Official UK procurement notice
H3AT Isotope Separation System (ISS) Gloveboxes
Authority: UK Atomic Energy Authority (Central government)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThis 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 publishedProcedure 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
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06d6c9Find 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- Transparency notice published29 Jul 2026, 15:31 BSTUK5
- Contract signature expected1 Sept 2026, 23:59 BSTscheduled
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- Kinectrics IncAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (2)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Transparency notice Transparency notice on Find a Tender
- Transparency notice Transparency notice on Find a Tender