Large Sample Stage Cryostat – Combined Sources Sought/Notice of Intent to Sole Source

***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 a large sample stage cryostat. If no alternate sources are identified, the Government intends to issue a Sole Source Award to Four Nine Design LLC, 3485 AJ Way, Unit 112, Billings, MT 59106 (UEI: Q1XUK2M6CJ77) under the authority of FAR 12.102(b) The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 334516. 

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) requires a large sample stage cryostat to support advanced cryogenic characterization of mixed-signal digital and analog circuits, as well as semiconductor devices, at temperatures down to 4.2 K. This system will be used to enable low-temperature testing of integrated circuits, interconnects, and device-level structures relevant to cryo-electronics for quantum information science, high-performance computing, and cryogenic sensor applications.

The cryostat will support simultaneous DC, RF, and optical access to accommodate realistic operating conditions for complex electronic subsystems. The system is critical to sustaining and expanding NIST’s cryo-electronics measurement capabilities and to providing a robust, measurement-driven foundation for cryogenic circuit and system development.

NIST has a need for a Large Sample Stage Cryostat that meets or exceeds the following draft minimum specifications:

Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) 0001

Description: Large Sample Stage Cryostat

Quantity: One (1)

1. Cooling Performance
   • Shall provide a minimum cooling power of 2 W at 4.2 K.
2. Cold Plate Size and Geometry
   • Shall include a 4 K cold plate with diameter greater than Ø250 mm.
   • Shall provide a 4 K cold plate height of approximately 200 mm to accommodate large circuits, probe assemblies, and fixtures.
3. Thermal Cycling Performance
   • Shall have a cool-down time of less than 90 minutes from room temperature to base temperature.
   • Shall have a warm-up time of less than 120 minutes from base temperature to room temperature.
4. Electrical Access
   • Shall support a minimum of 50 DC lines suitable for low-temperature device and circuit biasing and control.
   • Shall support a minimum of 30 RF lines, suitable for high-frequency (>18 GHz) characterization of mixed-signal circuits.
   • At least two RF lines shall support frequencies above 60 GHz. If direct support above 60 GHz is not available, the system shall include physical provisions for future >60 GHz integration along with vendor recommendations for compatible upgrades.
   • The system shall include provisions for future expansion of electrical feedthrough capacity, including at least 4 additional reserved or blank feedthrough ports that can be configured for either DC or RF use without major system modification.
5. Optical and Fiber Access
   • Shall support more than one fiber-optic feedthrough for optical excitation, readout, or synchronization.
   • Shall provide more than one optical access port to the sample space.
6. Application Compatibility
   • The system shall be suitable for simultaneous digital and analog mixed-signal circuit testing, including wafer-level or packaged device measurements at cryogenic temperatures.

NIST conducted market research from April 2026 to May 2026 by speaking with colleagues, performing internet searches, and speaking with vendors to determine what sources could meet NIST’s minimum requirements.  The results of that market research revealed that only Four Nine Design LLC (UEI: Q1XUK2M6CJ77) 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 within 5 days of the initial posting.  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 request!