Zeiss Sigma 360 VP FESEM

The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division intends to award a firm-fixed-price contract to Carl Zeiss Microscopy, LLC on a sole-source basis for the procurement of a Zeiss Sigma 360 VP FESEM system, along with associated start-up services including installation, comprehensive application training, and acceptance testing, as well as a one-year standard warranty and freight and insurance. The base contract includes the main instrument unit, a full suite of software licenses for advanced imaging and analysis capabilities such as EDS, EBSD, BSE, and 3D reconstruction tools, a spare parts kit, and all necessary support for operation at the designated facility in Bethesda, Maryland. The contract includes three optional years of annual preventive maintenance, extending the total potential performance period to four years from the contract award date. Deliveries are required to be completed by March 31, 2027, with the base period performance tied to the date of award and each option year running consecutively from August to August over the subsequent three years. FOB terms specify delivery to the destination at Carderock Division, and all items must be marked in compliance with DoD unique identification standards per MIL-STD-130. Inspection and acceptance will occur exclusively at the delivery site by the Government’s Technical Point of Contact, with no contractor responsibility for final acceptance. The solicitation follows the Lowest Price Technically Acceptable evaluation methodology, requiring offerors to meet all technical specifications outlined in the statement of work to be deemed acceptable, after which the lowest-priced compliant offer will be selected. Price reasonableness will be assessed using market research, prior government purchases, and industry benchmarks, with full pricing submitted per individual contract line item numbers. Compliance with numerous FAR and DFARS clauses is mandatory, including provisions addressing electronic payments, System for Award Management registration and maintenance, cybersecurity and data protection, anti-trafficking, and prohibitions on procurement of restricted telecommunications equipment. Offerors must submit proposals via email, including company letterhead with CAGE code, UEI, business size, FOB Destination, and point of contact; no other submission methods are permitted. Special contract requirements include a three-year post-performance restriction preventing the contractor from competing for other NAVSEA contracts due to organizational conflict of interest concerns, mandatory confidentiality protections for protected information, and strict adherence to electronic invoicing through WAWF. The procurement is not set aside for small businesses, and no contract value is specified in the solicitation, though pricing must be submitted in whole dollars. The Proc