Procurement of a Humanoid Robot

The Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is soliciting bids for the procurement of a single humanoid robot to support robotics test method development and validation. The robot must be a new, commercially available system with human-like mobility and interaction capabilities, including walking, environmental sensing, and gross manipulation, meeting minimum technical criteria such as a height of at least 1.5 meters, five or more degrees of freedom per leg, six or more per arm, a one-hour battery life, and integrated vision, lidar, IMU, and force-torque sensors. The system must include accompanying software and API for custom scripting, sensor calibration, and external integration, along with accessories, one-year warranty, and on-site training. Delivery is required within six months of award, with final acceptance occurring at NIST’s facility in Gaithersburg, Maryland, under F.O.B. Destination terms. The procurement follows simplified procedures under FAR Part 12 for commercial items, with a firm fixed price contract type and no estimated value disclosed. The solicitation requires offerors to submit two distinct electronic volumes—one technical and one pricing—addressing technical capability, past performance, and firm fixed pricing. Technical capability is the most critical evaluation factor, with non-compliance on any specification resulting in automatic elimination. Past performance is assessed based on quality, timeliness, cost management, and customer satisfaction, with up to three examples required, each limited to one page. Price is evaluated only after technical acceptability is confirmed, and award will be made based on best value, not lowest price. Offerors must be small businesses due to a 100% set-aside designation and must provide a Unique Entity Identifier. Required certifications include compliance with prohibitions on inverted corporations, delinquent tax liabilities, and internal confidentiality agreements, with non-standard versions of several FAR clauses taking effect in January 2026. Contractors must comply with NIST campus access protocols, including badge issuance and vehicle registration, and coordinate all shipments with the designated government official. Invoicing must be submitted electronically via the Treasury’s Invoice Processing Platform, and payment is contingent upon successful installation, system acceptance, and full compliance with technical requirements. Training must occur at NIST during standard business hours prior to delivery. No formal list of attachments is provided, but required submissions include technical documentation, product literature, software/API specs, and past performance references.