Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs) are an official government contracting resource for small businesses. Find your local PTAC (opens in new window) for free government expertise related to contract opportunities.

The National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) seeks information on vendors that are capable of providing a tunable laser with ultralow linewidth. NIST Gaithersburg are conducting NIST”s research on photonic crystals using laser wavelengths in the telecom band (1500 nm – 1600 nm). As research has progressed, NIST requires to probe and control the photonic crystals with lasers with ever more narrow linewidths. This is especially true for work in the quantum regime. The purpose of this notice is to identify organizations capable of providing the necessary items and meeting the minimum contractor qualifications.

This announcement is not a Request for Proposals or Quotes (RFP/RFQ) and does not commit the Government to award a contract now or in the future. The information contained in this notice is DRAFT only and as such, is subject to change prior to issuance of a solicitation. No solicitation is available at this time.

After results of this market research are obtained and analyzed, NIST may conduct a competitive or non-competitive procurement and subsequently award a contract. NIST will use the results of this sources sought notice to determine whether to proceed on a sole source basis or competitively if it is determined that other vendors could potentially meet NIST's needs. This requirement is assigned a NAICS code of 334515 with a small business size standard of 750 employees.

Interested business organizations that believe they are capable of meeting the requirement should submit electronic copies of their capability statement. Please limit responses to four (4) pages or less. Responses should include the following information:

1. Name of company that will provide product.

2. Name of company that will manufacture the product.

3. Spec sheets and examples of products that meet the specifications.

4. Typical lead time to deliver the product after receipt of order.

5. Any other relevant information that is not listed above which the Government should consider in developing its minimum specifications and finalizing its market research.

Any proprietary information should be so marked. The written capability statement should be received by the Contract Specialist, Angela Hitt by email at Angela.Hitt@nist.gov no later than 3:30 p.m. MT, Tuesday, June 20, 2023. The capability statement shall identify the business status of the organization. No quotes will be accepted at this time and will not be considered.