Liquid Helium Delivery

The contract solicitation for Liquid Helium Delivery, issued under solicitation number 1333ND26QNB190395 by the National Institute of Standards and Technology within the Department of Commerce, is a Total Small Business Set-Aside under FAR 19.5, targeting NAICS code 325120. The contractor must furnish all personnel, materials, equipment, services, and facilities required to deliver liquid helium in 100-liter and 250-liter contractor-owned dewars on an as-needed basis to the performance location in Boulder, Colorado. The amendment dated July 20, 2026, and effective July 21, 2026, incorporated one RFI with government response, while maintaining unchanged submission deadlines for both RFIs and offers, with the final offer due by 3:00 PM MT on August 11, 2026. The place of performance is clearly defined as Boulder, CO, with the contracting office located in Gaithersburg, MD, and the issuing office for payment and correspondence specified as NIST in Boulder. No contract value, pricing, or estimated budget is provided in the available documentation, and no CLINs, SLINs, or financial details are included, suggesting the structure likely relies on an order-based delivery system without a fixed dollar ceiling. Delivery, inspection, and acceptance are expected to occur at the Boulder site, though precise standards for liquid helium quality, dewar specifications, or inspection criteria are not detailed, and packaging, marking, or transportation requirements are not explicitly outlined. The contractor is responsible for maintaining the contractor-owned dewars and ensuring supply continuity, but no key personnel requirements, security clearances, option periods, or organizational conflict of interest provisions are included. The solicitation is structured around the SF-1449 form, with submissions expected at the Boulder address by the published deadline, and while electronic submissions are implied through amendment notifications, no formal system or file type guidance is provided. The contract does not reference specific technical standards, invoicing systems, COR/COTR appointments, or evaluation factors, indicating the award will likely be based on administrative compliance and small business eligibility rather than a technical trade-off process.