Atomic clocks for ensemble time scales

The Department of Commerce, through the AD for Laboratory Programs, is forecasting a requirement for atomic clocks to support the construction of two ensemble time scales. These systems will function as resilient sources of time and frequency signals and serve as backup implementations of UTC(NIST), which is the National Institute of Standards and Technology's realization of Coordinated Universal Time. By averaging the outputs of several independent atomic clocks, the ensemble time scales will minimize noise, reduce bias, and eliminate dependency on any single clock. This project will be performed in Boulder, Colorado, under NAICS code 541715. The procurement is listed as a forecast with a posted date of June 4, 2026. Interested parties may contact Kathryn Stephenson for further information regarding this initiative.