Solicitation - 0.5mm Calibration Kit

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), under the Department of Commerce, has issued a Sources Sought announcement for a 0.5mm Calibration Kit to support scattering parameter traceability from dc up to 250 GHz, with performance expected in Boulder, Colorado. This action, identified by solicitation number NB672010-26-02016 and NAICS code 334515, is not a formal request for quotation but a market research effort to identify capable vendors. The technical requirements call for the production of precision calibration artifacts including a disassembled offset short device, spare components for dimensioning (such as pre-slotted and plated center conductors), and a test port adapter set in 0.5mm connector type with metrology-grade construction. Item 5, originally specified as assembled test port adapters, has been removed via Amendment 1. The procurement is structured in three distinct phases—manufacturing, dimensional metrology performed by NIST, and final assembly—with partial deliveries and payments permitted due to the independent timelines of NIST’s dimensioning process. Vendors must possess an active Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), a valid CAGE code, and an Export Control Classification Number (ECCN), and are required to submit a capability statement no longer than five pages containing company profile details, technical evidence of comparable products, lead time estimates, and verification of small business status. US citizenship is mandatory for anyone working on-site, and foreign nationals must complete pre-registration at least 30 days in advance. Deliveries must be shipped to either NIST Boulder or Gaithersburg locations, with partial shipments allowed and specific sequencing requirements: Item 1 must be delivered first, and Item 2 will follow only after NIST returns Item 1 for assembly, with both to be completed within ten weeks of return. Travel costs are to be reimbursed under the Federal Travel Regulation and treated as a separate line item. No contract value, pricing detail, or formal evaluation criteria have been established as this remains a pre-solicitation market research activity.