Preventative Maintenance and Service Agreement for the Leica Cryostat CM3050S

This is a Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding the availability and capability of all qualified sources to perform a potential requirement.

This notice is issued to help determine the availability of qualified companies technically capable of meeting the Government requirement, to determine the method of acquisition, and availability of domestic sources manufactured in the United States in sufficient and reasonably available commercial quantities and of a satisfactory quality.  It is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract.  Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotes.  No award will be made as a result of this notice.  The Government will NOT be responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice.  This notice is strictly for research and information purposes only. Small businesses are encouraged to respond.

This is also a Small Business Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations.

The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding: (1) the availability and capability of qualified small business sources; (2) whether they are small businesses; HUBZone small businesses; service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses; 8(a) small businesses; veteran-owned small businesses; woman-owned small businesses; or small disadvantaged businesses; and (3) their size classification relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition.

Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code should not submit a response to this notice.

This notice is issued to help determine the availability of qualified companies technically capable of meeting the Government requirement and to determine the method of acquisition.  It is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract.  Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotes.  No award will be made as a result of this notice.  The Government will NOT be responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice.  This notice is strictly for research and information purposes only.         

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Intramural Research Program (IRP) has established a Systems Neuroscience Imaging Resource (SNIR) for the purpose of facilitating collection and analysis of systems level imaging data using advanced light microscopy techniques. Cutting brains into thin sections for subsequent imaging is a critical step in this process. One of the methods used for this is sectioning with a cryostat. The program currently owns a Leica Cryostat CM3050S that is used for this purpose. The National Institute of Mental Health’s Systems Neuroscience Imaging Resource Facility requires an annual preventative maintenance and service agreement for our Leica Cryostat CM3050S which provides SNIR users the ability to cut brains into thin sections for subsequent imaging. The cryostat provides support to researchers in the NIH IRP studying a wide variety of neurological conditions including Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease, Stroke, Schizophrenia, Autism, and other development neurological disorders.

Specifically, the NIMH requires the following: SILVER SERVICE PACKAGE - CM3050S for Equipment #: 10273659, Serial #: 3459032003

•     Calibration to maintain original manufacturer’s safety and performance specifications

•     Annual preventative maintenance visit

•     Provision of all necessary software updates for this equipment

•     Onsite service by a factory trained Field Service Engineer qualified to work on this equipment

•     Supply of proper and certified parts and tools to address any hardware deficiencies

•     Online, phone, or in-person support for emergent issues

•     Contractor shall perform not less than one (1) preventive maintenance inspection during the contract base period and four option years.

•     Priority on-site service support and technical phone, email, and Web support

•     Service shall be performed by a manufacturer trained Field Service representative.

•     100% service labor and travel

•     Service shall consist of, but not limited to, inspection, examination of all functioning parts, thorough cleaning, proper lubrication, replacement, or repair of worn or unserviceable parts, adjustment and calibration made with the expressed intent of maintaining the instrument to the manufacturer’s original specifications.  When necessary, this includes complete dismantling, parts replacement, reassembly, and thorough testing and adjusting.      

•     Emergency repair service shall be provided on an unlimited basis during the term of this contract at no additional cost to the Government.  Emergency service shall be provided between 8 am and 5 pm Monday through Friday excluding weekends and Federal holidays. Upon receipt of notice that any part of the equipment is not functionally properly, the Contractor shall furnish a factory-trained service representative to inspect the equipment and perform all repairs and adjustments necessary to restore the equipment to normal and efficient operating condition.

•     The contractor shall furnish all required replacement parts at no additional cost to the Government, with the exception of consumable parts. Parts shall be new or remanufactured to original equipment specifications.

•     100% Certified OEM Replacement repair parts included

•     Priority service scheduling

•     Planned maintenance inspections

•     Reliability Updates

Capable Vendors must demonstrate their experience and ability to provide services described above for Leica Cryostat CM3050S which includes all repair parts, labor, and travel and one preventive maintenance (PM) visit per agreement year. Personnel must be factory trained and certified and have experience in servicing Leica instrumentation. All primary service personnel shall have at least one backup Field Service representative with at least the same level of expertise on the equipment covered by this contract.

Critical Spare Parts: The Government broadly defines a critical spare part as either a part that will make a machine inoperable or unsafe if it is damaged or missing, or a part that it can reasonably expect to wear-out or fail within the six (6) month PM service interval.

Replacement Parts: The contractor shall furnish all required replacement parts at no additional cost to the Government, with the exception of consumable parts. Parts shall be new or remanufactured to original equipment specifications.

