Official UK procurement notice
Corrosion Testing Framework for STEP
Authority: UK Fusion Energy Ltd (Public body)
What is being bought3 lots · detail below
Published requirement descriptionThe purpose of this procurement is to establish a framework agreement with a number of pre-qualified, specialist corrosion testing providers to deliver corrosion testing services for the UKFE STEP programme over the next two years. The framework will enable efficient and compliant call-off contracts for testing of high-temperature coolants, carrier gases, and breeder materials against STEP coolant-facing alloys and candidate tritium breeding materials as requirements arise.
The framework is intended to streamline procurement and contract management, reduce the need for repeated tender exercises, improve consistency in quality and supplier performance, and enable faster delivery of future testing requirements through simplified call-off procedures.
The procurement also aims to establish long-term working relationships with expert testing organisations, promote innovation and market engagement, support a broad specialist supplier base (including SMEs), and ensure compliance with the Procurement Act 2023 through transparent, competitive, and value-for-money procurement.
Framework appointments are intended only for organisations that can undertake the testing directly. The testing will generate mechanistic understanding of corrosion interactions between high-temperature coolants (including light and heavy water, supercritical CO2 and helium), carrier gases (helium), STEP coolant-facing alloys, and candidate tritium breeding materials (including lithium ceramics and liquid metals), to quantify corrosion effects, identify mitigation strategies, and support the extension of component service life.
CPV: Analysis services · Composition and purity testing and analysis services · Laboratory services · Research and experimental development services · Research laboratory services · Technical analysis or consultancy services · Technical testing services
How this framework works
From the published notice- Type
- Closed framework · open framework scheme (admission reopens)
- Call-offs
- call-offs may be awarded directly or by further competition
- Places
- up to 15 suppliers · 8 bids on the busiest of 3 lots (0.5 per place) · 7 appointed
- Framework period
- 2 yrs · up to 8 yrs from 2 Nov 2026
- Scheme runs until
- 2 Nov 2034
- Supplier levy on call-offs (max %)
- N/A
Published description of the framework
Different specific requirements for testing will be issued at different call-off points to the relevant lot suppliers, together with the required specifications at the time.
The suppliers appointed to the relevant lot of the framework will be notified of the requirements as early as possible, to enable them to prepare their response or submit quote.
The call-off mechanism is simplified to ensure that test facility bookings can be made within a month of requesting a quote. The call-off award will be based on Price competition between suppliers in the lot to ensure value for money while maintaining transparency.
UKFE reserves the right to award contracts via direct award (i.e. without competition) where it considers it is necessary for consistency. For example, it is on the same project, for testing of similar material, which is tested for similar properties.
If the price at the time of quoting is unaffordable, UKFE reserves the right not to award the test.
UKFE can accept quotes and issue purchase orders in a foreign currency.
A supplier will be notified of the requirement and asked for a quote. Once the quote is accepted, the supplier will be issued with the purchase order accompanied by the order form.
Lots and requirements (3)Procurement structure
3 lots · all with a published value · same evaluation weights on every lotEvery one of these 3 lots carries the same published figure, £2,000,000: it is the framework's maximum for the whole notice, not each lot's own budget, and no share per lot is published. The cards below say ceiling above rather than repeat it.
Lot #1Light (H2O) and heavy (D2O) water exposure.AwardedRenewalceiling above
The source published no individual description for this lot.
Lot #2CO2, supercritical CO2 exposures & Helium – applicable to lot 2AwardedRenewalceiling above
The source published no individual description for this lot.
Lot #3Liquid metals – applicable to lots 3AwardedRenewalceiling above
The source published no individual description for this lot.
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).
Published sub-criteria (3)
- Technical: 80%
- Commercial: 10%
- Social Value: 10%
Published award criteria (3)
- Commercial
- Technical
- Social Value
- Price carries 10 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 1 point. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
- “Corrosion Testing Framework for STEP” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, up to 15 suppliers, not a single contract: call-offs may be direct or by further competition.
