Proprietary Software Equipment

The National Institutes of Health, under the Department of Health and Human Services, is proceeding with a sole-source procurement for proprietary software equipment maintenance under solicitation PCA-NINDS-04056, with a response deadline of May 5, 2026. This procurement is justified under FAR 6.302-1 because Tecniplast USA is the only responsible source capable of servicing proprietary animal facility equipment and associated software installed in NIH’s Building 35/35A in Bethesda, Maryland. The contract, which will be awarded as a Firm-Fixed-Price purchase order, covers a five-year period from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2031, including a base year and four option years. All maintenance, repairs, and technical support must be performed exclusively by certified Tecniplast USA technicians due to proprietary software restrictions and the exclusive access to parts and training required for system operation. The place of performance is confirmed as Bethesda, Maryland, with inspection and acceptance occurring at the facility where the equipment is installed. No competitive evaluation factors, weights, or ratings apply, as the award is based solely on the uniqueness of the vendor and the proprietary nature of the system. Although the solicitation acknowledges potential small business outreach and requests capability statements from small business entities to validate the sole-source determination, Tecniplast USA has not claimed or certified any small business socioeconomic status. The contract requires no specific security clearances or designated key personnel, and submission of proposals is restricted to email delivery to Lynda.Cole@nih.gov by the stated deadline. Packaging, marking, payment office details, accounting codes, invoicing methods, and specific inspection criteria are not detailed in the available documentation, suggesting these requirements are included in an attached document not accessible for review. The Unique Entity Identifier for the vendor is QHF3J4MS24H4, and no CAGE code is provided. The contracting office is located at 20892, Bethesda, MD, and the primary point of contact for the solicitation is Luz Casey, with Lynda Cole designated as the submission email contact.