USNA Confocal Microscope System

The U.S. Naval Academy is procuring a single inverted confocal microscope system with a cage incubator from Nikon Instruments Inc. under a Firm Fixed Price contract authorized by FAR 12.102(a), with no competitive solicitation due to sole-source justification. The contract, identified by solicitation number N0018926QL107, is posted on SAM.gov and requires responses to be submitted electronically by April 27, 2026, to the primary point of contact, Cody Ellis. Delivery is due within 120 days of contract award to the Department of Chemistry at Michelson Hall, Annapolis, Maryland, 21402, where the Government will conduct inspection and acceptance. The system must deliver sub-100nm resolution, support multi-channel and long-term live-cell imaging, include a motorized XY-stage and Z-drive, and integrate with Nikon NIS-Elements software for automated acquisition and deconvolution. Compliance with U.S. military standards is mandatory, including MIL-STD-130 for item identification with two-dimensional Data Matrix barcodes using ISO/IEC 16022 (ECC 200) and MIL-STD-129 for packaging and shipment labeling. All items must be uniquely identified with machine-readable formats per ISO/IEC 15418, and contractors must verify markings using approved readers. The contract imposes stringent cybersecurity and security requirements via DFARS 252.240-7997 (NIST SP 800-171 assessment requirement), FAR 52.240-90 and 52.240-91 (security prohibitions), and prohibitions on foreign-made unmanned aircraft systems and inverted domestic corporations. Subcontracting is tightly controlled through clauses addressing commercial subcontracts and restrictions on subcontractor sales to the government. The contractor must use Wide Area WorkFlow (WAWF) exclusively for all invoicing and payment requests, with no other invoicing systems permitted. Additional compliance obligations include combating trafficking in persons, prohibiting convict labor, disclosing lobbying activities, and certifying non-affiliation with state sponsors of terrorism. Representations required through SAM registration must be current, and the offeror must affirmatively ensure compliance with all applicable FAR and DFARS clauses, including numerous deviations from standard text that modify reporting, certification, and security obligations. Price reasonableness is the sole evaluation factor for award