Andor Technology iXon Life 888 EMCCD Camera

NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE THIS IS A PRE-SOLICITATION NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD ON A SOLE SOURCE BASIS. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR QUOTE/PROPOSAL. On behalf of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the Office of Acquisition (OA) of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), intends to solicit products on a sole-source basis from Nikon Instruments Inc. (Nikon) via a request for quotation. The purpose of this acquisition is to acquire one Andor iXon Life 888 EMCCD Camera. NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE and SET ASIDE STATUS The intended procurement is classified under NAICS code 334516 with a Size Standard of 500 employees. This acquisition is NOT set aside for small businesses but rather a sole-source acquisition from Nikon. REGULATORY AUTHORITY The resultant contract will include all applicable provisions and clauses of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2022-07, dated 08/10/2022. BACKGROUND, PURPOSE, AND OBJECTIVES OF REQUIREMENT The National Institute on Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is part of the National Institutes of Health and conducts research into the causes, treatment, and prevention of neurological disorders and stroke. The NINDS Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit (CBBU) investigates microtubules (MT) in vitro and in vivo at spatial scales ranging from nanometers to micrometers. The CBBU has a long history of exploring the structure and function of tubulin and microtubules as well as microtubule- associated proteins in vitro and is advancing its research techniques to include in vivo imaging and expansion microscopy. To image cell samples over a large field of view and with a high dynamic range in the images, an electron-multiplying charge-coupled device (EMCCD) type camera with minimum technical specifications is needed to suppress background noise and enhance the available dynamic range. The CBBU requires one Andor iXon Life 888 EMCCD Camera (Nikon product number 77026122) (“Equipment”) including integration of the Equipment with the CBBU lab’s existing microscopy system, which was purchased from, installed by, and is covered by a warranty from Nikon. The CBBU staff will use the Equipment to image axonal transport and organelle organization in cells. CONTRACTING WITHOUT PROVIDING FOR FULL OR OPEN COMPETITION (INCLUDING BRAND-NAME) DETERMINATION To function as needed by the CBBU lab, the Equipment must be integrated with the lab’s existing microscopy system via NIS Elements Software, an exclusive Nikon interface. Products to be integrated and supported by Nikon must be purchased from Nikon because obtaining these products from an outside source with the intent to integrate with a Nikon-supported system would result in a voided factory warranty and could result in non-compliance with the Center for Devices and Radiological Health certification safety standards. The intended source is: Nikon Instruments Inc. 1300 Walt Whitman Road Melville, NY 11747-3064 The Contractor shall provide the following items or material elements: -Andor iXon Life 888 EMCCD 1024 x 1024 13 μm pixels -NIS-Elements Camera Integration Set Up QUANTITY: One (1) of each item or material element listed above. SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS/SPECIFICATIONS OF EQUIPMENT: Image area of 13.3 x 13.3 mm Pixel size of 13 μm x 13 μm in a 1024 x 1024 array Peltier cooling to -80°C Has quantum efficiency greater than 95% Able to generate timestamp with 10 ns accuracy A diagonal size of 18.8 mm Image area pixel well depth of 80,000 e- A max readout rate of 30 MHz Frame Rates of 26 (full frame) – 9690 fps Read noise < 1 e- with EM gain Linear EM gain and gain calibration Absolute EMCCD gain selectable directly from a linear and quantitative scale Thermostatic precision of ± 0.01°C 16-bit digitization at all speeds Triggering: internal, external start, external exposure, and software trigger Vertical clock speed of 0.6 to 4.33 µs (user selectable) C-mount lens mount single window vacuum head Can be integrated into existing Nikon Instruments, Inc. microscopy system via NIS Elements software DELIVERY, INSTALLATION, AND TRAINING: The Contractor shall deliver the Equipment to Jeffrey Spector, Ph.D., 35 Convent Drive, Building 35, Room 3B205, Bethesda, MD 20892 in 90-120 days after receipt of order. Delivery must be Freight on Board (.F.O.B.) Destination and include inside delivery. The Equipment shall be delivered and installed between the hours of 8:30 am and 5:00 pm Eastern Time on Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays, in coordination with the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). The Contractor shall contact the designated COR when the Equipment is ready for shipment. The Contractor shall also coordinate with the COR to schedule and provide training to CBBU staff on Equipment usage and functions. OTHER REQUIREMENTS: The Contractor shall provide an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)-certified technician to perform the installation and integration of the Equipment within 90-120 after receipt of order. Warranty: The Contractor shall warrant that the Equipment, including electrical, electronic, optical, and mechanical parts will be free from defects in material and workmanship for a period of one (1) year from the date of installation, inspection, and acceptance by the Government. The Contractor shall further warrant that the vacuum head will be free from defects in material and workmanship for a period of five (5) years from the date of installation, inspection, and acceptance by the Government. During the applicable warranty periods, the Contractor shall without charge either repair or replace any part or assembly of parts comprising the Equipment found to be defective. During the applicable warranty periods, the Contractor shall provide troubleshooting services based on complete knowledge of the Equipment. During the applicable warranty periods, the Contractor shall without charge provide all NIS-Elements software updates to ensure full functionality of the Equipment. This Warranty shall not include routine or periodic maintenance services. CONTRACT TYPE: A firm-fixed-price type contract is planned for this acquisition, consistent with commercial practices. CLOSING STATEMENT THIS NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD ON A SOLE-SOURCE BASIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS. However, interested parties may identify their interest and capability in response to this notice. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. All responsible sources may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation which shall be considered by the agency. The information received will normally be considered solely for the purposes of determining whether to proceed on a non-competitive basis or to conduct a competitive procurement. Responses to this notice shall contain sufficient information to establish the interested parties’ bona-fide capability to fulfill the requirement and include: unit price, list price, shipping and handling costs, the delivery period after contract award, prompt payment discount terms, the F.O.B. Point (Destination or Origin), the organization’s Unique Entity ID (UEI) and the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and its certification of business size for NAICS code 333314. All offerors must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) (www.sam.gov) at the time of response submission. All responses must provide evidence of the offeror’s ability to provide the Equipment that meets all the requirements in this announcement. All responses must be received by the closing date and time of this announcement and must reference solicitation number 75N95022Q00470. Responses must be submitted electronically to Marlene Milgram, Contracting Officer, NINDS Section, OA, NIDA, at [email protected]. Responses submitted by U.S. Mail or fax will NOT be accepted.