SAM #26-009370

NIH Sole Source Procurement – Waters/TA Instruments Discovery Core Rheometer

This notice announces the NIH Clinical Center's intent to procure a Waters/TA Instruments Discovery Core Rheometer from Waters Technologies Corporation via sole source award. - Agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center, Center for Interventional Oncology - Product: Waters/TA Instruments Discovery Core Rheometer (DCR) - Compact rotational, oscillatory, and transient rheometer - Integrated Peltier temperature control - Sole source justification: Waters Technologies Corporation offers a more competitive price than Fisher Scientific - Procurement method: FAR Part 13 Simplified Acquisition Procedures, Subpart 13.106-1(b)(1) - Place of performance: Bethesda, MD, USA - OEMs: Waters Technologies Corporation, TA Instruments - No specific part number or quantity provided - Interested parties may respond to demonstrate capability, but government intends to proceed with sole source unless justified

Commercial Opportunity - Sole source procurement, but responses from capable vendors may be considered - Main requirement is a high-performance rheometer with integrated temperature control

Key Requirements - Instrument must be compact and capable of rotational, oscillatory, and transient measurements - Integrated Peltier temperature control is required - Must be manufactured by Waters/TA Instruments

Potential Competitors - Fisher Scientific considered, but not selected due to price - Other manufacturers of advanced rheometers may respond if they meet requirements

Description

This acquisition is for is for a Waters/TA Instruments Discovery Core Rheometer (DCR), a compact rotational, oscillatory, and transient rheometer with integrated Peltier temperature control for use at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center (CC) Center for Interventional Oncology.

•             Product Service Code: 6515 – Medical Instruments, Equipment, and Supplies

•             NAICS Code: 339112 – Surgical and Medical Instrument Manufacturing

•             Place of Performance: Bethesda, MD 20892 USA

POTS: 26-009370

Description:

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.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) intends to award a fixed price purchase order to Waters Technologies Corporation, located at 34 Maple St, Milford, MA 01757, on a firm fixed price sole source award basis to provide the required instrument to the National Institutes of Health. The Discovery Core Rheometer is available directly from Waters/TA Instruments and through Fisher Scientific; both purchasing sources were investigated. Waters/TA offered more competitive price.

This acquisition is being conducted using policies unique to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13 – Simplified Acquisition Procedures, Subpart 13.106-1(b)(1), For purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold (SAT), contracting officers may solicit from one source if the contracting officer determines that the circumstance of the contract action deem only one source reasonably available.  Contracts awarded using FAR Part 13-Simplified Acquisition Procedures are exempt from the requirements of FAR Part 6-Competition Requirements.

Interested parties may identify their interest and capabilities in response to this posting. The determination by the Government not to compete the proposed requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government.

Comments to this announcement, referencing this posting number, may be submitted to the NIH, Clinical Center, Office of Purchasing and Contracts, prior to the closing date specified in this announcement, to the attention of Kristin Nagashima, Contract Specialist via email to Kristin.nagashima@nih.gov by September 1, 2026 at 1pm EST.

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