Didactic Learning System · UK public procurement notice

CPV: Data-processing machines (hardware) · Hardware · Hardware installation services

Procedure method

Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition

Legal basis

CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)

Procurement category

Goods

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

Yes (GPA)

Recurring procurement

Unspecified in notice

First published

11 Nov 2024, 18:22 GMT

Last source update

13 Nov 2024, 14:37 GMT

Authority reference

KS/UOP/DIDACTIC_SYSTEM/057/24

FTS notice number

2024/S 000-036744

Classification (CPV)

Data-processing machines (hardware)HardwareHardware installation services

Delivery area

South West (UKK41)

Official registry OCID

ocds-h6vhtk-04b5a5 Find a Tender

Why no open competition

The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the directive

Published justification

The Education Nacelle is unique as it is the real hardware you would find in a wind turbine nacelle, but safely packaged into a standalone system with a custom teaching interface to access data and software. This differs significantly from (1) engineering and teaching simulations, that are only somewhat accurate but not accurate down to the hardware and (2) real wind turbine equipment where a huge cost is in the encasings (e.g., shell) which are built to be weather proof.

As we are only interested in the computing components, option 2 has been a dead end as talking to wind turbine suppliers often confuses them. They are unable to sell us just the important computing parts connected to engineering components scaled down to a classroom size, and they are also unable to change their products to be safe for a lab/classroom environment.

When we tried to buy components directly from wind turbine manufacturers, theses challenges we were unable to overcome. The issue with (1) is as we are researching the cyber-physical security of wind turbines, simulation is not sufficient, we need the actual hardware and computing devices, just not all the extra engineering bits, and if we do need it, we need it scaled down for a safer (and more compact) lab setting.

One important aspect is this is a SIMENS based nacelle instead of a GE, which is very useful as our partners (e.g., ORE catapult) primarily use SEIMENS based turbines/nacelles.

Publisher note: This is a voluntary ex ante transparency (VEAT) notice, indicating that the University of Plymouth intends to enter into a contract with Didactic Services Ltd (Festo Didactic, Official Partner, GB). The contract will be for the supply of specialist research laboratory/training equipment comprising two wind turbine nacelle systems, the nacelle being the part of the turbine that houses the components that transform the wind’s kinetic energy into mechanical energy to turn a generator that produces electricity. We will also require two three-phase power converters to operate this specialist equipment in our lab environment. The contract includes a two year warranty. The value shown on this notice is the total cost of purchasing the two nacelle systems and power converters. The University of Plymouth intends to award this contract following 10 days from the date of publication of this notice.

• Didactic Services LtdAwarded supplier Applied Automation Centre, Centre, Rm 0.6, 55 Caswell Road, Brackmills, East Midlands, NN4 7PY

No document links were published on the notice.