections Dimensions: Must be smaller than 20� x 25� x 10� in size Must have 1 year warranty Must have manuals for operation Software development kit (SDK) is required to control by PC NIST conducted market research from April 2025 to June 2025 by performing internet searches, searches of GSA, searches of FPDS and DSBS, and speaking with colleagues and various companies to determine what sources could meet NIST�s minimum requirements. The results of that market research revealed that only Thorlabs, Inc. (UEI: VCJKYBSL8DL8) appears to be capable of meeting NIST�s requirements. HOW TO RESPOND TO THIS NOTICE In responding to this notice, please DO NOT PROVIDE PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. Please include only the following information, readable in either Microsoft Word 365, Microsoft Excel 365, or .pdf format, in the response. Submit the response by email to the Primary Point of Contact and, if specified, to the Secondary Point of Contact listed at the bottom of this notice as soon as possible, and preferably before the closing date and time of this notice. Provide the complete name of your company, address, name of contact for follow-up questions, their email, their phone number and, if your company has an active registration in https://sam.gov, your company�s Unique Entity ID (UEI). Details about what your company is capable of providing that meets or exceeds NIST�s minimum requirements. Whether your company is an authorized reseller of the product or service being cited and evidence of such authorization. Identify any aspects of the description of the requirements in the BACKGROUND section above that could be viewed as unduly restrictive or create unnecessary barriers that adversely affect your firm�s ability to fully participate in a procurement for such services and explain why. Please offer suggestions for how the requirements could be organized or structured to encourage the participation of small businesses. For the NAICS code Indicate whether your company is (a) a small business or (b) other than small business. See the Table of Small Business Size Standards and the associated .pdf download file for small business size standards and additional information. If you believe the NAICS code listed in this notice is not the best NAICS code for the type of product addressed in this notice, identify an alternative NAICS code that you believe would be more appropriate for the planned procurement. If your firm has existing Federal Supply Schedule contract(s) or other contracts for products or services against which the Department may be able to place orders, identify the contract number(s) and other relevant information. Describe your firm�s experience (as a prime, subcontractor, or consultant) providing the products or services described in Background section. Provide any other information that you believe would be valuable for the Government to know as part of its market research for this requirement. Please let us know if you would like to engage to get a better understanding of the requirement or need additional information about the Government�s requirement for the products or services described in the Background section. QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS NOTICE Questions regarding this notice may be submitted via email to the Primary Point of Contact and the Secondary Point of Contact listed in this notice. Questions should be submitted so that they are received 5 calendar days prior to the close of this notice. Questions will be anonymized and answered via sources sought notice amendment following the question submission deadline. IMPORTANT NOTES The information received in response to this notice will be reviewed and considered so that the NIST may appropriately solicit for its requirements in the near future. This notice should not be construed as a commitment by the NIST to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. This notice is not a request for a quotation. Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotations. No award will be made as a result of this notice. NIST is not responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice. NIST reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and appropriate. Thank you for taking the time to submit a response to this r
- Web Link
-
SAM.gov Permalink
(https://sam.gov/opp/8e369eb3bcd7492093d49879ff9e24ac/view)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA
- Zip Code: 20899
- Country: USA
- Zip Code: 20899
- Record
- SN07494465-F 20250702/250630230051 (samdaily.us)
- Source
-
SAM.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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