NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE: USAFA Supercontinuum Laser Source
Air Force and Space Force · DEPT OF THE AIR FORCE
Capture briefs (a one-page, shareable copy of this page) are part of Pro. The CSV here holds the notice, its timeline and past awards.
Where this opportunity stands
Every notice posted under solicitation FA700026SLS2 in this department, oldest first.
- Aug 19, 2026 · this noticeSpecial Notice
- Aug 20, 2026Special NoticeOpen
Next steps for this stage
Standard steps for the notice type; not advice about this buyer.
- Answer the notice: this is when the requirement can still be shaped.
- Contact the contracting officer named on the notice.
- Check who won similar work; they are the likely bidders.
What the notice says
Notice ID: FA700026SLS2 NAICS: 334516 - Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing PSC: 6650 - Optical Instruments, Test Equipment, Components and Accessories THIS IS A NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD A SOLE SOURCE This notice of intent is published in accordance with the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) Subpart 5.2. This requirement is being conducted in accordance with the procedures in RFO FAR Part 12, Acquisition of Commercial Products and Commercial Services. The 10th Contracting Squadron, United States Air Force Academy (USAFA), Colorado, intends to award a sole-source, firm-fixed-price pu… (show all)
rchase order to Optowares Inc., a small business, for the purchase and delivery of two (2) Supercontinuum Laser Sources. The identified sole source is: Optowares Inc. 15 Presidential Way Woburn, Massachusetts 01801-1040, United States CAGE Code: 7JE02 UEI: L8NSHTM6E7U3 The following outlines the unique technical capabilities that exclusively qualify this vendor to provide the required supercontinuum laser systems: Sustained High-Power Output: The system must maintain a continuous, total average coherent optical output power of at least 30 W per system across the entire operating spectrum to overcome atmospheric attenuation during stand-off remote sensing and diagnostics at range. Ultra-Broad Spectral Range: The equipment must deliver a single, coherent, software-defined output spanning the broad spectral band of (400-2400" nm" ) simultaneously. This spectral bandwidth is critical to allow multi-wavelength spectroscopy and trace chemical speciation. Stable Megahertz Repetition Rate: The laser must operate with a highly stable, fixed, or selectable repetition rate of (?1" MHz" ) (specifically supporting a standard factory-aligned operating window of exactly (4" MHz" ) / (4000" kHz" )) to match the modulation frequency required for phase-sensitive phenomenology detection. Integrated Protection & Control: The system must feature integrated output optical isolation to shield the delicate internal seed laser from back-reflections during stand-off targets, alongside a standard USB computer control interface The Contracting Officer has determined that the circumstances of this contract action deem Optowares Inc. as the only known responsible source capable of satisfying the agency�s commercial requirement. Instructions to Interested Parties This notice of intent is NOT a request for competitive proposals or quotations. A solicitation document will not be issued. However, any company that believes it can meet the unique salient characteristics may submit a capability statement for consideration via email before the deadline to the point of contact below. Required Information: Capability statements must include the company name, address, point of contact, UEI number, and technical data or specifications clearly demonstrating the ability to meet ALL the following salient characteristics: Quantity: Two (2) separate, standalone supercontinuum laser systems. Total Average Output Power: (?30" W" ) per system (standard commercial high-power platform). Wavelength Spectral Range: (400-2400" nm" ) (agile wavelength modulation band). Average Spectral Power Density: (>15" mW/nm" ) across the specified spectral range. Repetition Rate: (?1" MHz" ) (must support a highly stable operating window between (1" MHz" ) and (4" MHz" ), or (4000" kHz" ) equivalent). Average Power Stability (Std. Dev.): (<0.5%" RMS" ) over continuous operation. Safety & Optical Protection: Integrated Output Isolation to protect the source fiber from back-reflections. System Integration: Standard Computer Control Interface (USB / software-defined control). Delivery: FOB Destination shipping and handling included to the USAF Academy, CO 80840. Deadline for Responses: Tuesday, September 1, 2026, at 4:00 PM (MDT) Point of Contact: Nathalieb Zepeda, Nathalieb.Zepeda@us.af.mil Any responses received after the deadline will be late and not considered by the Government. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government.
Who won similar work
19 award notices on SAM.gov in the last 24 months. Matched by: Same agency (Air Force and Space Force), same product/service code (PSC) 6650.
