Sources Sought: QuantStudio 5 HID DNA Quantitation System

This is a Sources Sought Notice ONLY.  Requests for copies of a solicitation will not receive a response. 

This notice is for planning purposes only and is not a Request for Proposal or Request for Quotation or an obligation on the part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for conducting a follow-on acquisition. 

This Notice assists the Government in determining whether there are any domestically manufactured end product sources for the project title.

NIST does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this notice or otherwise pay for the information requested.  No entitlement or payment of direct or indirect costs or charges by NIST will arise as a result of submission of responses to this notice and NIST use of such information.  NIST recognizes that proprietary components, interfaces and equipment, and clearly mark restricted or proprietary components, interfaces and equipment, and clearly mark restricted or proprietary data and present it as an addendum to the non-restricted/non-proprietary information.  In the absence of such identification, NIST will assume to have unlimited rights to all technical data in the information paper.

NO SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS EXIST AT THIS TIME.

Requirement:

NIST is seeking information from manufacturers and suppliers capable of furnishing one (1) new HID DNA Quantitation System (QuantStudio 5) for the Applied Genetics Group in the Biomolecular Measurement Division of the Materials Measurement Laboratory. The system will support quantitative PCR (qPCR) measurement of DNA and RNA and will be used for projects pertaining to DNA biometrics, cell line authentication, DNA Standard Reference Material production, and human quantitation kit testing.

The anticipated requirement includes, but is not limited to, the following minimum technical requirements:

HID DNA Quantitation System must be a new instrument and not a refurbished instrument.

HID DNA Quantitation System must be a benchtop system measuring 40 x 27 x 50 cm (H x W x D) and weighing less than 75lbs.

HID DNA Quantitation System must be suitable for use in ambient laboratory conditions.

HID DNA Quantitation System must have a fixed 96-well block.

HID DNA Quantitation System must have no less than 6 VeriFlex temperature control zones.

HID DNA Quantitation System must have multiplexing capabilities with no less than 6 dyes (Industry names of dyes are: FAM, VIC, NED, ABY, JUN, TAMRA, SYBR, ROX, Mustang Purple, CFG540, TMR, Q670, CXR, FL, JOE/MOE, ATTO 550, ATTO 647N).

HID DNA Quantitation System must have no less than 6 decoupled excitation filters (wavelengths in nm: 470, 520, 550, 580, 640, 662) and 6 emission filters (wavelengths in nm: 520, 558, 586, 623, 682, 711) allowing for 21 valid optical filter combinations.

HID DNA Quantitation System must offer 10 logarithmic units of linear dynamic range.

HID DNA Quantitation System must detect differences in target quantity as small as 1.5-fold in singleplex reactions.

HID DNA Quantitation System must have a security, auditing, and e-signature (SAE) module.

HID DNA Quantitation System must support both TaqMan and SYBR based assays in the same run.

HID DNA Quantitation System must run software HID Real-Time PCR Analysis Software v1.4.

HID DNA Quantitation System must have virtual standard curve functionality.

The Contractor shall install the instrument in Building 227, Room B257, at NIST Gaithersburg, MD. Installation shall include, at a minimum, uncrating/unpacking of all equipment, set-up and hook-up of all equipment, start-up, demonstration of specifications, and removal of all trash. Instrument will operate to manufacturer’s specifications upon installation.

The Contractor shall provide training at NIST for up to 5 NIST personnel covering normal operation, troubleshooting, and routine maintenance. Training is to occur within 10 days of installation.

The Contractor shall provide, at a minimum, a one-year warranty for the equipment beginning with date of Government Acceptance. The warranty shall cover all parts, unlimited labor and travel.

Interested parties shall describe the capabilities of their organization as it relates to the product described above. 

NIST anticipates issuing a Request for Quotation in the fourth quarter of FY26 and awarding a contract no later than the fourth quarter of FY26.

NIST is seeking responses from all responsible sources, including large and small businesses. The small business size standard associated with the NAICS code for this effort, 334516 Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing; size standard 1,000 employees.  Please include your company’s size classification and socio-economic status in any response to this notice.

After results of this market research are obtained and analyzed, NIST may conduct a competitive procurement and subsequently award a contract.  Companies that can provide such products are requested to email a written response describing their abilities to rudolph.spencer@nist.gov no later than the response date for this sources sought notice.

The following information is requested to be provided as part of the response to this sources sought notice:

1. Name, Address, UEID, CAGE code, and point of contact information of your company.
2. Any information on the company’s small business certifications, if applicable.
3. Description of your company’s capabilities as they relate to the product described in this notice.
4. A description of your company’s previous experience providing the product described in this notice.
5. Indication of whether the product described in this notice are currently offered via your company’s GSA Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) contracts, Government-wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs), or other existing Government-wide contract vehicles; and, if so, the contract number(s) for those vehicles.
6. Any other relevant information that is not listed above which the Government should consider in finalizing its market research.
7. Place of Manufacture: Is more than 55% of item manufactured domestically, and if not where is it manufactured?

Responses are limited to a total of twelve (12) pages. The responses must be in MS Word format.  Pages shall be 8½-inch x 11-inch, using Times New Roman 11 Point Font.  Each page shall have adequate margins on each side (at least one inch) of the page. Header/footer information (which does not include any information to be analyzed) may be included in the 1" margin space.