Combined Sources Sought and Notice of Intent to Sole Source - Micro-Positioning Alignment System

Active

Contract Opportunity

***THIS IS A COMBINED SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE***

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking information from sources that may be capable of providing a Micro-Positioning Alignment System. If no alternate sources are identified, the Government intends to issue a Sole Source Award to PI (Physik Instrumente) L.P. (16 Albert ST, Auburn, Massachusetts, 01501-1304 ) under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(i). The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 334516.

NIST has a need for a Micro-Positioning Alignment System that meets or exceeds the following draft minimum specifications:

This procurement seeks one (1) micro-positioning alignment system consisting of the following components integrated in one system: one (1) 6-axis hexapod, two (2) stand-alone linear stages, one (1) optical power meter, one (1) common controller that controls the motion of the hexapod and two linear stages, and also take the signal from optical power meter for feedback control of 6-axis hexapod.

Line Item 0001: 6-axis hexapod parameters

Description: micro-positioning stage with 6 degrees of freedom allowing movement with sub-micrometer precision along 3 orthogonal directions (X, Y, Z) and 3 rotations around X, Y, and Z, and allowing high-resolution alignment of optical fibers relative to the photonic chip’ input/output ports

Quantity: 1

Line Item 0002: Automated Linear Stages

Description: linear stage allowing movement in one linear direction with sum-micrometer precision.

Quantity: 2

Line Item 0003: Optical Power Meter

Description: Optical power meter capable of measuring optical power of light propagating in optical fiber in a wavelength range of 1550 nm.

Quantity: 1

Line Item 0004: Integrated common controller

Description: Integrated controller to simultaneous control the motion of micro-positioning stage with 6-degrees of freedom and two linear micro-positioning stages, and capable of taking the measured optical power from a power meter as a feedback signal for optimization of high-resolution alignment of optical fibers relative to photonic chip’s input/output ports.

Quantity: 1

NIST conducted market research from February 2025 and April 2025 and included internet searches, company site searches, reviewing professional journals, and reviewing catalog/ product literature published. Several potential vendors of micro-positioning alignment system were identified. However, only PI (Physik Instrumente) L.P. provide a system consisting of 6-axis hexapod (H-811.K044), two stand-alone linear stages (M403.2PD), one optical power meter (F-712.PM1), and one controller (C-877.523) that fully meets the minimum technical specifications. These include the hexapod's high repeatability: the repeatability should be within 0.3 um in X,Y, and within 0.1 um in Z, within 4 urad/s in rotation along X,Y and within 8 urad/s in rotation along Z, which are needed for precise and repeatable motion. The hexapod's small motion backlash: the backlash should be within 1 um in X,Y, within 0.2 um in Z; within 10 urad in X, Y, and within 15 urad within Z, which are needed for precise and repeatable motion. Provides manual control pad, which brings the system close to the point where an automated alignment procedure can be started, as well as assist NIST in diagnosing possible issues with the auto-alignment. This capability will save essential time and man-hour resources in the lab during the alignment process. System must be compatible with existent hexapod system which NIST purchased earlier. The results of that market research revealed that only PI Physik Instrumente LP (UEI: KGENLHRWL8B9) appears to be capable of meeting NIST’s requirements.

HOW TO RESPOND TO THIS NOTICE

In responding to this notice, please DO NOT PROVIDE PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. Please include only the following information, readable in either Microsoft Word 365, Microsoft Excel 365, or .pdf format, in the response. Submit the response by email to the Primary Point of Contact and, if specified, to the Secondary Point of Contact listed at the bottom of this notice as soon as possible, and preferably before the closing date and time of this notice.

• Provide the complete name of your company, address, name of contact for follow-up questions, their email, their phone number and, if your company has an active registration in https://sam.gov, your company’s Unique Entity ID (UEI).


• Details about what your company is capable of providing that meets or exceeds NIST’s minimum requirements.


• Whether your company is an authorized reseller of the product or service being cited and evidence of such authorization.


• Identify any aspects of the description of the requirements in the BACKGROUND section above that could be viewed as unduly restrictive or create unnecessary barriers that adversely affect your firm’s ability to fully participate in a procurement for such services and explain why. Please offer suggestions for how the requirements could be organized or structured to encourage the participation of small businesses.


• For the NAICS code


• Indicate whether your company is (a) a small business or (b) other than small business. See the Table of Small Business Size Standards and the associated .pdf download file for small business size standards and additional information.


• If you believe the NAICS code listed in this notice is not the best NAICS code for the type of product addressed in this notice, identify an alternative NAICS code that you believe would be more appropriate for the planned procurement.


• If your firm has existing Federal Supply Schedule contract(s) or other contracts for products or services against which the Department may be able to place orders, identify the contract number(s) and other relevant information.


• Describe your firm’s experience (as a prime, subcontractor, or consultant) providing the products or services described in Background section.


• Provide any other information that you believe would be valuable for the Government to know as part of its market research for this requirement.


• Please let us know if you would like to engage to get a better understanding of the requirement or need additional information about the Government’s requirement for the products or services described in the Background section.

QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS NOTICE

Questions regarding this notice may be submitted via email to the Primary Point of Contact and the Secondary Point of Contact listed in this notice. Questions should be submitted so that they are received within 5 days of the posting. Questions will be anonymized and answered via sources sought notice amendment following the question submission deadline.

IMPORTANT NOTES

The information received in response to this notice will be reviewed and considered so that the NIST may appropriately solicit for its requirements in the near future.

This notice should not be construed as a commitment by the NIST to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract.

This notice is not a request for a quotation. Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotations.

No award will be made as a result of this notice.

NIST is not responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice.

NIST reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and appropriate.

Thank you for taking the time to submit a response to this request!

Attachments/Links