Notice of Intent to Sole Source - Helium 3

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Acquisition Management Division intends to negotiate with Linde Gas & Equipment Inc., located in Danbury, CT, on a sole source basis under the authority of FAR Subpart 13.106-1(b), soliciting from a single source, for Helium 3 Gas (He3). The NAICS Code is 325120 –Industrial Gas Manufacturing, with a Size Standard of 1,200 employees.

For this requirement, NIST anticipates negotiating and awarding a firm-fixed-price purchase order to Linde Gas & Equipment Inc. Interested parties that can demonstrate they could satisfy the requirement listed above for NIST 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 08/09/2024. Any questions regarding this notice must be submitted in writing via email to lisa.stevens@nist.gov. All responses to this notice of intent must be submitted to lisa.stevens@nist.gov no later than the date and time provided herein for this posting.

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION: The Advanced Microwave Photonics Group recently purchased cryogen-free dilution refrigerator cryostats, which require 44 liters of He3 for operation. Without this helium gas, the cryostats would be completely inoperable, and the group would not be able to test and measure the superconducting quantum devices required to meet NIST’s mission goals and outside agency milestones.