Sources Sought Notice for an Upright Optical Microscope
Overview
Buyer
Place of Performance
NAICS
PSC
Set Aside
Original Source
Timeline
Qualification Details
Fit reasons
- NAICS alignment with historical contract wins in similar service areas.
- Scope strongly matches core technical capabilities and delivery model.
Risks
- Past performance thresholds may require one additional teaming partner.
- Potential clarification needed on staffing minimums before bid/no-bid.
Next steps
Validate eligibility requirements, assign capture owner, and schedule partner outreach to confirm teaming strategy before submission planning.
Quick Summary
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is conducting a Sources Sought to identify potential sources for an Upright Optical Microscope. This is a market research effort, not a Request for Quote, and no award will be made from this notice. The government is specifically seeking a domestic commercial product that meets detailed technical specifications. Responses are due February 23, 2026.
Scope of Work
NIST's Nanomechanical Properties Group requires an Upright Optical Microscope to characterize materials used in advanced packaging. This microscope will facilitate preliminary inspections of samples at microscale and nanoscale levels, identifying areas of interest before more specialized instrumentation is used.
Minimum Technical Specifications Include:
- Observation Modes: Brightfield (Reflected), Darkfield (Reflected), Polarized light, and Differential Interference Contrast (DIC) for all objectives.
- Objectives: 5X, 20X, 50X, 100X with specified Numerical Aperture (NA) and Working Distance (WD).
- Stage: 100 mm x 100 mm XY Motorized scanning stage with integrated measuring system and rotator holder.
- Z-axis: Motorization with both manual and automatic controls.
- Camera: Color digital camera, minimum 6.0 megapixel, with a minimum Field of View (FOV) of 20mm.
- Software: Must integrate all observation modes, calibrate dimensions, control X-Y-Z motorization, stitch images, and reconstruct focused images.
- Workstation: PC with NVIDIA 8 GPa graphics and 64 GB RAM.
- Monitor: 4K UHD, at least 24 inches.
Contract & Timeline
- Type: Sources Sought / Market Research
- Set-Aside: None specified (market research stage)
- Questions Due: February 18, 2026, 6:00 PM ET
- Responses Due: February 23, 2026, 6:00 PM ET
- Published: February 9, 2026
Evaluation
Responses will be used for market research to identify qualified sources capable of meeting the specified technical requirements and to determine the availability of a domestic commercial product. This notice does not constitute a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or award a contract.
Response Instructions
Interested firms should submit documentation demonstrating their ability to meet the minimum requirements and technical specifications. Responses must include:
- Company name and address
- Point of Contact (phone and email)
- Teaming partners (if applicable)
- Classification of the supply (commercial off-the-shelf, modified COTS, or prototype)
- Any other pertinent information
Do not provide proprietary information. All submissions and questions must be sent via email to ranae.armstrong@nist.gov and donald.collie@nist.gov. Telephone and fax inquiries/responses will not be accepted.