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
- Open framework scheme
- Who may use this agreement
- Not stated in the notice; call-off rights may be limited to the establishing authority
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 22 Jul 2026, 10:09 BST
- Last source update
- 14 Oct 2026, 10:04 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 28 Sept 2026
- Authority reference
PP-UKIFS-447- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-068996- Latest notice
- Contract award notice (UK6)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06d079Find a Tender
How it was run
Official notice- Appointment period ends
- 8 Sept 2026, 12:00 BST
- Clarification deadline
- 1 Sept 2026, 12:00 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
- Supplier levy on call-offs (max %)
- call-off levy · N/A
Timeline
22 Jul 2026 → 2 Nov 2026 · 8 dates- Tender notice published91 days ago22 Jul 2026, 10:09 BST
- Clarification questions by50 days ago1 Sept 2026, 12:00 BST
- Admission / appointment period ends43 days ago · period end, not a bid countdown8 Sept 2026, 12:00 BST
- Award decision expected by22 days ago28 Sept 2026, 23:59 BST
- Assessment summaries sent8 days ago13 Oct 2026, 00:00 BST
- Latest notice published7 days ago14 Oct 2026, 10:04 BST
- Today21 Oct 2026
- Standstill endsin 3 days23 Oct 2026, 23:59 BST
- Contract startsin 12 days2 Nov 2026
Notice history
6 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 22 Jul 2026- Tender notice published22 Jul 2026, 10:09 BSTUK4
- Tender notice published5 Aug 2026, 13:54 BSTUK4
- Deadline moved to 8 Sept 2026, 12:00 BST5 Aug 2026, 13:54 BST+15 days · was 24 Aug 2026, 12:00 BST
- Contract award notice published14 Oct 2026, 10:04 BSTUK6
- Status changed to complete14 Oct 2026, 10:04 BST
- Contract signature expected26 Oct 2026, 23:59 GMTscheduled
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast£2,000,000 is the framework's published maximum, restated by the publisher on 3 award rows. It is one ceiling, not 3 separate sums, and no share per lot is published; those rows read “ceiling above”.
| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lot 1 · Light (H2O) and heavy (D2O) water exposure.1 award | |||
| Amentum Clean Energy Ltd, Lucideon Group Limited, Studsvik Nuclear AB, UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER, University of Birmingham2 Nov 2026 – 2 Nov 2028 · up to 2 Nov 2034Extensions: The framework may include up to three extensions of two years each. | ceiling above | 13 Oct 2026standstill to 23 Oct 2026 | Standstill |
| Lot 2 · CO2, supercritical CO2 exposures & Helium – applicable to lot 21 award | |||
| Amentum Clean Energy Ltd, Lucideon Group Limited, Oxford SigmaSME, UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER, University of Birmingham2 Nov 2026 – 2 Nov 2028 · up to 2 Nov 2034Extensions: The framework may include up to three extensions of two years each. | ceiling above | 13 Oct 2026standstill to 23 Oct 2026 | Standstill |
| Lot 3 · Liquid metals – applicable to lots 31 award | |||
| Amentum Clean Energy Ltd, Kyoto Fusioneering, Oxford SigmaSME2 Nov 2026 – 2 Nov 2026 · up to 2 Nov 2034Extensions: The framework may include up to three extensions of two years each. | ceiling above | 13 Oct 2026standstill to 23 Oct 2026 | Standstill |
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Lot | Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · Light (H2O) and heavy (D2O) water exposure. | 8final-stage tenders | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2 · CO2, supercritical CO2 exposures & Helium – applicable to lot 2 | 8final-stage tenders | 1 | 0 | — |
| 3 · Liquid metals – applicable to lots 3 | 3final-stage tenders | 0 | 0 | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Framework contractors & participating bidders
7 commercial parties on the notice- Amentum Clean Energy LimitedFramework contractor
- Kyoto Fusioneering LtdFramework contractor
- Lucideon Group LimitedFramework contractor
- Oxford Sigma LimitedFramework contractor
- Studsvik Nuclear ABFramework contractor
- The University of ManchesterFramework contractor
- University of BirminghamFramework contractor
Official documents & specifications (5)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Contract award notice Contract award 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