Official UK procurement notice
Consumables - (Covaris) · UK public procurement notice
Procurement agent: Cardiff and Vale University Health Board·On behalf of: Velindre University NHS Trust Please note NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership (hosted by Velindre University NHS Trust) will manage this procurement on behalf of the contracting authority. Due to having the same identifiers, we're unable to reflect this in the notice options.
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThis contract covers the supply of Covaris consumables required to support laboratory and diagnostic activities.The consumables are proprietary to Covaris equipment and are specifically designed to be fully compatible with existing systems in use. Due to this proprietary nature, Covaris is the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and the only supplier able to provide suitable consumables. There are no equivalent third-party alternatives available that meet the required technical specifications without posing risks to equipment performance, reliability, or warranty.As a result, this procurement has been undertaken on a single supplier basis to ensure continuity of service, maintain system integrity, and support ongoing laboratory operations.
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedLot #1Awarded
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Direct award
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Notice status
- Awarded without competition
- Procurement threshold
- Unspecified in notice
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Direct award (no call for competition)
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 1 Jun 2026, 09:02 BST
- Last source update
- 1 Jun 2026, 09:44 BST
- Authority reference
CAV-DIR (26-27)10- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-051197- Latest notice
- Contract award notice (UK6)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06a9c9Find a Tender
- Why no open competition
- Single Suppliers Intellectual Property Exclusive Rights; Single Suppliers Technical Reasons
- Published justification
The required consumables are proprietary to Covaris equipment and are protected by intellectual property rights. Covaris, as the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), is the only supplier authorised to manufacture and supply these specific consumables. No third-party suppliers are permitted to produce equivalent products due to these exclusive rights, and therefore competition is not possible.The consumables are specifically designed for use with existing Covaris equipment and must meet strict technical compatibility requirements. No alternative products are available that can provide the same level of compatibility, performance, and reliability without risk to equipment functionality or results. As a result, only Covaris can supply suitable consumables, making this a single supplier procurement due to technical reasons.
- Risks
There is a risk to contract performance due to reliance on a single supplier, as Covaris consumables are proprietary and only available from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). Any disruption to supply, such as manufacturing delays, logistics issues, or supplier capacity constraints, could impact the availability of essential consumables and therefore affect continuity of laboratory and diagnostic services.
There is also a risk that product changes, discontinuation, or pricing fluctuations could impact service delivery and cost control. As no alternative compatible products exist, the ability to mitigate these risks through market competition is limited.
These risks are mitigated through formal contract arrangements, proactive supplier relationship management, monitoring of stock levels, and ongoing engagement with the supplier to ensure continuity of supply and early identification of potential issues.
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
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Timeline
1 Jun 2026 → 10 Jun 2026 · 2 dates- Notice published148 days ago1 Jun 2026, 09:44 BST
- Standstill ends138 days ago10 Jun 2026, 23:59 BST
Notice history
3 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 1 Jun 2026- Transparency notice published1 Jun 2026, 09:02 BSTUK5
- Contract award notice published1 Jun 2026, 09:44 BSTUK6
- Contract signature expected12 Jun 2026, 23:59 BSTscheduled
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Covaris LtdCovaris (consumables)15 Jun 2026 – 14 Jun 2028 | £748,038 | 29 May 2026standstill to 10 Jun 2026 | Standstill |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
3 public bodies on the noticeClients of the procurement agent
- Velindre University NHS Trust Please note NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership (hosted by Velindre University NHS Trust) will manage this procurement on behalf of the contracting authority. Due to having the same identifiers, we're unable to reflect this in the notice options.Beneficiary authority
- NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership (hosted by Velindre University NHS Trust)Procuring entityThe NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership (NWSSP) plays a vital role in supporting NHS Wales by delivering a wide range of professional, technical, and administrative services. It is hosted by Velindre University NHS Trust, which means Velindre provides the governance and infrastructure to support NWSSP’s operations, but NWSSP itself serves all NHS organisations across Wales.
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- CovarisAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (2)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Transparency notice Transparency notice on Find a Tender