Tools: The Contractor must ensure that its qualified service technicians have at their immediate disposal the tools necessary to repair, adjust, and calibrate the equipment. The Government expects that the Contractor will not experience delays in repairing this equipment due to a technician not having immediate access to the proper tools, calibration, or diagnostic instruments.

Service Documentation: For completed emergency service calls, the Contractor shall immediately submit to the COR or their designee documentation (either electronically or in hard copy form) that describes the work it performed, the part(s) it replaced, and the operating status of each machine it serviced. For completed PM service visits, the Contractor shall, within 24 hours of the visit, submit to the COR or their designee all relevant service documentation (either electronically or in hard copy form). The Contractor must submit all service reports in a format that is both legible and, if submitted electronically, acceptable to the Government (i.e., Excel, Acrobat, or other format agreed upon after contract award).

Operating Environment: Normal Hours of Operation: Contractor employees shall perform all work between the hours of 7:30 AM and 6:00 PM ET, Monday through Friday (except Federal holidays). As previously stated, the Government will not reimburse the Contractor for any work it performs outside of these hours or for any overtime.

Federal Holidays: Contractor employees shall not perform any work at the Government’s facility during Federal holidays or other non-workdays without prior written approval from the Contracting Officer.

LEVEL OF EFFORT: Contractor shall have access to proprietary parts and test instrumentation for effective repair in case of malfunction. Technical performance requirements include system coverage on the subject equipment by a certified, manufacturer trained service professional and providers of any required parts.

ANTICIPATED PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance is one 12-month base year with four 12-month option years.

Proposed Base Year- September 26, 2026 – September 25,2027

Proposed Option Year One- September 26, 2027 – September 25, 2028

Proposed Option Year Two- September 26, 2028 – September 25, 2029

Proposed Option Year Three- September 26, 2029 – September 25, 2030

Proposed Option Year Four- September 26, 2030 – September 25, 2031

OPTION:

The terms under which any option(s) may be exercised will be included in the contract terms and conditions.

Travel:

No travel cost will be reimbursed. All cost associated with travel time should be included within the provided service agreement quote.

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

National Institutes of Health

NIMH/IRP

Building 49 Room 3A07

Bethesda, MD 20892

Capability Statement /Information Sought

Companies that believe they possess the capabilities to provide the required products or services should submit documentation of their ability to meet each of the project requirements to the Contracting Officer. The capability statement must specifically address each of the project requirements separately.  Additionally, the capability statement should include 1) the total number of employees, 2) the professional qualifications of personnel as it relates to the requirements outlined, 3) any contractor GSA Schedule contracts and/or other government-wide acquisition contracts (GWACs) by which all of the requirements may be met, if applicable, and 4) any other information considered relevant to this program. Capability statements must also include the Company Name, Unique Entity ID from SAM.gov, Physical Address, and Point of Contact Information. The response must include the respondents’ technical and administrative points of contact, including names, titles, addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses.

Interested companies are required to identify their type of business, applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code, and size standards in accordance with the Small Business Administration. The government requests that no proprietary or confidential business data be submitted in a response to this notice. However, responses that indicate the information therein is proprietary will be properly safeguarded for Government use only. Capability statements must include the name and telephone number of a point of contact having authority and knowledge to discuss responses with Government representatives. Capability statements in response to this market survey that do not provide sufficient information for evaluation will be considered non-responsive. When submitting this information, please reference the solicitation notice number.

One (1) copy of the response is required and must be in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format using 11-point or 12-point font, 8-1/2” x 11” paper size, with 1” top, bottom, left and right margins, and with single or double spacing.

The information submitted must be in and outline format that addresses each of the elements of the project requirement and in the capability statement /information sought paragraphs stated herein.  A cover page and an executive summary may be included but is not required.

The response is limited to ten (10) page limit.  The 10-page limit does not include the cover page, executive summary, or references, if requested.

The following information shall be included on the first page:

1. Name of Company

2. GSA Contract No.

3. Unique Entity ID, DUNS No./CAGE Code

4. Street Address, City, State, Zip code

5. Name of Person Authorized to Provide Quote

6. Telephone Number and Email Address of Person Authorized to Provide Quote

All responses to this notice must be submitted electronically to the Contract Specialist and Contracting Officer.  Facsimile responses are NOT accepted.

The response must be submitted to Shayna Simpson, Contract Specialist at e-mail address Shayna.Simpson@nih.gov.

The response must be received on or before Tuesday, August 25, 2026, 9:00 AM, Eastern Time.

Disclaimer and Important Notes:  This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government 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 qualifications to perform the work.

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 presolicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in www.sam.gov. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation.

Confidentiality: No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s).”