SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE FOR CYTOFLEX FLOW CYTOMETER

NOTICE OF INTENT to Sole Source

SOLICITATION NUMBER:

NIH-NEI-NOI-75N98026Q00023

TITLE:

Service and Maintenance for CytoFLEX Flow Cytometer

CLASSIFICATION CODE:

J066

Maintenance and Repair of Instruments and Laboratory Equipment

NAICS CODE:

811219 – Other Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance

RESPONSE DATE:

February 17, 2026

PRIMARY POINT OF CONTACT:

Shayna Simpson, Contract Specialist

Office of Acquisition Management Services

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Shayna.Simpson@hhs.gov

DESCRIPTION:

THIS IS A NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD ON A SOLE SOURCE BASIS.  THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR QUOTE/PROPOSALS.

On behalf of the. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Eye Institute (NEI), intends to solicit on a sole-source basis by a request for quotation to Beckman Coulter to acquire maintenance services for the CytoFLEX LX Flow Cytometer on February 20, 2026 with an award issued on or around March 1, 2026. The purpose of this acquisition is to acquire preventative maintenance and service for an existing CytoFLEX LX Flow Cytometer that was originally manufactured by Beckman Coulter. These maintenance services shall be provided by an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)-Authorized Service Provider of the CytoFLEX LX Flow Cytometer, and all maintenance services shall be performed by OEM certified factory-trained technicians using OEM certified parts.

NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE and SET ASIDE STATUS

 

The intended procurement is classified under NAICS code 811219 with a Size Standard of $22M.

This acquisition is NOT set aside for small businesses but rather is a sole-source acquisition to Beckman Coulter.

REGULATORY AUTHORITY

This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Subpart 13.106-1 (b) Soliciting from a single source.

BACKGROUND, PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES OF REQUIREMENT

The National Institute of Health’s mission is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability. One of the ways they accomplish this mission is through the National Eye Institute (NEI).  The National Eye Institute focus is to eliminate vision loss and improve quality of life through vision research. The Flow Cytometry Core (Core) at the National Eye Institute plays a vital role in advancing the research mission of the Intramural Research Program. The Core provides essential support for translational research across a range of diseases that impact the American population. Its work spans diverse areas, including pluripotent stem cell therapies, immunology, and cellular development, among others. In addition to serving NEI investigators, the Core also supports researchers from other NIH institutes—particularly those without in-house cytometry capabilities or with specialized needs that are best met by the Core’s advanced instrumentation and expertise.

The CytoFLEX Flow Cytometer is acritical instrument used by multiple laboratories within NEI and other NIH institutes. It supports high-parameter analysis of complex biological samples, many of which consist of fresh, delicate, and living cells that have a limited viability window. Timely and accurate analysis is essential, as delays or instrument downtime can compromise data integrity and result in the loss of irreplaceable samples. The CytoFLEX Flow Cytometer (serial # BA37055 and BA14015) with its cutting-edge technology it is essential to maintain and service this equipment on a regular maintenance schedule

 

CONTRACTING WITHOUT PROVIDING FOR FULL OR OPEN COMPETITION (INCLUDING BRAND-NAME) DETERMINATION

Beckman Coulter is the sole manufacturer and service provider for the CytoFLEX Flow Cytometer. This instrument is used daily in the National Eye Institute to analyze samples from clinical research studies using human samples. Due to the significant number of efforts this core facility supports, the equipment cannot be out of service for any length of time without causing significant delays to research efforts across the branch, and potential financial injury to the government due to the loss of analytical data from expensive and often irreplaceable experimental samples not being processed in a timely manner. Beckman Coulter is the only source for factory trained and certified technicians to maintain and service the equipment.

The equipment requiring maintenance is continually used for research purposes. Non-functional equipment, inappropriately calibrated equipment, or equipment with incorrect parts, software updates, or other unsupported service provided by a non-authorized vendor, would void data standardization and could cause irreparably damage to NIH research data. Furthermore, use of any other contractor for maintenance would void equipment warranties and jeopardize system integrity and functionality.

