NIST ParaView/VTK Software for Immersive Scientific Visualization Support

Announcement Type: Special Notice
Announcement Number: NIST-NOI-26-77-01612
PSC Code: DA01 - IT and Telecom – Business Application/Application Development Support Services (Labor)
Subject: Modifications and Enhancements to the ParaView/VTK Software for Immersive Scientific Visualization
 

Introduction
This is a notice of intent, not a request for a quotation. A solicitation document will not be issued, and quotations will not be requested.

Purpose
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) intends to negotiate a firm-fixed priced purchase order on a sole source basis with Kitware, Inc. located at 1712 Route 9, Suite 300, Clifton Park, NY 12065-3104. The purchase order will be for follow-on contractor support services to improve ParaView software’s virtual reality capability in relation to NIST’s high performance computing and visualization research and to move ParaView towards the OpenXR standard. The purchase order will be for a 12-month period of performance.

Authority
This acquisition is being conducted under the authority of FAR Subpart 13.106(b)(1) allowing the Contracting Officer (CO) to solicit from one source. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 541511 – Custom Computer Programming Services with a size standard of $34 Million.

Description
The High Performance Computing and Visualization Group (HPCVG) within NIST’s Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) requires specialized contractor support to transition its Immersive Visualization Environment (IVE) to the ParaView open-source framework. This transition is critical to leverage recent advances in visualization hardware, such as real-time path tracing and global illumination.

Specific technical objectives include:

• Adding the open-source Slang Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) shading language for the next-generation WebGPU rendering backend in VTK.
• Implementing a scenegraph capability within ParaView to align with NIST’s existing internal frameworks.
• Developing support for interfacing ParaView to external tools to ensure minimal disruption to diverse research projects spanning nanotechnology, medical, and materials science.

Sole Source Determination
The sole source determination is based on the following:
 

The NIST Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) High-Performance Computing and Visualization Group operates a fully Immersive Visualization Environment (IVE) and has developed high end visualization software that runs this environment. The HPCVG is moving their IVE and custom software to the fully open-source software environment ParaView. The HPCVG therefore requires contractor support to integrate and enhance ParaView virtual reality capabilities with NIST's IVE. This requirement is a follow-on to contract 1333ND25PNB770188 with Kitware, Inc. which implemented Phase II of the Modifications and Enhancements to the ParaView/VTK Software for Immersive Scientific Visualization. The purpose of this requirement is to perform Phase IV Modifications and Enhancements to the ParaView/VTK Software for Immersive Scientific Visualization of the planned integration and enhancement prepared under the prior awards. This work is necessary for on-going and future research efforts with the HPCVG.

ParaView is an open-source software that is housed on the Visualization Toolkit (VTK) Library. The VTK Library was written and is managed by Kitware, Inc. Kitware, Inc. must review and approve all software incorporated into the open source library. Accordingly, only Kitware, Inc. can guarantee code it develops will be acceptable and approved for incorporation. Software for research must be fully repeatable and precise and therefore only Kitware, Inc., the ParaView and VTK software manager, can provide the surety necessary for confidence in the research software integration, enhancement, and transition process. 

As this requirement is a logical follow-on to a previous requirement with Kitware, Inc. to prepare plans for integrating and enhancing a complex software transition, and because the software is also managed by Kitware, Inc., Kitware, Inc. is the only contractor capable of meeting the Government's needs. Given KitWare, Inc.'s unique work on this specialized project, no other contractor has the necessary technical understanding of the ongoing research or the ability to provide continuity of scientific research for this effort. Inability to continue the ParaView integration, enhancement, and transition effort to completion with the contractor that supported the work from inception would substantially jeopardize the schedule and efforts associated with continuity of scientific research. Kitware, Inc. is the only capable contractor for this need.
 

Information for Interested Parties
Interested parties that believe they could satisfy the requirements listed above for NIST may clearly and unambiguously identify their capability to do so in writing by or before the response date for this notice. This notice of intent is not a solicitation.

Any questions regarding this notice must be submitted in writing via email to Hing Pan Wong, Contract Specialist, at hnw6@nist.gov. All responses to this notice of intent must be submitted via email to hnw6@nist.gov so that they are received no later than May 20, 2026 at 11:00 AM Eastern Time.

Each response should include the following Business Information:

1. Contractor Name, Address,
2. Point of Contact Name, Phone Number, and Email address
3. Contractor DUNS
4. Contractor Business Classification (i.e., small business, 8(a), woman owned, hubZone, veteran owned, etc.) as validated in System for Award Management (SAM). All offerors must register in the SAM located at http://www.sam.gov/portal/SAM/#1
5. Capability Statement