Combined Sources Sought Notice and Notice of Intent to Sole Source for an Electrochemical Analysis System

***THIS IS A COMBINED SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE***

The purpose of this sources sought notice is to conduct market research and identify potential sources of commercial products/services that satisfy the Government’s anticipated needs. If no alternate sources are identified, the Government intends to issue a Sole Source Award to Gamry Instruments, Inc., 734 Louis Dr, Warminster, PA 18974, US, under the authority of Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) FAR 12.102(a). The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 334516, Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing.

BACKGROUND

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Materials Measurement Laboratory, Materials Science and Engineering Division (MSED), Polymers Processing Group is executing a project focused on the recovery of critical minerals—specifically gold, palladium, copper, and rare earth elements—from electronic waste (e-waste). This research requires characterizing the thermodynamics and kinetics of selective electrowinning from complex, multi-ion leachates. To accurately model these systems, the Government requires a high-performance, modular electrochemical workstation capable of high-frequency impedance spectroscopy and hydrodynamic control.

The contract shall provide a research-grade, multi-channel potentiostat/galvanostat system which will enables precise measurement of reduction mechanisms and mass-transport kinetics essential for optimizing "urban mining" processes. This system is required to distinguish between metal deposition and competing side reactions during rapid separation cycles. These insights are essential to understanding the recovery processes of these rarely recycled elements from microelectronic waste, directly supporting CHIPS Act goals of strengthening the domestic semiconductor supply chain.

NIST is seeking information from sources that may be capable of providing a solution that will achieve the objectives described above, and meet the following essential requirements: 

Line Item 0001: Research-Grade Potentiostat/Galvanostat/ZRA Channel (Quantity: 1)

The Contractor shall provide a research-grade standalone potentiostat/galvanostat/ZRA channel meeting the following specifications:

1. Compliance Voltage: ± 12 V minimum
2. Maximum Continuous Current: ± 1 A full-scale
3. Data Acquisition speed: Natively support high-speed data acquisition up to 1 MHz (1 µs per point) for transient pulse techniques
4. Current Resolution: 1 pA or better, with potential control resolution down to 1 µV.
5. Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS): Integrated frequency response analyzer (FRA) supporting a frequency Range from 10 µA to 2 MHz without external add-ons, with a benchmark accuracy of 1% up to 100 kHz
6. Included Components: Must include a comprehensive suite of pre-licensed control software covering DC Corrosion, Physical Electrochemistry, Electrochemical Energy, Pulse Voltammetry, and Electrochemical Noise techniques, alongside a 0.6 m cell cable, 2 m USB cable, UDC6 2 kOhm calibration/AC dummy cell, and digital operator's manual.
7. System Assurance: Includes a two-year standard system assurance plan.

Line Item 0002: High-Current Application Electrochemical Channel (Quantity: 1)

The Contractor shall provide a high-current standalone potentiostat/galvanostat/ZRA channel meeting the following specifications:

1. Compliance Voltage: ± 6 V minimum
2. Maximum Continuous Current: ± 5 A full-scale
3. Data Acquisition speed: Natively support high-speed data acquisition up to 1 MHz (1 µs per point) for transient pulse techniques
4. Current Resolution: 1 pA or better, with potential control resolution down to 1 µV.
5. Must include pre-licensed control software matching the comprehensive DC, Physical, Energy, Noise, and Pulse Voltammetry suites listed under Line Item 0001, alongside an Interface 5000 cell cable kit (0.6 m) and an Interface 5000 dummy cell.
6. System Assurance: Includes a two-year standard system assurance plan.

Line Item 003: Interface Power Hub (120V) (Quantity: 1)

The Contractor shall provide a centralized desktop multi-unit docking station and power management infrastructure hub meeting the following specifications:

1. Capacity: Must include all internal slots, power lines, and generic Type B power cables necessary to support up to eight (8) interface cable kits or distinct instrument channels simultaneously.
2. Temporal Clock Synchronization: The infrastructure must include dual interface family bipotentiostat synchronization links/cables to physically tie the internal master clocks of separate channels together. This must guarantee microsecond-level clock alignment and remove temporal latency during concurrent dual-channel (disk and ring) measurements.
3. Electrical Isolation: Connected channels must maintain independent, fully floating ground states to eliminate risk of parasitic ground loops during multi-working electrode setups.
4. Included Accessories: Must include the main 120V Interface Power Hub unit, a 6 ft USB 2.0 cable, and 8 Interface cable kits
5. Warranty: Includes a two-year warranty on the Interface Power Hub.

