Pre-Solicitation Notice of Intent to Sole-Source

PRE-SOLICITATION NOTICE TO NEGOTIATE ON A SOLE SOURCE BASIS

The Office of Acquisition and Agreements Management (OAAM), Acquisition Management Division (AMD), of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), on behalf of the NIST Material Measurement Laboratory (MML), intends to negotiate on a sole source basis with Grenova, Inc. (formerly Peak Analysis and Automation, Inc.), 1900 Ellen Road, Richmond, VA 23230-4213 (UEI: XSCGMEZKBZB9), for the acquisition of a new Living Measurement Systems Foundry (LMSF) automation system and equipment necessary to modernize the existing Government-owned LMSF automation system.

NIST requires a complete, integrated laboratory automation solution to expand the capabilities of the existing LMSF. The Contractor shall furnish one new LMSF automation system capable of supporting automated microbial culture, sample preparation, and analytical workflows. The system shall include all required laboratory instrumentation, robotic liquid handling equipment, robotics, automated plate handling and storage equipment, biological containment equipment, computers, software, firmware, licenses, accessories, and other components necessary to provide a complete and fully operational automation system.

The Contractor shall also furnish a new Hamilton Company MicroLab STAR liquid handling platform and all associated hardware, software, firmware, licenses, and integration components necessary to modernize the existing Government-owned LMSF. The replacement platform shall be integrated with the remaining Government-owned equipment while preserving the existing system's automation functionality, software operation, laboratory workflows, operating parameters, and measurement methodologies.

As part of furnishing the new and modernized LMSF automation systems, the Contractor shall provide all necessary system design, configuration, integration, programming, Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), delivery, installation, Site Acceptance Testing (SAT), commissioning, documentation, operator training, and warranty support necessary to provide NIST with complete and operational systems.

The anticipated acquisition will be Firm-Fixed-Price and will consist of an eighteen (18)-month base period for delivery, integration, installation, testing, training, and acceptance of the new and modernized LMSF automation systems. The acquisition is also anticipated to include three (3) one-year option periods for maintenance and support following expiration of the applicable warranty periods.

Sole source determination is based on the following:

• NIST's minimum requirement is not simply for commercially available laboratory instrumentation. The Government requires a second LMSF automation system that functions as a measurement-equivalent and interoperable automation platform with the existing LMSF. The new and modernized systems must preserve compatibility with existing laboratory workflows, automation routines, software functionality, operating parameters, and measurement methodologies.
• Grenova, Inc. (formerly Peak Analysis and Automation, Inc.) designed, integrated, delivered, installed, and commissioned the Government's existing LMSF automation system and has subsequently provided maintenance, technical support, and system upgrades. As the original system integrator, Grenova possesses unique knowledge of the existing LMSF system architecture, hardware and software integration, automation programming, equipment interfaces, control strategies, and operational characteristics.
• NIST has operated and characterized the existing LMSF for approximately eight years. During this period, NIST has quantified contributions to measurement uncertainty associated with robotic manipulation, liquid transfers, incubation, spectrophotometric measurements, and other automated operations. The Government therefore requires the second system to reproduce the operational characteristics of the existing LMSF sufficiently to permit the two systems to function as interchangeable measurement systems without introducing unacceptable differences in measurement performance.
• The modernization of the existing LMSF requires replacement of the currently integrated Hamilton MicroLab STAR liquid handling platform while maintaining the functionality of the remaining Government-owned automation system. Successful modernization requires integration of the replacement equipment with existing robotics and instrumentation and migration or preservation of applicable automation software, configuration files, control logic, drivers, communication settings, automation routines, and operational parameters.
• The original LMSF was acquired under Contract No. SB134118SU0017. The original contract did not include FAR clause 52.227-14 or otherwise establish Government rights to use technical data, including designs developed under the award. Consequently, it is unclear to what extent the Government may use the original system's hardware and software designs, integration information, automation routines, and related technical information to enable another source to reproduce the existing LMSF design.
• Market research indicates that Grenova is the only known source capable of furnishing the complete requirement, including a functionally equivalent LMSF automation system, the equipment and integration necessary to modernize the existing Government-owned LMSF, and follow-on support for both systems. Acquisition from another source is expected to result in substantial duplication of cost and unacceptable delays associated with redevelopment, integration, testing, requalification, and validation of an alternative system.

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 334516 – Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing, with a small business size standard of 1,000 employees.

No solicitation package will be issued. This Notice of Intent is not a request for competitive quotations; however, responsible sources that believe they can satisfy the Government's requirements may submit a written capability statement demonstrating their ability to furnish the complete requirement.

Capability statements shall specifically address the respondent's ability to:

• Furnish a complete laboratory automation system incorporating robotic liquid handling equipment, laboratory instrumentation, robotics, automated plate handling, automation software, and biological containment equipment;
• Furnish and integrate equipment manufactured by multiple Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) into a unified laboratory automation system;
• Furnish a system capable of operating interoperably with the Government's existing LMSF while preserving or reproducing existing automation routines, software functionality, operating parameters, laboratory workflows, and measurement methodologies;
• Furnish and integrate a replacement Hamilton Company MicroLab STAR liquid handling platform into the existing Government-owned LMSF while preserving the functionality and performance of the remaining system; and
• Provide the warranty, maintenance, replacement parts, software support, and technical support necessary to sustain both LMSF automation systems.

Respondents shall identify any Government-furnished technical data, system design information, software, interface documentation, proprietary information, licenses, or other information that would be required for the respondent to furnish a system satisfying the Government's requirements.

Responses must be received by September 24, 2026. A determination by the Government not to compete the proposed acquisition based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement.