66--NIMH: Purchase order for One (1) Miniaturized Head

The National Institutes of Health, through its Office of Logistics and Acquisition Operations, is seeking a single Miniaturized Head-Mounted Two-Photon Microscope under a simplified acquisition procedure for commercial items, as outlined in FAR Subpart 12.6. The procurement, identified by solicitation number 75N98026Q00692, is unfunded at this stage with an estimated value not to exceed $250,000, consistent with the simplified acquisition threshold. The system must enable high-resolution in vivo deep brain imaging during goal-directed behavior in freely moving animals, integrating advanced components such as a 920 nm femtosecond laser, MEMS-based scanning, hollow-core photonic crystal fiber, dual-channel fluorescence imaging, interchangeable objectives, and an electrotunable lens, all supported by integrated software for control and data acquisition. Delivery is to be made on-site at the NIH facility in Bethesda, Maryland, with FOB destination terms, and the equipment must be fully installed, tested, and operational upon delivery, including a training dummy scope and modular design to allow future upgrades. The solicitation requires compliance with standard commercial item contract clauses including FAR 52.212-3, 52.212-4, and 52.212-5, each effective March 13, 2026 under FAC 2026-01, with no additional clauses, alternates, or special requirements beyond those mandated for commercial acquisitions. Offerors must be registered in SAM.gov, provide a valid Unique Entity Identifier and Taxpayer Identification Number, and certify their commercial item status and size determination via FAR 52.212-3, though no socioeconomic set-aside applies and the acquisition is unrestricted. Proposals are to be submitted electronically through SAM.gov by the July 7, 2026 deadline at 5:30 PM EDT and will be evaluated based on price, technical capability, past performance, and delivery schedule in that order of priority without assigned weights, allowing for a trade-off approach to select the best value proposal. No formal inspection procedures, packaging standards, or labeling specifications are prescribed beyond general commercial norms, and acceptance will occur at the destination upon successful installation and verification of technical performance. The contracting specialist is Brittany May, designated as the primary point of contact for inquiries and submissions.