Line Item 0004: RxE 10k Rotating Electrode (Quantity: 1)

The Contractor shall provide a complete laboratory rotator system providing hydrodynamic boundary layer management meeting the following specifications:

1. Rotational Dynamics: Adjustable, continuous operational rotation speed spanning from 100 RPM to 10,000 RPM.
2. Rotational Precision: Speed control must be regulated to maintain a constant accuracy of ± 1  RPM across the entire velocity range to ensure linear, repeatable Koutecky-Levich data.
3. Included Components: Package must feature the core rotator motor, a heavy-duty laboratory baseplate equipped with a height-adjustable vertical stand, a dedicated electronic motor control unit with matching control cable, a power supply unit, and a USB communications cable.
4. Software: Full integration with the primary electrochemical software to automate Levich and Koutecky-Levich analysis without manual data extraction.
5. Warranty: Includes a two-year limited warranty.

Line Item 0005: Description: RDE/RCE Shaft (Quantity: 1)

The Contractor shall provide a specialized, dual-purpose drive shaft assembly compatible with the Line Item 0004 rotator meeting the following specifications:

1. Mechanical Integrity: Built with a structural mechanical runout of < 0.1 mm to prevent mechanical wobble and shield low-current signals from hydrodynamic background noise.
2. Dual-Compatibility: The shaft thread pattern must accept interchangeable laminar RDE tips or threaded turbulent RCE cylinder sleeves to allow for both fundamental transport modeling and high-shear industrial scale-up testing.

Line Item 0006: Rotating Disk Electrode (RDE) - Glassy Carbon (GC) (Quantity: 1)

The Contractor shall provide a thread-mounted Rotating Disk Electrode (RDE) tip consisting of high-purity Glassy Carbon (GC) embedded symmetrically within a chemically inert shroud, engineered to generate perfect laminar fluid flow profiles under uniform rotation.

Line Item 0007: Cell Kit for Rotating Electrode Experiments (Standard) (Quantity: 1)

The Contractor shall provide a fundamental laminar flow volumetric cell kit containing the following components:

1. Glassware: One (1) 200 mL standard glass cell tailored for sample volumes from 25 mL to 150 mL.
2. Cell Cap: One (1) compatible chemical-resistant PTFE cell cap featuring at least five (5) ports for electrode insertion and gas purging.
3. Electrodes and Bridges: One (1) reference electrode bridge tube, one (1) counter electrode bridge tube, one (1) solid Platinum counter electrode, and one (1) 6-inch secondary Graphite counter electrode.
4. Purge system: One (1) integrated gas bubbler line.

Line Item 0008: Silver/Silver Chloride Reference Electrode (Quantity: 1)

The Contractor shall provide one (1) premium Silver/Silver Chloride Ag/AgCl laboratory reference electrode, sized and configured to fit securely within the reference electrode bridge tube provided in Line Item 0007.

Line Item 0009: Power Cord - 6' to 7.5' Generic Plug Type B (Quantity: 4)

The Contractor shall provide four (4) generic Type B grounded electrical power cords, measuring between 6 feet and 7.5 feet in length, to supply main power lines to the infrastructure hub, rotator controller, and associated computer systems.

Line Item 0010: Interface Family Bipotentiostat Synchronization Cable (Quantity: 2)

The Contractor shall provide two (2) dedicated interface family bipotentiostat synchronization cables engineered to physically link the internal master clocks of the Line Item 0001,  Line Item 0002  and Line Item 0003 channels together. This hardware link must ensure microsecond-level clock alignment and remove temporal latency between the working electrodes during simultaneous disk and ring measurements.

Line Item 0011: Description: RRDE Shaft (Quantity: 1)

The Contractor shall provide a dedicated Rotating Ring-Disk Electrode (RRDE) drive shaft assembly configured with independent dual-channel Ag/C brush contacts to relay dual currents to the bipotentiostat synchronization setup simultaneously without signal crossover or mechanical distortion.

Line Item 0012: Description: RRDE - GC Disk/GC Ring Tip (Quantity: 1)

The Contractor shall provide a high-precision, concentric multi-channel RRDE tip meeting the following material specifications:

• Geometry: Features a central 3 mm diameter Glassy Carbon (GC) disk enclosed by a concentric 1 mm width Glassy Carbon (GC) ring.
• Composition: The outer electrode protective body must be constructed of chemically resistant PEEK or PTFE with an integrated M6 thread pattern for quick-fit mechanical exchange on the drive shaft.
• Collection Efficiency: Configured to establish a high theoretical collection factor (N) of approximately 0.46 or superior.

Line Item 0013: 1L Rotating Cylinder Electrode Glass Cell Kit (Quantity: 1)

The Contractor shall provide a high-velocity turbulent flow cell environment engineered to perform industrial scale-up shear testing using the RDE/RCE drive shaft from Line Item 0005:

• Glassware: One (1) 1 L double-jacketed glass cell body designed for precise temperature control via an external recirculating bath.
• Cell Top & Seal: One (1) robust PEEK cell lid accompanied by a specialized RCE shaft fluid seal to safely contain electrolytes during aggressive high-speed testing.
• Accessories: Package must include reference electrode bridge tubes, gas dispersion tubes, a secondary graphite counter electrode, and all necessary structural adapters, stoppers, bushings, clamps, flanges, and chemical-resistant O-rings to create a fully sealed reaction vessel.

NIST conducted market research from December 2025 through July 2026 by performing internet searches, reviewing professional journals, and product literature, and consultation with knowledgeable colleagues and  vendors to determine what sources could meet NIST’s minimum requirements. The results of that market research revealed that only Gamry Instruments, Inc. (UEI: F2MTPE4NRBY5) 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 in this notice as soon as possible, and preferably before the closing date and time of this notice.  Please note that to be considered for award under any official solicitation, the entity must be registered and “active” in SAM at the time of solicitation response.

• 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).

• Identify the equipment that your company sells that can meet the objectives addressed in the BACKGROUND section of this notice.  For each product recommended to meet the Government’s requirement, provide the following:
  • Manufacturer name
  • Model number
  • Technical specifications
  • If your company is not the manufacturer, provide information on your company’s status as an authorized reseller of the product(s)

• Describe performance capabilities of the product(s) your company recommends to meet the Government’s requirements.  Additionally, if there are other features or functions that you believe would assist NIST in meeting its objectives described above, please discuss in your response.
  • Discuss whether the equipment that your company sells and which you describe in your response to this notice may be customized to specifications and indicate any limits to customization.

• Identify any aspects of the NIST market research notice, including instructions, and draft minimum specifications in the BACKGROUND section you cannot meet and state why.  Please offer suggestions for how the market research notice and draft minimum specifications could be made more competitive.

• State whether the proposed equipment is manufactured in the United States and, if not, state the name of the country where the equipment is manufactured.

• Identify any plans/possibilities for changes in manufacturing location of the aforementioned equipment and provide relevant details, including timeline.

• For the NAICS code listed in this notice:
  • 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. 

• Describe services that are available with the purchase of the aforementioned equipment from your company such as installation, training, and equipment maintenance.

• Describe standard terms and conditions of sale offered by your company for the recommended equipment such as: delivery time after your company accepts the order; FOB shipping terms; manufacturer warranty (including details regarding nature and duration); if available, description(s) of available extended warranty; equipment setup and test; operator and service instruction manual(s); cleanup after installation; and if applicable, other offered services.  Provide a copy of manufacturer standard terms and conditions that typically relate to the sale of the specified equipment, if available.

• State whether your company offers facility renovation services related to installation of the recommended equipment at its delivery destination, if required per the NIST-identified minimum specifications, and provide description of said services.  Indicate if your company performs the facility renovation services or typically subcontracts the work to another company.  Indicate if your company would be interested in inspecting the intended installation site during the market research phase.

• State published price, discount, or rebate arrangements for recommended equipment and/or provide link to access company’s published prices for equipment and services. 

• If the recommended equipment and related services are available for purchase on any existing Federal Supply Schedule contract(s) or other contracts against which NIST may be able to place orders, identify the contract number(s) and other relevant information.

• Identify any customers in the public or private sectors to which you provided the recommended or similar equipment.  Include customer(s) information: company name, phone number, point of contact, email address.

• Provide any other information that you believe would be valuable for NIST to know as part of its market research for this requirement.

• State if you require NIST to provide additional information to improve your understanding of the government’s requirement and/or would like to meet with NIST representatives to discuss the requirement and the capabilities of the identified equipment.

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 response date. If the Contracting Officer determines that providing a written amendment to this notice to document question(s) received would benefit other potential respondents, the questions would be anonymized, and a written response to such question(s) would be provided via an amendment to this notice.

IMPORTANT NOTES

This notice is for market research purposes and should not be construed as a commitment by NIST to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. There is no solicitation available at this time.

This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response.

NIST reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate.

Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization’s capability.

Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted.

After a review of the responses received, a synopsis and solicitation may be published on GSA’s eBuy or SAM.gov. However, responses to this notice will not be considered an adequate response to any such solicitation(s).

The responses shall not exceed 10 pages including all attachments, charts, etc.

Thank you for taking the time to submit a response to this request!