Single-winner award sizes (19): middle half $94K to $438K, median $187K; range $50K to $7.4M.
| Winner | Awards | Value | Last |
|---|---|---|---|
| SPECTRO SCIENTIFIC INC · $AME · $7.9B | 1 | $7.4M | Mar 3, 2025 |
| VERMONT PHOTONICS TECHNOLOGIES CORP | 1 | $5.2M | Sep 29, 2026 |
| GASTOPS INC | 1 | $2.9M | Aug 27, 2025 |
| Carl Zeiss Microscopy, LLC | 1 | $1.6M | Jun 18, 2026 |
| NEWCO INC | 1 | $608K | Jun 13, 2025 |
| ADAM N EVE SAFETY LLC | 1 | $269K | Sep 17, 2025 |
| Quality Vision International Inc. | 1 | $222K | Apr 23, 2025 |
| KEYENCE CORPORATION | 1 | $217K | Jul 8, 2026 |
| GOOCH & HOUSEGO (KEENE) LLC | 1 | $193K | Jun 12, 2025 |
| AIT PRODUCTS LLC | 1 | $187K | Jun 10, 2026 |
Value counts new single-winner awards. "Shared" awards are multiple-award contracts that list every winner with the same total ceiling (same contract, or the same office, day and amount); that ceiling is not one company's win, so it is not added in. Contract modifications are not new awards and are not added in either. Revenue next to a ticker is the company's revenue over the latest 12 months in its SEC filings.
- $AME reported $7.9B revenue (12 months to Jun 30, 2026). The median single-winner award in these 19 past awards, $187K, is under 0.1% of that. SEC filing
One award's total value against one year of revenue; many awards are paid over several years.
- Oct 1, 2026THERMAL BRO'S INC.$72KThermal Imaging BinocularsNo listed company matched (Materiality N/A)
- Sep 29, 2026VERMONT PHOTONICS TECHNOLOGIES CORP$5.2MDual Axis Digital AutocollimatorNo listed company matched (Materiality N/A)
- Sep 28, 2026STABLE LASER SYSTEMS INC$57KStable Optical Cavity Absolute Reference SystemNo listed company matched (Materiality N/A)
- Jul 8, 2026KAY KAY LLC$94KBlack Body ControllerNo listed company matched (Materiality N/A)
- Jul 8, 2026KEYENCE CORPORATION$217KKeyence VXH-X1 Microscope SystemNo listed company matched (Materiality N/A)
- Jun 18, 2026Carl Zeiss Microscopy, LLC$1.6MSigma SEMNo listed company matched (Materiality N/A)
- Jun 10, 2026AIT PRODUCTS LLC$187KB-1 BorescopeNo listed company matched (Materiality N/A)
- Feb 11, 2026DIGITAL MICROSCOPE ASSOCIATE LLC$78KKeyence MicroscopeNo listed company matched (Materiality N/A)
- Sep 17, 2025ADAM N EVE SAFETY LLC$269KLong Distance BinocularsNo listed company matched (Materiality N/A)
- Aug 27, 2025GASTOPS INC$2.9MChipCheck Service Repair NSN 6650-01-665-6490No listed company matched (Materiality N/A)
Competitive landscape
For the 8 most frequent past winners above. Lobbying is matched by the company's exact name or exact ticker; agencies are as named on the filings.
- 0 of these past winners lobbied Air Force, Dept of since 2024 (0 filings)
- 0 of their lobbyists list a past Air Force, Dept of job
- No corporate PAC money from them to the overseeing committees since 2024
- 0 foreign-agent (FARA) registrations
Policy around it
Bills the past winners named while lobbying this agency's issues, rules from the department, and executive orders that name the agency, last 12 months.
- 0 bills named on the past winners' lobbying filings
- 32 rules from the department in the last 12 months
- 0 executive orders naming the agency in the last 12 months
Market
For past winners matched exactly to a listed company. Insider trades are open-market buys and sells (Form 4) in the last 90 days, shown as facts; our own study found insiders do not reliably buy ahead of awards. A sale marked 10b5-1 was made under a trading plan set up in advance.
- 1 of the past winners are listed companies
- 1 insider buys and 1 insider sells at them in the last 90 days
Sources: SAM.gov notices and award notices; Senate LDA lobbying filings; FEC filings; FARA; Federal Register; congress.gov; SEC Form 4. Every row above links to its record.
Companies are matched to tickers by exact name, including the subsidiaries a company lists in its SEC filings. A company we could not match shows no market rows; that is a miss, not a finding.