Department of Commerce · National Institute of Standards and Technology · DEPT OF COMMERCE NIST
Account requiredWhy it scored this way
Every reason behind the verdict rather than the headline one — which of your certifications match, how much runway is left, whether the work is your size, and what we would need to know to sharpen it.
Written against this notice and what you have told us about your company. Anything we do not know is marked [NEEDS INPUT] in the draft rather than guessed at — read it before you send it.
Start a free trial to draft these. Nothing is sent to an agency on your behalf, ever — you get a document to review, edit and submit yourself.
Sources Sought response
A complete draft response — capability statement, relevant past performance, business size and socioeconomic status, and answers to the agency's specific questions.
Questions to submit
Genuine ambiguities and requirements that disadvantage a smaller bidder, drafted as questions you can submit before the Q&A deadline.
Past performance write-ups
Which of your prior awards best match this requirement, and draft write-ups in the format the agency asked for.
Solicitation details
Solicitation number
NB181050-26-02606
Notice type
Sources Sought
NAICS
517111
Product service code
DG01
Set-aside
No Set aside used
Posted
2026-08-18
Response deadline
Aug 25, 2026, 4:00 PM UTC
Place of performance
Boulder, CO
Contracting contact
shawn.borisow@nist.gov
Market intelligence
Account requiredWho wins this work, and what it pays
Comparable awards under NAICS 517111 at this agency — the incumbent, what they were paid, when their period of performance ends, and the real pricing distribution rather than the headline number. From public federal award records.
****** SEE ATTACHMENT FOR FULL DESCRIPTION ****** Description of Requirement: Specification for NIST Time Service Dark Fiber Installation of New Zayo Dark Fiber Tail, Activation of One Pair of Dark Fiber, and Lease of Services The scope of this project is for the installation and termination of (48) strands of single mode Zayo Dark Fiber to include installation along the Fort Collins drive to the WWVB building, and activation and testing of (2) of the strands of fiber between the NIST Boulder and Fort Collins, Colorado (CO) facilities. Thereafter, a lease to provide twelve (12) months (renewable annually) for use of the infrastructure. In addition, because of the distance and high availability requirements to support the NIST Time Service, initial setup, then lease and access to In-Line Amplifier (ILA) site for twelve (12) months (renewable annually). NAICS: 517111 Wired Telecommunications Carriers Size Standard: 1,500 employees Points of Contact (PoC): Name: Shawn Borisow, Contracting Officer E-Mail: shawn.borisow@nist.gov This contract action is subject to the Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul (RFO FAR) 6.103-1: Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements This is a notice of intent to negotiate a firm-fixed price (FFP) with performance listed within the attached draft statement of work. The intent of award is to sole-source award due to only one source can satisfy the agencies’ requirement under the previous reference authority. This is NOT a request for competitive quotations. However, contractors who want to challenge this action must submit an interest letter and a capabilities statement that clearly demonstrates their ability to perform this work. The information must clearly demonstrate the organization’s ability to provide the product(s) and service(s) as described within this notice, as well as the associated justification. All interested organizations must respond to this Special Notice by August 25, 2026, 10:00 AM (MT), to the identified PoC’s E-Mail (shawn.borisow@nist.gov) Responses received will be evaluated; however, the Government's determination not to compete with the proposed procurement based on responses to this notice is solely within its discretion. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purposes of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. NIST shall not reimburse for any cost(s) associated with providing capability information. Description: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) intend to negotiate a new contract award for the attached draft statement of work on a sole-source basis under the authority of 41 U.S.C. 3304(a)(1), implemented by RFO FAR 6.103-1: Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. Interested organizations shall include clear evidence of capability to perf0rm the attached statement of work.
Contact
Point of contact
Shawn Borisow
Role
not stated on this notice — SAM publishes a role for only about 5% of them, so this may be a contract specialist rather than the contracting officer
Email
shawn.borisow@nist.gov
Submit questions
Ambiguities and requirements worth clarifying, written as questions you can send before the deadline.
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