NOI - Equipment Service Agreement

Notice of Intent to Sole Source

Solicitation Number: PCA‑NIAID‑00724
Title: Equipment Service Agreement
Response Due: April 30, 2026, at 4:00 PM EST
Points of Contact:
• Elaine Estrella – elaine.estrella@nih.gov
• Brian Lind – brian.lind@nih.gov

Introduction

The National Institute of Health - Hospital Laboratory Support Service (NIH/HLSS) intends to award a sole‑source contract, without full and open competition, for maintenance and repair services for nine essential Leica laboratory instruments used by the Infectious Disease‑Pathogenesis Section (IDPS). These instruments are critical to daily histopathology operations, which support National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) investigators and research programs.

This action is taken under FAR 6.302‑1, Only One Responsible Source, and the applicable provisions of the Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2024‑07.

NAICS Code

811210 – Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance
This requirement is not set aside for small businesses.

Purpose

IDPS relies heavily on Leica equipment for processing, staining, analyzing, and preparing tissue samples that support infectious disease research. In 2025, IDPS generated thousands of slides, tissue blocks, and diagnostic materials using these instruments. Any equipment downtime would halt work across multiple projects.

A renewed annual service agreement is essential to maintain uninterrupted operations and ensure reliable data quality.

Required Services

The contractor shall provide:

1. Maintenance and Repairs

• All labor and Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)‑standard replacement parts
• Unlimited emergency repair visits
• Qualified, factory‑trained field service engineers
• Response within 24 hours after being notified of an equipment issue

2. Replacement Parts

• All non‑consumable replacement parts, components, and modules
• New or OEM‑specification remanufactured parts

3. Software Support

• Updates, revisions, and troubleshooting
• Unlimited phone and email support
• WebEx training for updates/upgrades
• Advance approval required for installing software changes

4. Personnel Requirements

Service engineers must be factory‑trained with a minimum of two years of experience servicing this OEM equipment.

Covered Equipment

A total of nine Leica instruments located in the IDPS laboratory at Twinbrook III in Rockville, MD:

• Bond RX automated stainer
• Aperio AT2 with eSlideManager
• Leica CV5030 coverslipper
• HistoCore Arcadia H embedding station
• HistoCore AUTOCUT R microtome
• Leica IP S slide labeler
• Leica IP C cassette labeler
• Leica TS5015 Autostainer XL
• HistoCore PEGASUS tissue processor

Period of Performance

• Base Year: May 18, 2026 – May 17, 2027
• Option Years 1–3: Through May 17, 2030

Inspection and Acceptance

IDPS personnel will inspect all services. Any issues identified within the scope of work must be corrected at no additional cost.

Place of Performance

Twinbrook III Facility
12735 Twinbrook Parkway, Room 2W‑03
Rockville, MD 20852‑1770

Sole‑Source Determination

Leica Microsystems, Inc. is the only vendor capable of meeting NIAID’s requirements. The equipment is proprietary, and Leica is the sole provider of qualified maintenance, parts, and software updates. Market research—including outreach, product literature review, and GSA and SAM database searches—confirmed no alternative sources.

Intended Source:
Leica Microsystems, Inc.
10 Parkway North, Suite 300
Deerfield, IL 60015 USA

Response Instructions

This synopsis is not a request for competitive proposals. However, interested parties may submit capability statements demonstrating the ability to meet all requirements.

Responses must include:
• Pricing (unit and list), shipping, payment terms
• Delivery timeframe
• DUNS, TIN, and business size certification
• FOB point
• Confirmation of active SAM registration

All responses are due on April 30, 2026 at 4:00 pm EST and must reference PCA‑NIAID‑00724 and be emailed to:
• elaine.estrella@nih.gov
• brian.lind@nih.gov