ROTOR 8 MICROWAVE INDUCED COMBUSTION (MIC) PACKAGE

Introduction
This is a notice of intent, not a request for a quotation.  A solicitation document will not be issued, and quotations will not be requested.  

Purpose
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) intends to negotiate a firm-fixed priced purchase order on a sole source basis with Anton Paar (UEI: ZJHWKPABDQT6), located at 10215 Timber Ridge Drive Ashland, VA 23005. The purchase order will specifically procure a Microwave Induced Combustion (MIC) Package.

Authority
This acquisition is being conducted under the authority of FAR RFO Part 12.102(a) and 41 USC 1901 allowing the Contracting Officer (CO) to solicit from one source. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 334516 – Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing with a small business size standard of 1,000 Employees.

Description

The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Fire Research Division (FRD) seeks a Microwave Induced Combustion (MIC) Package. The MIC package is an attachment for Multiwave 5000 that allows for samples to be combusted using microwave induced combustion. The Multiwave 5000 is a laboratory system that facilitates the breakdown of complex solid samples into liquid samples by using strong heat and acids.

Sole Source Determination
The sole source determination is based on the following:

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Fire Research Division (FRD), requires the procurement of a Microwave-Induced Combustion (MIC) Package specifically designed for use with the existing Anton Paar Multiwave 5000 microwave digestion system currently installed and operational within the laboratory. The requested MIC package is a proprietary attachment engineered exclusively for integration with the Anton Paar Multiwave 5000 platform. The existing Multiwave 5000 is a laboratory digestion system that prepares complex solid samples for elemental analysis by converting them into liquid samples through the application of high temperature, pressure, and acid digestion. The MIC package expands the system's capabilities by enabling the combustion and digestion of difficult solid matrices while maintaining compatibility with the existing instrument.

Procuring a non-Anton Paar MIC package presents an unacceptable risk that the attachment would not integrate with the existing Multiwave 5000, making it unusable for its intended purpose. This would adversely affect the Fire Research Division's ability to process the anticipated volume of samples, disrupt laboratory operations, and necessitate the purchase of an entirely separate system, resulting in unnecessary duplication of equipment and increased costs to the Government. Furthermore, there are no known authorized resellers offering this specific proprietary MIC package. Accordingly, only Anton Paar can satisfy the Government's minimum requirements without introducing unacceptable technical and operational risks.

Information for Interested Parties
Interested parties that believe they could satisfy the requirements listed above for NIST may clearly and unambiguously identify their capability to do so in writing by or before the response date for this notice. This notice of intent is not a solicitation.

Any questions regarding this notice must be submitted in writing via email to Collin Randall, Contract Specialist, at Collin.Randall@nist.gov. All responses to this notice of intent must be submitted via email to Collin.Randall@nist.gov so that they are received no later than August 7, 2026, at 10:00 AM, Eastern Time.

Each response should include the following Business Information:

1. Contractor Name, Address,
2. Point of Contact Name, Phone Number, and Email address
3. Contractor SAM Universal Entity Identifier (UEI)
4. Contractor Business Classification (i.e., small business, 8(a), woman owned, hubZone, veteran owned, etc.) as validated in System for Award Management (SAM). All offerors must have an active registration in www.SAM.gov.
5. Capability Statement