NOI- Service Agreement on ZEISS LSM 880 and Axio

The National Institutes of Health, Office of the Director, Office of Acquisitions, is soliciting a non-competitive firm fixed-price service agreement under FAR Subpart 12.6 to ensure continued operation of critical ZEISS LSM 880 and Axio Observer 7 microscope systems at the NIDA/IRP Confocal and Electron Microscopy Core in Baltimore, Maryland. This acquisition is conducted under the authority of FAR 12.603 as a streamlined commercial item solicitation, with award planned exclusively to Carl Zeiss Microscopy, LLC, based on the justification that only one responsible source exists due to the proprietary and specialized nature of the equipment and required OEM-certified service. The contract requires annual preventative maintenance, unlimited emergency on-site repairs, minor software updates, and the use of factory-trained, manufacturer-authorized technicians using OEM-certified parts and diagnostic tools, all to be performed during standard business hours Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays. All service visits must be documented with a signed service ticket and a detailed written report submitted within 24 hours, ensuring system reliability for ongoing addiction and disease research conducted by multiple intramural labs. The contract’s period of performance spans from June 15, 2026, to June 14, 2027, with an additional optional period from January 17, 2026, through January 16, 2027, under FAR 52.217-8, and may be extended at the government’s discretion. Performance is FOB destination at the Biomedical Research Center in Baltimore, Maryland, where the equipment is housed, and acceptance is contingent upon compliance with all service specifications and documentation requirements. The solicitation mandates compliance with Section 508 accessibility standards for information technology and requires offerors to hold a valid Unique Entity Identifier and be registered in SAM.gov. No cost data is provided in the solicitation, as it serves as a notice of intent for a non-competitive award based on commercial practices, with evaluations governed by standard FAR 52.212-2 criteria, including past performance, technical capability, warranty, and lifecycle support, though no formal weighting or scoring is applied. Submissions must be received electronically by June 7, 2026, at 1:00 PM EST, and no attachments, pricing tables, or detailed commercial invoice instructions are contained in the notice, reflecting the streamlined nature of the commercial acquisition.