Find a TenderAwardedContract details notice

Published 13 Aug 2025, 12:30 BST

Official UK procurement notice

Smart Agricultural Research Centre Development

Authority: Nottingham Trent University (Education)

ServicesOpen procedureAbove thresholdSME suitable

Sectors: Agricultural, forestry, horticultural, aquacultural and apicultural services (77) Delivery: East Midlands (UKF14)

Published estimate£459,266≈ £134k / year · £551,119 inc. VAT0.5% below published estimate

Submissions closed 15 Sept 2025awarded 17 Oct 2025

Awarded to Light Science Technologies Holdings PLC

Contract term 3 yrs 5 moends 1 Apr 2029 · starts 3 Nov 2025

What is being bought

Published requirement description

The design, supply, installation, and commissioning of a state-of-the-art modular vertical farming system. This infrastructure will support a wide range of academic and commercial research projects in controlled environment agriculture (CEA), with a strong emphasis on flexibility, modularity, and precision control.

No preliminary market engagement: Funding deadline for delivery of the project.

CPV: Agricultural services · Horticultural services

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · value published

Lot #1Awarded 3 yrs 5 moSMEPublished value£459,266

Contract period: 3 Nov 2025 – 1 Apr 2029 (3 yrs 5 mo)Value: £459,266 exc. VAT · £551,119 inc. VAT

Delivery: East MidlandsEligibility: SME eligible

77100000 Agricultural services 77300000 Horticultural services

Pre-qualification & selection criteria (PQQ)2

Economic & financial standing
See Tender Documentation
Technical & professional ability
See Tender Documentation

What it takes to win
i
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 more

How bids were scored

Quality: 65%Price: 25%Environmental: 10%

Published sub-criteria (10)

Technical Compliance and System Quality: 16%
Flexibility and Research Suitability: 20%
Training and Support: 3%
After-Sales Support, Warranty, and Maintenance: 10%
Innovation and Future-Proofing: 3%
Value-Added Collaboration and Strategic Partnership: 3%
Methodology for Installation: 5%
Health & Safety: 5%
Commercial Offer: 25%
Sustainability and Energy Efficiency: 10%

Published award criteria (10)

Technical Compliance and System Quality: Please see tender documentation for award criteria
Flexibility and Research Suitability: Please see tender documentation for award criteria
Training and Support: Please see tender documentation for award criteria
After-Sales Support, Warranty, and Maintenance: Please see tender documentation for award criteria
Innovation and Future-Proofing: Please see tender documentation for award criteria
Value-Added Collaboration and Strategic Partnership: Please see tender documentation for award criteria
Methodology for Installation: Please see tender documentation for award criteria
Sustainability and Energy Efficiency: Please see tender documentation for award criteria
Health & Safety: Please see tender documentation for award criteria
Commercial Offer: Please see tender documentation for award criteria

Conditions of participation2

Economic & financial standing
See Tender Documentation
Technical & professional ability
See Tender Documentation

What this means for your bid

Price carries 25 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 2.5 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.

Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record

Procedure method: Open procedure
Legal basis: UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Procurement category: Services
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)
Recurring procurement: Unspecified in notice
First published: 13 Aug 2025, 12:30 BST
Last source update: 12 Jan 2026, 13:45 GMT
Award evaluation window: Submission end – 16 Oct 2025
Authority reference: 2923
FTS notice number: 2025/S 000-048379
Latest notice: Contract details notice (UK7)
Classification (CPV): Agricultural servicesHorticultural services
Delivery area: East Midlands (UKF14)
Official registry OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-0586fd Find a Tender
Contract terms summary: See Tender Documentation

Review and risk notes

Risks: N/A

How it was run

Official notice

Run through: EU-Supply (CTM) · Who buys & how to bid on EU-Supply

Public notice page · account needed to bidElectronic submission allowedLanguage: EN

Access & registration note: Free · 5–10 minutes

Submission deadline: 15 Sept 2025, 10:00 BST
Clarification deadline: 8 Sept 2025, 10:00 BST
Submission channel: Official e-sourcing portal
Electronic submission: Allowed
Accepted languages: en

Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

uk.eu-supply.com/app/rfq/rwlentrance_… ↗

Timeline

13 Aug 2025 → 12 Jan 2026 · 8 dates

Tender notice published
13 Aug 2025, 12:30 BST
Clarification questions by
8 Sept 2025, 10:00 BST
Submission deadline396 days ago
15 Sept 2025, 10:00 BST
Award decision expected by365 days ago
16 Oct 2025, 00:59 BST
Assessment summaries sent358 days ago
23 Oct 2025
Contract starts347 days ago
3 Nov 2025
Standstill ends346 days ago
3 Nov 2025, 23:59 GMT
Latest notice published277 days ago
12 Jan 2026, 13:45 GMT

Notice history

7 events · 4 releases on Find a Tender · since 13 Aug 2025

Tender notice published
13 Aug 2025, 12:30 BST
UK4
Tender notice published
4 Sept 2025, 16:14 BST
UK4
Deadline moved to 15 Sept 2025, 10:00 BST
4 Sept 2025, 16:14 BST
+7 days · was 8 Sept 2025, 10:00 BST
Contract award notice published
23 Oct 2025, 16:00 BST
UK6
Status changed to complete
23 Oct 2025, 16:00 BST
Contract signature expected
4 Nov 2025, 23:59 GMT
scheduled
Contract details notice published
12 Jan 2026, 13:45 GMT
UK7

Published amendments (1)

The tender submission deadline for the Notice below has been extended until 15 September 2025, 10:00am.

Routine re-releases (4)

2025-08: 1 release · 13 Aug 2025

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast

Awards 1

Awarded value £456,7711 award exc. VAT

Bids received 1

Named bidders 1published on the award notice

Contracts signed 1latest 25 Nov 2025

Awarded to	Value	Date	Status
Light Science Technologies Holdings PLC2923 Smart Agricultural Research Centre Development4 Nov 2025 – 2 Apr 2028	£456,771	17 Oct 2025	Awarded

Contracts

2923 Smart Agricultural Research Centre Development · Light Science Technologies Holdings PLC
Signed
25 Nov 2025
Value
£456,771
Period
25 Nov 2025 – 31 Mar 2031
Status
active
No agreed KPIs: Capital project

Bid statistics published by the authority

Bids	SME	VCSE	Valid bid range
1final-stage tenders · 5 at stage one	0	0	—

Who bid

wonLight Science Technologies Holdings Ltd. · East Midlands

Bidders as named on the Procurement Act 2023 award notice. “Won” means the bidder holds an award on this notice.

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Nottingham Trent University (NTU)

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government GB-PPON: PLJN-1931-JMHG 50 Shakespeare Street, Nottingham, East Midlands, NG1 4FQContact name, email, phone

Bidders & participating suppliers

1 commercial party on the notice

Light Science Technologies Holdings PLCAwarded supplierGB-PPON: PDYZ-7478-VGDG The Byre, Ednaston Business Park, Ashboune, East Midlands, DE6 3FAContact name, email, phone

Official documents & specifications (4)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure

Contract details notice contractContract details noticeUK7Contract details notice on Find a Tender12 Jan 2026, 13:45 GMT
Contract award notice awardContract award noticeUK6Contract award notice on Find a Tender23 Oct 2025, 16:00 BST
Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender4 Sept 2025, 16:14 BST
Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender13 Aug 2025, 12:30 BST