The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Eye Institute (NEI) plans to procure, on a sole source basis, the upgrade of an existing Illumina NextSeq 1000 Sequencing System to NextSeq 2000 capability from: Illumina, Inc. 5200 Illumina Way San Diego, CA 92122 The response close date of the notice for this requirement is in accordance with FAR 5.203(b). This acquisition will be processed under FAR Part 12 – Acquisition of Commercial Products and Commercial Services and will be made pursuant to the authority in FAR 13.106-1(b)(1) and is exempt from the requirements of FAR Part 6. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 334516 – Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing. The National Eye Institute (NEI), Neurobiology, Neurodegeneration and Repair Laboratory requires the upgrade of its Government-owned Illumina NextSeq 1000 sequencing system to NextSeq 2000 capability. The upgrade will provide expanded sequencing flexibility and capacity by enabling the use of additional flow cell configurations and higher-throughput sequencing applications. The contractor shall provide all labor, materials, parts, equipment, software, travel, installation, testing, and technical services necessary to complete the upgrade and deliver a fully functional NextSeq 2000 instrument configuration. The existing sequencing platform is manufactured by Illumina and is currently integrated into established laboratory workflows, sequencing protocols, software environments, and consumables. The required upgrade is proprietary to Illumina and consists of the manufacturer-authorized NextSeq™ 1000 to NextSeq 2000 Upgrade, Part Number 20047256. Compatibility with existing Illumina sequencing kits, reagents, hardware architecture, software, and validated research workflows is essential to support ongoing scientific studies and maintain operational continuity. Based on market research, HHS has determined that Illumina, Inc. is the only known source capable of providing the proprietary manufacturer-authorized upgrade required to convert the existing NextSeq 1000 system to NextSeq 2000 capability. No other vendor is authorized to provide this specific upgrade, associated proprietary components, software modifications, installation services, and system validation necessary to maintain full manufacturer-supported functionality. Therefore, Illumina, Inc. is the only source reasonably available to satisfy the Government's requirement. This notice is not a request for competitive quotations. However, any interested party that believes it can meet the Government's requirement may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation for consideration. Responses must be submitted in writing and contain sufficient technical documentation to demonstrate the capability to provide the required upgrade and associated services. Responses to this notice shall be submitted via email to the Contract Specialist Mesfin…