Official UK procurement notice
250262 - Contract for Supply, Delivery, Installation & Commissioning of a Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) System.
Authority: Queen's University Belfast (Education)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe Future Medicines Institute (FMI) requires a Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) system with advanced capabilities for real-time, label-free analysis of biomolecular interactions.
(Maximum budget available for Equipment inclusive of 3 years extended warranty & annual preventative maintenance is is £330,000).
The primary objective of procuring an SPR device is to enhance FMI’s capacity to characterise binding kinetics, affinity, and specificity of biomolecular interactions, thereby strengthening its protein science and drug discovery workflows.
The proposed system must:
- Provide precise kinetic and affinity measurements for a wide range of biomolecular interactions, including protein–protein, protein–antibody, and protein–small molecule binding.
- Deliver high sensitivity and reproducibility to ensure reliable and quantitative data across experiments.
- Support automation and high-throughput analysis, enabling efficient screening of large sample sets.
- Include robust data analysis software for comprehensive kinetic modelling and data interpretation.
- Offer versatile assay configurations, supporting various experimental formats and immobilisation chemistries.
- Integrate seamlessly with upstream and downstream workflows, including protein purification and structural analysis.
The procurement of a high-performance SPR system directly supports FMI’s broader goals of:
- Accelerating drug discovery through rapid identification and characterisation of therapeutic candidates.
- Enhancing biopharmaceutical research by enabling detailed analysis of binding mechanisms critical to biologics development.
- Facilitating translational research by bridging fundamental molecular interaction studies with clinical and therapeutic applications.
This procurement will provide direct benefit to research scientists by:
- Reducing manual intervention and experimental variability through automation and streamlined workflows.
- Enhancing data quality with high-resolution detection and advanced signal processing for accurate kinetic profiling.
- Please note: - The execution of this tender & contract will be solely dependent on grant funding being received, which is estimated to be confirmed in November 2025.
- No award will be made, or orders issued until the grant funding has been confirmed. If grant funding is not secured, the market will be notified, and this procurement exercise will be stood down.
CPV: Analysis apparatus · Detection and analysis apparatus
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1AwardedRenewalPublished value£700,000
What it takes to wini
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add morei
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
- Simple description: Technical - 50%: Made up of- Desirable Technical Requirements - 30% Qualitative requirements - 15% Sustainable Procurement - 5% Price - 50%
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Open procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Goods
- Notice status
- Awarded
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA, CPTPP)
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 16 Oct 2025, 11:24 BST
- Last source update
- 15 Jan 2026, 13:35 GMT
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 22 Dec 2025
- Authority reference
250262- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-066106- Latest notice
- Contract details notice (UK7)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05cdd5Find a Tender- Contract terms summary
after delivery - 30 days upon receipt of a valid and undisputed invoice
- Risks
QUB recognises that certain risks associated with the procurement and operation of an SPR System are not fully quantifiable at the time of tender. These ‘known unknowns’ include, but are not limited to, supplier failure and switching costs, technology evolution, integration challenges, data security, regulatory changes, user training & turnover, warranty & service coverage, supply chain disruptions, and software lifecycle changes, increased value or scope due to demand requirements. Suppliers are expected to identify any foreseeable risks, propose mitigation strategies, and demonstrate flexibility in addressing emerging issues throughout the contract lifecycle.
Whilst it is not possible at this stage to fully anticipate the nature or extent of future developments or integration requirements, nor to determine their potential impact on contract performance, QUB recognises that such changes may arise over the course of the contract. Accordingly, it is acknowledged that these circumstances may necessitate a modification of the contract to appropriately address and accommodate any emerging risks or requirements.
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- 14 Nov 2025, 16:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- 7 Nov 2025, 16:00 GMT
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Timeline
16 Oct 2025 → 15 Jan 2026 · 10 dates- Planning notice published369 days ago16 Oct 2025, 11:24 BST
- Tender notice published368 days ago17 Oct 2025, 08:28 BST
- Next notice expected367 days ago17 Oct 2025, 23:59 BST
- Clarification questions by346 days ago7 Nov 2025, 16:00 GMT
- Submission deadline339 days ago14 Nov 2025, 16:00 GMT
- Assessment summaries sent302 days ago22 Dec 2025
- Contract starts302 days ago22 Dec 2025
- Award decision expected by301 days ago22 Dec 2025, 23:59 GMT
- Standstill ends286 days ago6 Jan 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Latest notice published278 days ago15 Jan 2026, 13:35 GMT
Notice history
12 events · 6 releases on Find a Tender · since 16 Oct 2025- Preliminary market engagement notice published16 Oct 2025, 11:24 BSTUK2
- Tender notice published17 Oct 2025, 08:28 BSTUK4
- Published value published: £700,00017 Oct 2025, 08:28 BST
- Status changed to active17 Oct 2025, 08:28 BST
- Procurement method changed17 Oct 2025, 08:28 BST
- Deadline published: 14 Nov 2025, 16:00 GMT17 Oct 2025, 08:28 BST
- Tender notice published27 Oct 2025, 10:26 GMTUK4
- Tender notice published10 Nov 2025, 08:46 GMTUK4
- Contract award notice published22 Dec 2025, 19:27 GMTUK6
- Status changed to complete22 Dec 2025, 19:27 GMT
- Contract signature expected7 Jan 2026, 23:59 GMTscheduled
- Contract details notice published15 Jan 2026, 13:35 GMTUK7
Published amendments (2)
Amendment made to Tender response pack to enable suppliers to upload 2 x A4 pages instead of 1 x A4 pages for qualitative response questions.
Amendment made to Tender response pack to enable suppliers to upload 2 x A4 pages instead of 1 x A4 pages for qualitative response questions. 10.11.25 - Update in regards to clarification:- Bidders are strongly advised to review both the tender specification and the Clarification Document in full before submitting their response. Both documents are available on the procurement portal.
Routine re-releases (6)
- 2025-10: 3 releases · 16 Oct 2025, 27 Oct 2025
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global Life Sciences Solutions Operations UK Ltd9 Jan 2026 – 8 Jan 2029 · up to 8 Jan 2036Extensions: option to extend maintenance, software updates/development, the supply of consumables and ancillary items, beyond this period for a further period of up to 10 years or the end of useful life of the equipment. | £700,000 inc. VAT | 22 Dec 2025 | Awarded |
Contracts
250262 - Contract for Supply, Delivery, Installation & Commissioning of a Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) System. · Global Life Sciences Solutions Operations UK Ltd
- Signed
- 9 Jan 2026
- Value
- £700,000 inc. VAT
- Period
- 9 Jan 2026 – 8 Jan 2029 · up to 8 Jan 2036 with extensions
- Status
- active
- Extensions
- option to extend maintenance, software updates/development, the supply of consumables and ancillary items, beyond this period for a further period of up to 10 years or the end of useful life of the equipment.
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1final-stage tenders | 0 | 0 | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- Global Life Sciences Solutions Operations UK LimitedAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (7)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
- Bidding documents and specifications Intend tender portal
Notices published for this procedure
- Contract details notice Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender