Sole Source 2701: Nu Instruments

Location:	Florida
Posted:	Jul 2, 2026
Due:	Jul 8, 2026
Agency:	University of Central Florida
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	65 - Medical, Dental, and Veterinary Equipment and Supplies
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

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SOLE SOURCE CERTIFICATE AND POSTING NOTICE

(Greater than $150,000)

A sole source procurement is when you make a request to purchase product(s) and/or service(s)

without competition when competition is otherwise required. This means that product/service is

unique and that the supplier is the only supplier that can provide the product or service. In

accordance with the authority granted under applicable Florida law and UCF Regulation 7.130, the

following documentation is submitted in support of this request.

This form and related documentation shall be submitted through Workday Help using case type Waivers and

Sole Source. Please do not attach to a requisition or send via email for review and approval.

WD case subject title should have common structure for easy tracking, to include:

x Exemption type (Sole Source)

x Supplier name

x Purchase amount

The completed sole source must be approved in the following order. Please be sure to obtain

all required signatures before submitting the form to Procurement Services.

• PI/Researcher/Director/Chair

• President/Vice President/Dean

• Procurement Specialist

• Procurement Services Manager or Associate Director

• Assistant Vice President for Tax, Payables & Procurement, who will review and

provide a recommendation to approve or disapprove the sole source to:

• Chief Financial Officer, who will either directly approve or disapprove the sole source, or

forward it to the Provost and Executive Vice President for goods/services related to

academia for input prior to making the final decision.

Once the completed sole source is received, Procurement Services in collaboration with kNEXT

reviews the documentation provided and determines whether the sole source is valid or if there are

additional suppliers that may be able to provide the requested product or service. The sole source

review and approval process varies based on the nature of the product/service being requested and

the information provided in the requestor's justification, among other factors, so please keep this in

mind when submitting the form.

Contingent upon the approval of all the officers/individuals listed, the sole source shall be

posted on the UCF Procurement Services website for seventy-two (72) hours. Upon expiration of

said posting period, Procurement Services will process a purchase order upon receipt of the

requisition.

The usual bidding process shall be conducted if sole source approval is not granted.

Revised 12/7/23

PART I: DEPARTMENT AND SUPPLIER INFORMATION

Department Name: Physics

Contact & Phone: Ryan Ogliore

Product/Service Cost: $1.7M

_✔_ One Time Purchase __Term Contract: __________

__ Multiple Purchases __ Duration: ______________

Company Name: Nu instruments

Email: mike.colucci@ametek.com

Contact Person: Mike Colucci

Title: Regional Sales Manager

Product and/or Service: Mass spectrometers

PART II: SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION (see pages 4-5)

Only justifications submitted on this form and in the below format will be reviewed for approval.

All the listed points MUST be fully answered on the following pages and any additional attached

pages as needed. Failure to submit justification as outlined in the format below will result in the

form being returned without review.

PART III: SOLE SOURCE CERTIFICATIONS

A. In my professional opinion, this is the only product or service that can reasonably meet my

requirement(s)/specification(s), and this is the only supplier who can provide the product or

service. I further certify that the information contained herein is true and correct to the best of

my knowledge and belief and would withstand any audit or supplier protest.

B. I, the undersigned, certify that I and/or the user do not have a financial interest in the above

named supplier or contractor, and that I am unaware of any conflict of interest related to this

purchase.

Digitally signed by Ryan

Ryan Ogliore Ogliore

Date: 2026.06.08 09:16:49

-05'00'

Ryan Ogliore, Associate Professor

June 8 2026

Signature

Printed Name and Title (PI/Researcher/Director/Chair)

Date

Joshua

Colwell

Digitally signed by Joshua

Colwell

Date: 2026.06.08 13:16:59

-04'00'

Signature

Joshua Colwell, Dean, College of Sciences

Printed Name and Title (President/Vice President/Dean)

(Delegations not allowed; emails from absent approvers are acceptable)

June 8, 2026

Date

I, the undersigned, hereby concur with the above justification and support a sole source approval for

the above product(s) and/or service(s). Approvals may be documented and supported via email.

See email approval below.

Signature

Printed Name and Title (Procurement Specialist)

Date

See email approval below.

Signature

Printed Name and Title

Date

(Procurement Services Manager or Associate Director)

See email approval below.

Signature

Printed Name and Title

Date

(Asst. Vice President for Tax, Payables & Procurement)

Revised 12/7/23

See email approval below.

Signature

Printed Name and Title (Chief Financial Officer)

Date

7/2/26 / 4:00 PM EST

Date/Time Posted

POSTING NOTICE

7/8/26

Posting End Date

2701

UCF Control No.

Brandon Orofino

Procurement Specialist

Revised 12/7/23

SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION

Please answer the questions below and attach additional documentation if needed.

