FIELD-EMISSION SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPE (FE-SEM) WITH ELECTRON BACKSCATTER DIFFRACTION (EBSD) AND ENERGY DISPERSIVE SPECTROSCOPY (EDS) DETECTORS AND ANALYTICAL SOFTWARE.

This is a sources sought notice. The purpose of this notice is to conduct market research and identify potential sources of commercial products/services that satisfy the Government’s anticipated needs.

NIST is seeking responses from all responsible sources, including large and small businesses. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 334516 – Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing, with a Small Business Size Standard of 1000 employees. This notice does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP), Request for Quotation (RFQ), Invitation for Bids (IFB), or any commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or award a contract. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will not pay for any information submitted in response to this notice. Submission of information is voluntary and will not result in any obligation on the part of the Government.

NO SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS EXIST AT THIS TIME

Requests for solicitation documents will not receive a response. Respondents shall clearly mark any proprietary or restricted information. In the absence of such markings, NIST will assume unlimited rights to all technical data submitted.

BACKGROUND

Several mission-critical research projects such as Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) program, Additive Manufacturing Benchmark Test Series (AM-Bench), Computational Materials for Qualification and Certification (CM4QC), and the NIST Center for Automotive Lightweighting (NCAL), rely on Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM) measurements with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) and Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) for mission-critical tasks and deliverables. Current instrumentation is insufficient to meet current and projected needs. Procuring an additional analytical FE-SEM with EDS and EBSD will support materials measurement, microstructural characterization, compositional analysis, crystallographic analysis, research collaborations, and industrial interactions aligned with MML measurement science priorities.

DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT

The Contractor shall provide a high-resolution, analytical Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM) system equipped with high-sensitivity EDS and EBSD detectors, integrated control hardware, and advanced analytical software. The scope of work includes a comprehensive pre-installation site survey, freight delivery, full hardware and software installation, validation of performance specifications, operation and software training for NIST personnel, an initial one (1) year comprehensive warranty, and three (3) subsequent one (1) year option periods for Extended Warranty/Maintenance Services.

Please see Draft Statement of Requirement for details.

RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS
Interested parties shall submit a written capability statement addressing the following:
1. Company name, address, Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number, CAGE code, and point-of-contact information.
2. Business size and socio-economic status (if applicable) for the NAICS code provided.
3. Description of company capabilities relevant to the products/services described in draft statement of requirement.
4. Description of prior experience providing/performing similar products/services described in the draft statement of requirement.
5. Identification of applicable contract vehicles (e.g., GSA FSS, GWACs), including contract numbers.
6. Any other information the Government should consider for market research purposes.
7. State whether the proposed product is manufactured in the United States and if not, state the name of the country where the product is manufactured.

8. If your company is not the manufacturer, provide information on your company’s status as an authorized reseller of the product(s).

9. Identify any aspects of the NIST market research notice, including instructions, and draft minimum specifications in the BACKGROUND section you cannot meet and state why.  Please offer suggestions for how the market research notice and draft minimum specifications could be made more competitive.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
The information received in response to this notice will be reviewed and considered so that NIST may appropriately solicit for its requirements in the near future.  All responses to this notice must be submitted via email to Sadaf.Afkhami@nist.gov, no later than 9:00 AM EST on July 31, 2026.

Format: Microsoft Word or PDF
Page Limit: 12 pages maximum
Font: Times New Roman, 11-point
Paper Size: 8.5 x 11 inches
Margins: Minimum 1 inch on all sides

Any questions regarding this notice must be submitted in writing via email to Sadaf.Afkhami@nist.gov, no later than 9:00 AM EST on July 23, 2026.