NIH Scientific & Technical Expertise & Acquisition Management (STEAM)
Updated
Sources Sought from the National Institutes of Health, for work in Bethesda, Maryland. Due Nov 15, 2026, 11:59 PM (UTC-5), 11 days left.
| Solicitation number | 75N98027R00012 |
|---|---|
| Agency | National Institutes of Health |
| Office | National Institutes of Health Olao |
| Notice type | Sources Sought |
| Set-aside | Small business (partial) |
| Trade (NAICS) | All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541990) |
| Product or service code | R499 |
| Place of performance | Bethesda, Maryland |
| Posted | Nov 3, 2026 |
| Response deadline | Nov 15, 2026, 11:59 PM (UTC-5) (11 days left) |
| Add the deadline to | Google Calendar · Apple / Outlook (.ics) |
Federal prevailing wage rates for this place: Maryland Davis-Bacon and SCA wage determinations.
Description
SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE NIH SCIENTIFIC & TECHNICAL EXPERTISE ACQUISITION & MANAGEMENT (STEAM) Sources Sought Reference Number: 75N98027R00012 Proposed NAICS Code and Size Standard: 541990 — All Other Professional, Scientific and Technical Services; $19.5 million in average annual receipts Sources Sought Notice Information Introduction This is a Small Business Sources Sought notice.
This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding: (1) the availability and capability of qualified small business sources; (2) their small business and applicable socioeconomic status, including HUBZone, service-disabled veteran-owned, veteran-owned, 8(a), woman-owned, and small disadvantaged business status; and (3) their size classification relative to the proposed North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code.
Responses will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a full or partial small business set-aside is appropriate. Interested small businesses may respond for Task Area A (Professional Services), Task Area B (Highly Specialized Scientific Services), or both. Respondents should identify their ability to perform as a prime contractor, joint venture, or subcontracting team, distinguish their own capability from that of team members, and identify limitations within each task area addressed.
NIH will assess capability separately for each area. Capability in both areas is not required to respond. The Government has not made a final set-aside determination.
Background The National Institutes of Health (NIH) conducts and supports biomedical and behavioral research to advance scientific knowledge and improve health. NIH requires professional, scientific, and technical contractor support for current and emerging research priorities, ongoing research activities, and related program operations. Changes in research programs and scientific methods create a continuing need for flexible service delivery and specialized expertise.
Scientific & Technical Expertise Acquisition & Management (STEAM) will acquire contractor-provided services and expertise to accomplish varied project-based requirements across NIH. Individual task orders will define project objectives, tasks, deliverables or milestones, performance periods, required expertise, and resource needs. Contractors must furnish and manage the resources needed to perform multiple concurrent projects at substantial volume and adjust those resources as authorized project requirements change.
NIH anticipates using cost-reimbursement contracting approximately 20 percent of the time. The actual mix will depend on individual requirements. Firms should describe their experience and ability to support this component, including any preparation needed.
Existing cost-reimbursement capability or a prior Government accounting-system approval is not a mandatory condition of responding to this notice. Applicable requirements, including accounting-system adequacy, would need to be satisfied before award of a cost-reimbursement order. Purpose and Objectives The purpose of STEAM is to provide professional, scientific, and technical support for NIH research and related activities.
Support includes basic, translational, and clinical research; vaccine research; general and specialized laboratory research; veterinary and animal research support; bioinformatics; computational biology; and related professional and technical services. The contractor will furnish and manage qualified resources to accomplish each statement of work (SOW), including responsibility for recruiting, verifying qualifications, retaining its personnel, and maintaining continuity of performance.
Services will be furnished under individual funded, project-based task orders. The contractor will furnish resources, including personnel with expertise corresponding to the applicable labor categories, to accomplish the SOW and deliver the required project outcomes and milestones. The contractor will retain responsibility for employing, supervising, and managing its personnel.
