Find a TenderAwarded without competitionTransparency notice
Published 29 Jul 2026, 15:31 BST

Official UK procurement notice

H3AT Isotope Separation System (ISS) Gloveboxes

Official notice

Authority: UK Atomic Energy Authority (Central government)

Direct award
Awarded value£8,250,000published award · exc. VAT
Award in standstill Not publishedno call for competition
Award (standstill) to Kinectrics Inc2 awards

What is being bought

Published requirement description

This transparency notice is issued to advise the market that the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) intends to award a framework contract to Kinectrics Inc. for the design, manufacture, factory acceptance testing, delivery, installation support and commissioning support of the glovebox assemblies forming part of the Isotope Separation System (ISS) of the H3AT Tritium Loop Facility at Culham Campus, Oxfordshire, together with the associated professional design services. H3AT is constructing a tritium fuel cycle facility providing a closed-loop simulation plant and experimental laboratory. The ISS is a critical subsystem responsible for isotope separation using cryogenic and glovebox technologies. The gloveboxes provide the contained working environment necessary for tritium handling within the separation process and are a prerequisite to introducing active materials into the facility. The framework will be established under the NEC4 suite, with call-off contracts placed under the NEC4 Engineering and Construction Contract for manufacture and build scope and the NEC4 Professional Services Contract for design and advisory scope, as the design matures.

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · no lot value published

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
29 Jul 2026, 15:31 BST
Last source update
29 Jul 2026, 15:31 BST
Authority reference
H3AT ISS Gloveboxes
FTS notice number
2026/S 000-071823
Latest notice
Transparency notice (UK5)
Delivery area
UKSouth East (UKJ)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06d6c9 Find a Tender
Why no open competition
Single Suppliers Intellectual Property Exclusive Rights; Single Suppliers Technical Reasons
Published justification

The ground relied upon under section 41(1) of, and Schedule 5 to, the Procurement Act 2023 (as required to be stated by regulation 26 of the Procurement Regulations 2024) is Single Supplier — paragraph 5 (intellectual property rights or other exclusive rights) and paragraph 6 (absence of competition for technical reasons) of Schedule 5. The decision to award directly to Kinectrics Inc. is necessary because the ISS gloveboxes must interface directly with the ISS cryogenic system and conform to the glovebox standard adopted for the remainder of the H3AT facility, and because the detailed design and manufacturing solution incorporate intellectual property held by Kinectrics Inc. Any alternative manufacturer would be required to redesign to those interfaces and to develop a fresh manufacturing solution, which would duplicate completed work, incur disproportionate cost and could not be achieved within the programme window. UKAEA has assessed the market and is satisfied that there are no reasonable alternatives to the goods, services and works required.

Notice history

2 events · 1 release on Find a Tender · since 29 Jul 2026
  1. Transparency notice published
    29 Jul 2026, 15:31 BST
    UK5
  2. Contract signature expected
    1 Sept 2026, 23:59 BST
    scheduled

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast
Awards 2some still in standstill
Awarded value £8,250,0001 award exc. VAT · 1 repeated publication of the same award counted once
Awarded toValueDateStatus
Kinectrics Inc18 Sept 2026 – 18 Sept 2031Options: The right to additional purchases while the contract is valid. Call-off contracts are placed under the framework during its term, up to the framework value ceiling.£8,250,000same award published again · counted once—Standstill
Kinectrics Inc18 Sept 2026 – 18 Sept 2031Options: The right to additional purchases while the contract is valid. Call-off contracts are placed under the framework during its term, up to the framework value ceiling.£8,250,000—Standstill

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

UK Atomic Energy Authority

Contracting authorityPublic authority - central government GB-PPON: PLJV-1169-JTDD Culham Science Centre, Oxfordshire, CA, OX14 3DB, CAContact name, email

Bidders & participating suppliers

1 commercial party on the notice
  • Kinectrics IncAwarded supplierGB-PPON: PPTD-3275-XNXH 800 Kipling Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, CA, M8Z 5G5, CAContact email

Official documents & specifications (2)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure

  • Transparency notice awardTransparency noticeUK5Transparency notice on Find a Tender
  • Transparency notice awardTransparency noticeUK5Transparency notice on Find a Tender