Research, testing and scientific technical simulator: UK Tenders, Buyers & Competition

CPV 38970000Supplies · 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 research, testing and scientific…

3 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 42% (39 notices)
  • Other public bodies 15% (14 notices)
  • Central government 15% (14 notices)
  • Local authorities 1% (1 notices)
  • Not classified 26% (24 notices)
Contracting authorityTypeNoticesLast 12 monthsOpen now
United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authoritynot classified800
UK Fusion Energy LtdOther public bodies650
Agri-Food and BioSciences Institutenot classified500
Robert Gordon UniversityEducation & universities500
Swansea UniversityEducation & universities500
UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELDEducation & universities510
University of LeedsEducation & universities500
Aberystwyth UniversityEducation & universities300
UNIVERSITY OF WARWICKEducation & universities310
Defence Equipment and SupportCentral government220

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

Where the work is delivered

Delivery regions (ITL1) published on 68 of 92 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 Ireland14 · 21%
Yorkshire and the Humber10 · 15%
South East England10 · 15%
Wales (Cymru)9 · 13%
Scotland9 · 13%
West Midlands4 · 6%
North West England4 · 6%
South West England3 · 4%
Greater London3 · 4%
East Midlands1 · 1%
North East 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 92% (85 notices)
  • Framework 5% (5 notices)
  • Dynamic purchasing system 2% (2 notices)
Procedure route
  • Open 61% (56 notices)
  • Route not published 18% (17 notices)
  • Limited / restricted 14% (13 notices)
  • Selective 7% (6 notices)
Threshold
  • Above threshold 72% (13 notices)
  • Below threshold 28% (5 notices)
Typical tender window32 daysrobust · n=27median, notice to deadline

Competition

Contracts published in the last 36 months (36) · 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=11
  • 1 bid 45% (5)
  • 2–3 55% (6)
  • 4–6 0% (0)
  • 7 or more 0% (0)
Contract value, net
p25 £115,906median £228,857p75 £327,500
interquartile range of 15 awards · p90 £476,552
Typical bids per lot2robust · n=10middle half 1–3
Competed92%robust · n=36open or selective route, no direct-award transparency notice
Bids from SMEs30%robust · n=20of bids on lots publishing an SME split
Abandoned8%robust · n=36cancelled, unsuccessful or terminated without an award

Who wins

Single-supplier active awards with a canonical supplier on notices carrying this code · 52 awards to 45 suppliers

Where to submit

E-sourcing portals named in the submission address · 21 of 92 notices name one · each portal page explains registration

Atamis Health Family Portal2 notices · 10% · 1 open
Delta eSourcing2 notices · 10%
Proactis / ProContract2 notices · 10% · 1 open
Sell2Wales2 notices · 10%
SAP Ariba1 notices · 5%

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 3897. A notice with several codes counts in each sector it names. Earliest notice 2021; latest 16 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 3897. 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.