ICP-MS Triple Quad Mass Spectrometer

The justification for Direct award under Section 41 is for Special cases under Schedule 5 Single suppliers. Paragraph 6 which states: :

The following conditions are met in relation to the public contract—

(a)due to an absence of competition for technical reasons, only a particular supplier can supply the goods, services or works required, and

(b)there are no reasonable alternatives to those goods, services or works.

The guidance for Direct Award for paragraph 6 reads: Any incompatibility between existing systems/equipment and new goods, services or works could also result in time consuming and complex redesign and modification which could be unacceptable in the circumstances, for example, resulting in significant cost and/or delay to an important service.

This incompatibility and complex modification is evidenced in this case by the following key issues:

Current ISO17025 accreditation held for U-238 in urine, Tc-99 in effluents, groundwater seaweed and soil and multi-metals in ground water and soil. A major, time-consuming validation process would be required for equipment supplied by a different supplier.

Connection to the laboratory information system (LIMS) to allow automatic transfer of measurement data, calculation of results and preparation of customer reports, as well as storing full traceability on measurements required under the ISO 17025 accredited quality management system. This extensive validation work would not need to be repeated if an identical instrument is purchased.

There would be incompatibility with existing results and those of the first machine resulting in disproportionate technical and financial efforts to revalidate and recalibrate systems