NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE: Maintenance Service for Cytek Amnis ISX MarkII Imaging Flow Cytometer

The Laboratory of Genome Integrity (LGI), Flow Cytometry Core within the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Cancer Institute (NCI), Center for Cancer Research (CCR) requires preventative maintenance and emergency services for one (1) Cytek Amnis ISX MarkII Imaging Flow Cytometer. The Office of Acquisitions (OA) plans to procure, on a sole source basis, maintenance services for this specialized equipment from: Cytek Biosciences, Inc. (47215 Lakeview Blvd. Fremont, CA 94538)

SAM UEI: TD2JM5U24NF8 The response close date of this notice for this requirement is in accordance with FAR 5.203(a)(1). This acquisition will be processed under FAR Part 12 and will be made pursuant to the authority in FAR 13.106-1(b)(1) and, in accordance with FAR 13, is exempt from the requirements of FAR Part 6. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 811210 – Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance; and the small business size standard is $34 million.

Maintenance services for the government-owned Cytek Amnis ISX MarkII Imaging Flow Cytometer (Serial# ISX571) were previously provided under PO# 75N91020P00423 awarded 4/30/2020 to Luminex, Corp. (SAM UEID: VLLHHV5E3AL1). In March 2023, Luminex, Corp. sold their Flow Cytometry & Imaging (FCI) business unit to Cytek Biosciences, Inc. (SAM UEI: TD2JM5U24NF8). The maintenance services for the Cytek Amnis ISX MarkII Imaging Flow Cytometer (Serial# ISX571) fall under the Flow Cytometry & Imaging (FCI) business unit.

The Amnis ISX MarkII is a highly specialized piece of equipment that is integral to the LGI Flow Cytometry Core. The continued operation of the equipment must be ensured through regular maintenance according to the manufacturer’s specifications. Any deviation from the specifications could jeopardize the LGI Flow Cytometry Core’s throughput, which is unacceptable.

Therefore, it is crucial that the system is properly maintained with OEM parts by trained technicians, who are only available through Cytek Biosciences, Inc. The internal components, mechanisms and replacement parts of this system are proprietary to Cytek Biosciences, Inc. Only Cytek engineers are authorized to perform maintenance on their proprietary equipment. To NCI’s knowledge, Cytek Biosciences, Inc. does not license third party technicians to perform maintenance on this specialized equipment.

It is understood that if a third-party technician repairs the system, then the manufacturer would not perform any subsequent repairs or maintenance on the equipment. This scenario creates undue risk for the Government because if the third-party technician is unable to resolve an issue or provide adequate maintenance then the Government would be unable to return to the manufacturer for maintenance and repair services.

Therefore, Cytek Biosciences, Inc. is the only provider that can meet the Government’s needs at this time. This notice is not a request for competitive quotation. However, if any interested party, especially small businesses, believes it can meet the above requirement, it may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation, which shall be considered by the agency.

The statement of capabilities and any other information furnished must be in writing and must contain material in sufficient detail to allow the NCI to determine if the party can perform the requirement. Responses must be received no later than 12:00PM EST, March 6, 2024. All responses and questions must be in writing and emailed to Lena Lee, Contract Specialist, via electronic mail at lena.lee@nih.gov.

A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. No collect calls will be accepted.

In order to receive an award, Contractors must be registered and have valid, current Entity Record, including current Representations and Certifications, in the System for Award Management (SAM) through SAM.gov.

Reference: 75N91024Q00046 on all correspondence.

Please reference the attached Statement of Work for more details pertaining to the nature of the work to be performed.

This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use the information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Confidentiality. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s).