Request for Information (RFI) Advanced Confocal and Super-Resolution Microscopy System
ID: BSA-RFI-473012Type: Sources Sought
Overview

Buyer

ENERGY, DEPARTMENT OFENERGY, DEPARTMENT OFBROOKHAVEN NATL LAB -DOE CONTRACTORUpton, NY, 11973, USA

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518210)

PSC

OPTICAL INSTRUMENTS, TEST EQUIPMENT, COMPONENTS AND ACCESSORIES (6650)

Set Aside

No Set aside used (NONE)

Original Source

https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/8ac148b2da8e408f9281bdf4e23c8980/view
Timeline
    Description

    The Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) is seeking information from qualified vendors regarding an Advanced Confocal and Super-Resolution Microscopy System through a Request for Information (RFI). The laboratory aims to gather detailed technical, functional, and operational information on systems capable of high-speed, multi-color fluorescence imaging, including fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) and super-resolution nanoscopy with Stimulated Depletion Emission (STED). This procurement is critical for supporting biological, chemical, and materials research imaging applications, requiring a unified platform with specific capabilities such as a pulsed White Light Laser, high-speed beam routing, and a spectral detection range of 410–850 nm. Interested vendors should respond with detailed system configurations, capabilities, and indicative pricing to Mark Brock at mbrock@bnl.gov by the specified deadline.

    Point(s) of Contact
    Mark Brock
    (631) 344-2713
    mbrock@bnl.gov
    Files
    Title
    Posted
    Attachment A - BNL QA 101.pdf
    The Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) document BNL-QA-101 outlines quality assurance requirements for suppliers to Brookhaven Science Associates (BSA). It distinguishes between general requirements (Section 3.0), applicable to all suppliers, and special requirements (Section 4.0), invoked only when specified in procurement documentation. Key general requirements include maintaining an ISO 9001-compliant quality system, allowing buyer assessments, obtaining approval for changes, and ensuring subcontractor compliance. Suppliers are responsible for material protection, calibrating measuring and test equipment traceable to NIST, preventing suspect counterfeit parts, and adhering to electrostatic discharge control. The document also details specific safety and compliance standards for electrical, fire protection, hoisting, and machine shop equipment, along with requirements for chemical handling (GHS compliance), age/shelf life control, and product recall notifications. Special requirements cover quality assurance programs, configuration control, manufacturing/inspection plans, witness points, special processes, end-item documentation, failure analysis, source inspection, and various certifications (e.g., Certificate of Conformance, calibration). Additionally, it addresses software configuration management, verification and validation, and defect notifications. The overarching goal is to ensure the quality, safety, and compliance of all items and services procured by BSA, particularly for nuclear facility applications, by establishing rigorous supplier standards and documentation requirements.
    Attachment B - BSA General Terms and Conditions for Commercial Products and Services.pdf
    This document outlines the General Terms and Conditions for Commercial Products and Services at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), operated by Brookhaven Science Associates, LLC (BSA). It covers 85 articles defining the contractual relationship between BSA and its contractors, encompassing definitions, order of precedence, agreement acceptance, dispute resolution, termination clauses for convenience and default, payment terms, and compliance with various federal and state laws and regulations. Key areas include intellectual property, environmental health and safety, reporting requirements for executive compensation and royalties, and the incorporation of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and Department of Energy Acquisition Regulation (DEAR) clauses by reference. The document emphasizes adherence to BSA's policies, government oversight, and the use of federal common law for dispute resolution, ensuring a structured framework for commercial engagements at BNL.
    Request_for_Information_SuperResolutionMicroscope_1.pdf
    Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) has issued Request for Information (RFI) No. 473012, seeking expressions of interest from vendors for an Advanced Confocal and Super-Resolution Microscopy System. This RFI is not a request for proposal but aims to gather technical, functional, and operational information to develop future procurement requirements. BNL requires a unified platform combining confocal, FLIM, and STED nanoscopy, capable of high-speed, multi-color fluorescence imaging for biological, chemical, and materials research. Key requirements include a pulsed White Light Laser, secondary laser ports, high-speed beam routing, a spectral detection range of 410–850 nm, and high-efficiency photon detectors. The system must support functional imaging, lifetime-based component separation, STED nanoscopy with sub-50 nm lateral resolution, and a unified software platform for all modalities. Vendors are asked to detail system configuration, laser sources, spectral overlap handling, detection efficiency, resolution, photobleaching minimization, fluorophore compatibility, software capabilities, warranty, delivery timelines, and indicative pricing.
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