Procurement of Ring and Core Laser System

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), under the U.S. Department of Commerce, is soliciting a firm-fixed-price quotation for the procurement of one Ring and Core Laser System to upgrade the Fundamentals of Laser-Matter Interaction (FLaMI) testbed at its Gaithersburg, Maryland campus. The system must meet stringent technical specifications, including a nominal output power of at least 1500W, a wavelength of 1070nm ± 10nm, beam quality M2 less than 1.1mm, fiber diameter of approximately 15µm, and ring fiber diameter under 60µm, with operation in continuous wave or modulated modes up to 100kHz, and switching times no greater than 5µs. The laser must be rack-mountable, operate on 200–240 VAC single-phase power, and support control via RS-232, Ethernet, or analog input. This acquisition is structured as a 100% small business set-aside under NAICS code 334413, with proposals due by June 30, 2026, at 12:00 PM ET. Submissions must be electronic, sent to robert.cowins@nist.gov, and include separate technical and price quotations containing the solicitation number, UEI from SAM.gov, point of contact details, firm-fixed pricing with shipping included, and applicable discounts. Proposals must comply with all FAR clauses incorporated by reference, including 52.212-4, 52.212-5, and 52.233-1 for disputes, and must also satisfy requirements under the Buy American Act. Offerors must maintain an active SAM.gov registration throughout contract performance and until final payment, providing a Unique Entity Identifier and CAGE code, and must certify compliance with socioeconomic representations including FAR 52.219-1, 52.204-5, 52.209-5, and provisions related to inverted domestic corporations and taxpayer identification. Technical capability is a pass/fail gate—proposals must demonstrate full compliance with all requirements, and submission of prototypes, used, or refurbished equipment will result in disqualification. Evaluation is based on best value, with non-price factors, particularly technical capability, carrying greater weight than price. Payment is 100% due upon acceptance by the