Combined Sources Sought Notice and Notice of Intent to Sole Source for Replacement Probe for Superconducting Quantum Interference Device Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (SQUID VSM)

***THIS IS A COMBINED SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE***

The purpose of this sources sought notice is to conduct market research and identify potential sources of commercial products/services that satisfy the Government’s anticipated needs. If no alternate sources are identified, the Government intends to issue a Sole Source Award to Quantum Design, Inc., 10307 Pacific Center Ct, San Diego, CA US, under the authority of Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) FAR 12.102(a). The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 334516, Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing.

BACKGROUND

The National Institute for Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Materials Science and Engineering Division (MSED) is involved in the development of standard reference materials (SRMs) for magnetic moment – a critical standard for measuring magnetic materials for next generation memory and computing, in transformers for the power grid, and for AC-DC conversion for chargers such as for your cell phone, among many applications. NIST magnetic SRMs are the only source of SRMs for calibrating magnetometers and thus providing traceable and quantitative magnetic measurements. 

The NIST Magnetic Property Measurement System 3 (MPMS3) Superconducting Quantum Interference Device Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (SQUID VSM) is one of the first built (serial #9, installed at NIST in 2007), and suffered a recent failure of the probe, which houses the superconducting magnet and the SQUIDs. Over the past 17 years, there have been significant changes to the probe, which have improved the sensitivity and noise levels of these instruments and the ability to repair the instrument on site. These instruments are the most sensitive magnetometers available, and as such, NIST’s SQUID VSM is vital to its magnetics standards work. Without the SQUID VSM, NIST support of current SRMs and development of new SRMs will be halted, which will have significant impacts across many applications and industries. This repair is urgently needed to maintain capabilities for developing and testing new magnetic SRMs and developing the associated documentary standards that use the new SRMs.

The contractor shall provide one (1) new replacement probe for the Superconducting Quantum Interference Device Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (SQUID VSM).

NIST is seeking information from sources that may be capable of providing a solution that will achieve the objectives described above, and meet the following essential requirements: 

Replacement Probe for SQUID VSM

Quantity: 1

Technical Specifications:

1. 1. Magnetic Field:
      • Range: ± 7 T (70,000 Oe)
      • Ramp Rate: variable between 0.4 mT/s - 70 mT/s (4 Oe/s - 700 Oe/s)
      • Uniformity: 0.01% over 4 cm
      • Resolution: 50 µT (0.5 Oe)
   2. Temperature:
      • Range: 1.8 K – 400 K
      • Ramp Rate: variable up to 30 K/min
      • Stability: ± 0.5 %
      • Accuracy: lesser of ± 1 % or 0.5 K
   3. Measurement Modes: DC, VSM and AC Susceptibility
      • (VSM Mode):
        • Oscillation Amplitude: variable between 0.1 mm and 8 mm
      • (AC Susceptibility):
        • AC Frequency Range: 0.1 Hz - 1000 Hz
        • AC Field Amplitude: 10 µT – 1 mT (0.1 Oe - 10 Oe)
        • AC Moment Accuracy: ≤ ± 1 % (typical)
        • Phase Angle Accuracy: ≤ ± 0.5 ° (typical)
   4. SQUID Sensitivity:
      • (VSM Mode): < 1 x 10-8 mA-m2 (emu) for H ≤ 0.25 T (2,500 Oe);
                              < 8 x 10-8 mA-m2 (emu) for H > 0.25 T (2,500 Oe)
        (DC Mode):  < 5 x 10-8 mA-m2 (emu) for H ≤ 0.25 T (2,500 Oe);
                            < 6 x 10-7 mA-m2 (emu) for H > 0.25 T (2,500 Oe)
        (AC Susceptibility): ≤ 5 x 10-8 mA-m2 (emu)
   5. Maximum Moment:
      • (VSM Mode): >100 emu
      • (DC Mode): 2 emu
   6. Sample Chamber Inner Diameter: 9 mm
   7. Must be compatible with the following manufacturer’s “options”: oven, ultra-low field, and horizontal sample rotator.
   8. Manual

NIST conducted market research from February 2025 through July 2026 by performing internet searches, reviewing product literature, and speaking with vendors to determine what sources could meet NIST’s minimum requirements. The results of that market research revealed that only Quantum Design, Inc. (UEI: JEATS22MKKM6) appears to be capable of meeting NIST’s requirements.

