Expansion of HighRes Automated Plate Handling System for NCATSview on SAM.gov

Notice of Intent to Sole Source SAM.gov Draft Title: Notice of Intent to Sole Source – Expansion of HighRes Automated Plate Handling System for NCATS Notice ID: NIH-NOI-26-PCA-NCATS-06129 Notice Type: Special Notice / Notice of Intent to Sole Source Agency: Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) Product Service Code (PSC): 6640 – Laboratory Equipment and Supplies NAICS Code: 339113 – Surgical Appliance and Supplies Manufacturing Set-Aside Status: No set-aside Contract Type: Firm-Fixed-Price Estimated Award Date: August 14, 2026 Response Date: 6/24/2026, 11:00am EST Description This is a Notice of Intent to Sole Source and is not a request for competitive quotations. The National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), intends to negotiate and award a sole source contract to: HighRes Biosolutions 102 Cherry Hill Drive Beverly, MA 01915 United States for the Expansion of the HighRes Automated Plate Handling System for NCATS. The statutory authority for this sole source acquisition is 41 U.S.C. 3304(a)(1), as implemented by FAR 6.302-1, Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements. NCATS currently operates an existing HighRes automated laboratory plate handling system used to support high-throughput screening and translational research workflows. The purpose of this requirement is to expand the installed system to support increased screening capacity and improved management of specialized compound libraries. The acquisition includes proprietary HighRes hardware, software, and services necessary to integrate additional capacity into the existing platform, including but not limited to: HighRes Custom Table System with ACell Robot SteriStore D automated incubator Plate stackers Lid handling components Plate orientation devices Cellario software/device drivers Installation Commissioning User acceptance testing The current platform was specifically designed as a proprietary, scalable HighRes system, and any expansion requires direct compatibility with its hardware architecture, control software, and integration framework. HighRes Biosolutions is the original manufacturer and integrator of the installed NCATS system and possesses the unique technical knowledge, proprietary parts, software, and integration capability required to perform this expansion. Market research determined that while other vendors may offer laboratory automation and robotic plate handling systems, no other source can provide a fully compatible expansion to the existing HighRes platform without substantial risk of incompatibility, system disruption, redesign, reverse engineering, schedule delays, increased cost, and warranty invalidation. The estimated value of this acquisition is $660,655.85. This notice is for informational purposes only. However, any responsible source that beli…