This Sources Sought opportunity from Department Of Commerce was posted on June 3, 2026. The submission period has ended. Browse the details below for market research, or find similar active opportunities.
Frequency Comb System
Contract Overview
Solicitation details, issuing organization, response deadlines, documents, and interested companies for this government contract opportunity.
Active Opportunities Like This One
AI Contract Overview
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is conducting a sources sought notice to gather information from industry regarding the availability and capabilities of providers for a Frequency Comb System. This system is intended for use at the NIST Boulder facility and must be capable of locking four lasers at specified wavelengths (776 nm, 780 nm, 960 nm, and 1260 nm). The notice seeks to inform NIST’s market research and acquisition strategy and does not constitute a solicitation or commitment to buy. Interested companies, including small business and other than small business entities under NAICS code 334516 (Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing), are encouraged to respond by June 15, 2026, providing detailed company information, relevant experience, and suggestions to improve the draft requirements. Responses should avoid proprietary or sensitive information and adhere to a page limit. NIST anticipates a period of performance involving delivery, installation, and training within approximately seven months from order receipt. Respondents are requested to provide insights on company size status, active registrations on sam.gov, potential subcontracting compliance, and any existing GSA or federal contracts. Input on evaluation criteria and standard commercial pricing may also assist NIST in refining its acquisition approach. Teaming arrangements are permitted but must include all requested information from each entity. NIST reserves the right to seek clarifications and utilize all submitted information to assess options for the upcoming requirement, possibly leading to a formal solicitation based on the market research findings.
General Info
Agency
NAICS
Place of Performance
Boulder, CO, 80305, USASet-Aside
Timeline
Submission Closed
Organization & Contact Information
Full Description
Request for Information/Sources Sought Notice for Providers/Suppliers of Frequency Comb System
Notice ID: NB672020-26-01682
Contract Opportunity Type
Sources Sought
Response Date
6/15/2026
Product Service Code
6625—Electrical and Electronic Properties Measuring and Testing Instruments
NAICS Code
334516 –Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing
BACKGROUND
This is a notice to request information from industry to help the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) determine the availability and capability of small businesses and other than small businesses to provide Frequency Comb System to NIST Boulder site.
This notice is strictly to request information for market research purposes to help NIST determine the appropriate acquisition strategy for this requirement. This notice shall not be construed as a solicitation, an obligation, or commitment by the NIST.
OVERVIEW
The NIST has a requirement for a frequency comb system for locking four lasers with wavelengths of 776 nm, 780nm, 960nm, and 1260nm. See attached draft Requirements/Specifications document.
ANTICIPATED PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE
NIST anticipates that delivery, installation, and training will occur seven months after receipt of the order.
INFORMATION REQUESTED FROM INDUSTRY SOURCES:
NIST invites industry sources to review this notice carefully and to familiarize themselves with the draft requirements/specifications document. Thereafter, by the closing date of this notice, NIST encourages those sources to submit responses to lia.arthofer@nist.gov . Do not include proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information in a response to this notice.
Responses should be submitted to contain the following, in Microsoft Word format or in .pdf format, use 12-point font, with a page limitation of ten pages (excluding cover page and excluding standard commercial pricing information):
- Cover page, including:
- Sources Sought Notice number, title, and date of issuance
- Unique Entity ID
- Company name
- Company address
- Company website address
- Company point of contact and their phone number and email address
- Validation of company size status under NAICS: 334516 –Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing. See table of business size standards at https://www.sba.gov/document/support-table-size-standards for more information.
- Indicate whether your company has an active registration for procurement purposes in sam.gov.Provide any suggestions for NIST to consider for the draft requirements/specifications document, with the goal of improving the draft requirements/specifications document in a way that makes it clearer and as competitive as possible.
- Provide any suggested evaluation factors for award that your company believes would be meaningful for NIST to consider using for the forthcoming competitive acquisition.
- If your company has standard commercial pricing information (e.g., “catalog pricing”) for its standard commercial products/services, please provide a copy of it and explain what it includes. NIST will consider standard commercial pricing information to help it estimate a fair market price for the upcoming acquisition.
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- Your company may also provide an estimate for the draft requirements/specifications if you would like to do so; however, do not include a proposal for the draft requirements/specifications; a proposal submitted in response to this notice will not be considered.
- If your company is a small business for the NAICS code included in this notice, indicate whether your company can comply with FAR clause 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting (OCT 2022), if this acquisition were to be conducted as a total small business set-aside and provide supporting explanation. See https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-52#FAR_52_219_14 for the full text of this clause.
- Indicate whether your company has a GSA Multiple Award Schedule contract or other federal contract under which NIST would be authorized to place an order and, if so, provide a copy of that contract (including contract number, name and contact information for contracting officer, contract SOW, contract terms and conditions and contract prices).
The NIST reserves the right to follow up on a one-on-one basis with respondents to request additional information or clarifications about information submitted.
Teaming Arrangements
Firms seeking to respond to this notice as part of a team must include the above-requested information for each entity.
Disclaimer
Industry sources must provide information in response to this notice voluntarily, and for fully authorized use without limitation by NIST. This notice does not obligate NIST to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The 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. Information provided will be used to help NIST assess alternatives available for the potential requirement and may lead to the development of a solicitation. Respondents are advised that NIST is under no obligation to provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received and other market research, NIST may publish a solicitation on sam.gov or on GSA eBuy, depending on the approved acquisition strategy. Responses received after the closing date for this notice may not be considered for market research purposes.