1. Describe the product(s) and/or service(s) and anticipated use thereof in layman’s language.

Nu instruments provides two mass spectrometers: the Sapphire XD and the Vitesse. The

Sapphire XD is an instrument that is highly precise, slower, and measures a few species at once.

The Vitesse is less precise, faster, and measures all species at once. In combination, these two

instruments allow for the interrogation of a sample, and follow-up high-precision measurements.

2. Describe the required specifications or requirements and why are they essential to the accomplishment of

your work.

For my work on meteorite and lunar samples, I require an instrument with part-per-ten-thousand precision

in isotope measurements, and the ability to filter masses and reach species so that they can be measured

without interference. These requirements will allow me to date the formation of crystals in lunar and

meteorite samples to high precision. I also require an instrument to characterize the complex mineralogy of

the lunar and meteorites samples I will study. I require these two instruments to work in combination.

Provide the names of other suppliers, products and/or services that you have investigated and explain why

they do not meet the required specifications or requirements. It may be helpful to present your information

in a table like the one below.

Required Specifications

Supplier 1 Supplier 2 Supplier 3 Supplier 4

Y/N

(I could not type into the above table) I looked at the Thermo-Fischer Neoma instrument, the IONTOF M6, and the

Cameca LEAP 6000 XR Atom Probe. The IONTOF and LEAP6000 do not have the required precision. The Neoma

does not have the ability to switch between traditional and collision-cell mode using a dual path like the Nu instrument

does. It also does not have a time-of-flight instrument made by the same manufacturer that can work in tandem.

3. State in detail why only this and no other product(s)/service(s) will satisfy the department’s

requirements. Description may include unique features, compatibility, specifications,

availability, delivery time frame etc. (For example, please list the features or special

conditions that are unique and only available from one supplier. Note: Price is not a valid

reason.)

The Sapphire XD MC-ICP-MS system offers both standard and collision/reaction cell mode of operation. This will allow the researchers to perform both

routine heavy isotope ratio analysis (i.e. Sr, Nd, Pb, U, etc) and the analysis of non-traditional isotope ratio systems that are subjected to argon-based

interferences on the same instrument without any compromise in analytical performance. This patented “dual mode” capability (as illustrated below) is

unique to the Sapphire XD from Nu Instruments and not available on any other commercially available MC-ICP-MS system. 1. Zoom Optics: Each

instrument manufactured by Nu Instruments is designed with patented electrostatic “zoom” optics that uses a quadrupole field to focus the ion beam with

variable instrument dispersion. The zoom optics allow the ion beam to be focused into a fixed collector array, thus precluding the necessity for moving

collectors. This saves time while tuning the instrument and avoids potential failure from moving parts in the collector block. Other MC-ICP-MS instruments

on the market, such as those provided by ThermoFischer Scientific, have movable collectors that are prone to failure and do not allow for the type of

multiple ion counting described in the next point. 5. Retractable Mass Filter - Recent technological advancements in MC-ICP-MS instrumentation involve the

implementation of a “Mass Filter” that allows for the deflection and filtering of ions outside of a specific mass range to produce a “clean” mass region where

isobaric isotope systems can be separated from one another through chemical reactions in the downstream collision/reaction cell. One such example is the

Rb-Sr isotope system that is used for age dating and planned for the laboratory at UCF. Since these isotope systems overlap in mass (mass/charge 85Rb

and 87Rb overlaps with 86Sr and 87Sr), it has been virtually impossible to analyze these isotopes within a single sample without complex chemical

separation techniques. With the advent of a mass filter in line with a collision/reaction cell this measurement is now possible in-situ with the proposed laser

ablation system through mass filtering and chemical shifting within the collision/reaction cell. The mass filter on the Nu Instruments Sapphire XD is

“retractable”, meaning that it can be retracted from the main ion beam path when it is not needed for mass shifting. This unique feature avoids any mass

bias and magnetic effects that may be imparted on heavy isotope systems, such as the low-level Uranium – Thorium – Lead measurements planned for the

return mission samples. Alternative instruments, such as that provided by ThermoFischer Scientific, do not provide a “retractable” mass filter and are

therefore subject to mass bias effects that compromise such measurements.

Revised 12/7/23

4. Are there resellers or distributors? If yes, please list names and contact information.

No.

5. Will this purchase obligate UCF to this vendor for future purchases such as maintenance,

licensing, or continuing need? _✔__ Yes ___ No

If yes, please provide details regarding future obligations and/or needs to include number of

years and total spending amount of obligations:

Nu would perform maintenance on the instrument.

6. What efforts have been made to obtain the best pricing available? Please provide an explanation to

support the belief that the price is fair and reasonable.

Nu instruments provided a discount for purchasing both the Vitesse and Sapphire XD

together.

Revised 12/7/23

This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.

Solicitation	Contact	Notes	Open Bid Dater
Sole Source 2701: Nu Instruments	Brandon Orofino	Expires on July 8, 2026 at 4:00 PM EST

Sole Source 2701: Nu Instruments

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