SAM #75N98026Q00290

NIH Procurement of Leica THUNDER Imager Cell Widefield Microscope for NINDS Research

This opportunity involves the National Institutes of Health (NIH) seeking a specialized imaging system for advanced neuroscience research: - Government Buyer: - National Institutes of Health (NIH), Office of Logistics and Operations (OLAO), Hospital and Laboratory Support Division - Contracting office located in Bethesda, MD - OEM and Vendor: - Leica Microsystems Inc. (highlighted as the sole OEM and vendor) - Products/Services Requested: - Leica THUNDER Imager Cell widefield microscope - Inverted widefield fluorescent microscope system - Includes associated imaging software - No specific part numbers or quantities provided - Unique or Notable Requirements: - Brand-name only (Leica THUNDER) due to compatibility with existing lab protocols and seamless transition between widefield and confocal imaging - Intended for the Molecular Neurobiology Section, NINDS, to support neural regeneration research - Non-competitive procurement (sole source justification) - Place of Performance and Delivery: - Delivery/performance at Leica Microsystems Inc., Deerfield, IL - Contracting managed from NIH offices in Bethesda, MD

Description

General Information

Document Type:

Presolicitation

Synopsis Number:

75N98026Q00290

Posted Date:

May 20, 2026

Original Response Date:

May 29, 2026

Current Response Date:

May 29, 2026

Set Aside:

N/A

NAICS Code:

333310

Contracting Office Address

National Institutes of Health (NIH), Office of the Director (OD)

Office of Logistics and Operations (OLAO)

Office of Acquisition and Logistics Management (OALM)

Hospital and Laboratory Support Division

6701 Rockledge Drive

Bethesda, MD 20817 

Description

INTRODUCTION

THIS IS A PRE-SOLICITATION NON-COMPETITIVE (NOTICE OF INTENT) SYNOPSIS TO AWARD A CONTRACT OR PURCHASE ORDER WITHOUT PROVIDING FOR FULL OR OPEN COMPETITION (INCLUDING BRAND-NAME).

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) intends to negotiate and award a contract without providing for full and open competition (Including brand-name) to:

Leica Microsystems Inc

10 Parkway North, Suite 300

Deerfield, IL 60015

NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE

The intended procurement is classified under NAICS code 333310 with a Size Standard N/A.

REGULATORY AUTHORITY

The resultant contract will include all applicable provisions and clauses in effect through the Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2026-01, March 13, 2026. This acquisition is conducted under the procedures as prescribed in FAR subpart 13-Simplified Acquisition Procedures at an amount not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold ($350,000).

STATUTORY AUTHORITY

This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13-Simplified Acquisition Procedures, Subpart 13.106-1 (b) (1), Soliciting from a single source and is not expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. Contracts awarded using FAR Part 13-Simplified Acquisition Procedures are exempt from the requirements of FAR Part 6-Competition Requirements.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Title: Leica THUNDER Imager Cell widefield microscope Background Information: The mission of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is to seek fundamental knowledge about the brain and nervous system and to use that knowledge to reduce the burden of neurological disease.  The Leica THUNDER Imager Cell inverted widefield fluorescent microscope and its associated software are essential for pursuing the research program of the NINDS Molecular Neurobiology Section to identify the signaling pathways important for neural regeneration after injury. The lab currently uses mouse olfactory epithelium, which has robust regenerative capacity, as a model for neural regeneration. A primary approach to understanding mechanisms of neural regeneration is to observe, using a fluorescence microscope, the expression and localization of specific genes and proteins labeled with fluorescent tags in sections of animal tissue and primary cells isolated from animal tissue. The widefield microscope system described here allows the MNS to observe specific genes and proteins in the olfactory epithelium of mice before and after injury, and it can assess steady state dynamics through timelapse imaging of cultured primary cells isolated from the olfactory epithelium of mice containing endogenous fluorescent reporters. The Molecular Neurobiology Section currently uses an upright Leica Stellaris 8 confocal microscope for imaging tissue at high resolution. An inverted widefield microscope from Leica is critical for maintaining compatibility with current lab imaging protocols, minimizing software re-training requirements, and ensuring hardware adaptability and flexibility for ongoing and future assays. In addition, a Leica widefield system is the only widefield system that will allow for seamless transition between widefield imaging and confocal imaging of the same slide under current lab protocols.

CLOSING STATEMENT

This synopsis is not a request for competitive proposals. However, interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to this notice. Responses to this notice shall contain sufficient information to establish the interested parties' bona-fide capabilities for fulfilling the requirement and include a technical proposal, a cost-price proposal, the period of performance, the Unique Entity ID (UEI), 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.

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. 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.

All responses must be received by May 29, 2026 at 9:00 AM Eastern time and must reference solicitation number 75N98026Q00290. Responses may be submitted electronically to Mr. James Law, Contracting Officer at James.Law@nih.gov. Fax responses will not be accepted.

"All responsible sources may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation, which shall be considered by the agency.”

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