NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE: Helium Liquefaction System Maintenance Services

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Acquisition Management Division, intends to negotiate with Linde Engineering North America, Inc. (CAGE: 1XVY3), located in The Woodlands, TX, on a sole source basis under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b), soliciting from a single source to acquire maintenance services for a Linde Helium Liquefaction System with NIST’s Applied Physics Division. A full description of the requirement can be found in the Statement of Work.

NIST intends to award to Linde Engineering North America, Inc. due to their exclusive rights regarding the coding for the liquefier, which requires direct communications with Linde programmers to adjust control parameters within the proprietary software. Additionally, should any portions of the system breakdown, the system would be irreparable and need to be replaced due to components belonging to Linde Cryogenics, which would exponentially increase costs to the Government, and would affect numerous laboratories at NIST as they will not be able to maintain a steady supply of liquefied Helium required for their operations and/or research.

NAICS Code 811310, Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Repair and Maintenance, with a small business size standard of $12.5 million applies to this procurement. NIST anticipates negotiating a hybrid contract with a firm fixed price line items for annual preventative maintenance services and a cost-reimbursable line items for as-needed service calls and parts to Linde Engineering North America, Inc. for this requirement.

Interested parties that can demonstrate they can satisfy the requirement listed in the SOW must clearly and unambiguously identify their capability to do so in writing on or before the response date for this notice. This notice of intent is not a solicitation. Information submitted in response to this notice will be used solely to determine whether competitive procedures could be used for this acquisition. If competitive procedures are not used, it is estimated that an award will be issued by July 30, 2024.

Any questions regarding this notice must be submitted in writing via email to Aaron Ritter, at aaron.ritter@nist.gov. All responses to this notice of intent must be submitted to aaron.ritter@nist.gov no later than February 28, 2024, at 10 a.m. MT.