Notice of Intent to Sole Source: Maintenance Services for TA Instruments (SN 4010-0159 and SN 4020-0245)

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) intends to negotiate a sole source contract with TA Instruments - Waters L.L.C. for maintenance services of two NIST-owned instruments: a TA Instruments ARES G2 rheometer and a TA Instrument RSA G2 dynamic mechanical analyzer. The contract will provide unlimited service visits, one preventative maintenance and calibration visit for each instrument, and all required repair parts, on-site labor, and travel. The sole source justification is based on the fact that TA Instruments is the original manufacturer of the equipment and has proprietary knowledge and components required to calibrate and service the instruments. • The contract is for a base year with the possibility of extension. • The instruments are used for research in the CHIPS Metrology R&D Proposal. • The contract will provide maximal uptime and maximum productivity for the project team. • The service agreement will include all required repair parts, on-site labor, and travel. • TA Instruments has engineers trained to calibrate the equipment according to ISO 9001:2000 procedures.