Miscellaneous evaluation or testing instruments: UK Tenders, Buyers & Competition

CPV 38900000Supplies · classin Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)

Codes and neighbouring classes

The 8-digit CPV codes notices in this class actually use, and the other classes of the same division

Open tenders in miscellaneous evaluation or testing…

2 live at the nightly build · soonest deadline first

Who buys

All notices carrying this code · official UK_CA_TYPE where published (NHS bodies are central government authorities), else derived from the authority name

Buyer type
  • Education & universities 30% (33 notices)
  • Central government 16% (17 notices)
  • Other public bodies 14% (15 notices)
  • Local authorities 4% (4 notices)
  • Police, fire & emergency 3% (3 notices)
  • Not classified 34% (37 notices)
Contracting authorityTypeNoticesLast 12 monthsOpen now
Agri-Food and BioSciences Institutenot classified600
Robert Gordon UniversityEducation & universities600
University of StrathclydeEducation & universities500
South Eastern H&SC Trustnot classified400
UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELDEducation & universities400
United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authoritynot classified400
NETWORK RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITEDCentral government310
Queen's University BelfastEducation & universities310
Swansea UniversityEducation & universities300
UK Research and InnovationCentral government300

69 distinct authorities in total · the ten most active shown.

Where the work is delivered

Delivery regions (ITL1) published on 88 of 111 notices · a notice covering several regions counts in each · competition columns: contracts awarded in the last 36 months, lots delivered in the region

RegionNoticesBids / lotSME winsLocal wins
Northern Ireland30 · 34%
Scotland24 · 27%
Wales (Cymru)11 · 13%
Yorkshire and the Humber8 · 9%
South East England8 · 9%
South West England5 · 6%
West Midlands5 · 6%
East Midlands4 · 5%
North West England4 · 5%
Greater London2 · 2%
North East England1 · 1%
East of England1 · 1%

Local wins = the winner’s registered region is the delivery region. Dashes: fewer than ten observations.

How it is bought

Commercial tool, procedure route and threshold as published on the notice, not a legal-regime claim

Commercial tool
  • Contract 82% (91 notices)
  • Framework 16% (18 notices)
  • Dynamic purchasing system 2% (2 notices)
Procedure route
  • Open 68% (76 notices)
  • Limited / restricted 14% (15 notices)
  • Route not published 12% (13 notices)
  • Selective 6% (7 notices)
Threshold
  • Above threshold 61% (14 notices)
  • Below threshold 39% (9 notices)
Typical tender window30 daysrobust · n=20median, notice to deadline

Competition

Contracts published in the last 36 months (47) · bid counts per lot from award notices · values are net contract awards, framework and DPS ceilings excluded · SME and local status as declared

Bids per lot · n=26
  • 1 bid 38% (10)
  • 2–3 42% (11)
  • 4–6 0% (0)
  • 7 or more 19% (5)
Contract value, net
p25 £116,252median £248,366p75 £280,000
interquartile range of 29 awards · p90 £582,319
Typical bids per lot2robust · n=21middle half 1–3
Competed85%robust · n=47open or selective route, no direct-award transparency notice
Bids from SMEs25%robust · n=104of bids on lots publishing an SME split
Awards won by SMEs38%robust · n=21single-supplier awards with a declared scale
Won locally31%robust · n=13winner registered in the delivery region
Abandoned4%robust · n=47cancelled, unsuccessful or terminated without an award
Frameworks & DPS: bidders per lot10robust · n=815 vehicle procedures · admission to a panel, not a contest

Who wins

Single-supplier active awards with a canonical supplier on notices carrying this code · 108 awards to 72 suppliers · the five most frequent winners hold 32% of contract awards in the last 36 months

Where to submit

E-sourcing portals named in the submission address · 36 of 111 notices name one · each portal page explains registration

In-tend Electronic Procurement11 notices · 31% · 1 open
eTendersNI5 notices · 14%
SAP Ariba2 notices · 6%
Delta eSourcing2 notices · 6% · 1 open
Sell2Wales2 notices · 6%

Method

What the numbers on this page are and are not

Which notices count?

Every Find a Tender notice that carries a CPV code starting 3890. A notice with several codes counts in each sector it names. Earliest notice 2021; latest 17 Sept 2026.

Competition figures

From the 36-month lot-grain contest statistics: a lot counts where its own CPV codes (or, for single-class notices, the procedure’s) start 3890. Bids per lot come from the award notice’s bid statistics; “competed” means an open or selective route with no direct-award transparency notice; contract values are net, on single-supplier awards, with framework and DPS ceilings excluded. Frameworks and dynamic purchasing systems are reported separately because their “bids” are admissions to a panel.

Why no total value or month-by-month chart?

Sums of notice estimates repeat framework ceilings and mix net with gross. Monthly volumes per sector are not shown yet: the catalogue’s CPV coverage per notice changed in May 2026 (compiled records carry every lot’s codes), so a curve would show the catalogue, not the market.