Special NoticePosted Aug 14, 2026·Responses due Aug 29, 2026

Software for a NanoTest Xtreme instrument

Commerce (all) · DEPT OF COMMERCE NIST

Stage
Early notice (sources sought, presolicitation or special notice)
NAICS
Not stated
Value
Not stated
Solicitation
NB643090-26-00863
Set-aside
None stated
PSC
Not stated
Place
Not stated
Contact
Erik Frycklund (erik.frycklund@nist.gov)
CSV Email

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 NB643090-26-00863 in this department, oldest first.

Early notice
  • Aug 14, 2026 · this notice
    Special Notice
Solicitation
None posted
Award
Not yet. Typical award: Oct 10, 2026 to Dec 19, 2026, middle of the range Nov 2, 2026.
Measured from 19 past early notices at National Institute of Standards and Technology that later posted an award (middle half of cases, counted from Aug 14, 2026).

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

FBO ANNOUNCEMENT: PRESOLICITATION NOTICE, NOTICE OF INTENT ACTION CODE: SPECIAL NOTICE SUBJECT: Sole source � Software for a NanoTest Xtreme instrument SOLICITATION NUMBER: NB643090-26-00863 RESPONSE DATE: 8/29/26 DESCRIPTION: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Nanomechanical Properties Group (Materials Measurement Science Division) develops and provides measurements science, measurement standards, and measurement technology that addresses measurement needs by US semiconductor industry. This work involves measurements of mechanical properties (e.g., elastic modulus, yie… (show all)

ld strength) and characterization of deformation behavior (e.g., fracture and fatigue) for materials in advanced packaging applications. Indentation and scratch testing are widely used techniques for such measurements. The extraction of mechanical properties from mechanical testing relies on sophisticated analytical and numerical methods provided either by in-house developed or proprietary software, such as provided by RGS Scientific. The Nanomechanical Properties Group maintains several commercial instruments for mechanical measurements, including the NanoTest Xtreme Testing Platform. The NanoTest Xtreme Testing platform provides advanced multi-mechanical testing capabilities under vacuum conditions and/or elevated temperatures. As stated by the manufacturer of the NanoTest Xtreme instrument, the Siomec software is the only software application capable to interface with the instrument and to provide integrated analysis and simulation tools. Micro Materials is the manufacturer of the NanoTest Xtreme Testing platform. The company is based in the UK. RGS Scientific is the only authorized distributor of Micro Material�s products including related analytical/simulation software within the United States. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) intends to negotiate on a sole source basis, under the authority of FAR Part 12.102(b) with RGS Scientific located in Dallas, TX, for this software. Sole Source justification is based on the following: Market research has shown that RGS Scientific is the only known authorized source for this software within the USA for this equipment. �This is a requirement that the analysis and simulation software directly interfaces with the instrument (NanoTest Xtreme) to enable the processing of data files generated by the instrument. The manufacturer of the instrument (Micro Materials) has stated that the software developed by Siomec is the only software capable of this. The manufacturer has a special agreement with Siomec to develop software applications for their instruments. As such, the Siomec software is distributed through the manufacturer (MicroMaterials) with Europe and through the manufacturer's North America distributor (RGS Scientific) within the USA. Consequently, RGC Scientific is the only source to purchase Siomec analysis and simulation software within the USA.� RGS has confirmed this statement in writing as accurate and authentic. NAICS code for this requirement will be 513210 � Software publishers with a small business size of $47.0M. No solicitation package will be issued. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive quotations; however, interested parties who regard themselves as capable of fulfilling these requirements are invited to submit responses to the Government for consideration. Responses received by 1:00AM EST on 8/29/26 will be considered by the Government. A determination by the Government not to compete the proposed acquisition based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. Inquiry POCs Erik.Fycklund@nist.gov Primary Andrea.Parekh@nist.gov Secondary National Institutes of Standards and Technologies NIST Acquisition Management Division (AMD) 100 Bureau Dr. Mail Stop 1640 Gaithersburg, MD. 20899-1640

Who won similar work

775 award notices on SAM.gov in the last 24 months. Match: Same agency (Commerce (all)), any industry: a loose match.

Loose match: same agency, any industry. Read the titles before treating these as competitors.

WinnerAwardsValueLast
GROUND LEVEL SERVICES LLC15$22.5MSep 23, 2026
TECHNICAL COMMUNITIES, INC.12$2.4MOct 7, 2026
GOVERNMENT SCIENTIFIC SOURCE INC7$411KSep 22, 2026
TOPTICA PHOTONICS INC6$614KOct 7, 2026
TITANIUM LOGISTIC SERVICES, LLC6$558KFeb 24, 2026
PARYMON CORP5$3.5MSep 21, 2026
Carl Zeiss Microscopy, LLC4$2.7MSep 24, 2026
AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES INC · $A4$1.5MSep 23, 2025
Rohde & Schwarz USA, Inc.4$1.0MSep 30, 2026
GOVAGE, INC.4$898KOct 1, 2026

Value counts single-winner awards. "Shared" awards are multiple-award contracts that list every winner with the same total ceiling; that ceiling is not one company's win, so it is not added in.

Latest awards

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 Commerce, Dept of (DOC) since 2024 (0 filings)
  • 0 of their lobbyists list a past Commerce, Dept of (DOC) job
  • No corporate PAC money from them to the overseeing committees since 2024
  • 0 foreign-agent (FARA) registrations
See who and the source records with Pro

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
  • 372 rules from the department in the last 12 months
  • 0 executive orders naming the agency in the last 12 months
See who and the source records with Pro

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.

  • 1 of the past winners are listed companies
  • 0 insider buys and 1 insider sells at them in the last 90 days
See who and the source records with Pro

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 only. A company we could not match shows no market rows; that is a miss, not a finding.