Vitrobot Vitrification Robot and Clipping Accessories
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 Institutes of Health (NIH), specifically the NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH OLAO office, has issued a Notice of Intent to award a Firm-Fixed-Price Purchase Order to FEI Company. This award is for a Vitrobot vitrification system and associated accessories to support structural biology research on RNA and protein-RNA interactions relevant to human health and disease. This is not a request for competitive quotes, but interested small businesses are invited to submit capability statements. Responses are due by April 23, 2026, at 7:00 a.m. EDT.
Scope of Work
The requirement includes:
- A Thermo Fisher Scientific Vitrobot vitrification system.
- Associated accessories for cryo-EM grid preparation workflows, including grid assembly tools and cryo-EM grid handling equipment compatible with automated cryo-electron microscope autoloader systems.
Contract & Timeline
- Type: Firm-Fixed-Price Purchase Order (intended award)
- Intended Awardee: FEI Company
- Response Due: April 23, 2026, 7:00 a.m. EDT
- Published: April 13, 2026
- Place of Performance: Bethesda, MD 20892, United States
Eligibility / Set-Aside
This notice is issued under FAR Part 6.302-1, citing FEI Company as the only known responsible source capable of meeting the requirement. There is no specific set-aside for this intended award. However, the Government is seeking capability statements from small businesses (including 8(a), service-disabled veteran-owned, HUBZone, small disadvantaged, veteran-owned, and women-owned) to determine if the award should be competed.
Submission & Evaluation
This is not a request for competitive quotes. Small businesses interested in demonstrating their ability to perform this requirement should submit a written capability statement via email to david.shen@nih.gov. The Government will review these statements to decide whether to proceed with a sole-source award or to compete the requirement.
Additional Notes
An award is anticipated approximately five days after the notice date, unless the Government determines that another vendor can meet the requirement based on submitted capability statements.