The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Acquisition Management Division, intends to negotiate with AFL Network Services, Inc., on a sole source basis under the authority of FAR Subpart 13.106-1(b)-soliciting from a single source, to provide an optical fiber arc fusion splicer kit capable of conditioning and splicing single mode, polarization maintaining, and multimode fibers. This includes precision fiber cleavers compatible with fiber cladding diameters ranging from 80 micrometers to 1250 micrometers as specified in the attached Statement of Work (SOW). The NAICS Code is 335921 – Fiber Optic Cable Manufacturing, with a Size Standard of 1,000 employees. NIST anticipates negotiating and awarding a firm-fixed-price purchase order to AFL Network Services, Inc. for this requirement per the following justification: The Optical Frequency Measurement Group is part of the Time and Frequency Division at NIST. This group develops optical atomic clocks and optical frequency comb sources for time and frequency metrology, as well as high spectral purity optical, millimeter-wave, microwave, and radio frequency signal generation. This work often requires connecting optical fibers through optical fiber fusion splicing. The optical fibers are often so-called “specialty fibers”, such as polarization maintaining fibers are highly nonlinear fibers. Fiber splicing is accomplished with highly specialized scientific equipment. The group requires a fusion splicer that can prepare and splice silica glass fibers that may be single mode, multimode, rare earth-doped, highly nonlinear, and/or polarization maintaining. The Fujikura FSM-100P Fusion Splicer Kit is the only one that meets the specification requirements for this need. Furthermore, 100’s of hours was invested over the past decade in developing optical fiber fusion splicing programs with use of the Fujikura splicer models similar to the FSM-100P. the nature of these specialized, in-house-developed programs is such that they cannot be used with splicers from other manufacturers. The ability to continue to utilize the splice programs developed rather than reinvent splice routines from scratch represents a significant savings in time, cost and resources. Thus, the Fujikura FSM-100P Fusion Splicer Kit uniquely meets the group’s need for preparing and splicing the broad class of optical fibers utilized in the program’s research. Failure to use the FSM-100P would mean NIST would have to develop new splicing routines that could take significant time and money and would significantly affect NIST’s research. This would also mean replacing existing fibers and equipment at a significant cost that would exceed the cost of purchasing the FSM-100P. Based on market research, NIST has not identified any other sources that can provide the requirement. If NIST identifies no other capable sources by January 31, 2020, NIST will issue a firm-fixed price purchase order to AFL Network Services, Inc. A determination by the Government whether to compete the proposed requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely to determine whether to conduct a competitive procurement in the future . This notice of intent is not a Request for Quotation (RFQ). No solicitation package will be issued. Inquiries will only be accepted via e-mail to
[email protected]. No telephone requests will be honored. Any questions regarding this notice must be submitted in writing via email to
[email protected]. Requests shall include complete company name, address, and telephone number. All responses to this notice of intent must be submitted so that they are received at
[email protected] no later than date and time specified in this notice.