Official UK procurement notice
DNA sequencer · UK public procurement notice
Authority: NPL Management Limited (Public body)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionNPL is seeking engagement from suppliers who can provide a medium to high throughput DNA sequencer suitable for routine molecular genetics workflows. The purpose of this engagement is to understand available market solutions capable of delivering reliable DNA sequencing and fragment analysis, with sufficient throughput, flexibility, and operational robustness to support an active laboratory environment.
The system should be capable of high‑throughput operation, enabling efficient processing of multiple samples in parallel and accommodating both routine workloads and periods of increased demand.
DNA Sequencer Capability
The DNA sequencer should provide medium to high throughput performance, suitable for parallel processing of samples and capable of supporting approximately 192 samples per day or equivalent throughput. The system must deliver consistent and reproducible DNA sequencing and fragment analysis results and support both routine and time‑critical workflows.
Operation and Workflow
The instrument should operate as a self contained system, enabling run setup and monitoring at the instrument with minimal manual intervention. Consumables and key components should be straightforward to handle and replace, with clear visibility of run progress and system status.
Software and Connectivity
Integrated software should offer an intuitive user interface, simple workflow configuration, and data outputs compatible with standard downstream analysis tools. The system should support secure connectivity, including remote monitoring or access, where available.
Applications
The DNA sequencer should support core applications including:
- DNA sequencing for verification or confirmation
- Fragment analysis
- Genotyping or identity testing
- DNA quality control
Service and Support
Suppliers should provide comprehensive service and support arrangements, including installation and initial user training, ongoing technical assistance, and remote diagnostic capabilities to minimise instrument downtime. The provision of a minimum three‑year maintenance contract covering preventative maintenance and support should be included.
This is not an evaluation exercise and nothing in this activity will limit the opportunity to engage in any follow on ITT.
CPV: Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedPipeline intelligence · planning stage: how this market runs before the tender is published
How NPL Management Limited buys Laboratory, optical and precision (CPV 38), and who usually turns up
NPL Management Limited’s own published record, next to the published market for the same work. Frameworks and DPS are kept out: they attract a different number of bids. Whole-market view: Laboratory, optical and precision (CPV 38) →
How the contest usually goes
Winner shares use published awards; bid and price charts use contested lots.
i
How often small and medium firms win.
Share of awards where the winner’s size is known.
The counts under this question show how many awards have a known supplier size.
Small firms have won here. Neither number says whether you qualify; it describes who has been winning.
i
How often local firms win similar work.
Winners with a registered address in the delivery region, out of awards with a known address.
Here, local means registered in Greater London (authority’s region).
A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.
Most of this buyer’s recorded winners are registered in Greater London. More of this buyer’s work stays local than in this market: 100% against 14%, n=20.
i
How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.
Middle value in days from the deadline to the first award notice, on competitions that published both dates.
Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.
Half of these awards were announced within 51 days of the bid deadline.
i
How often work is awarded with no recorded rival.
Direct awards and tenders where every published lot count shows one bid.
Both shares are minimums: some awards have no bid count.
Thin markets produce this too; it is not proof of a tailored specification.
Missing bid counts may hide more single-bid awards. This share is a minimum.
How many bids did past lots attract?
i
How many bids past lots received.
Each colour is a bid-count range. Only competed lots with a published count are included.
Past bids do not predict this tender.
1 bid30%
2–340%
4–620%
7+10%
How did awards compare with estimates?
i
Where winning prices landed against estimates.
Each colour shows awards below, close to or above the published estimate, one lot at a time.
Past prices are a guide, not a bid price.
Below estimate33%
Within ±2%50%
Above estimate17%
Assess each lot i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
Open a lot for its forecast, this buyer’s previous supplier and possible competitors, from published award history, not a bid list
Lot #1Published estimate£225k
i
How many bids this lot may attract.
The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.
Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative. The bar shows 10 past lots.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid30%
2–340%
4–620%
7+10%
i
Where the award price may land.
The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.
No comparable awards for this lot yet.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
Who has supplied this buyer on similar work? i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
No earlier contract of this buyer matches this lot on the published record.
Who could compete for this lot? i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
Candidate suppliers for this notice have not been worked out yet, so this is not a verdict that nobody fits.
About this data
- Source. Official UK public procurement notices (Find a Tender), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. New notices arrive through the day; the figures are rebuilt nightly.
- Two views, kept apart. The authority’s own track record and the wider market for the same kind of work sit side by side and are never mixed. Where the local picture is too thin, a figure widens to a broader market and says which one it used.
- Forecasts are labelled. The price forecast and its range, possible competitors and the earlier-work matches are our estimates from past awards: not published facts, not win chances and not price advice. Official notices do not say who is bidding.
- Every figure shows what it rests on. Not every notice publishes a bid count, a value or a delivery region, so each figure carries the number of records behind it, and one built on few records is marked as such. The on a figure explains it; the counting rules are in the methodology. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Goods
- Notice status
- Planned procurement
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 8 May 2026, 14:22 BST
- Last source update
- 8 May 2026, 14:22 BST
- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-042558- Latest notice
- Preliminary market engagement notice (UK2)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-0694ccFind a Tender
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- —
Timeline
8 May 2026 → 28 Sept 2026 · 3 dates- Planning notice published165 days ago8 May 2026, 14:22 BST
- Market engagement155 days ago18 May 2026, 23:59 BST
Prior to initiating the procurement, NPL wishes to establish the level of market interest in the forthcoming procurement process.
Suitably qualified and experienced suppliers who may have an interest in this project are invited to register for this Preliminary Market Engagement.
The purpose of the market engagement is to help assess the reaction of the market, to understand risks and future possibilities to ensure a future proofed procurement strategy and resulting contract.
Any submission received in response to this exercise will not constitute any contractual agreement between the respondent and NPL. Nor does the receipt of a response automatically include the respondent in the procurement process.
A Tender Notice will be issued to the market which will provide details of how the relating procurement documentation can be accessed and timescales for submission of the said tender response.
Interested parties shall bear their own costs of participation in this Market Engagement of whatever nature. NPL shall not be liable for the costs, expenses or losses howsoever arising (including, without limitation, any loss of profit or other economic loss incurred), regardless of the outcome of the Market Engagement.
The next stage in the process will be considered once this exercise has been completed.
- Contract starts23 days ago28 Sept 2026, 00:00 BST
Notice history
1 event · 1 release on Find a Tender- Preliminary market engagement notice published8 May 2026, 14:22 BSTUK2
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Pipeline notice- Awards (0)
- No award published
- Contracts (0)
- No contract published
- Bid statistics
- No aggregate bid statistics published
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (1)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender