NOTICE OF INTENT FOR A SOLE SOURCE AWARD

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) intends to award a sole source, firm-fixed-price purchase order to Z-Spec, Inc. for the acquisition of the Z-max and E-max PLUS Analyzers. These instruments are required to support rapid analytical testing of foods, dietary supplements, cosmetics, and spices for toxic elements. The Z-max Analyzer is a proprietary instrument optimized for the detection and quantification of lead and other heavy metals, while the E-max PLUS Analyzer is engineered for the rapid quantification of ultra-low levels of heavy metals in soil, food, and water matrices. Key features of the required instruments include: • Proprietary technology with patented HDXRF and MXRF optical and detection architectures • Ability to meet specific technical performance characteristics, including ultra-low limits of detection for toxic elements • Field-portable design with high analytical sensitivity, enabling both laboratory and on-site testing • Compatibility with standard U.S. 120V 60 Hz power • Fundamental Parameters data model and data output in standard .txt or .csv formats • Ethernet and USB ports for connectivity The FDA requires these instruments to offer highly accurate, cost-effective testing for toxic elements without requiring traditional wet chemistry analysis.