Design and Integration of a Manufacturing Robotics Workcell

Amendment 1: The purpose of this amendment is to address anonymized questions. Please find the questions and answers below. All other terms of the sources sought notice remain unchanged.

Question 1: Should the work cell accommodate multiple robot brands, or does NSIT specifically require Universal Robots?

Answer: Universal Robots are not required; multiple brands would be encouraged but NIST is open to the contractor's assessment of the best model for the application.

Question 2: Will the work cell be installed in Maryland? 

Answer: Yes, at NIST's headquarters in Gaithersburg, MD.

Question 3: Is there a preferred quantity and brand of Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) for this work cell?

Answer: No, there are no specific requirements for the PLCs.

Question 4:: Would you like the work cell to include Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) capabilities?

Answer: NIST had not previously considered AMRs due to the small space available (approx. 12'x17'); it would be of interest if possible, but is not necessary.  If included, please specify if extra space would be needed (we have left a perimeter around the workcell for human access).

Question 5:: Would a 360-degree robot safety system with accompanying risk analysis curriculum be beneficial for your needs?

Answer: This would be very interesting for NIST applications, if not cost-prohibitive.  It would be useful to have information as an option compared with a lower-cost alternative.

Question 6: Should all robot arms be fixed in position, or would you prefer a system with a 7th axis for extended mobility?

Answer: This is flexible depending on the needs of the designed application.  The robots are not required to be fixed, so a 7th axis would be fine to include.

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Sources Sought Notice

Announcement Type: Sources Sought
Announcement Number: NIST-SSN-26-73WORKCELL
Subject: Design and Integration of a Manufacturing Robotics Workcell

Applicable NAICS: 541330 – Engineering Services
Applicable PSC: R425 – Support – Professional: Engineering/Technical

BACKGROUND

This is a Sources Sought Notice (SSN) requesting industry response to help the Government determine the availability and capability of small business and other than small businesses that are capable of providing any or all of the services required by the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
 

This notice is strictly to request information for market research purposes to help NIST determine the appropriate acquisition strategy for a potential requirement. This notice shall not be construed as a solicitation, an obligation, or commitment by the NIST.

OVERVIEW

NIST is conducting market research to identify potential sources that can perform design and integration of a manufacturing robotics workcell.

The NIST Engineering Laboratory (EL) Measurement Science for Robotics and Autonomous Systems (MSRAS) Program requires a professionally designed and fully integrated manufacturing testbed capable of performing an industrial task repeatedly and continuously over extended periods (hours to days), similar to the uptime of a real manufacturing cell. The workcell design shall represent a realistic manufacturing environment, integrating common industrial automation tools like robot arms, conveyor belt, fixtures, etc., as well as human safety components.

The specific task requirements are minimal, so the Contractor may propose a task (or simulated task) of their choice, that represents a frequently implemented integration service.

ANTICIPATED POTENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

Task 1 – DESIGN OF A MANUFACTURING WORKCELL   

The Contractor shall: 

1. 1. Design a robotic workcell satisfying the following requirements:
      1. Accomplish a commonly seen industrial manufacturing task, either continuously or in reverse (‘undo’ the task, e.g. load and unload a pallet)
      2. The full workcell must fit within a footprint of 12’ x 18’
      3. The workcell must contain at least two but no more than five robotic systems
         1. Optional:  Integrate two Universal Robots UR10 (CB-series models) into the design
      4. The workcell must include a conveyor system
      5. Parts used should not be destroyed in the process, such that the system can be run continuously without waste
      6. A Human-Machine Interface must be included with the ability for Government staff to integrate custom software
   2. Create a Digital Twin or simulation of the designed and accepted workcell and provide this to the Government team.
      1. Preferred platforms are RoboDK or Siemens Process Simulate, but the Contractor may propose a platform of their choice.  If proposing an alternative, it must be approved by the Government team.
   3. Meet with the Government team over video conference to review and refine the design until the Government team has approved it to move forward.
   4. Provide a full Bill of Materials for the proposed design and a list of any power or other utility pre-requisites, to be approved by the Government team before moving forward.  The Bill of Materials should include pricing for all materials as if purchased by the Contractor.
       
2. Task 2 – PROCUREMENT OF WORKCELL MATERIALS & TESTING AT CONTRACTOR SITE

The Contractor shall: 

1. 1. Coordinate with the Government Technical Point of Contact (TPC) to identify which workcell materials are already available on-site and which need to be procured.
   2. Procure the remaining materials necessary to complete the workcell. Materials must be in fully working condition.
   3. Assemble and test the completed workcell.
   4. Provide video documentation demonstrating successful operation of the workcell.
       
2. Task 3 – INTEGRATION OF THE WORKCELL AT GOVERNMENT SITE

The Contractor shall: 

1. 1. Assemble the previously designed and tested workcell at the government site.
   2. Integrate all systems components.
   3. Test the completed system and demonstrate its functionally to Government personnel.
      
       
2. Task 4 – TRAINING AT GOVERNMENT SITE 

The contractor shall: 

1. 1. Write thorough documentation on the assembly, initialization, and daily operation of the workcell, and provide this documentation in both digital and physical formats.  Documentation must also cover custom software and integration of new software methods.
   2. Provide in-person training for Government personnel who will operate the workcell.  The training session will be recorded for future reference.
   3. Provide support via email, phone, and/or video calls to address concerns and/or questions until the end of the period of performance.

ANTICIPATED PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

NIST anticipates that it will require services similar to those in the draft SOW for a one-year period of performance beginning in late calendar year 2026 or early calendar year 2027.

HOW TO RESPOND TO THIS NOTICE

Please include only the information identified in this section, readable in either Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, or Adobe .pdf format. 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).
   
• Describe performance capabilities of your company to meet each of the Government’s requirements. Additionally, if there are other capabilities that you believe would assist NIST in meeting its objectives described above, please discuss in your response.
   
• 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. 
     
• If the recommended 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.
   
• Provide any other information that you believe would be valuable for NIST to know as part of its market research for this requirement.

Submission Instructions

All information considered pertinent to the covered requirement shall be sent electronically to Ms. Lauren Roller at contact@example.gov. Information submitted shall be specific and address the aforementioned requirement.

Submissions must be received not later than 11:00 pm Eastern Time (ET) on June 5, 2025. Only e-mail submissions are acceptable.

The response shall not exceed 6 pages including all attachments, charts, etc.
 

IMPORTANT NOTES

Do not include proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information in response to this notice. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary information as it deems appropriate in establishing requirements for its upcoming acquisition.
 

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).

After the results of this market research are obtained and analyzed, NIST may conduct a competitive procurement and subsequently award a contract. If at least two acceptable small businesses are identified during this market research, then the resulting competitive procurement may be conducted as a small business set-aside.