HOW TO RESPOND TO THIS NOTICE

In responding to this notice, please DO NOT PROVIDE PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. Please include only the following information, readable in either Microsoft Word 365, Microsoft Excel 365, or .pdf format, in the response: Submit the response by email to the Primary Point of Contact and, if specified, to the Secondary Point of Contact listed in this notice as soon as possible, and preferably before the closing date and time of this notice.  Please note that to be considered for award under any official solicitation, the entity must be registered and “active” in SAM at the time of solicitation response.

• Provide the complete name of your company, address, name of contact for follow-up questions, their email, their phone number and, if your company has an active registration in https://sam.gov, your company’s Unique Entity ID (UEI).

• Identify the equipment that your company sells that can meet the objectives addressed in the BACKGROUND section of this notice.  For each product recommended to meet the Government’s requirement, provide the following:
  • Manufacturer name
  • Model number
  • Technical specifications
  • If your company is not the manufacturer, provide information on your company’s status as an authorized reseller of the product(s)

• Describe performance capabilities of the product(s) your company recommends to meet the Government’s requirements.  Additionally, if there are other features or functions that you believe would assist NIST in meeting its objectives described above, please discuss in your response.
  • Discuss whether the equipment that your company sells and which you describe in your response to this notice may be customized to specifications and indicate any limits to customization.

• Identify any aspects of the NIST market research notice, including instructions, and draft minimum specifications in the BACKGROUND section you cannot meet and state why.  Please offer suggestions for how the market research notice and draft minimum specifications could be made more competitive.

• State whether the proposed equipment is manufactured in the United States and, if not, state the name of the country where the equipment is manufactured.

• Identify any plans/possibilities for changes in manufacturing location of the aforementioned equipment and provide relevant details, including timeline.

• For the NAICS code listed in this notice:
  • Indicate whether your company is (a) a small business or (b) other than small business.  See the Table of Small Business Size Standards and the associated .pdf download file for small business size standards and additional information.

• • If you believe the NAICS code listed in this notice is not the best NAICS code for the type of product addressed in this notice, identify an alternative NAICS code that you believe would be more appropriate for the planned procurement. 

• Describe services that are available with the purchase of the aforementioned equipment from your company such as installation, training, and equipment maintenance.

• Describe standard terms and conditions of sale offered by your company for the recommended equipment such as: delivery time after your company accepts the order; FOB shipping terms; manufacturer warranty (including details regarding nature and duration); if available, description(s) of available extended warranty; equipment setup and test; operator and service instruction manual(s); cleanup after installation; and if applicable, other offered services.  Provide a copy of manufacturer standard terms and conditions that typically relate to the sale of the specified equipment, if available.

• State whether your company offers facility renovation services related to installation of the recommended equipment at its delivery destination, if required per the NIST-identified minimum specifications, and provide description of said services.  Indicate if your company performs the facility renovation services or typically subcontracts the work to another company.  Indicate if your company would be interested in inspecting the intended installation site during the market research phase.

• State published price, discount, or rebate arrangements for recommended equipment and/or provide link to access company’s published prices for equipment and services. 

• If the recommended equipment and related services are available for purchase on any existing Federal Supply Schedule contract(s) or other contracts against which NIST may be able to place orders, identify the contract number(s) and other relevant information.

• Identify any customers in the public or private sectors to which you provided the recommended or similar equipment.  Include customer(s) information: company name, phone number, point of contact, email address.

• Provide any other information that you believe would be valuable for NIST to know as part of its market research for this requirement.

• State if you require NIST to provide additional information to improve your understanding of the government’s requirement and/or would like to meet with NIST representatives to discuss the requirement and the capabilities of the identified equipment.

QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS NOTICE

Questions regarding this notice may be submitted via email to the Primary Point of Contact and the Secondary Point of Contact listed in this notice. Questions should be submitted so that they are received 5 calendar days prior to the response date. If the Contracting Officer determines that providing a written amendment to this notice to document question(s) received would benefit other potential respondents, the questions would be anonymized, and a written response to such question(s) would be provided via an amendment to this notice.

IMPORTANT NOTES

This notice is for market research purposes and should not be construed as a commitment by NIST to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. There is no solicitation available at this time.

This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response.

NIST 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 capability.

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 synopsis and solicitation may be published on GSA’s eBuy or SAM.gov. However, responses to this notice will not be considered an adequate response to any such solicitation(s).

The responses shall not exceed 10 pages including all attachments, charts, etc.

Thank you for taking the time to submit a response to this request!