Services will not include inherently governmental functions or unauthorized personal services. Each task order will identify the applicable task area, project scope, qualifications, location, performance schedule, and security and safety requirements. Project Requirements Services may involve expertise in microbiology, molecular biology, biochemistry, infectious diseases, immunology, clinical research, bioinformatics, genomic sequencing, proteomics, image analysis, computational and systems biology, and scientific data analysis.
Related requirements may include clinical trials support, laboratory operations, veterinary services, program management, and other professional or technical support within the authorized scope. Qualifications range from positions without a degree requirement to licensed practitioners and highly specialized doctoral-level professionals. The contractor must be able to furnish qualified resources within the task area or areas addressed and manage a substantial volume of concurrent project requirements.
Primary anticipated locations include Bethesda and Rockville, Maryland; other locations in the Washington, DC metropolitan area; and Hamilton, Montana. Other domestic locations, overseas support, travel, or remote work may be authorized by individual orders. NIH-wide demand for task orders and contractor support fluctuates across projects, locations, and time.
This notice does not provide a fixed annual volume estimate or guarantee a minimum workload. Routine task orders will establish mobilization, onboarding, and performance start schedules. Under certain circumstances, an urgent or unforeseen NIH need may require the contractor to begin authorized performance within 48 hours.
For an expedited request, NIH will identify the applicable timeframe and the event from which it is measur
The description continues in the official notice.
Contracting contact
- Kishan Patel · [email protected] · (240) 669-5157
- Som Bahrami · [email protected] · (301) 402-5944
As published on the official notice. Ask questions in writing and before any questions deadline the notice sets.
Is your business small enough?
For NAICS 541990, a business counts as small if it has no more than $19.5 million in average annual receipts (SBA size standard). This notice is set aside, so only businesses under that size, or in the named program, can bid. SBA table, current as of Oct 15, 2026.
Notice history
- Nov 3, 2026: Sources Sought Due Nov 17, 2026, 3:00 PM (UTC-5)
Companies that win this kind of work
Federal contractors paid for all other professional, scientific, and technical services work, who also hold NIH contracts (last 12 months): possible competitors, or partners to team with.
- Battelle Memorial Institute $2.4 billion in this trade
- Booz Allen Hamilton Inc $686.1 million in this trade
- Research Triangle Institute $116.4 million in this trade
- Deloitte Consulting LLP $88.0 million in this trade
- Strategic Analysis, Inc. $72.3 million in this trade
About the buyer
The National Institutes of Health awarded $5.9 billion in contracts in the last 12 months; its biggest suppliers were Leidos Biomedical Research Inc, M. A. Mortenson Company and Deloitte Consulting LLP. See what NIH is buying now.
Who can bid: Small Business set-aside
Total and partial small business set-asides are open to any business under the SBA size standard for the notice's NAICS code.
All open Small Business set-asides.
All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services contracts right now
There are 43 open government contract opportunities in this trade (NAICS 541990), 12 posted in the last 7 days; 58% are set aside for small businesses. The agencies buying the most are Department of the Army, Federal Acquisition Service and National Institutes of Health. Most of the work with a stated place is in Maryland, District of Columbia and Minnesota. A notice in this trade gives a median of 30 days from posting to deadline; this one gives 12 days.
All open all other professional, scientific, and technical services contracts
Coming up in this trade
Planned contracts from the agencies' procurement forecasts, often months before a solicitation. Plans can change.
Recent awards in this trade
- Valiant Global Defense Services Inc. $10.4 million · Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) · Sep 30, 2026
- Transportation Energy Institute $50,000 · Environmental Protection Agency · Sep 29, 2026
- Science And Engineering Services, LLC $594,891 · Department of the Navy · Sep 29, 2026
- Deloitte Consulting LLP $11.3 million · Department of Veterans Affairs · Sep 28, 2026
- ECS Federal, LLC $162.7 million · Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) · Sep 24, 2026
From the award notices agencies publish.