Only an OEM-authorized service provider has access to the latest services and support information. Replacement parts or accessories must be compatible with the existing equipment, and only Beckman Coulter can certify compatibility. An OEM-authorized service provider is the only source with direct access to these parts and labor.

Beckman Coulter is the only source authorized by the OEM to provide maintenance services for this equipment. Use of an OEM-Authorized Service Provider is essential for maintaining the integrity of the system.

The intended source is:

Beckman Coulter Life Sciences

Corporate Offices

5350 Lakeview Pkwy S Dr

Indianapolis, IN 46268

Salient characteristics:

Contractor shall provide maintenance services and monitor this equipment’s to proactively maintain and monitor this equipment’s performance.  Planned maintenance inspections are included to assure peak performance and reproducibility, and to minimize costly down time. Beckman Coulter is the sole manufacturer and service provider for the CytoFLEX Flow Cytometer. This instrument is used daily in the National Eye Institute, Intramural Research Program to perform high-parameter analysis of complex biological samples, many of which consist of fresh, delicate, and living cells that have a limited viability window. spans diverse areas, including pluripotent stem cell therapies, immunology, and cellular development, among others. Due to the significant number of efforts this Program supports, the equipment cannot be out of service for any length of time without causing significant delays to research efforts across the branch, and potential financial injury to the government due to the loss of analytical data from expensive and often irreplaceable experimental samples not being processed in a timely manner.

Beckman Coulter is the only direct service provider that has the ability to provide an on-site service response for Beckman Coulter instruments which is critical for reducing instrument downtimes.  Additionally, it is critical that the instrument is maintained by factory-trained and authorized technicians to ensure minimal downtime, as well as scientific accuracy of the equipment. Beckman Coulter does not authorize third-party service providers. As such Beckman Coulter is the only source for factory-trained and certified technicians with access to proprietary parts, system schematics, software, and configurations required to maintain the equipment. Beckman Coulter is the only source known to National Cancer Institute to guarantee maintenance and repair and meet the Government’s needs at this time.

This is a service and maintenance requirement for the CytoFLEX Flow Cytometer. Independently and not as an agent of the Government, the Contractor shall furnish all the necessary services, qualified personnel, material, equipment, and facilities, not otherwise provided by the Government as needed to provide preventative maintenance and service, including onsite engineer calibrations and onsite engineer services, for the CytoFLEX Flow Cytometer. The Contractor shall supply all replacement parts to maintain the equipment at OEM specifications. The Contractor shall provide all necessary documentation, repair parts, spare parts, accessories, maintenance supplies, all special tools, test and support equipment, any travel and transportation, personnel skill requirements, and other related services required in performance of maintenance tasks to keep the equipment in good operating condition.

Estimated Period of Performance:

 March 1, 2026 through September 30, 2026

 Place of Performance:

National Institutes of Health

National Eye Institute (NEI)

10 Center Drive

Bldg 10

Room 10N112 and 10N117

Bethesda, MD 20892

Contract Type:

A firm-fixed price type contract without option periods is planned for this acquisition, consistent with commercial practices.

CLOSING STATEMENT

THIS NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD ON A SOLE-SOURCE BASIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS. However, interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to this notice.

A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. All responsible sources may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation which shall be considered by the agency. The information received will normally be considered solely for the purposes of determining whether to proceed on a non-competitive basis or to conduct a competitive procurement.

Responses to this notice shall contain sufficient information to establish the interested parties' bona-fide capabilities for fulfilling the requirement and include: unit price, list price, shipping and handling costs, the delivery period after contract award, the prompt payment discount terms, the F.O.B. Point (Destination or Origin), the Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS), UNIQUE ENTITY ID, the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and the certification of business size. All offerors must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.sam.gov.  All responses must provide evidence that they can provide equipment that meets all of the requirements in this announcement.

All responses must be received by the closing date and time of this announcement and must reference the solicitation number, NIH-NEI-NOI-75N98026Q00023. Responses must be submitted electronically to Shayna Simpson, Contract Specialist, Office of Acquisition Management Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at Shayna.Simpson@hhs.gov.  U.S. Mail and Fax responses will not be accepted.