SITE VISIT - MRI System Installation - NIH Bldg. 10 Laboratory

SOLICITATION TYPE: Pre-Solicitation / Mandatory Site Visit Announcement
PROJECT TITLE: High-Power 7T MRI System Installation & Rigging – NIH Building 10
PSC CODE: N065 (Installation of Equipment- Medical, Dental, and Veterinary)
NAICS CODE: 334510 (Electromedical and Electrotherapeutic Apparatus Manufacturing)
1. MANDATORY SITE VISIT CLAUSE (FAR 52.237-1):
A physical site visit is strictly mandatory. Due to the extreme weight, multi-ton structural load, stray magnetic fields, and complex rigging paths required to install a 7-Tesla (7T) magnet inside an active clinical hospital, visual blueprints and photographs are insufficient for proposal formulation.
2. LOGISTICS (DATE, TIME, & LOCATION):
- DATE: September 3, 2026
- TIME: 10:00 AM EDT
- LOCATION: NIH Bethesda Campus, Building 10 (Assembly point: B1 NMR Loading Dock)
3. PRE-REGISTRATION / ACCESS AND SECURITY PROTOCOLS DEADLINE:
Building 10 is a secure clinical research facility. All attendees must pre-register by emailing the Point of Contact (POC) listed below no later than August 24, 2026, at 10:00 AM EDT with their Full Legal Name and Company Name. Unregistered individuals will be denied entry to the campus and the facility.
A maximum of two (2) representatives per firm is permitted. Attendees must bring a valid government-issued photo ID to clear campus perimeter security gates and must remain with their NIH escort at all times.
PRE-REGISTRATION SUBMISSION FORM: Prospective bidders must copy, complete, and paste the following form into the body of their RSVP email to the Point of Contact (POC). Do not alter the format. ====================================================================
NIH BUILDING 10 SITE VISIT PRE-REGISTRATION SUBMISSION ====================================================================
1. Company Legal Name: _____________________________________________
2. Company UEI (Unique Entity ID): _________________________________
3. Attendee 1 Full Legal Name (As shown on ID): ____________________
4. Attendee 1 Citizenship (US Citizen / Permanent Resident / Foreign National): ______________
5. Attendee 2 Full Legal Name (As shown on ID): ____________________
6. Attendee 2 Citizenship (US Citizen / Permanent Resident / Foreign National): ______________
7. Primary Phone Number for Day of Event: _________________________ ====================================================================
4. DISQUALIFICATION WARNING:
Bids submitted by vendors who fail to pre-register by the deadline, or who fail to physically attend and sign the official attendance log at the site visit, will be deemed non-responsive and automatically disqualified from award consideration.
5. OBJECTIVE:
The specific objective of this purchase is the acquisition of a 7T MRI System with a dedicated, high-performance, local gradient subsystem. The acquisition will allow the Functional MRI Facility (FMRIF) to be able to provide the latest tools and techniques to NIH researchers to collect high quality brain imaging data from patients and research volunteers and develop novel scanning protocols advancing the state-of-the-art for structural and functional brain imaging. The upgraded system is to be used for clinical and preclinical human MRI research.

The baseline requirement is for the immediate delivery and installation of the 7T MRI system. However, bidders must note that the requesting lab intends to include certain optional items listed below as (OPTION) as executable options for the following fiscal year. Bidders should evaluate the site during the walkthrough with future system scaling in mind."

Baseline Product :

1. Baseline Brand Name Model: Siemens MAGNETOM Terra.X with Impulse Local Gradient Coil  - Qty (1) EA

2 . Turn-Key Contruction & Installation - Qty (1) 

3. Multinuclear Support and Applications (OPTION ) - Qty (1) EA

4. Terra to Terra.X upgrade: Software upgrade - Qty (2) EA

5. Terra to Terra.X ugrade: FDA-cleared 8Tx32Rx Head Coil Exchange - (OPTION)  Qty (2) EA

6. Terra to Terra.X upgrade: Gradient Performance - Qty (2) EA

6. COMPETITION AND PROPRIETARY DATA NOTICE:

This is an open, competitive solicitation utilizing a Brand Name or Equal description. To ensure a fair and transparent bidding environment, no proprietary manufacturer floor plans, engineering layouts, or equipment diagrams are attached to this notice. Bidders are expected to engineer their technical proposals based on the physical parameters gathered during the mandatory site inspection.
7. SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS (BRAND NAME OR EQUAL):
The procurement utilizes the Siemens Healthineers MAGNETOM Terra.X 7T MRI platform as the baseline standard. Any alternative system proposed must meet or exceed the following minimal physical and structural characteristics to fit existing infrastructure:
- Field Strength: Active-shielded 7.0-Tesla (7T) superconducting magnet.
- Operational Weight: Total operational weight must align with Building 10 B1 structural floor load-bearing limits for heavy medical infrastructure.
- Stray Field Footprint: The 5-Gauss safety boundary line must fit completely within the designated laboratory room envelope without penetrating adjacent active clinical or public corridors.
- Cryogen Venting: System must be compatible with existing facility structural routing paths for high-volume helium cryogen quench pipe exhaust loops.
SEE ATTACHMENT.
8. INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING POST-VISIT WRITTEN QUESTIONS:
To ensure all prospective bidders receive identical information, the NIH will not provide verbal answers to technical questions during the physical site visit. All inquiries must be handled through the formal written process detailed below:
1. SUBMISSION DEADLINE: All technical, structural, or contractual questions resulting from the site visit must be submitted via email no later than September 8, 2026,  before/prior to  11:00 AM EDT.
2. SUBMISSION METHOD: Questions must be sent directly to the POC email listed below. The email subject line must strictly read: "TECHNICAL QUESTIONS: NIH Bldg. 10 MRI Installation - [Insert Vendor Name]".
3. METHOD OF RESPONSE: The NIH will aggregate all vendor questions, remove identifying company names, and publish the official answers collectively. This will be posted as a formal Amendment to this solicitation on SAM.gov on or about September 10, 2026. Only written answers published via SAM.gov shall be considered legally binding.
9. POINT OF CONTACT:
Submit pre-registration data and written technical inquiries to:
Tina Robinson @ robinsti@mail.nih.gov.
10. CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITY FOR DATA COLLECTION: Bidders are explicitly notified that the Government will not provide physical facility dimensions, structural tolerances, or site architectural drawings under this open solicitation. It is the sole responsibility of the attending vendor representatives to physically take all necessary measurements, calculations, photographs, and environmental assessments during the walkthrough. Bidders must bring their own measuring tools (laser measures, tape measures) and equipment. Photographs are permitted within the target laboratory space for structural, electrical, and plumbing engineering purposes only. No photography of hospital personnel, clinical patient care areas, or public corridors is permitted. Failure to accurately measure the site layout will not relieve the successful contractor from the responsibility of successfully executing the system installation at no additional cost to the Government