Multi-Instrument Apparatus – MOKU: Pro

Notice of Intent to Sole Source

This is a notice of intent, not a request for a quotation. A solicitation document will not be issued, and quotations will not be requested. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) intends to negotiate on a sole-source basis with Liquid Instruments, INC. under the authority of FAR Part 12 – Acquisition of Commercial Products and Commercial Services for a Multi-Instrument Apparatus – MOKU: Pro.  The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 334515 - Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals, with a small business size standard of 750 employees.

Background Information and Basis for Sole Source

The purpose of this acquisition is to obtain a multi-instrument laboratory test & measurement apparatus. The NIST Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) performs research in quantum networking and metrology of entangled photon sources and single-photon detectors. ITL requires multiple laboratory instruments to characterize our experiments, such as an oscilloscope, spectrum analyzer, lock-in amplifier and PID controller. Recently, electronically reconfigurable instruments based on field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) have been developed that can be configured to perform as multiple laboratory instruments.

ITL has identified the MOKU: Pro as the only multi-instrument test and measurement apparatus that can meet NIST’s requirements.  We already own a MOKU from Liquid Instruments and have software libraries written based on the existing MOKU. Any other product would incur excess cost in rewriting these libraries, as they are specifically written for the MOKU platform.

Deviation from the above MOKU requirement would result in a reduced level of interoperability between this device and the device we already own. Further, a system that is not a MOKU will require extensive costly software development. After conducting market research we concluded that the MOKU: Pro is the only device that will satisfy NIST's requirements.  Further, confirmation was obtained from Liquid Instruments, the manufacturer of the MOKU: Pro, that for all of its US-based sales, Liquid Instruments only sells directly to its customers and does not use authorized resellers. Therefore, this is a sole source purchase that the Government must make directly from Liquid Instruments.

General

No solicitation package will be issued. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive quotations; however, responses received by the listed due date, will be considered by the Government.

A determination by the Government not to compete the proposed acquisition based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement.

Interested parties that believe they could satisfy the requirements listed above for NIST may clearly and unambiguously identify their capability to do so in writing on or before the response due date for this notice. This notice of intent is not a solicitation. Any questions regarding this notice must be submitted in writing via email to Anthony Banovic at anthony.banovic@nist.gov. All responses to this notice of intent must be submitted so that they are received at anthony.banovic@nist.gov no later than the aforementioned due date.

Each response shall include the following Business Information:

1. Contractor Name, Address,
2. Point of Contact Name, Phone Number, and Email address
3. Contractor (SAM) Universal Entity Identification (UEI)
4. Contractor Business Classification (i.e., small business, 8(a), woman owned, HUBZone, veteran owned, etc.) as validated in System for Award Management (SAM). All offerors must have an active registration in www.SAM.gov.
5. Capability Statement